Summer at the Center
Join us for Summer at the Center 鈥� a vibrant celebration of the arts with live performances, workshops and classes, June 13 鈥� 29.
Summer at the Center isn鈥檛 just a celebration of, but a tribute to, Baltimore's vibrant artistic tapestry and the College of Fine Arts and Communication (COFAC)'s long history as a part of it. Set against the backdrop of the Center for the Arts鈥� theaters, concert halls, classrooms and dance studios, the festival showcases performances from both Towson University alumni, departments, and student groups, as well as the wider Baltimore professional arts community.
Summer at the Center 2025
Summer at the Center 2025 features dazzling and delightful performances, exhibitions, and creative undertakings from a celebrated lineup of returning Towson University alumni, as well as faculty, students, and friends! Running June 13鈥�29, 2025, the Center for the Arts鈥� doors will be open for a variety of free and ticketed arts and entertainment events. Tickets go on sale soon at tuboxoffice.com.
1930s Hollywood: Money, Food, and Fashion in the Great Depression
opening June 13
鈥�1930s Hollywood: Money, Food, and Fashion in the Great Depression" is a multimedia interdisciplinary exhibition exploring the relationship between an entertainment medium and media consumers. Visitors will hear 1930s popular music in the gallery as they see the ways in which the film industry influenced the creativity of women movie fans to adapt their daily practices to 'live' the movies at home during the tough economic times of the Great Depression, particularly in the aspire vs. survive modes of food and fashion. Highlights include life-sized models of movie-inspired elegant evening wear, simple daily attire, and a unique recreation of the famous 鈥淟etty Lynton鈥� dress from the 1932 film by the same name, as well as cocktail, baked good, and casserole recipes promoted by Hollywood actresses.
Joan Cox: Side by Side
June 13 鈥� July 17
This exhibition presents recent works highlighting Joan Cox鈥檚 significant contributions to the genres of figurative painting and queer portraiture. Cox鈥檚 work captures the quiet, often fleeting moments of intimacy between women. A Baltimore native and an alumna of Towson University, where she received a BFA in Painting, Joan Cox was recently awarded the 2024 Alumni Dean鈥檚 Recognition Award for the College of Fine Arts and Communication at Towson. Cox is represented by the Bureau of Queer Art/Art Gallery Studios in Cuernavaca, Mexico, and Catalyst Contemporary in Baltimore, Maryland. Sponsored in part by the COFAC Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.
Family Fun Day: Dance Celebrate!
Saturday, June 14, from 9 a.m. 鈥� 2 p.m.
Community Dance will be hosting a free day of dance and performances on Saturday, June 14th to the Baltimore community called Dance Celebrate! Dance Celebrate! will offer a variety of sample classes for children, adults, and families to participate in throughout the day, and will be presenting a special dance performance of its spring production, Carnival of Animals.
Midnight Cowboy Radio by Ally Ibach, directed by Patricia Runcie-Rice
Saturday, June 14, at 7 p.m.
It's Labor Day in Kentucky! Time for your favourite late-night-radio-talk-show host, to give you life advice on the air of Midnight Cowboy Radio, entertaining y鈥檃ll for those long drives home! This show is written and performed by Ally Ibach and directed by Patricia Runcie-Rice. Most recently seen at Edinburgh Fringe (Highly Recommended by FringeReview, SleecReview, and BTS Creative Academy) and The Pen Theatre (London). Midnight Cowboy Radio has been performed off-Broadway at Theatre Row (NYC) and has been awarded as a finalist at The Secret Theatre's One-Act Festival (NYC).
The End of Summer, directed by Yasujiro Ozu
Saturday, June 21, at 1 p.m.
Laugh and cry with us while viewing this 1961 meditation on the passage of time through the lens of intergenerational family dynamics. A senior sake brewer and his adult daughters negotiate their desires and obligations in response to concerns over finances, health, and love. (color) Directed by Yasujiro Ozu. 103 minutes.
The Fantastical Now, written and performed by Siobh谩n O鈥橪oughlin
Saturday, June 21, at 7 p.m.
This experience features a lonely, video game playing, Dungeons & Dragons loving Egirl and Tik Tok star embarking on her true dream: becoming a fantasy novelist. The audience meets Bambi at her first official book talk: a pre-release party for her most invigorated fans. As Bambi stumbles through her talk, we start to see the cracks in her sparkly foundation, and wonder if she wrote a book at all, or if her imposter syndrome and people-pleasing tendencies have left her literally and figuratively wordless. With high levels of audience interaction, Bambi seeks validation and community from the audience in this heartfelt exploration of human vulnerability and the love of a novel.
Maryland Opera presents: Summer Serenade
Sunday, June 22, at 3 p.m.
Maryland Opera presents 鈥淪ummer Serenade,鈥� featuring hits from the operatic and Broadway stage performed by three acclaimed singers. Artistic Director James Harp, long known for excellence in operatic performance and musical outreach throughout the region, will be at the piano and will share his passion for this repertoire as he gives synopses for the selections from the stage. You鈥檒l hear some of your old favorites and you鈥檒l find some new favorites all sung by world-class artists.
It鈥檚 The Comedy of Errors, Hon by Ian Gallanar, presented by Chesapeake Shakespeare Company鈥檚 Shakespeare Beyond
Thursday, June 26, at 7 p.m.
Mistaken identities, outrageous antics, and double the hilarity 鈥� It鈥檚 The Comedy of Errors, Hon! is coming your way! Packed with iconic moments and characters that could only come from Charm City! Not one, but two sets of twins separated at birth find themselves in Baltimore at the same time, leaving a whirlwind of mix-ups, comic chases, and chaos in their wake.
Halloween in June
Friday, June 27, at 7 p.m.
Summer not spooky enough for you? EMF is bringing you Halloween in June! We are serving up a curated selection of spooky short films, creepy comedies, and shocking sci-fi by EMF students and alumni. Then, EMF is proud to present the world premiere of Trick or Treat with Reed Richmond, the latest spin-off of the retro-VHS cult classic WNUF Halloween Special cinematic universe by EMF alumnus Chris LaMartina. This eerie-sistable event is hosted by Baltimore's horror hostess with the mostest, Aurora Gorealis!
Richard Rodgers & His Sounds of Music
Saturday, June 28, at 7 p.m.
Writer, director, and star of this musical extravaganza, Carolyn Black-Sotir and guest artists, tenor Min Jin, baritones Phillip Collister and Jason Widney, sopranos Lori Hultgren and Leah Inger, along with pianist Tim McReynolds, bassist Tom Baldwin, and drummer Frank Russo, pay tribute to the life and works of genius Broadway composer/producer Richard Rodgers. This extraordinary theatrical concert presents Rodgers鈥檚 musical classics as well as reimagined interpretations of his theatre songs. While celebrating the sheer beauty and genius of his music, this muti-media performance reveals the stories behind the music and delves into Rodgers鈥檚 collaborations with Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein.
Small Acts of Pride
Sunday, June 29, at 3 p.m.
An evening of short plays and performances in celebration of Pride written by a diverse group of LGBTQ+ identified TU Theatre alums.
Maryland Arts Festival History: 1981鈥�2006
COFAC has a long and distinguished legacy in presenting performances, exhibits and cultural events for both the campus and the Baltimore metropolitan region.
While much of this presenting work is focused on student capstone experiences, the Center for the Arts is fully equipped to work with professional presenters within its state-of-the-art facilities.
From 1981鈥�2006, COFAC was home to the Maryland Arts Festival, a multidisciplinary summer arts festival producing or presenting professional theatre, musicals, chamber music, dance and film. The Maryland Arts Festival showcased performances like "Gypsy," "Ragtime: The Musical," "Cabaret" and "Forever Plaid."
2024 heralded the revival of summer arts celebrations at COFAC for the first time in nearly 20 years with the debut of the Summer at the Center festival.