BMA Highlights Nature-Inspired Works by Maryland Artists Jamal R. Moore and V Walton on September 21

September 21, 2 p.m. seating | 2:30 p.m. performance (1 hour)
Baltimore-based musician Jamal R. Moore presents a live rendition of Ma’at Nadjartat Nun, the soundscape composed for the Black Earth Rising exhibition, which closes on September 21. This immersive outdoor performance features Moore and his guest collaborators weaving sounds of nature with global instruments such as a bamboo flute, dagomba drum, and likembe finger piano, into a vibrant exploration of humanity’s relationship with the Earth. The guest musicians are William “Trae” Crudup III, Melanie Dyer, and Nikolas Francis. The title Ma’at Nadjartat Nun draws from ancient Egyptian cosmology—Ma’at, the principle of truth and cosmic order, and Nun, the primordial waters of creation—inviting listeners to reflect on the sacred balance of the natural world. The performance is free though reservations are encouraged.

September 21, 2025 – March 6, 2026
Walton’s multi-dimensional installation explores connections between the human body and the earth. To be of the Earth (2025) upends traditional museum protocols by tearing out part of a wall and bringing in organic soil and clay as well as vines, twigs, and grasses to reconnect us to the healing power of the earth in a museum setting. One Body (2025) is a mediative three-minute immersive video of the artist digging in the forest. Spanning two walls, the translucent images of their arms and hands remind us of the interconnectedness of living things. Walton also offers questions that invite visitors to consider their relationships with the natural world and envision new ways of living with the environments that sustain us. This gallery and the adjacent one were developed in response to recommendations from the TATE community advisory panel of artists, academics, activists, and city leaders who advocated for spaces that offer visitors experiences to rest and reflect, while also introducing elements of nature into the museum.

Jamal R. Moore
Jamal R. Moore is a multi-instrumentalist, composer/performer, and educator. He is a Baltimore native and graduate of Frederick Douglass Sr. High School—whose alumni include Thurgood Marshall, Cab Calloway, and Ethel Ennis. He received his M.F.A. from the California Institute of the Arts and a B.A. from Berklee College of Music. Moore has performed with the Eubie Blake Jazz Orchestra under the direction of Christopher Calloway Brooks and worked and recorded with many notable jazz luminaries such as Wadada Leo Smith, Archie Shepp, David Ornette Cherry, Tomeka Reid, Dr. Bill Cole, DJ Lou Gorbea, Sheila E, David Murray, JD Parran, Ras Moshe, Hprizm, and Yahyah Abdul Majid (Sun Ra Arkestra), among others. He is an affiliate of The Pan African Peoples Arkestra of the late Horace Tapscott, Black Praxis of David Boykin, and member of Konjur Collective. Moore currently leads his own groups, Akebulan Arkestra, Napata Strings, Black Elements Quartet, Organix Trio, and Mojuba Duo.

Warren “Trae” Crudup III
Warren “Trae” Crudup III’s drumming, described by The Washington Post’s Chris Richards as blending “the vibrancy of fresh firecrackers” with “a profound ceremonial depth,” showcases his unique artistry. Born in Dothan, Alabama, and raised in the DMV region, Trae’s rhythmic roots began at the age of three in the Church of God in Christ. Now based in New York, his work spans jazz, gospel, funk, go-go, and global styles, collaborating with icons like Edward “Butch” Warren and James Brandon Lewis. With bassist Luke Stewart, he formed BLACKS’ MYTHS and released their Unknown Rivers album in 2024.
Trae is a UDC Big Band (University of District of Columbia) alum and has lit up stages at the Guelph Jazz Festival (2018), Rewire Festival (2020), and Newport Jazz Festival (2024).

Melanie Dyer
Melanie Dyer is a violist whose creative practice is jazz/creative improvisation/composition, literature, and visual art. She’s performed with the Sun Ra Arkestra under Marshall Allen, William Parker, Tomeka Reid, Nicole Mitchell, and many others. She’s a Jerome Foundation Fellow and the leader of WeFreeStrings.

Nikolas Francis
Nikolas Francis is an improvising musician with a primary focus on the drum kit, integrating gongs, electronics, and small acoustic instruments. His music explores a broad range of improvised and experimental approaches to sound. Through topology.systems, he documents much of his solo work and collaborative projects. Francis performs with Jamal Moore in the Mojuba Duo, and with Mark Cisneros and Luke Stewart in the We Were Here Before trio.

V Walton
V Walton is a Maryland-based interdisciplinary artist and educator who creates sculpture, installation, and video work centered on Black embodiment and ecology. Walton draws from their own life: reflecting on the intersection of their identities, their chronic illness-disability, and queerness. Their work illustrates the societal and interpersonal dynamics that build and break us down simultaneously, making multi-layered connections between clay[terra], nature, and the body. They are part-time faculty at Maryland Institute College of Art.