NEWS FROM FOUR RIVERS
April 28, 2020
NEW! Four Rivers Highlights Virtual Experiences
FOUR RIVERS HAS BIG NEWS! While our heritage sites are currently closed to the public, many of our partners have gone virtual, offering online exhibits, educational resources, activities, webinars, video tours, and more!

Four Rivers is sharing these these virtual experiences in a NEW section on our website, highlighting our partners as they remain accessible to you wherever you are.
 
Visit our all-new Virtual Experiences page to learn more and continue to check back as more online content is added, thanks!
Check Out Our Recent Blog Posts!
During this time of curtailed activities due to COVID-19, we have been collecting online resources that readers can use while they practice social distancing in the home. If you haven’t been to our website recently, here are some posts you might have missed.

We will continue to gather resources to keep you informed and to keep all of us connected!
 





Annapolis Celebrates May Day Worldwide
May Day basket
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and its social distancing mandates, the Garden Club of Old Annapolis Towne won’t be able to award its coveted blue ribbons during the event’s 65th anniversary year. Instead, its members are encouraging Annapolis residents to put May Day baskets in front of their homes or businesses by 10:00 a.m. this Friday, May 1st, as a salute to healthcare and frontline workers and as a source of beauty and joy for the community.

To assist in the process, the Visit Annapolis May Day webpage will include video demonstrations on how to arrange flowers, create May Day baskets, and experience May Day virtually, among others.
Individuals are encouraged to share their 2020 “baskets” on social media using the hashtag, #AnnapolisMayDayAtHome, and the Garden Club’s hashtags, #maydayannapolis2020 and #65thannapolismayday, and uploading them HERE . Images of past May Days enjoyed in Annapolis are welcome as well. Once May Day is over, Visit Annapolis will share the beauty of the uploaded images with the world later via a collage on the VisitAnnapolis.org website. Thanks to all!
Highlighting Our Four Rivers Heritage Sites, Continued
While our local sites are closed t o the public during the COVID-19 pandemic, we will take this time to highlight our some our attractions , and continue to do so each week until we're all able to explore our heritage area again.
Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Memorial

The Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Foundation mission is to spread Alex Haley’s vision of a world that celebrates ethnic diversity while honoring humankind’s common, universal experiences. The Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Memorial includes a sculptural grouping depicting Alex Haley, author of the Pulitzer Prize winning novel Roots, speaking to children about Kunta Kinte, an enslaved African brought to Annapolis in 1767.
Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts

Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts is the region’s premier, comprehensive arts center. Through year-round classes, performances, exhibits, tours, workshops and demonstrations, people of all ages discover the transformative power of the arts. Each day, Maryland Hall nurtures inspiration, cultivates originality and fosters the imaginations of the children, families, students and adults who come through our doors -- or take part in new online classes.
Tonight! Annapolis Green's Drive Electric Earth Day Zoom Event
Tuesday, April 28
7:00-8:00 pm

Join Annapolis Green and Electric Vehicle Association of Greater DC (EVADC) for a Zoom event designed to answer all your questions about driving electric. The members of EVADC have a collective 4 million miles of experience driving electric without fossil fuels!

African American Heritage Preservation Program
Grant Opportunity is Announced
Announcing the 10th anniversary of the African American Heritage Preservation Program grants!

The Maryland Commission on African American Heritage and Culture and the Maryland Historical Trust are hosting webinars for prospective applicants for the African American Heritage Preservation Program. Grants are competitively awarded for construction projects on properties important to African American history and culture in Maryland.

You can learn more about the program here .
Applications are available on MHT's website here .

There will be four webinars - three with basics about the program and application requirements, and one with advanced tips for writing a compelling grant proposal.

Application Requirement Basics Webinars
May 1, 2020, 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm use Event Code: 620 346 860
May 4, 2020, 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm use Event Code: 624 850 735
May 8, 2020, 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm use Event Code: 627 712 174
 
Application Tips: How to tell your heritage story!
May 11, 2020, 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm use Event Code: 629 587 800

Connect online and view the video features
  1. Go to: https://www.webex.com/login/attend-a-meeting
  2. Copy and paste the Event Code for the webinar you want to attend (see above).
  3. In the box on the right, enter the password: oriole
  4. Below the password box, click on "Join by browser"

Connect by phone for audio only
  1. Call 855-282-6330.
  2. Enter the Event Code for the webinar you want to attend (see above).
 
For questions, please contact Charlotte Lake at charlotte.lake@maryland.gov or Chanel Compton at chanel.compton@maryland.gov .
Chesapeake Bay Foundation Posts Recorded Webinars
From freshwater mussels to microplastics, from trees in urban environments to dolphins in the Bay—there's always something new to explore and learn about in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Whether it's a connection between critters and habitat that we weren’t aware of, a research paper that changes our thinking, or an innovative technology or practice that shows promise for promoting cleaner water, CBF experts (and sometimes special guests!) are bringing exciting Bay topics directly to you. Watch CBF's recorded webinars if there are any you have missed!
AASLH Webinar: How to Spot Opportunity When it is Disguised as Chaos
DATE: April 30
TIME: 3:00 - 4:00 pm
COST: $40 AASLH Members / $65 Nonmembers
PROMO CODE: If you are an organization that may be facing financial strain due to COVID-19, AASLH is providing a special promo code (CHAOSFREE) to waive the registration fee for this webinar.

Brooke Salvanto, Executive Director, Tuckerton Seaport & Baymen’s Museum, invites you to be brought along by the momentum of chaos and opportunity.

This webinar will welcome active participation as we all share how we have leveraged the unexpected. Participants will hear examples and ideas of how Tuckerton Seaport has turned chaos into opportunity by taking part in an interactive developed by Brooke called Cards of Chaos. Those attending the webinar will find inspiration in how to create their own opportunities out of unforeseen events all while working on limited budgets and with few staff. 

Upcoming AASLH Conversations:

All webinars in this series are $5 members / $10 nonmembers, or can be accessed for free using the promo code 'FREEWBR20'.

Registration Now Open for the 2020 Land Conservation Virtual Conference
Join Forever Maryland throughout the month of May for a series of engaging webinars where the land trust community and its partners learn, share, and celebrate our collective work.

The webinar series theme will address issues and topics related to climate change and the future of land conservation in our region.

McBride Gallery Features Nonprofit Partnership
Our friends at McBride Gallery have shared that they are hosting a show from the National Oil & Acrylic Painters Society (NOAPS), a national nonprofit organization.

The show is a national, juried show of 150 works, called "Best of America's Small Works," and is viewable online only for now. It is here in Annapolis through June 7. Use this link to view the show:  http://www.mcbridegallery.com .

Keep the arts alive and thriving in Annapolis!
Stay Informed with Preservation Maryland
Attend a Virtual Event:

Preservation Maryland has transitioned its events calendar to a national virtual calendar ! They've included many conferences and webinars from organizations across the country that you can access online.

Upcoming events include:


Join the discussion:

Preservation Maryland invites you to join the Maryland Preservation Forum on Facebook to join the conversation about resources for museums, property-owners, and historic sites.
Audience Research Survey: Culture + Community in a Time of Crisis
History organizations can participate in a nationwide audience survey, "Culture + Community in a Time of Crisis," organized by Culture Track.

The research will survey the audiences of cultural institutions to answer questions about how the pandemic has affected Americans' views about the role and future of culture and the arts in their communities. There is no cost to participate, and organizations will be able to view responses from their audience and compare them to the national results. For more information on the project and to sign up to take part, click here .
Emergency Relief from National Endowment for the Humanities
National Endowment for the Humanities announced guidelines for " NEH CARES ," an emergency relief funding program for cultural institutions "to help these entities continue to advance their mission" during the coronavirus pandemic.

NEH invites applications from eligible organizations seeking support for at-risk humanities positions and projects that have been impacted by the coronavirus. Through this funding opportunity, NEH will award grants to museums, libraries and archives, historic sites, independent research institutions, professional organizations, colleges and universities, and other cultural organizations across the country to help these entities continue to advance their mission during the interruption of their operations due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The funding opportunity will prioritize "short-term projects that emphasize retaining or hiring humanities staff." Applications are due May 11, with decisions in mid-June.
National Endowment for the Humanities announced guidelines for " NEH CARES ," an emergency relief funding program for cultural institutions "to help these entities continue to advance their mission" during the coronavirus pandemic.

NEH invites applications from eligible organizations seeking support for at-risk humanities positions and projects that have been impacted by the coronavirus. Through this funding opportunity, NEH will award grants to museums, libraries and archives, historic sites, independent research institutions, professional organizations, colleges and universities, and other cultural organizations across the country to help these entities continue to advance their mission during the interruption of their operations due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The funding opportunity will prioritize "short-term projects that emphasize retaining or hiring humanities staff." Applications are due May 11, with decisions in mid-June.
Four Rivers Heritage Area | 410-222-1805 | heritage_area@aacounty.org | fourriversheritage.org