Baltimore Museum of Art Raises Over $1.1 Million at Record-Breaking BMA Ball & After Party
Amy Sherald Receives Eponymous Visionary Artist Award; Wangechi Mutu and The Sherman Family Foundation Also Honorec
BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) hosted one of its most successful galas in the institution’s history on Saturday, November 22, raising more than $1.1 million during the 2025 BMA Ball and After Party. The record-setting evening drew over 600 guests across both events and reaffirmed the museum’s role as a cultural anchor committed to elevating artists and expanding access to the arts for audiences across Maryland.
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The night’s honorees represented both global and local excellence. The Sherman Family Foundation received theChangemaker Who Inspires Award, recognizing its decades of philanthropic leadership supporting children, families, education, and the arts in Baltimore and beyond. Kenyan-born artistWangechi Mutu, known internationally for her boundary-expanding sculpture, collage, video, and performance work, was presented with theglobal Artist Who Inspires Award.
@media ( min-width: 300px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-1{min-height: 100px;}}@media ( min-width: 728px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-1{min-height: 90px;}}Baltimore’s ownAmy Sherald—one of the most influential and celebrated painters of her generation—received thelocal Artist Who Inspires Award, honoring her enduring cultural impact, visionary portraiture, and deep ties to Baltimore’s artistic community. Sherald’s work, which centers Black identity through revealing, timeless, and empathetic portrayal, has shaped contemporary art far beyond the region.
In one of the evening’s most memorable moments, the BMA announced that the local artist honor will now be known as theAmy Sherald Visionary Artist Award. Sherald pledged a personal contribution of $5,000 to accompany each future award, a gift matched by The Sherman Family Foundation to bring the award total to $10,000 for regional artists breaking new creative ground.
“I have known Amy Sherald for many years,” said BMA DirectorAsma Naeem. “She has always been a person of tremendous vision, integrity, and courage. Naming this award in her honor is deeply meaningful for her, for me personally, and for our institution. Her financial gift—matched by The Sherman Family Foundation—models what it means for artists and museums to uplift one another, and reinforces the essential role of investing in art and artists today.”
@media ( min-width: 300px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-2{min-height: 100px;}}@media ( min-width: 728px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-2{min-height: 90px;}}BMA Board ChairJames D. Thorntonemphasized the evening’s broader significance: “The BMA Ball is an opportunity to celebrate the power of the arts in our lives and to honor individuals who have made an indelible impact on our community and on culture. We are immensely grateful to everyone who gathered to support our mission and ensure access to art and artists for the public.”
A Night of Art, Philanthropy, and CommunityThe event welcomed a wide constellation of notable artists, civic leaders, philanthropists, and cultural changemakers. Among them were Derrick Adams, Juan Maidagan, Joyce J. Scott, SHAN Wallace, Erin Fostel, Oletha DeVane, Jerrell Gibbs, Charles Mason III, and Amalie Rothschild. Public officials including Maryland Delegate Marlon Amprey, Baltimore City Council President Zeke Cohen, and Council Members Ryan Dorsey and Odette Ramos also attended.
Lead sponsors for the 2025 BMA Ball included Michael Arougheti, Henry and Marie-Josée Kravis, Patricia and Mark Joseph Foundation, Heather and Bill Miller, George Petrocheilos and Diamantis Xylas, Mitchell and Steven Rales (in honor of the late George Sherman), David Rubenstein, Whiting-Turner, Hauser & Wirth, the Blanket Fort Foundation, and The Sherman Family Foundation, among others.
@media ( min-width: 300px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-3{min-height: 100px;}}@media ( min-width: 728px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-3{min-height: 90px;}}Supporting the Future of the BMAFunds raised from the BMA Ball support the museum’s mission to elevate artistic excellence while ensuring that Baltimore’s diverse communities have access to world-class arts education, exhibitions, and public programming. The more than $1.1 million raised will help the museum expand programs for students, families, educators, and adults across Maryland, and continue building meaningful pathways between local and global narratives in contemporary art.
This year’s BMA Ball not only celebrated extraordinary artistic achievement—it set the stage for continued investment in the artists and communities shaping Baltimore’s creative future.
