We are happy to announce that Women of Steel, a new, free outdoor exhibition, will open  Monday, October 12, 2020 on the Baltimore Museum of Industry’s campus at 1415 Key Highway. The exhibit will highlight the stories of women who worked at Sparrows Point from the 1930s until the mill closed, told in the voices of the women themselves. Come on down to the museum on a nice fall day or view the exhibit online at bit.ly/womenofsteelVR. Women of Steel will be up through next April.

The exhibit is just one of many opportunities BMI is offering to explore the legacy of Bethlehem Steel even while the museum building itself remains closed due to the pandemic. Check out our Bethlehem Steel Legacy Project blog at thebmi.org/get-involved/from-point-to-point/ to learn about what we’re up to. The blog features stories and photos from steelworkers, shipyard workers, and people who grew up in Sparrows Point—there’s lots to explore. Meanwhile, we continue to work on a permanent exhibition on Bethlehem Steel/Sparrows Point, which will open in the fall of 2021.

Next week’s Women of Steel exhibit opening is taking place during the BMI’s “Week of Workers,” which will celebrate the history of workers in Baltimore. One of the week’s highlights will be InvisibleLabor: Stories about Hidden Work, Unseen Efforts, and Toiling far from the Limelight, an evening of true stories focused on work—and workers—that we rarely see. Live streamed on Zoom, the online program will be held on Thursday, October 15, from 7-8 pm. You can register at bit.ly/BMIinvisiblelabor.

Women of Steel opening information, general museum information, and directions can be found at thebmi.org.

The film, "Mill Stories: Remembering Sparrows Point Steel Mill," co-produced by the UMBC New Media Studio and Maryland Traditions, has been named a Bronze winner by the 37th Annual Telly Awards. The Telly Awards is the premier national award honoring the finest film and video productions, groundbreaking web commercials, videos and films, and outstanding local, regional, and cable TV commercials and programs. The annual Telly Awards receive over 10,000 entries from all 50 states and 5 continents. 

After 125 years of operation, the Sparrows Point Steel Mill (Baltimore, Maryland) finally closed its doors in 2012. “Mill Stories” examines the importance of the mill from the perspectives of former workers and community members while connecting their story to the larger narrative of industrial boom and bust. The film seeks to amplify the voices of former workers as a means of helping to safeguard and promote the living heritage of the recently closed mill and its surrounding areas. Combining video interviews and archival images, the film tells the story entirely in workers’ own words, sharing their sacrifices, struggles, senses of community and identity. “Mill Stories” has been screened at over 20 international film festivals, academic conferences, and community events.

The film was co-produced by Bill Shewbridge and Michelle Stefano. Dr. Shewbridge is Professor of the Practice in the Department of Media and Communication Studies and Executive Producer of the New Media Studio. Dr. Michelle Stefano is Co-Director of Maryland Traditions, the folklife program of the Maryland State Arts Council, and Visiting Assistant Professor in American Studies at UMBC.