Craig Hankin is a painter, writer, critic, curator and rhythm guitarist. He is also director of the Homewood Art Workshops, the undergraduate visual arts program at Johns Hopkins University, where he has taught drawing and painting since 1980. Hankin was a co-founder of City Paper and served as art critic for that publication (1977-78) and the Baltimore News American (1979-80). His book, “Maryland Landscapes of Eugene Leake,” was published by The Johns Hopkins University Press in 1986.
In addition to his work as a painter and teacher, Hankin has collaborated for over 30 years with Tom Chalkley on projects ranging from ‘Bruce Springstone: Live at Bedrock,’ a musical parody hailed as the novelty record of the year in 1982 to ‘Normal,’ a comic strip which ran daily in the Baltimore Evening Sun from 1990-91. For the past five years, he and Chalkley have been working on “Novelty Record,” a graphic memoir of their days playing in rock & roll bands together. They hope to finish it before they are infirm and enfeebled.
Name: Craig Hankin
Age: An ugly prime number
Occupation: Director, Homewood Art Workshops, Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore Neighborhood: Cockeysville
Obsessive Collections: Antique Popeye toys. God help me.
Currently Reading: “Lennon” by Tim Riley, “Woman Rebel: The Margaret Sanger Story” by Peter Bagge and “The Letters of Paul Cézanne” edited & translated by Alex Danchev. Oh, and a stack of New Yorkers and Vanity Fairs that seems to grow taller every time I leave the room.
Coolest Place You’ve Ever Been: Paris. Sans question.
Hobbies or Leisure Activities: See Obsessive Collections. Also the gym. And feeding birds.
Favorite Food to Eat at Home: Esther Giller’s bolognese sauce on any kind of pasta.
Favorite Food to Eat Out: Flag pizza at Joe Squared? Gertrude’s crab cakes? Attman’s Cloak & Dagger? Kabuli at Helmand? You choose.
Favorite Beverage of Choice: Any cocktail mixed for me by Molly McNulty at the Other Corner. She knows what I like.
Political Leanings: Do you think Fox News is “fair and balanced?” Is your right to own a gun more important than the lives of schoolchildren? Think global warming is a hoax? Believe the Earth is only 6,000 years old? We are never, ever going to be friends. Ever.
Favorite Baltimore spot to hang out: Creative Alliance. I’ve been a member since its early days in Fells Point. Many happy hours spent there, both as performer and patron, with dear friends.
Pets: New puppy coming this spring!
Favorite Artist, Living or Dead: Edgar Degas
Movie that Sums Up the Current State of Your Life: “A Hard Day’s Night”
Favorite Bad Habit: Delivering gift-wrapped F-bombs to those in need.
Mantra or Favorite Quote: “Gravity always wins.” – Thom Yorke
IMAGE: Photo by Jennifer Bishop
