Where's Marty? The Raoul Middleman Studio And Museum
Hi everyone!
I say this on air at times, but I would like to repeat it here: my mission during "Where's Marty?" segments is to show you the best of the Baltimore area. That means taking you to places you've never been, finding the characters that bring our hometowns to life and uncovering the hidden gems we didn't even know existed.
Naturally, today's edition of "Where's Marty?" definitely fits that bill.
Raoul Middleman was more than an American painter. His work has been displayed in the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Corcoran Art Gallery in Washington, D.C., and the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Whitney Museum in New York City. Look, I could keep rattling off impressive venues, but at this point, you get the idea.
Middleman was born in Baltimore and, after traveling here and there and doing this and that, he returned to a townhome on North Calvert Street to raise his family and paint. And boy did he love painting. For over 60 years, he was on staff at the Maryland Institute College of Art, a period during which he lectured worldwide.
He passed away in 2021, but he painted until the very end. To celebrate his legacy, his family opened the Raoul Middleman Studio and Museum in his townhome over the weekend. During our show today, his son Ben joined us to shed some light on both his father and the artwork he spent his life producing.
Currently, Middleman's work can be seen on Saturday afternoons by appointment. And let me tell you, seeing is believing. But don't take my word for it--check out Middleman's website. There you'll find a blend of landscapes, cityscapes, seascapes, portraits and narrative scenes, all of which are brimming with character.
(In my opinion, his use of colors--which he mixed himself, by the way--and his brushwork are art in and of themselves.)
What's even cooler is there's a button on the website for Middleman's musings and another for videos, so you can get acquainted with him yourself.
All of this was going on right on Calvert Street in a townhome you have likely passed by dozens of times, if that street is part of the route you take to work or while running errands. It's a hidden gem indeed. Here's a shoutout to Denise Koch, who pitched me on this story. I couldn't have told it without her.
- Marty B!
