What Makes
Us Smile?
A yearlong exhibition explores
the lengths of the funny bone
Don’t pay too much attention to the serious-sounding title of this exhibition at the American Visionary Art Museum. Instead of What
Makes Us Smile?, it could just as well be called
Here Are a Bunch of Things That Make Us
Smile. More than 90 “artists, imps and comedians” contributed everything from drawings
and cartoons to sculptures and even a wooden
headboard depicting Alfred E. Neuman of
Mad magazine.
One of the curators of the exhibit is Matt
Groening, creator of The Simpsons, and that
should provide a clue about the zany objets
ave
Date
Federal Hill
the
Five Bands
for Five
Bucks
Ongoing
The 8X10 is the current
name of a legendary
room that has gone
under various names
and might be the best
little place in Baltimore
to see a band. 410-625-
2000; the8x10.com
inner Harbor
Top of the World
Wednesday
Through Sunday
Not the tallest building in the world, but 27
floors up is enough for a
grand, 360-degree view
of Baltimore on bright
spring days. World
Trade Center. 410-837-
8439; vie wbaltimore.org
CITY GUIDE
Baltimore
d’humor within. Among
them are toy assemblages
from comedian Michael
Baldwin, irreverent
cartoons from the late
quadriplegic artist John
Callahan, and comic
embroidery from fabric
whiz Chris Roberts-
Antieau. The exhibit is presented in a series
of small galleries, including HO-HO-HO HA-
HA-HANUKKA and More Tickle!, inspired
by Washoe the signing chimp. 410-244-1900;
avam.org.
Remembering
Frank Zappa,
Baltimore’s Son
on sept. 19, 1985,
Frank Zappa, the
extraordinary and
outspoken musician,
testified before a
senate committee
against efforts to label
and thereby censor
recorded music.
the testimony has
become legendary in
the annals of modern
free speech history.
on the 25th anniver-
sary of that testimony,
the City of baltimore
CHarles Village
Seeing Now:
Photography
Since 1960
Through May 15
Some 200 photos by
60 artists attempt to
show how the medium
reflects our changing
view of our surround-
ings. Baltimore Museum
of Art. 443-573-1700;
artbma.org
Mount Vernon
Snow Falling
on Cedars
March 9–April 3
A stage adaptation of
the best-seller by David
Guterson, Sno w Falling
on Cedars is a murder
mystery tinged with
anti-Japanese racism in
the decade after World
War II. Centerstage. 410-
332-0033; centerstage.org
dedicated a bronze
sculpture in the likeness of Zappa, a gift
from an arts group in
the sculptor’s home
country of lithuania.
Zappa was born in
baltimore on dec. 21,
1940, and died dec. 4,
1993, of prostate
cancer. the sculpture
is installed outdoors
at the southeast
anchor of the enoch
Pratt Free library,
in the Highlandtown
neighborhood.
410-752-8632.
CaMden Yards
Opening Day
April 4
The Orioles finished
2010 strong under new
manager Buck Showal-
ter. They open against
the Tigers for the first
of 16 April home games.
410-685-9800; baltimore.
orioles.mlb.com
