A Celebration of the Arts 50 Years in the Making
The Arts Council Commemorates its Milestone Year
The Maryland State Arts Council hosted a gathering of artists and art enthusiasts on Friday, April 20 at The Walters Art Museum for "A Celebration of the Arts" to commemorate its 50th anniversary. Guests enjoyed artist demonstrations including net making, rug hooking, screen painting and finger weaving. The over 200 guests also watched performances by artists from around the State ranging from cloggers to Korean drumming and Flamenco dancing. A birthday greetings video , included messages from Governor Hogan and First Lady Yumi Hogan and county arts councils! Pictured: Peace Mission Korean Dance Group.
Inaugural Best of Maryland Arts Education Festival
Musical Theater, Dance, Visual and Media Art Students Gathered in Mount Vernon
A group of 350 students and small ensembles from 14 of Maryland’s school districts performed throughout the day in Mount Vernon on April 20. The event was hosted by The Maryland State Department of Education- Office of Fine Arts in partnership with the Maryland State Arts Council , the Arts Education in Maryland Schools Alliance , and the Baltimore Office of Promotion & the Arts . Masterclasses were also held by Maryland's top artists. More  
Natural Dyeing Cultural Center Visit
Delegation from Naju, Korea Hosted by First Lady Humi Hogan
The Maryland State Arts Council staff, along with many partners, organized a full itinerary for a delegation from the Natural Dyeing Culture Center of Naju, Korea. First Lady Yumi Hogan hosted the delegation as they toured and taught at MICA, met with color specialists from Under Armour, presented to artists at the Fiber Arts Center of the Eastern Shore, and toured the Baltimore Museum of Art and the Asian Arts and Cultural Center at Towson University. More    Pictured: The Arts Council joined the Korean Delegation hosted by First Lady Yumi Hogan along with Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) Director Christopher Bedford and staff for a tour at the BMA.
Individual Artist Awards
 Artists to be Recognized May 20 at the American Visionary Art Museum

Seventy-eight Maryland artists have been awarded a 2018 Individual Artist Awards (IAA). This year’s awardees were chosen from a group of 367 applicants and represent some of the State’s leading playwrights, craft makers, photographers, and non-classical music composers and performers. The IAA program is administered in partnership with Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation and awardees were chosen based solely on artistic merit by an out-of-state jury of discipline-specific experts. Artists will be recognized on May 20 at a celebration at the American Visionary Art Museum. More
Pictured: "Special Child" by Stephen Towns, 2018 IAA Recipient.
Near East and North African Delegation Tours Maryland
Includes Visit to the Maryland State Arts Council
Executive Director Ken Skrzesz met with a group of artists from the Near East and North Africa to discuss the Maryland State Arts Council's commitment to artists and growing the creative community in our state. The trip was sponsored by the U.S. State Department, through which annual tours are created for hundreds of foreign professionals to meet with their counterparts and learn about best practices in their field. Through well-tailored visits and great experiences, these visitors take back home not only best practices they have learned but also best memories of American people.
Maryland Poetry Out Loud Registration Opens May 4, 2018
Poetry Out Loud (POL) is a national poetry recitation competition for high school students co-created and cosponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and The Poetry Foundation . POL encourages students to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation. Teachers register on behalf of their school. Registration ends October 5th, with a cap of 60 schools so get in early! Maryland State Arts Council will mail program materials August – October. The deadline to report school winner is December 14th.
State Winners Recite On Screen and On Stage M aryland State Poetry Out Loud Champion Cayla Turner and third place winner Aevin Mayman have both had opportunities to recite since winning their state titles in March. Cayla was interviewed by WMAR about her poetry journey and Aevin proudly represented the Poetry Out Loud program by reciting at "A Celebration of the Arts" on April 20th. Congratulations to all participants of this year's program! More
Pictured: Poetry Out Loud finalists gathered for a photo at the State Championship competition at the Baltimore Museum of Art.
Carroll County Receives Public Art Piece
Heron Sculpture Unveiled at Piney Run Park
Sykesville artist Virginia Sperry's welded steel sculpture "The Great Blue Heron" was unveiled at Piney Run Park on April 12, 2018. The project was made possible with a grant from the Maryland State Arts Council with additional funds provided by the Carroll County Arts Council and Piney Run Park Recreation and Conservation Council. Experiencing public art becomes a lasting memory for viewers of all ages and backgrounds.
Public Art Commission
The Governor's Office has approved three new Commissioners for the Maryland Public Art Commission (MPAI). The three appointees are Molline Jackson, Prince George's County, Leslie Kahn, Montgomery County and Rodney Tissue, Washington County. Commissioners serve three year terms that are renewable for a second term. In addition to their advisory role, Commissioners participate on artist selection panels for state capitol construction projects integrating public art. Currently the MPAI program has five projects in development.
Artist Insight - A Chat with Joanne Lewis-Margolius
Director, Magical Experiences Arts Company
What does Magical Experiences Arts Company (MEAC) do? MEAC is an arts-serving organization that provides innovative and creative theater programming to both day and residential schools and adult care centers. The performances empower, inspire and educate children, adolescents and adults with severe multiple disabilities in a safe, nurturing environment.
What inspired you to start MEAC? During college I volunteered with a drama therapy company in England and literally overnight decided to leave college and create a new theater method for individuals with severe disabilities. I established Magical Experiences Arts Company and that was 32 years ago! I was inspired by the connection I felt between myself and children and adults with disabilities.
How does this therapy work?  Most individuals with disabilities cannot use verbal communication, so theater, mime and movement allows participants to develop communication and self-expression skills. I believe the disabled have a deep intellect and capacity for creativity, so I create deeply profound, intelligent plays that parallel each individuals struggles and achievements. Theater should be accessible to all Americans and MEAC has created a method that can make this goal a reality! More Pictured: Joanne Lewis-Margolius performing "On A Wing and A Prayer" at The Delrey School in Landsdown. Photo Credit: Photos by Kintz.
Save the Date! September 7-9, 2018
National Folk Festival Coming to Salisbury
The city of Salisbury, MD will host the 2018-2020 National Folk Festival , the oldest, longest-ru nning multicultural traditional arts celebration in the country. The Festival will feature seven stages of continuous music, a dance pavilion, traditional crafts, regional food, storytelling, parades, and folklife demonstrations. This outdoor event is free to the public and will introduce audiences to a diverse array of the nation's finest traditional musicians, dancers, and other keepers of culture from throughout North America. More
Maryland Fine Arts Education Conference Registration is Open
 Thursday, May 31, 9am-5pm Anne Arundel Community College
The Maryland Fine Arts Education Conference (MFAEC), formerly the Cultural Arts for Education Conference (CAFÉ) is an annual convening of 200 arts education stakeholders in the state, including classroom teachers, teaching artists, administrators, arts organizations, and higher education. Register here .
Arts in Education
Artist-in-Residence Program Application Deadline May 18
The MSAC's Artist in Residence (AiR) pr ogram provides grants to Maryland schools that cover half the cost of a teaching artist residency. Maryland schools are invited to browse the Artist-in-Residence Roster t o select an MSAC Artist-in-Residence, then discuss details of the proposed residency with that artist and apply via eGrant.net . The artists on this roster specialize in harnessing the arts as tools for learning and are available to lead hands-on, intensive arts workshops in Maryland schools. Guidelines .  
Independent Film Touring Program Announces Tours and Host Sites 
Filmmakers to Travel With Films to Public Screenings  
Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation (MAAF) has announced the film lineup for the 2018-2019 season of the On Screen/In Person program. On Screen/In Person tours independent American filmmakers to communities across the mid-Atlantic region to screen their recent work and increase accessibility and appreciation for film through direct audience engagement. More
Oh What a Peep Show!
The Carroll County Arts Council held its 11th annual PEEPshow earlier this spring, featuring marshmallow masterpieces. This year's Grand Prize winner was the "The Very Hungry Caterpeeper." Originally inspired by Executive Director Sandy Oxx, the event continues to grow and all proceeds from this sweet event benefit the Council. More
CityLit Festival 15th Annual Event
Congratulations to Executive Director, Carla DuPree, and the entire CityLit team on an outstanding festival that took place on April 14. CityLit Project nurtures the culture of literature and locally and nationally known writers came to the University of Baltimore to shar e their work and to participate in professional development sessions.  Pictured: Debut young adult novelist Elizabeth Acevedo transforms an audience with a reading from her bestselling novel, Poet X.
Art Out & About Events Calendar
Alice in Wonderland - Chesapeake Shakespeare Company - Baltimore City
2nd Friday Art Walks - Main Street Berlin
ARTsites - Howard County
Ken's Corner
Steven Skerritt-Davis, Program Director for the Community Arts Development program (county arts councils), and I continued our conversations across the state with visits to Garrett, Allegany, Washington, Baltimore, Howard and Anne Arundel Counties. We have an army of energized arts leadership that continues to build inspiring programming to elevate the lives of local artists while enhancing the creative economy of our state. Our county arts councils are the backbone of the strong statewide arts presence enjoyed by all Maryland residents. When you are out and about, stop in to your local county arts council to say hello and thank them for their work.

Ken Skrzesz
Executive Director, Maryland State Arts Council
Maryland State Arts Council | 410 767 6555 | 175 S. Ostend Street, Baltimore 21230 msac.commerce@maryland.gov | msac.org