A budding artist has recently been thrust into the limelight all due to a single Instagram re-post by megastar Beyoncé.

A couple weeks ago, 20-year-old Baltimore artist, Briah Neale posted her painting of Beyoncé on her Instagram and it was re-posted by Beyoncé, which has since garnered immense attention towards Neale and her art work. The recognition which Neale has received by Beyoncé is something that she is humbled by and still in awe of.

“I was honored to have her recognize my artwork, I appreciate any and everyone who loves my artwork but it is amazing to have the person you created for to feel the same as well, sort of like an affirmation of a job well done. Beyoncé is very influential, not just in the music industry but in the world…right now it still hasn’t sunken it yet,” Neale said.

Neale has always dreamed of becoming an artist but she did not think that her dream would manifest so suddenly.

“I can remember being that kid in second when asked what I wanted to be saying an artist, or sitting on the curb at recess with my best friend drawing. I never wanted anything more; I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else. However, I didn’t expect the recognition to come at all I never thought my art would have this affect. I just create because it’s what I love and I still would without any accolades or praise,” Neale said.

Neale has been painting in her animation style for about four years now and she first learned how to manipulate oil paints in the summer of 2009 during a portfolio building course taken at the Maryland Institute College of Art.

“The skills I learned there were traditional stylings but I have recently come into my own style, giving each of my pieces a sort of pop art feel,” Neale said.

The Beyoncé piece is 14 x 17″ and it is mixed media on a Bristol board. She used everything from a sharpie marker, to Speedball inks, acrylic paint, oil paints and gouache. She wanted it to be fun and playful like the image but she chose a more pastel palette because it seemed softer. Neale imagined Beyoncé being “very dainty, very feminine and I wanted to play on that.”

The enormous attention surrounding Neale and her work has become a whirlwind with her receiving countless emails, inquiries and comments through email Twitter, Tumblr and Instagram regarding the prints of the Beyoncé piece. She did not realize how many people saw the painting until requests started pouring in. She has heard from Singapore, Japan, France, Thailand, Australia, Canada, Germany, and London and all over the UK.

“Beyoncé has diehard fans who just want to feel like they have a piece of her and knowing she approves makes it that much more special,” Neale said.

Having such a strong demand for prints, Neale has decided to sell 99 exclusive prints that will be autographed for authenticity. She is building a website and will be releasing them and have her other artwork showcased at the top of this year.

“I chose to do 99 copies because to me the piece was special so I wanted it to be a rarity, a treasure. That much more exclusive knowing that only 99 in the world have been made and once they are gone they are gone. I will not do a reprint, each one of them will be number 1 of 99, 2 of 99 and so forth,” Neale said. She also plans to get the original piece sent to Beyoncé in the near future.

For Neale, having Instagram as the media outlet that got her noticed was a shock but it was not completely unexpected.

“I know the influence that social media has on my generation and the world as a whole in today’s society. I knew very well that it could be a gateway to get my artwork exposure, but I never imagine it would happen so quickly and on a scale of this magnitude,” Neale said.

She is grateful for the rise in recognition and as far as what it will do for the future it has definitely gotten her name out there and even better on a global platform.

“I am so excited for what is next for me, I can’t wait to see what God has in store for me, and I can’t wait to show the world my full potential.”

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The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) reveals the results of an unprecedented investigation exposing more questionable test results in schools across America. Questioning whether the 2011 cheating scandal was unique to Atlanta Public Schools, the AJC found drastic swings in test scores that were considered virtually impossible in Baltimore, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles and St. Louis.

Suspect test score changes were also identified in many other cities, which will appear in the report. This story is set to spark a national debate over the policy and integrity of standardized testing.

Evidence that suggests possible cheating – the same kind that led AJC reporters and state investigators to uncover widespread and systematic test score manipulation in Georgia – exists across America. In an unprecedented effort, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution spent months gathering and analyzing data and conducting dozens of interviews.

“The implications of our findings are profound, and it’s hard to find a more important story to tell,” AJC Editor Kevin Riley said. “This is about America’s future, and the integrity of standardized testing is central to the policy direction of American schools. Policies require states to test all students in grades 3 through 8 to measure performance in reading and math. Success in America’s schools is now defined by showing improvement in test scores. These results raise troubling questions about the reliability of these tests.”

To reach this conclusion, the AJC’s investigative team gathered data from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The AJC analyzed test scores in more than 14,000 school districts — and verified the information through four separate independent academic experts.

In addition to Atlanta, the AJC found drastic swings in test scores that were considered virtually impossible in Baltimore, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles and St. Louis. More than 100 school districts with highly improbable swings in test scores, a finding that strongly points to tampering.

Changes in test scores that were statistically improbable in nearly 20 cities, with swings in scores that were virtually impossible in about a half dozen. According to experts consulted by the AJC, human intervention is the most likely explanation.

In some cities, the AJC found so many dramatic shifts in scores that the odds of that happening by chance are virtually zero. In cities such as Houston, the results for entire grades of students jumped two, three or more times the amount expected in one year. The next year, when children moved to a new grade, their scores plummeted. Suspect scores were found in a few districts that have been hailed as cutting edge reformers.

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An international parade of ships will sail into Baltimore on June 13 for Star-Spangled Sailabration, the national launch of the three-year commemoration by the U.S. Navy and the State of Maryland of the Bicentennial of the War of 1812 and the penning of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Star-Spangled Sailabration features seven days of free entertainment including ship tours, a Blue Angels air show, patriotic fireworks, memorial ceremonies and much more.

More than two dozen ships including U.S. Navy, British and Canadian warships and tall ships from countries including Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Indonesia, Mexico and the United States are expected to flank Baltimore’s famed Inner Harbor during Star-Spangled Sailabration. Both the tall ships and naval vessels will offer free, daily tours from June 14 – June 18.

Other highlights of the festival include:

• A Star-Spangled Air Show featuring the Blue Angels, the U.S. Navy’s Flight Demonstration Squadron, on Saturday, June 16, and Sunday, June 17
• The Celebration of the American Flag event at Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine on Saturday, June 16, complete with fireworks and concerts
• A Star-Spangled Festival at Martin State Airport featuring U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine and U.S. Coast Guard aircraft on display along with autograph opportunities with the Blue Angels pilots on Saturday, June 16, and Sunday, June 17
• A concert featuring the premiere of a new symphonic work on Sunday, June 17 at the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall

Some of the war’s greatest artifacts can be found in Baltimore, with more than 10 sites boasting a direct tie to the War of 1812. The Maryland Historical Society’s With Broad Stripes and Bright Stars exhibit focuses on the “Rock Stars” of the War of 1812 and gives visitors a glimpse of the original version of Francis Scott Key’s manuscript of “Defence of Fort M’Henry,” which would later become our national anthem.

The society will open a special new exhibit also dedicated to the “second war of independence” on June 10, just in time for Sailabration. The festival winds down with the official 200th anniversary of the Declaration of War on Great Britain event and a celebration of two centuries of peace on June 18 followed by the Parade of Sail departure on June 19.

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The U.S. Conference of Mayors and The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company announced the recipients of the 2012 ‘GRO1000’ Gardens and Green Spaces Grant Awards Program. The grants, which focus on improving our nation’s cities through the development of community gardens and green spaces, were announced at The U.S. Conference of Mayors’ 80th Winter Meeting in Washington, DC.

This year’s winning cities are:

• Baltimore – Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake
• Columbia, SC – Mayor Steven Benjamin
• Cleveland – Mayor Frank Jackson
• Corpus Christi, Texas – Mayor Joe Adame
• San Francisco – Mayor Edwin Lee

“Over the last several years, The Conference has pushed for cities to develop community gardens to enhance the health and quality of life in our neighborhoods,” said Conference President Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. “This new Grant Awards Program shines an important spotlight on mayoral efforts to support innovative gardens and green spaces.”

Through a new partnership with the U.S. Conference of Mayors and ScottsMiracle-Gro, more cities across the nation will be able to enjoy the benefits of gardens and green spaces. The partnership awards grants to cities for the creation of innovative public gardens and green spaces and recognizes mayoral stewardship in the development of urban greenscapes.

“The importance that a garden can have in a community is irrefutable,” said ScottsMiracle-Gro CEO Jim Hagedorn. “We were inspired by the innovative ways that mayors across America are using gardens and green spaces to improve their cities. From fostering urban revitalization to developing edible gardens for its citizens, the winners of these grants truly demonstrate the power that gardens can have in a community.

“We are proud to provide support for these efforts and look forward to helping each of these cities bring their projects to life.”

The winning cities were selected by a panel of former mayors and national garden experts from a pool of more than 80 applicants. Grants, in the amount of $25,000 from ScottsMiracle-Gro, were awarded to five cities.

“Mayors understand that gardens and green spaces are important to the quality of life for their residents, and the Conference of Mayors, in partnership with ScottsMiracle-Gro, is pleased to be able to provide grants to help them expand green spaces in their cities,” said Tom Cochran, USCM CEO and Executive Director.

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American Visionary Art Museum

Exhibits in this multileveled building are extremely vibrant and unique. The museum takes pride in showcasing pieces from artists who are mostly self taught, all of whom have a common love for creating extraordinary pieces. Located in the Federal Hill neighborhood of Baltimore, it is one of the most popular museums in the city due to its distinct outward appearance and creative installations within.

Housing both permanent and temporary exhibitions, a walk through the museum reveals exciting pieces, such as a larger-than-life, colorful piece made from paper plates. A current exhibit entitled “All Things Round” focuses on round designs and artwork. An upstairs glass cabinet showcases a quirky Pez collection. For those who build up an appetite after walking around the exhibits, visitors can dine at the museum’s whimsical restaurant, Mr. Rain’s Fun House.

While the outside of the building covered with a detailed mosaic and an ornately decorated school bus welcomes visitors in, art is found all around this establishment–a large golden hand stretches out from the side of the museum’s wall while small hanging mirrors adorn a tree on the sidewalk.

The American Visionary Art Museum is open Tuesday-Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Walters Art Museum

The Walters Art Museum is the perfect place in Baltimore to come to gain an appreciation for the way in which art has changed over time around the globe. The museum houses pieces from all over the world, including ancient Egyptian art, Greek masterpieces, and Asian paintings.

Located in the historic Mount Vernon neighborhood, it is home to one of the most extensive collections of art in the city, welcoming both the casual visitor and the serious artist.

The Walters Art Museum is open Wednesday-Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sports Legends Museum and The Babe Ruth Birthplace Museum

The sports culture in Baltimore is rich with professional teams, such as the Orioles and the Ravens; this museum caters to sports fanatics as it houses sports memorabilia from the Baltimore area. Exhibits include the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame, detailed showcases of uniforms and equipment of the Baltimore Ravens, as well as a tribute to the minor league teams in Baltimore.

The Colts, once a popular football team in the city, also have an exhibit that shows the history of the team in Maryland. With a large layout of historical and colorful showcases, this museum is a great family experience for those who love sports and for those who want to learn more about the local Baltimore teams.

Situated close to the Sports Legends Museum, the Babe Ruth Birthplace Museum is a one-of-a-kind treasure in Baltimore. Located in a neighborhood row house, the birthplace of the legendary baseball player, the Babe Ruth Birthplace Museum is a must-see for loyal baseball fans, especially given its proximity to the Baltimore Orioles’ Camden Yards.

This museum draws tens of thousands of visitors each year, in a city where one of the most important baseball superstars of all time got his start. The Sports Legends Museum and The Babe Ruth Birthplace Museum are both open Tuesday-Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Flag House & Star Spangled Banner Museum

A simple flag made by Mary Pickersgill was the single inspiration for the United States’ national anthem. Built in the late 1700’s, Mary Pickersgill’s house is open to the public for viewing. Stepping into her house is like stepping back in time, as visitors can walk through the rooms of the antiquated house and see how she lived centuries ago.

Pickersgill created an American flag that stood as the prime inspiration for Francis Scott Key, who initially wrote the Star Spangled Banner as a poem. An interactive feature allows visitors of the museum to get detailed information about the rooms and furniture in the house through their cell phones, combining our current technology with historical anecdotes.

The Flag House & Star Spangled Banner Museum is open Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Image Courtesy of   https://www.facebook.com/walters.art.museum

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There’s nothing like understanding the culture of a city through its local food. With its close proximity to seafood and an array of cultural cuisine present, Baltimore’s culinary scene is equally unique and thriving. The Charm City Food Tour is a perfect way to get in depth knowledge of the city through the eyes of a local tour guide, while sampling some of the best quality cuisine in town. The Charm City Food Tour offers tours in certain neighborhoods, including Fells Point, Little Italy, Federal Hills and Mount Vernon.

The first stop on the Fells Point walking tour is at Ze Mean Bean Cafe. Serving traditional Eastern European cuisine with a wine bar, this welcoming cafe in the heart of Fells Point is a charming restaurant that offers the opportunity to taste the flavors of countries a world away. The pierogi appetizer dish is a perfect few bites of traditional Eastern European ingredients. While most cultures around the globe have their own version of a stuffed dumpling, cultures of Eastern Europe have the pierogi.

Ze Mean Bean Cafe’s pierogi appetizer comes with a trio of them, stuffed with sauerkraut, potato, and farmer’s cheese. The outer dumpling shell of the pierogi is sauteed and served with caramelized onions and a dollop of sour cream. The savory flavors of the potato and farmer’s cheese pierogis are both smooth, while the acidic sauerkraut pierogi blends well with a bit of the cooling sour cream. Slavic, Hungarian, and Ukrainian cultures are among the ones represented at Ze Mean Bean Cafe, and its serves as a tasty first course on the Charm City Food Tour.

The tour continues on to its second stop at neighboring Hungry Andy’s, where their slogan reads “Come Hungry, Leave Full.” Hungry Andy’s takes traditional American fare to the next level with their skilled preparation of the finest ingredients. For a perfect taste of Baltimore styled food, Hungry Andy’s serves their version of pit beef. Pit beef is Baltimore’s answer to barbeque, originating in the working class section of the city. The pit beef at Hungry Andy’s is a top round beef piled high on a kaiser roll. It is topped with mayonnaise, horseradish, barbeque sauce, and fresh onions. An extra kick of heat comes along with the horseradish, but it is tamed by the mayonnaise. The sauces coat the beef well, making for a juicy sandwich.

Accompanying the pit beef sandwich is Hungry Andy’s fresh cut fries. Using only #1 Idaho potatoes, the french fries at this restaurant are amazingly crunchy without being greasy. Dining at Hungry Andy’s small storefront comes with a laid back atmosphere and is a delicious way to taste a local tradition in Baltimore.

After leaving Hungry Andy’s the Fells Point tour continues on to The Point in Fells. Located just steps away from the water, The Point in Fells is an unpretentious restaurant and bar with a solid menu. At this stop on the food tour, diners are welcomed with their choice of local beer, along with a crab crostini and a spiced mushroom edamame salad. The crab crostini is a highlight of the dish, with locally sourced Maryland crab as its centerpiece. Its velvety texture pairs well with the crunch from the crostini. Along side is nice portion of mushrooms and bits of bright green edamame, resting on a bed of noodles. Diners can choose to sit at a table or up at the wraparound bar, the perfect atmosphere to enjoy a bite of these delicious samples.

A walk through a bar lined with shelves of Grand Marnier opens up to an elegant back dining room at the tour’s next stop: One Eyed Mike’s. This restaurant and tavern is popular for its Grand Marnier Club, where members can join and always have a bottle of Grand Marnier reserved for them in their name.

One Eyed Mike’s food sample on the Charm City Food Tour is an artistically plated Caprese salad. Sweetly ripe tomatoes are stacked with a slice of fresh mozzarella cheese and basil. It is drizzled with balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil, and served with a side of toasted bread. Along with it comes a dish of wonderfully prepared tuna, sliced into cubes, and served with a creamy sauce.

The fifth and final stop along the Charm City Food Tour in Fells Point is at Todd Conner’s, for a rich dessert. This restaurant gives diners a cooling drink in the form of a white Russian. Todd Conner’s takes the simple notion of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and brings it to the next level by deep frying it in a french toast batter. Served with a dusting of powdered sugar and sweet whipped cream, it’s a decadent way to end the food tour on a sweet note.

Not only is the Charm City Food Tour a unique way to understand Baltimore’s cultural past and culinary establishments, it is also a one of a kind way to feel a part of the neighborhood. A friendly, local tour guide takes visitors through the historic streets of Fells Point, pointing out the charm and history of the area. The small group atmosphere makes for an intimate, personalized tour and leaves people full of tasty food and local knowledge.

For more information on making a reservation on a tour, visit Charm City Food Tour or call the Zerve ticketing agency at 800-979-3370.

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On an unassuming side street in Baltimore’s Little Italy neighborhood is the corner storefront of Vacarro’s Italian Pastry Shop. Elegantly decorated for the holiday season, this pastry shop is a beautifully welcoming place where locals gather to enjoy the tastes of Italy. Whether it is for savory dishes, sweet desserts, or rejuvenating cups of coffee, Vacarro’s Italian Pastry Shop is one spot not to be missed in Baltimore.

The selection of traditional Italian desserts is impressive at this bakery, and with so many delicious options to choose from, it is hard to decide where to start. Upon entrance, a long row of glass showcases greet customers with trays overflowing with cookies, tempting people from the moment they arrive at Vacarro’s Italian Pastry Shop. Diners are able to pick from dozens of different cookie varieties, with the option of mixing and matching to create a selection of assorted Italian treats.

Vacarro’s Italian Pastry Shop offers anything from traditional Italian cookies such as a pignoli, amaretti, or Italian shortbread. There are also an array of biscotti available, including flavors such as vanilla, or biscotti dipped in white chocolate or chocolate. For those who want a fruity component in a cookie, there are also a raspberry fill butter, strawberry fill butter, and apricot fill butter cookies.

Not only does Vacarro’s Italian Pastry Shop make cookies extremely well, their selection of decadent desserts does not fall short either. Italian cakes are represented on the menu with mouth watering selections. The rum cake is a delicious cake that has absorbed the flavors of rum through a soaking process. It is a layered cake with chocolate and vanilla custard, topped with sliced almonds. The Italian cheesecake keeps with its traditional roots by using ricotta cheese, which can be topped with a scoop of their famous gelato.

An Italian bakery wouldn’t be complete without gelato, and Vacarro’s Italian Pastry Shop has a wide selection of flavors to choose from. Gelato, an Italian ice cream, comes in cool flavors that are popular in Italy, including tiramisu, amaretto, and baci, which is a chocolate hazelnut. Blending together traditions of Italy and the United States, hot fudge sundaes are available using gelato, along with favorite ice cream toppings.

A perfect way to get a taste of many of the items on Vacarro’s Italian Pastry Shop’s menu is to order the sampler. The sampler comes with two of the bakery’s famous cannolis. One cannoli comes with the regular cannoli cream, while the other comes with chocolate cannoli cream. The sweetness and velvety texture of the cream filling works well with the crunch of the cannoli shell. Along with these mini cannolis comes two cream puffs. Both filled with sweet cream, one cannoli is topped with a rich chocolate fudge. The sample also includes a few Italian specialty cookies, including a pignoli cookie, butterball cookie, and a sliced almond macaroon cookie. The portion is great to share between two people and will surely keep any sweet tooth satisfied.

There’s no shortage of both non alcoholic and alcoholic drinks at Vacarro’s Italian Pastry Shop. Anything from wine, tea, to Italian cappuccino is available. The decadent hot chocolate is a perfect choice to warm up during the winter season. It is served in an oversized mug, along with thick whipped cream and a sprinkling of chocolate chips.

A signature cookie comes along with the drink, with ‘Vacarro’ baked into the cookie itself. For those who want an extra kick with their drink, the Caffe Bailey’s is a coffee infused with Bailey’s Irish Cream. Also served with a nice amount of whipped cream and a cookie, these drinks will warm anyone up.

Vacarro’s offers customers the option of taking out some of their specialty Italian pastries, or dining in their brightly lit dining area. Vacarro’s Italian Pastry Shop also serves savory Italian meals, including salads, paninis, and soups. The ambiance of the shop is casual, but the service and quality of their products are well above average. It is truly a perfect place to unwind with a drink or indulge in a bit of sweetness with a pastry.

The Vacarro’s Italian Pastry Shop in Little Italy is located at 222 Albermarle Street in Baltimore, Maryland.

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Dark Horse Comics has released the fourth installment of Baltimore’s ”The Curse Bells” this week, and with only one issue left, the story is coming to its climax. Lord Baltimore has made his way into the chapel filled with cursed vampire nuns and is poised to find his nemesis, Haigus.

Written by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden with artwork by Ben Stenbeck, this mini-series focuses on the details of Lord Baltimore’s journey to find Haigus, the vampire that he first met on the battlefield in a fight against the Hessians.

“The Curse Bells” is a continuation of “The Plague Ship” mini-series and an interlude for the middle of the book, “Baltimore,: Or The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire,” which focuses on Lord Baltimore’s three friends and his meetings with them from the beginning of the plague.

As he inches closer to his goal of destroying the vampire that killed his family, Baltimore’s dedication in the epic quest demonstrates how far one will go in order to exact revenge. Baltimore is often shown as an anti-hero, only saving people as a by-product of his revenge, or after any other course of action would hinder or halt his goal.

This issue is no different. The crux of the story is based on Baltimore’s choice between continuing to hunt Haigus and stopping Madame Blavatsky from ringing the bells, damming all who hear the cursed ringing. “The Curse Bells” delves into the psyche of Baltimore. It shows that Baltimore, when given a choice between revenge and becoming a savior, would rather be damned and may already be.

The series was originally created with Mike Mignola, the creator of the Hellboy comics, and it shares many of the same artistic designs. In addition to Mignola’s influence on the artwork, Stenbeck is the primary artist for this mini-series, and he continues with the quality that has become associated with Hellboy. The dark colors contrast with splashes of blood-red add to the tension of the story.

Not only is the artwork high quality, the story and the writing are riveting as well. Christopher Golden co-wrote with Mike Mignola for both the novel and several comic series that have been produced so far. Mignola and Golden infuse the fourth installment with the poem The Bells from Edger Allan Poe, which gives an even darker tone to both the original poem and the story itself.

In addition to following Baltimore’s quest, the reader gets a look at the lives of those he affects, such as the teenager and child who lead him to the chapel that Haigus has entered. The weaving of these subplots with the main story adds to the depth of the characters, and allows the reader to see more of the universe that Baltimore is living in.

“The Curse Bells” still has more to go, and it looks like it is going to have just as satisfying of an ending as the original book and “The Plague Ship” mini-series. If you are a fan of Hellboy or the previous Baltimore material, you will enjoy “The Curse Bells.”

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