Baltimore Museum of Art to Host “The Freedom Bell” Honoring Frances Ellen Watkins Harper

Baltimore, MD — The Baltimore Museum of Art will welcome the community for an evening of art, history, and reflection with “The Freedom Bell: An Evening with Frances Harper” on Thursday, April 9 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at its main campus.

Presented as part of the sixth annual Donald V. Bentley Memorial Lecture, the program commemorates the 200th anniversary of Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, a Baltimore-born abolitionist, poet, and suffragist whose work helped shape generations of social justice movements.

The evening will open with a featured address by historian Dr. Martha S. Jones, whose scholarship has extensively explored Harper’s life and legacy. Guests will then experience a performance of African American spirituals by The Jonathan Pettus Chorale, accompanied by live music from cellists of the Peabody Institute.

Following the program, attendees are invited to a cultural reception featuring food and drinks for purchase, along with a pop-up exhibition curated by Dr. Raynetta Wiggins-Jackson. The exhibition is part of the Curating and Archiving Black Baltimore project, highlighting the city’s rich Black cultural and historical contributions.

The event is presented by the Billie Holiday Center for Liberation Arts, an initiative of Johns Hopkins University dedicated to connecting scholarship, art, and community engagement across Baltimore’s historic Black communities.

Event Schedule:

5:45 p.m. – Auditorium doors open
6:15–7:00 p.m. – Lecture by Dr. Martha S. Jones
7:00–7:30 p.m. – Performance by The Jonathan Pettus Chorale
7:30–9:00 p.m. – Cultural reception and pop-up exhibit

Admission is free, though registration is encouraged due to high demand.

Born in Baltimore in 1825, Harper rose to national prominence as one of the first Black women published in the United States and became a leading voice in abolition and women’s rights. Her legacy continues to resonate today, making this event both a historical reflection and a timely conversation about the role of art in shaping a more just society.

For more information and to register, visit: https://artbma.org/event/the-freedom-bell-an-evening-with-frances-harper-at-the-bma