It’s no secret that Hopkins is well-known to most for its STEM fields: How often have you heard Hopkins and the humanities discussed in the same conversation off-campus? And yet, back in 1966, preluding the height of literary theory which would explode in the 70s and 80s, Johns Hopkins University hosted prominent thinkers like Claude Lévi-Strauss, Jacques Derrida, Paul de Man, Roland Barthes and Jacques Lacan for an international symposium.
And it isn’t just literature; William Foxwell Albright, the biblical archeologist who authenticated the Dead Sea Scrolls, and Charles Sanders Pierce, the founder of American Pragmatism, both taught here. Modernist poet Gertrude Stein, singer-songwriter Tori Amos and horror film director Wes Craven are other notable, more artistic alumni. Whatever may be Hopkins’ current reputation, it’s important to recognize that Hopkins has a rich history of the arts and that many of our arts organizations have existed for decades. They are important aspects of our community and common psychology.
In this article, I’ll attempt to provide a succinct, informative guide on all categories of arts organizations and resources at or near the Homewood and Mt. Vernon campuses. Please note that there are far too many clubs and groups to cover in one article. I recommend that anyone reading this do their own research on HopkinsGroups and attend the Student Involvement Fair to seek out new clubs, as they pop up every year. Make sure to also attend the O-show, which will feature appearances from multiple performing arts organizations.
Music
Music is by far the most prevalent and easily accessible category of live performance at Hopkins. From a cappella to full professional orchestras, both Homewood and Mt. Vernon have plenty of events worth your time.
A cappella groups are immensely popular at Hopkins, so much so that it would be unnecessarily tedious to name all of them here. They’re incredibly diverse, as well; every group has its own niche, whether they are of a specific cultural or ethnic background, or focus on a particular style of music. Hopkins has hosted multiple ICCA Northeast quarterfinal competitions over the past few years, and numerous Hopkins groups have made it to the ICCA Semi-Finals, such as The AllNighters and Hopkins’ oldest a cappella group, The Octopodes.
As far as orchestral groups go, the crème de la creme is undoubtedly the Hopkins Symphony Orchestra. Made up of students, faculty, alumni and community members, the group has plenty of concerts each semester in Shriver Hall and always manages to fill the auditorium. Tickets are $14 per person, but students are given free admission, making it a fantastic opportunity. I highly recommend you check out at least one of their concerts, especially one during the holidays.
Additionally, the Peabody campus in Mt. Vernon (which is easily accessed by the JHMI shuttle from Homewood) is a constant hub for extraordinary performances. Aside from the Peabody Symphony Orchestra, there is almost always a chamber orchestra, jazz quartet, chorus or some other group showcasing their expertise in Miriam A. Friedberg or Joe Byrd Hall.
Aside from these two major categories, there are multiple underground bands composed of rock-loving students who perform annually at the WJHU-sponsored Spring Show, and at Greek-sponsored concerts (my personal favorites are Gustavo Fring and Lovegrove). For the sake of space I’ll end the music section here, but if you’re interested in the student band scene, check out my article covering the last Spring Show.
Visual Art
The two largest galleries available within the Hopkins sphere are the Baltimore Museum of Art, which is just south of Homewood Campus, and the Walters Art Museum, which is right across the street from Peabody in Mt. Vernon. As for student visual art, the Center for Visual Arts holds a showcase of student works at the end of every school year.
Photo of the Baltimore Museum of Art, located just south of Homewood Campus.
Theatre
There are several opportunities in theater for different levels of experience. The Department for Theatre Arts & Studies holds multiple wonderful productions each semester at Merrick Barn, near Brody Learning Commons. These performances are usually led by professional directors with a student cast, and the production team is made up of Hopkins faculty and students.
COURTESY OF WILL KIRK
A scene from the JHU Theatre department’s production of Bertolt Brecht’s Life of Galileo, which was performed last Spring.
There are also three student-run companies: the Barnstormers, Dunbar Baldwin Hughes (DBH) Theater Company and Witness Theater. The first two — the Barnstormers and DBH — produce plays and musicals with a cast and crew consisting entirely of Hopkins students, excluding the hired, professional directors. Witness Theater is unique in that every step of production — from the writing and workshopping of scripts to the final show — is done by students. It is by far the easiest way to get involved in any aspect of theater that might interest you, especially for aspiring playwrights.
Dance
I’ll admit I’m not the most well-versed in this field, but there are multiple very skilled cultural dance groups on campus, such as Baìla!, focusing on Latin dance, and the Lan Yun Blue Orchids, performing traditional Chinese dance. The annual culture show in the spring is a great opportunity to expose yourself to dance groups of many ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Somewhat in the same category are the Aerial Circus Club, which focuses on midair maneuvers using rope, hoops and trapezes, and the Johns Hopkins Entertainer’s Club, which performs beautiful fire spinning.
Film
There is really only one major event in student film, and that is the annual viewing of films produced by Studio North. Studio North is a student-run film and media production company that provides grants for student projects and offers valuable hands-on experience to its many committee members. At the end of every school year, Studio North hosts a viewing of the films produced by Hopkins students at a local theater.
Creative Writing
Aside from the multi-faceted nature of The News-Letter, which allows for plenty of creativity in information or opinion-based articles, there are multiple clubs and publications that focus more on poetry and fictional prose.
The cornerstone of the Hopkins writing community is the Writing Seminars department Reading Series, which features readings from published authors, including department faculty.
There are two major student-run clubs for creative writing at Hopkins: Writers’ Warehouse, a creative writing workshop group, and Bluejays & Poets, which hosts interactive events and field trips to local poetry readings. The Writing Seminars Student Advisory Board also hosts open mics with featured student writers throughout the year.
Additionally, there are multiple student-run literary magazines that regularly receive submissions, including Out of the Blue Jay, Zeniada and the Writers’ Warehouse magazine. All three also include visual art made by students.
Comedy
Erring more on the entertainment side, clubs like the improvisation group Buttered Niblets and the Stand-Up Comedy Club have events throughout the year. Throat Culture, the University’s only sketch comedy group, is also set to make a comeback this year. If you’re more of a writer than a performer, The Black and Blue Jay is a satirical newspaper with a long, influential history at Hopkins. They publish 2-4 times a month and hold meetings weekly. Come October, when your midterms have sufficiently eviscerated all your energy, remember that comedy heals, and these groups do not disappoint.
I hope this guide proves helpful in fulfilling all of your artistic desires! There really is a sleeping giant of artistic opportunity at Hopkins, which hides behind its STEM-focused image. Whether you’re of a balanced mind and seek a counteracting force to the banality of endless labs and lectures, or you’re of kindred spirit with me and seek art even in the most scientific of universities, there’s no lack of resources here for artistic expression. I’m sure every single organization I mentioned is waiting with open arms, excited for you to contribute to the ever-growing artistic community.
Timothy McShea is a senior from Ellicott City, MD, majoring in Writing Seminars and English. He is an Arts & Entertainment Editor for The News-Letter.
