The word is out… Maryland is the place to hold an arts conference!
From November 1-3, the staff and board of the Maryland State Arts Council hosted the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies Assembly 2018 at the Hyatt Regency Baltimore Inner Harbor. More than 400 arts leaders from across the country gained insights about national initiatives and discovered best practices to strengthen communities by investing in the arts. Equity, diversity, and inclusion, as a theme, inspired rich conversations about funding, staffing, and programmatic design.
The 81
st
Conference for Community Arts Education was held from November 14-17 at the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel. Approximately 700 community arts education practitioners descended upon the city for four days of sessions focusing upon arts in education, creative youth development, leadership development, organizational health, and social justice.
As attendees explored Baltimore, they were invited to experience the creative and innovative spirit of artists throughout the city. Visits to the Arts and Entertainment Districts, scheduled performances of Maryland talent at the conferences, and unstructured time for sight-seeing, sent a clear message to all attendees… the Maryland State Arts Council is committed to supporting and developing artists who are using their talents to shine a light on the strengths of communities across our state.
Happy Holidays!
Ken Skrzesz, Executive Director, Maryland State Arts Council
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The MSAC Online Resource Bulletin, maintained by Maryland Art Place, includes regional, national, and international exhibition opportunities, grants, fellowships, residencies, and information on available studio spaces in the area. The Resource Bulletin is updated on a weekly basis and maintains hundreds of listings of arts opportunities, organized by subject and deadline date.
Check out the
MSAC Resource Bulletin
today! To post your call for entry, email Naomi, the Registry Coordinator, at
naomi@mdartplace.org
.
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Please consider inviting MSAC Staff and Board Members to any public event that may include donor recognition as part of the programming. Public acknowledgement of MSAC funding, particularly when a staff, board member, or local legislator is present, allows arts audiences to understand the connection between the vote they cast for local officials, the local official’s support of MSAC funding, and how that funding returns to the communities of arts-connected constituents. Please send all invitations to
okeena.stephenson@maryland.gov.
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The Hagerstown Arts & Entertainment District, recipient of a MSAC Public Art Project grant, dedicated a new mural on November 20, 2018. Artist Eric B. Ricks of Germantown worked with local students in the design of the mural sited in downtown University Plaza. In opening remarks, City Engineer and Maryland Public Art Commissioner Rodney Tissue noted the project is the city’s 17th public art project, many of which are integrated along the
Hagerstown Cultural Trail
linking the A&E District and the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts.
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VISITING DELEGATION FROM HUNAN PROVINCE, CHINA
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Maryland Traditions staff, along with artists from the National Association of Black Storytellers and Kalanidhi Dance, met on Nov. 16 with a delegation of provincial leaders and cultural heritage specialists from Hunan province, China. The Maryland State Arts Council was a stop on the group's tour of arts and culture agencies across the mid-Atlantic region.
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TAKING POETRY FROM PAGE TO STAGE:
CHEER ON STUDENTS AT MARYLAND POETRY OUT LOUD REGIONALS!
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The words of great poets literally come to life in Poetry Out Loud (POL), a national poetry recitation contest co-created and co-sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and The Poetry Foundation. Join us for one of these exciting competitions and cheer on these talented students as they recite classic and contemporary poetry. You will leave inspired! These events are free and open to the public.
Full details
here.
Questions: Chris Stewart, POL Director,
christine.stewart1@maryland.gov
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MARYLAND ARTIST DESIGNS U.S. POSTAGE STAMP COMMEMORATING WORLD WAR I
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The commemorative U.S. postage stamp titled
World War I: Turning the Tide
was created by Garrett County artist Mark Stutzman. “This hundredth-anniversary issuance is a reminder of how we owe a debt of gratitude to our troops for the freedoms we enjoy,” said Stutzman, who held a
stamp signing
at the Oakland, MD, post office November 9, just prior to Armistice Day. Stutzman has designed previous U.S. postage stamps including the famed Elvis Presley stamp along with three other stamps in a block set for the Legends in American Music. Stutzman is also working with the Maryland State Arts Council and the Maryland Army National Guard on a public art mural for the Easton Readiness Center. The 8’x17’ mural will debut in March 2019.
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AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS NATIONAL ARTISTS WEEK
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Americans for the Arts announced its celebration of
National Shop Local Artists Week
. From December 2 to 8, 2018, the initiative encourages the creative field to join together in communities across the country to promote the sales of the work of local artists, and to promote to all consumers that art—including tickets to events and organization memberships—makes great holiday gifts. National Shop Local Artists Week, launched in 2018 by Americans for the Arts, encourages individuals and organizations throughout the country to take the following actions in honor of the week:
Advocate. Leverage the celebration to engage with your decision makers about the stellar impact of the arts in your
local economy
.
Spread the word about the creative economy through two easy advocacy opportunities: customize
this template resolution
and present it to your elected official; and submit an
op-ed
to your local media.
Share your story on social media using the hashtag #ShopLocalArtistsWeek to share stories of the impact of individual artists and the creative economy in our communities.
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HYATTSVILLE STREETSCAPES GET AN ARTISTIC MAKEOVER
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In and around the
Gateway Arts District
in Prince George’s County, the Hyattsville CDC is installing
15 small scale murals
on traffic boxes (the normally unsightly steel cabinets at intersections) to address blight and enhance the visual landscape along the area’s commercial corridors. Designs were selected over the summer by a jury of local artists and city residents and officials. Selected artists include
Rashad Ali Muhammad
,
Joel Traylor
,
Jennifer Axner
,
Jessica Arends
,
and a group of middle school students taught by Ms. Ellen Jasinski of an informal homeschool co-op named St Michael’s.
A ribbon cutting event for the most recent project scheduled for December 1 will now be held at a later date in the future.
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OUTSTANDING STEWARDS OF FOLKLIFE HONORED AT MARYLAND TRADITIONS HERITAGE AWARDS
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This year, the recipients are: in the category of Person / People,
The Sensational Royal Lights
, an African American gospel quartet with roots in Dorchester County; in the category of Place, Curtis'
Coney Island Famous Weiners
of Allegany County; and in the category of Tradition, stuffed ham, a longstanding St. Mary's County foodway.
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AiE Visiting Performer Highlight
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Kwame Ansah-Brew
of
Anansegromma of Ghana
was invited to open a memorial tribute to former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan at the United Nations in New York City on September 21st. Kwame was personally asked by Ghana's Ambassador to the United Nations, Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, who knew of Kwame's talent as a musician and drummer, and recognized him as the ideal artist to present the cultural traditions of their homeland. Kwame played a
ceremonial dirge
of the Asante Kingdom (on the odurugya flute), which honors royalty when they pass on to the ancestral world. He was also commissioned to write an ode to Kofi Annan and perform it on the "talking drums."
Native Ghanaians Kofi Dennis and
Kwame Ansah-Brew
offer an exhilarating and memorable introduction to West African culture. Audiences become members of a typical Ghanaian village, gathering with "royal elders" and court musicians to experience traditional music, storytelling, and dance, enhanced by the vibrant colors of their native attire. Through "call and response" songs, games, and drum rhythms on authentic instruments, Anansegromma offers an engaging, first-hand exploration of West African cultural traditions. Varied programs address themes of cooperation, courage, hope, caring, and sharing.
Photograph: Kwame Ansah-Brew performs in the United Nations General Assembly on September 21st courtesy Artivate
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Grants for Organizations:
RFFs 12/15 at 5:00 PM:
Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered for funding.
Forms are open in eGrant. More information can be found
here
.
Questions? Contact your discipline's
Program Director
or Dana Parsons at
dana.parsons@maryland.gov
FY19 Public Art Project Grant:
4/29/19:
County Arts Councils and designated Arts & Entertainment Districts in Maryland are eligible to apply. Grants of up to $5,000 (requiring a 1:1 match) are available for permanent or temporary works by a Maryland artist. Guidelines are available
here
.
Visiting Performer Program Funding for Schools:
Schools, and other educational institutions gain assistance and financial support that encourage quality arts performances and workshops for their students. Teachers or schools may browse the Visiting Performer Roster and contact an artist to book a performance directly with an approved MSAC Visiting Performer. For each booking, the artist applies MSAC funding that reduces the amount owed by the school to the artist by up to one-third, making performances more affordable for schools. A school may book up to three different productions per school year through the Visiting Performer Program. Performers of theater, flamenco, capoeira, storytelling, juggling, pantomime, beatboxing, steel drums, and more! View the Visiting Performer roster
here
.
A&E District Technical Assistance Grant Applications:
Rolling Deadline - Technical Assistance grants are available to designated Arts & Entertainment Districts for marketing, strategic planning, professional development and other projects. More information and guidelines available
here
.
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