BALTIMORE — CIAA events kick off this week and businesses are already starting to prepare for the large crowds expected.
James E. Lee Museum of Art is one local museum educating people about Black history and culture while magnifying it through art.
Shaqueta Alston is the Administrative Assistant at the John E. Lewis Museum of Art on Morgan State University's campus. She said their museum is a mixture of old and new .
“I think to know where you’re going you have to know where you've been. This is a specifically Black driven organization, so you’re able to come to this space and you’re able to see a reflection of yourself. We have such a vast collection, we have such a dive into the past, mixed with a great ratio of looking ahead to the future. We have three new exhibitions that are currently on display that dive into the Afro futurist development and idea of where our role is in the future and what that looks like and how beautiful that is," Alston said.
They also have a permanent exhibit which dissects all the regions of Africa.
“This is the permanent collections aspect of the Jelman museum. From all regions of Africa your diving into the Ivory Coast, we’ve got New Guinea, we’ve got Mali, all of these regions that are so rich with culture from Africa,” Alston said.
The John E. Lewis Museum is just one business on the list of many crowned on Baltimore's BOP Pass. Bop is slang for a long walk, and you can get a free pass during CIAA to walk through dozens of those businesses.
“Mixing art and culture with some great food, great conversation, and great community and I think you’re set for the weekend. Hitting all of the black museums here in Baltimore I think that’s a necessity integrating that with all of the black owned businesses,” Alston said.
Although CIAA is about basketball, the mission of BOP is to expose Black businesses, black history and black culture in Baltimore. It’s why CIAA organizers are encouraging people to get the most culturally enriched experience possible.
