Baltimore City Life Museum?

Can anyone shed any light on what happened to the Baltimore City Life Museum? I had heard some good things about it, but now I hear it is defunct or nearly so.

Thanks,

Bill Humm

I am from Baltimore; lived in the city for 9 years, and involved in the arts community, and yet, the Baltimore City Life Museum was never a museum I'd attended, or wanted to. Never heard about any exhibitions...in fact, I can't recollect where it even is in the city? If you want to know 'what's happening' in the Baltimore arts community currently, check out this site:
http://flora.com/crater/balto.shtml

Nancy Scheer (MICA Alumni, 90'

The Baltimore City Life Museum closed its doors some time ago for a lot of different reasons. At this point it is doubtful it will ever open again as the collection was given to the Maryland Historical Society. What happens to the historic buildings is anyone's guess. Baltimore City tried to quietly sell them off and/or lease them for commercial purposes, but the Baltimore Sun got wind of it and a large article brought such a storm of controversy they retracted the planned sale and denied ever intending to do so. My guess is each building will rise or fall (literally) on its own merits. The H.L. Mencken House seems to be getting a great deal of support from its local community, but I doubt it will reopen as a museum necessarily. One local Museum director thought a tea room in the Peale Museum was a swell idea, and the newest building, the one that helped put it into debt, may become a welcome center and/or catering facility.

And, FYI, the much touted Columbus Center for Biotechnology also recently closed the doors to its Hall of Exploration about 6 months ago. Both BCLM and the Columbus Center were at the center of a Museum News piece on museums being at the center of Baltimore's Second Rennaissance. Now both are closed. Who'd a thunk it? Port Discovery, Baltimore's Children's Museum and another institution highlighted in the MN article, is slated to open in December within three blocks of both failed institutions. Will Disney magic and $$$ keep it from going the way of the other museums?

But our new Hard Rock Cafe, Planet Hollywood, and ESPN Zone are doing great.

Matthew White Director of Education B&O Railroad Museum

Deb Fuller

We are lucky here in Kewaunee that our local and state representatives are supporting us with more than money for a fundraising event at our museum. We are having a Victorian Picnic and two mayors, a state representative and two presidents of city councils will take a cream pie in the face if we receive a $1,000 in pledges. It looks like we will make it. The money will be used to purchase travelling exhibit cases to send around to the schools in the fall.

The point I am making here is have you tried to involve your local politicians in events? The mayor of our city was asked (just yesterday) to give the welcoming remarks to the delegates for the N.E.W. Conference on Local History. All it costs him is a bit of his time; all it costs us is a lunch for two (we invited his wife also).

In the past, we also had the mayor come out to the opening day events at our museum. We are hoping to have a wine and cheese room dedication sometime in the fall. Again, local politicians will be invited. No where in all of this have we asked for money from the town councils. By the time we do, they certainly will know us, and the types of activities we have, the kinds of things we would like to see done. It's important. (especially in an election year!)

Regards Mary Haegele

When I sarcastically stated that the national theme restaurants were doing swell when local institutions were closing, it was Carol's point #3 to which I was refering. Both the ESPN Zone and soon Planet Hollywood will close Pratt St., the main thouroughfare along the Inner Harbor, for their opening gala. Although there have been no official estimates on how much the city is spending on police overtime and other support services it could go into the hundreds of thousands, not counting services that cannot be delivered because of congested streets so that celebrities can cavort in front of thier restaurants. There has also been talk recently of placing a floating barge in front of the National Aquarium (OK not directly in front but close enough to recieve the Aquarium's acrimony) for a Bubba Gump shrimp barge. All with the mayor cheering from the sideline as more of the local heritage and companies are brushed aside or plowed under. I don't begrudge these restaurants their hype. Hype is what they sell and the city should back major investments and job creation. However, it would be nice if local institutions could get enough support to buy a bag of confetti when they open or stage a special event. And, as Carol correctly states, it need not be monetary support. The mayor