My artistic life began in the folk community. When I think of folk and traditional arts, I think of the link between creativity and the earth - the actual soil through which all life is sustained. I grew up learning stomping, turning, leaping movement that constantly gave into gravity. We sang full-throated songs that were generated from our feet being firmly planted in ancestral understandings. The music surrounding us was produced on instruments made for a specific contribution of tone or rhythm and by musicians who understood what could be heard in fields and mountains and streams. There is something genetically intriguing and captivating about folk art that reflects our collective origins.
With this kind of childhood, you can imagine how delighted I was to spend a weekend at the National Folk Festival in Salisbury (September 7-9) where the Treme Brass Band from New Orleans danced local and state leadership and thousands of attendees through the streets, Chicago Irish musicians Liz Carroll and Jake Charron played with a kinetic ferocity that pulsated through every member of the audience, while the Quebe Sisters of Texas mesmerized audiences with tight vocal harmonies sung over their fiddle and swing. The long list of performers at outdoor venues intersected with artists and craftspeople in the Maryland Traditions Folklife Area and the Festival Marketplace where traditional and local arts came to life. Congratulations to the staff of the National Council for Traditional Arts, the great folks of the City of Salisbury, and a special acknowledgement to Lora Bottinelli of the Ward Museum and MSAC's own Chad Buterbaugh for their countless contributions. Mark your calendar and book your hotel now for September 6-8, 2019!
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Ken Skrzesz, Executive Director, Maryland State Arts Council
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Register for ArtsLAB!
Maryland Citizens for the Arts' annual convening is a place where artists, arts professionals, advocates and more, come together to discuss current issues and concerns facing the arts sector. This year’s topic is
Unheard Voices
, examined through the lens of IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access) initiatives. It will feature presentations by, and conversations with artists, programs and organizations doing the intentional work that moves beyond conversation, turning IDEAs into action. Attendees will come away with resources to take back to their organizations, to initiate or continue their own IDEA work.
Nov. 8, 2018 | 9 am-4 pm | The Gordon Center, Owings Mills, MD
Cost is $20 general registration, $15/person for groups of 3+ from the same organization
More information and register
here
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A series of evenings for artists, arts organizations, arts leaders and arts supporters to gather for collaborative discussion and professional development.
FINAL EVENT
October 4th in Frostburg
If you missed the Institutes, you can find information
on our website
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Fall Listening Sessions
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Help MSAC staff gather information about how our programs can better serve you. Sessions are 6-8 pm at MSAC's offices. Video conference option available.
Register at the following links:
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Art on the Fly:
Exhibits at MSAC
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Closing Reception - Oct. 11
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From The Mountains, To The Ocean - Maryland Landscapes Inspired by Countryside, City and Sea
Opening Reception - Oct. 25
Visitors welcome during regular office hours -
Monday-Friday 9 am-5 pm
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Maryland POETRY OUT LOUD Registration
CLOSES OCTOBER 5, 2018!
Poetry Out Loud 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. Get in early!
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2018 Maryland Heritage Award Winners Announced!
The state folklife program, Maryland Traditions, is glad to announce the winners of its 2018 Maryland Heritage Awards, which recognize outstanding stewardship of our state’s living cultural traditions. Honored this year are: in the category of Person or People, The Sensational Royal Lights, a generational gospel quartet rooted in the sacred musical traditions of Dorchester County’s African-American communities; in the category of Place, Curtis Coney Island, the 100-year-old Cumberland restaurant that has remained a fixture of public life through the city’s rich history; and in the category of Tradition, stuffed ham, a unique and centuries-old feature of southern Maryland foodways.
Winners will be honored at a public ceremony on the evening of Saturday, Dec. 1, at the Proscenium Theatre, located on the campus of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Check Maryland Traditions’ Facebook and msac.org for announcements about the free program.
Photo: Southern Maryland stuffed hams on the boil, under the watch of master cook Bob Bowes (left, 1941-2018) and son Matt. Photo and video by Edwin Remsberg Photographs.
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Montgomery County Offers Cultural Arts Showcases
Big Learning presents its annual showcase of performers interested in providing cultural arts entertainment to children in Montgomery County Public Schools. The free public event gives PTA representatives an unmatched opportunity to sample entertainment from around the globe for possible assemblies bookings.
Oct. 2 9:15 am-2:30 pm
Oct. 3 & 11 | 6:00-9:00 pm
Carver Educational Center Auditorium, 850 Hungerford Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850
A different performer is presented every 15 minutes.
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Public Art Unveiling Rescheduled
Due to inclement weather from Hurricane Florence, the sculpture dedication ceremony for the Maryland Public Art Initiative’s second public artwork
Stochastic Interactions
, has been rescheduled for Tuesday, October 16, 2018, 11:00 AM. The artwork by Eric Peltzer was designed for the new Health Sciences Facility III building
670 W. Baltimore Street
on the UMB campus. All are welcome to attend.
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MSDE Presents Donald Lawrence: In Concert
The Fine Arts Office of Maryland State Department of Education and partners presents Donald Lawrence: In Concert to culminate a two-day professional development training for Maryland music educators and community musicians. All proceeds benefiting the 2019 Best of Maryland Arts Education Festival.
The workshop is part of the new Maryland Masterclass Series, a professional development program from the MSDE- Office of Fine Arts for music, visual arts, dance, theatre, and media arts educators statewide. The series brings world-class Master Artists to Maryland for curated professional development sessions that center experiential learning through creating and connecting.
Concert tickets are $20
online
or $25 at the door.
ASL Interpreters will be available for the concert.
Oct. 13 7-9:30 pm
New Psalmist Baptist Church, 6020 Marian Drive, Baltimore, MD 21215
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J. Joy Matthews Alford Named to Newly Created
Prince George's County Office of the Poet Laureate
With a unanimous vote on September 18th, the Prince George's County Council voted to create a first-ever Poet Laureate program.
Established under the Prince George's Arts & Humanities Council and known as the Office of the Poet Laureate, the program will allow the county to create a greater spotlight for advocacy among poetry and prose and it will aid in positioning the county on a global stage within the arts and humanities. Cultural and county leaders also expect the county poet laureate to be a catalyst in raising the consciousness of the poetry among residents and to help develop programs that center on and encourage writing of all forms.
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Artist Resource Bulletin - Calls for Independent Artists
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The
MSAC Online Resource Bulletin
, maintained by Maryland Art Place (MAP), is where you can find regional, national, and international exhibition opportunities, grants, fellowships, and residencies as well as information on available studio spaces in the area. Some current
opportunities:
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Call for Artist: University of Maryland Medical Center and BOPA: 10/19
University of Maryland Medical Center
has partnered with the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts (BOPA) to commission thirty seven (6’ by 8’) and two (6’ by 12’) murals to be painted onto interior walls of the Inpatient Behavioral Health Unit at UMMC Midtown, 6th floor corridors, and common rooms. This call to artist asks experienced artists to submit their qualifications for this opportunity in the form of previously completed artworks. Multiple artists may be selected to develop proposals and finished murals for the project. Selected muralists will meet with UMMC to learn more about the space and project goals before creating proposals for new murals. Total Project Budget: $85,000
Application Deadline: October 19, 2018
For more information on how to apply, click
here
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Call For Artists: Night: The 28th Annual Strathmore Juried Exhibition: 10/22
Strathmore
's Annual Juried Exhibition welcomes artists working in any medium to explore nocturnal themes. Whether it is the night sky, darkness, or the transformative nature of nightfall, Night delves into the beauty, mystery, and sometimes phobic qualities of the hours from dusk to dawn.
Application Deadline: October 22, 2018
For more information on how to apply, click
here
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Call to Artists: Holiday Art Competition in Historic Frederick: 11/2
As the first event in our series of The Holidays in Historic Frederick, all visual artists are invited to compete for the $1,000 prize for best depicting the theme of “The Holidays in Historic Frederick”. The focus of this competition is to select one piece of artwork that captures the spirit of Frederick during the holiday season. The winning piece will also be used for the 2018 Celebrate Frederick Holidays marketing campaign. The competition will take place on Wednesday, November 28, 2017 at The
Delaplaine Visual Arts Education Center
at 40 S. Carroll Street in Frederick, MD from 5:30 to 7 PM.
Application Deadline: Friday, November 2, 2018
Call for Art: Havre de Grace Waterman's Heritage Sculpture: 11/2
The City of Havre de Grace, the Public Arts Committee
and partners are seeking a sculpture that will reflect the maritime culture of Havre de Grace and raise awareness about the importance of maintaining a healthy Chesapeake Bay to our ecological system. The sculpture must be designed for outdoor installation on the waterfront. The anticipated footprint for the sculpture is to be no larger than 100 square feet. The proposed site is on the waterfront in Concord Point Park. The sculpture must be large enough to be visible from the water.
Application Deadline: November 2, 2018
For more information on how to apply, click
here
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Grants for Organizations: Full Applications 11/15 (REVISED DEADLINE), RFFs 12/15
- More information, guidelines, and narrative and financial reporting templates
here
. Forms will open soon in eGrant.
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
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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
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