By Assistant Editor Shayna Spiker
On January 14, 2012 from 12 – 4 p.m., the Baltimore Rotary Club will be hosting its 91st annual Oyster Roast at the Fifth Regiment Armory located at 219 29th Division Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. The Baltimore Rotary Club provides monetary support to countless organizations in Baltimore and beyond.
Tickets are $50 in advance or $60 at the door and includes catered food and unlimited beer and soda. The event will also feature a 50/50 Raffle, a silent auction including autographed sports memorabilia, signed music memorabilia (guitars), Artwork, jewelry, gift certificates to restaurants, theater, museums, hotels, gift baskets, etc.and prize wheels, the most popular of which is the Bacon Wheel. Winners of the Bacon Wheel get 9lb slabs or bacon that are vacuum packed in 3- 3lb packages. The 2nd most popular prize wheel is the Black n Decker Wheel where winners receive new tools and toys. Other prize wheel prizes include cash, wine, and liquor.
Also featured in the auction at the Oyster Roast will be four paintings by artists from Honduras where the Baltimore Roatary Club has invested $90,000 to build a water treatment plant.
Denis Berríos is from Tegucigalpa, Honduras where he is both a practicing artist and social activist. Gifted with a constant creative energy and the unique skill to turn abstract shapes into recognizable forms, Denis’ paintings often need two looks to catch all of their subtlety. A staple on the Honduran art scene, Denis has been nationally recognized through prizes and showings. Also committed to improving conditions in emerging neighborhoods in his home city, Denis directs the “Arte 3-D Barrio” project in which urban youth create public artwork from recycled materials. Denis was recognized by a Honduran Rotary Club in 2010 for his efforts in social activism through art.
Marvin Alemán is a 21 year old painter from the village of Mesías, in the municipality of Morocelí, in eastern Honduras. In his own words: “I was born in a modest home as a normal child. At age two when taking my first steps, my parents noticed I suffered from a physical abnormality which caused me to fall when I walked; my muscles did not have sufficient strength to stand. At age five I was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy, which now appears in the deformation of my legs and parts of my upper extremities. But considering all of my limitations, despite my parents being poor, with the help of God and the support of my family and kind people and organizations, I have managed to triumph a little, though I have a long way to go.
“At the age of 8 my teacher noticed I liked to draw and paint. In sixth grade she held a painting contest and I won first prize. It was from those experiences my passion for art developed.
“In 2006 my parents were able to enroll me in Escuela de Bellas Artes (School of Fine Arts) in Tegucigalpa. The first year was a bit complicated for me and my mother traveling twice a week, not being able to afford a place to live in the city. Because of my physical limitations I cannot take all the classes which require physical strength but am completing my degree in fine arts. I am attempting to achieve my goals which are to continue perfecting my work and become an internationally known artist. And, with the help of God and my parents and friends and generous people, I will be able to do it.”
Melvin Alvarado is a self-taught painter from Marcala, a small city in the coffee-producing region of western Honduras. Melvin’s painting tends to the abstract, with many works incorporating tessellations superimposed over vibrant colors. Unafraid of manifesting social problems through his work, he has tackled the issues of water, gender equity, and, recently, entrenched conflict in his darkly humorous “Cat vs. Dog” series. His most widely viewed works are the murals which adorn many storefronts in his hometown as well as his largest mural, an enormous five story facade at the National Autonomous University of Honduras in the capital city of Tegucigalpa. Melvin also experiments with sculpture and original paints made with clay he finds locally. He can be reached via Facebook at “Melvin Alvarado Castillo”.
Over 2,000 people attended last year’s event – don’t miss out on this year’s! Call Howard Weisberg to get your ticket today at 410-744-4313 or e-mail him.