They are angels of the arts, a couple whose largesse has helped sustain Baltimore’s showcase venues for years. Together, Richard “Richie” Pearlstone and his wife, Amy Elias, have championed the Baltimore Museum of Art, Center Stage, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Baltimore School for the Arts and other cultural touchstones, shepherding their muses through difficult times with keen stewardship and timely funding. They’ve bestowed millions of dollars on places that are close to their hearts.
“We do what we do because we believe in the city, and in making a difference,” said Elias, 67. “To be recognized for that is humbling.”
Married in 2011, the pair have deep roots in Baltimore. Elias is a graduate of Pikesville High School, where she was a cheerleader and played tennis. Pearlstone attended The Park School and starred in soccer and lacrosse. She is founder of the Baltimore-based marketing firm Profiles Inc.; he is a third-generation real estate developer. Elias is a trustee of the BMA and a board member of Center Stage; Pearlstone has served on the boards of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Baltimore/Maryland Ballet, the BMA and Center Stage.
“I believe that if you have money, you give money — and if you have money and time, you give both,” Pearlstone said. “It’s the right thing to do. If I’ve learned anything in life, it’s that if you’re good to God, then God will be good to you.”
Elias is also a fierce advocate and charter member of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions. She was 18 and a college student in 1976 when her older sister, Peggy Pumpian, was murdered.
The tragedy, Elias said, “changed the entire trajectory of my life,” and gave her greater empathy for those in need. She’s a former benefactress of both the House of Ruth and Lifesongs, an organization that raised money to battle AIDS.
In 2022, the BMA unveiled an exhibit called “Guarding the Art,” conceived by Elias, which featured in-house works selected by the museum’s security guards as their favorites.
“We made [the guards] curators of the exhibit,” she said. “It was a life-changing experience for them; they got a voice in what was displayed. It truly empowered them.”
For Pearlstone, altruism and civic pride are genetic attributes.
“It’s in our family’s DNA,” he said of the countless hours and funding gifted to the city’s cultural icons by him and his forebears. Pearlstone’s parents, Jack and Peggy Pearlstone, and his grandfather, Joseph Meyerhoff, were prominent community leaders and patrons of the arts. So, for Pearlstone and Elias, the stage was set.
“I’m proud of what my parents did [civic-wise]; I didn’t feel obliged to follow, but I’ve done it and loved every minute,” said Pearlstone, 76.
The community is peppered with landmarks bearing the family name, from the sprawling 180-acre Pearlstone Retreat Center in Hampstead to the quaint Pearlstone Park at Cathedral and Preston streets; and from the Pearlstone Theater at Center Stage to the Pearlstone Student Center at Goucher College.
When he wed Elias 13 years ago (“She was capitvating,” Pearlstone said), it merely widened the arc of his involvement. Both shared an affinity for the fine arts and the means to keep them humming.
“I appreciate music, the work that ballet dancers do and the inspiration that strikes creative artists,” Pearlstone said. “And I appreciate the sacrifices they make to do it.”
“When we walk into the [BMA], or see a production at Center Stage, it’s very gratifying to know that you could help, and be a part of something,” Elias said. “It’s a win-win.”
While they still have a home in Roland Park, the couple spend much of their time at their place in Scottsdale, Arizona, where they bicycle, ski and play tennis. They also support numerous Jewish charities and cultural activities, both locally and worldwide. Twice, as former chairman of The Jewish Agency for Israel, Pearlstone has traveled to that country, and to the Gaza Strip, since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.
From a distance, however, their philanthropy toward their hometown has not wavered.
“My favorite quote in life is, ‘Keep doing what you’re doing, and you’ll keep getting what you’re getting,” Elias said. “Support the community and you’ll [reap the] rewards.”
Amy Elias and Richard “Richie” Pearlstone
Ages: 67 and 76, respectively
Hometown: Pikesville and Baltimore
Current residences: Roland Park; Scottsdale, Arizona; and Forte dei Marmi, Italy
Education: Elias: Pikesville High School; Emory University, B.A. Pearlstone: The Park School of Baltimore; Boston University, B.S.
Career highlights: Elias: Founder and CEO of Profiles Inc.; former director of communications for W.B. Doner Advertising. Pearlstone: founder and CEO of The Pearlstone Group
Civic and charitable activities: Elias: Trustee, Baltimore Museum of Art; board member, Center Stage and the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions; former board member of House of Ruth, Lifesongs and Jewish Family Services of Baltimore. Pearlstone: board member, Institute for Jewish and Community Research, National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership; former board member, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore/Maryland Ballet, Baltimore Museum of Art, Center Stage, Association of Jewish Charities and the Jewish Federations of North America; past chairman, The Jewish Agency’s Board of Governors; past president, United Jewish Appeal
Family: Blended family of three children and two grandchildren
