Passion and Purpose

Voices of Maryland’s Civil Rights Activists

Marylanders have been at the forefront of the national Black freedom struggle, from lawsuits that revealed the lies of the “separate but equal” doctrine in the 1930s and ’40s, to massive protests in the streets during the 1960s that forced a nation to confront its moral consciousness. This legacy continues through today. Visitors to Passion and Purpose learn and draw inspiration from the lived experiences of these activists who make up a complex mosaic of the long and continuing fight for civil rights in Maryland and the nation. This exhibition is on long-term view.

Collecting Maryland

Art | Artifacts | Community

The 350,000 objects, artworks, and artifacts within the museum collections of MCHC tell the stories of our state’s interconnected communities. Collecting Maryland: Art, Artifacts, Community returns important works of fine and decorative arts to public view. Vignettes highlighting major collecting themes are organized to provide an introspective look at our institution and dive into the depth and breadth of our collections assembled over our 180-year history.  Through the lens of “We Are. . .” our core values of Community, Authenticity, Dialogue, and Discovery are echoed in objects, ideas, and stories throughout the galleries. Collecting Maryland is designed as a flexible space for our curatorial team to experiment with new ideas and rotate frequently. We invite our members and larger community to come and learn something new with each visit.

Claire / McCardell

On view now!

Claire McCardell redefined women’s fashion in America during the 1930s –1950s and she continues to influence American sportswear today. By designing for modern American women like herself, McCardell became synonymous with the American fashion rebellion. Beneath her dynamic, confident, and strong-willed business persona, Claire was a shy introvert in conflict with this perceived identity. Through family letters, personal interviews, and archival documents, juxtaposed with examples of McCardell’s designs spanning her career, this exhibition gives a more intimate look at the woman behind the iconic label. This exhibition is curated by Tory Burch Claire McCardell Fashion Fellow Robyn Levy. Support for this Fellowship is generously provided by the Tory Burch Foundation.

Existence Beyond Code

Featuring the work of Kevin Johnson, Jr. Curated by Devlon Waddell. Presented in community with The Chicory Project.

The exhibition Existence Beyond Code is a visual exploration of identity, visibility, and existence in the digital age, focusing on the experiences of Black communities. We challenge viewers to confront the paradoxes of the digital world, where technology can be used to create and manipulate identities while simultaneously denying the humanity of marginalized communities. A series of digital portraits of Black individuals were created using AI generative tools like FLUX, Gemini, Midjourney, and Stable Diffusion. These portraits challenge our understanding of existence by blurring the lines between the real and the virtual and highlight how algorithmic settings can influence representation.

Liberté/Liberty