Dianne Lyday was a long-time member of the Agents of Change Collaborative and a founding member of Baltimore Racial Justice Action (BRJA) in 2003. An essential part of BRJA, Dianne shared her talents as a Facilitator/Trainer, Administrator and Advisory Board member. Dianne passed away (covid related) December 26, 2020.
Dianne was an accomplished poet and writer, author of the book “For the Good of the Children: Racism, Red Tape and the Myth of Family Reunification" and a Baltimore City Historical Society prize winner for penning new lyrics to the state song "Maryland, My Maryland". (These lyrics did not replace the lyrics of the state song but provided alternative, more inclusive, and justice-focused lyrics instead of the original pro-secessionist lyrics.)
Those who knew Dianne for many, many years saw her grow into the person she was aspiring to be, transforming through her deepened understanding of the ways in which white supremacy and racism work in American society, and bringing a level of honesty and self-reflection to discussions that white people rarely have the courage to bring. Dianne knew that being a "white ally" was not an identity, but a sustained and honest practice, and she was faithful and unsparing in that practice. Those who knew her for many years or just a few months knew that about her, and we all loved her for it.
Dianne was not only a valued member, friend, and family within the BRJA community, but she was a daughter, a sister, a mother to Jason and Bryan, and a grandmother and great-grandmother. We are deeply grateful to them for sharing Dianne with us for all these years.
One of Dianne’s loves in life was fiber arts - in particular quilt-making and embroidery, often in large works that combined both. As in other parts of her life, Dianne was all-in once she had a project in mind, and the projects were ambitious in scale. Five of her quilts will be on display (on loan from her son, Jason) as well as embroidery pieces. In addition to Dianne’s work, this exhibit of fiber artists include: Hannah Brancato, Oletha DeVane, Kate Drabinski, Joan Gaither, Alex Garove, Mygenet Harris, Grace Hulse, Diane Kuthy, Olivia Robinson, Harriet Smith, Valeska Populoh, Rachel Valsing. The exhibition of her work was lovingly organized by her family, friends and colleagues at BRJA.
Previous Exhibits
Degrees of Separation
May 1- May 22
About the Justice Arts Coalition: Justice Arts Coalition (JAC) unites teaching artists, arts advocates, artists who are or have been incarcerated and their allies, harnessing the transformative power of the arts to reimagine justice. Through the sharing of resources, stories, and learning opportunities, JAC is building a nationwide collective of people who are committed to increasing opportunities for creative expression in carceral settings, amplifying the voices of those most impacted by mass incarceration, and shaping public dialogue around the intersection of the arts and justice. Initially formed by veteran teaching artists Judith Tannenbaum, Julia Taylor, Emily Harris, Allie Horevitz, Rachael Zafer (Hudak), Jaime Nelson, and Suzanne Gothard in 2008 as the Prison Arts Coalition, JAC has remained a grassroots, volunteer-led project throughout its recent transformation into a national 501c3 nonprofit organization.
PORTRAITS OF LIFE: Once Upon A Story
November 12 through December 19
April M Rimpo and Elaine Weiner-Reed are pleased to present their exhibition PORTRAITS OF LIFE: Once Upon a Story. This is an Ekphrastic exhibit where the images of Rimpo and Weiner-Reed’s visual art inspires written word, poetic, and musical interpretations of their paintings. Special events are scheduled throughout the ongoing exhibit for written word readings and musical presentations.
Both artists are storytellers, so they invite others to imagine and retell the stories told in their paintings. Traditionally, the term Ekphrasis is limited to interpreting visual art through the written word. This exhibit expands this meaning to include musical interpretation, as well. The musical collaborations include lyrics and music of any genre. In addition to popular music, a pair of classical musicians have created and recorded performances to be included in the Closing Reception. In their original compositions, they used a combination of electronics, violins, and a traditional instrument called the Viol, that predates the violin.
The community is invited to write and share their own interpretations. Join us and enjoy the artwork and creative collaborations. A virtual gallery will also be available during the exhibit at the link below.
Youth Art Month - A Virtual Exhibit
The Baltimore County Arts Guild is pleased to sponsor our annual Baltimore County Youth Art Month exhibit, featuring students from our local middle & high Schools.
Current Exhibits