Owings Mills native Juliet Gilden explores antisemitism and racism in her paintings

Juliet Gilden, a nationallyacclaimed artist who exhibited a one-woman show at the M+B Gallery in Los Angeles, is returning to her local Maryland roots with her exhibition “Drawn” at the Peggy and Yale Gordon Center for Performing Arts.

An artist reception will be held at 12:30 p.m. Feb. 26 at the performing arts center, located at 3506 Gwynnbrook Ave., Owings Mills.

Gilden’s work is heavily influenced by her experiences of antisemitism and racism as a young girl growing up in Owings Mills, and she now hopes to bring awareness and enact change through her brightly-color designs.

“It’s extremely gratifying to be celebrated around the country, but there is nothing like presenting my work in the Pikesville/Owings Mills area, in the heart of the world where I grew up and was tremendously influenced,” the 54-year old artist says. “I came to Owings Mills as a child as part of a migration of Jewish Baltimoreans and still remember that a swastika was painted on the new home of one of my friends, and [I] was horrified. A child has no voice to speak up in the face of that. The negative memories last forever. But, as an artist, I have a powerful megaphone. To under a cozy. me, this is the most meaningful place I could exhibit.”

Gilden’s show in Los Angeles helped fund efforts to fight racism and antisemitism in entertainment with Gilden’s portraits of historic and courageous Jewish and Black women who, in many cases, have used their fame to take crucial moral stands. These are also the themes of many of the paintings that will be on display at the Gordon Center. Gilden grew up just minutes from the Owings Mills Jewish Community Center. She graduated from Owings Mills High School and continued her education at the Maryland Institute College of Art and Towson University.

The Larkin Tea Co. in Martinsburg, West Virginia, is hosting a tea cozy competition, and entries are currently being accepted. In previous competitions, there have been entries from all over the U.S., and people worldwide placed a vote. In 2023 the winner will receive a prize worth over $400 in specialty loose-leaf tea, tea accessories and gift items.

Designs do not have to be original, but the contestant must have handcrafted the knitted or crocheted. Only cozies created with yarn will be accepted. One entry per person.

To enter, contestants must email a color, in-focus, clear photograph to judy@larkintea.com or mail to The Larkin Tea Co., 545 Warm Springs Ave., Martinsburg, WV 25404. Photos will not be returned and become the property of The Larkin Tea Co. It’s suggested that you take the photo with the cozy against a plain background so the design and workmanship show up better.

All submissions must include name, mailing address, telephone number, email address and a descriptive name of the cozy.

Photos will be posted online at The Larkin Tea Co’s website at larkintea.com.

Visitors to the site can vote for their favorite. The tea cozy that receives the most votes wins.

The last day to submit an entry is March 15.

Tea cozy photos will go online approximately one week after the closing date. Voting will finish seven days after posting of photographs. The winner will be notified by phone or email. A photo of the winner with the cozy will be posted on The Larkin Tea Co’s website and shared on social media.

This competition is open to residents of the U.S. only.

Although Gilden’s Baltimore roots run deep, in the last several years her work has been shown around the country as much as in the Baltimore area. In 2020, her portrait of Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was prominently featured in the Washington Post’s coverage of the historic justice’s death.

Gilden’s art is also the inspiration for a new animated music video soon to be released by the performer, writer and composer Laurie Geltman.

“Featuring prominent local artists like Juliet is among the most important missions of the Gordon Center, and her show is both powerful and memorable,” says Melissa Seltzer, senior director of arts and culture at the Gordon Center. “This is a very important show to us.”

The exhibition represents the kickoff for the newly renovated gallery and performing arts center. For additional information, call 443-983-4140 or visit julietspaintings.com.