NEWS FROM FOUR RIVERS
September 3, 2019
Four Rivers Fall FY20 Mini-Grant Round Announced!
Four Rivers Heritage Area is please to announce the availability of our Fall FY20 Mini-Grants!

Applications in the new grant cycle are due by October 4 and funding decisions will be announced by November 1, 2019. The application is available on our website,  here . Click on the Mini-Grants tab. If you are not familiar with the Eligibility Questionnaire, please take the time to download that here .

These Mini-Grants are available for new heritage and preservation-related programs, activities, products, and events. We encourage Mini-Grant proposals that include collaborative partnerships and enhanced heritage tourism, preservation, and/or the stewardship of historical, cultural, and natural resources.

Non-profit organizations and municipalities are eligible to apply for projects that will primarily be located within the boundaries of the Heritage Area. The maximum award has been increased this year to $5,000 and applicants must provide a one-to-one match (at least 75% cash and up to 25% In-Kind).

To learn more, applicants must attend a MANDATORY workshop; the first session is Tuesday, September 24 at 3 p.m. in the Chesapeake Room, 2nd floor of the 2664 Riva Road building in Annapolis. Potential applications who cannot attend this session can arrange a one-on-one makeup session. To register call 410-222-1805 or email   heritage_area@aacounty.org .
Unveiling of a Historical Marker about the Lynchings that Occurred in Anne Arundel County
Saturday September 7
10:00 a.m.
Calvert Street, Annapolis

A historical marker will be unveiled on Calvert Street in Annapolis (across from the Arundel Center) as part of the Equal Justice Initiative's Lynching Marker Project. The location is near the site where Henry Davis was lynched in 1906. The marker will acknowledge the lynching of at least five black men in Anne Arundel County and the racial terrorizing of many more. In an effort to foster remembrance, reconciliation, and education about these painful events, Connecting the Dots (Anne Arundel County) has partnered with the Equal Justice Initiative, the Maryland Lynching Memorial Project, the City of Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, local elected officials and civil rights groups to bring the first historical marker to Maryland, acknowledging racial terror. In addition to the marker unveiling, EJI will be announcing the winners of the Racial Justice Essay Contest.

Parking is available in the Whitmore Garage at 37 Clay Street. Consider bringing a lawn chair if you will require seating during the unveiling ceremony. Following the dedication, Connecting the Dots and their partners will offer an open opportunity for the public to address the topic: “Who are we and where are we going as a Nation?” All are welcome. The discussions will be facilitated by members Coming to the Table here groups from Annapolis, Baltimore, Harford County, and Montgomery County and The Conversation Starters here . The discussions are open to everyone over the age of 14 and will be held at the Asbury United Methodist Church, 87 West Street, Annapolis. Facebook event here .
Next Week! William Paca Garden Guided Tour
Tuesday, September 10
10:00-11:00 am
William Paca House and Garden
186 Prince George Street, Annapolis

Join Historic Annapolis for a guided tour of William Paca’s enchanting two-acre English pleasure garden. Your knowledgeable docent will take you on a stroll through the features of the lovingly-restored Chesapeake falling garden.

The William Paca Garden is a two acre oasis of natural beauty in the bustling center of Annapolis’ Historic District. Although many colonial Annapolitans had gardens, only Paca’s has been returned to its original splendor and opened to the public. Intrigued by garden details in the background of Charles Willson Peale’s 1772 portrait of Paca, researchers were able to reconstruct the site from a series of archeological digs that turned up evidence of the garden’s former glory.

Cost: $10 General Admission; $8 for HA Members and Volunteers; $6 Student. Learn more here.
Art Express Lunchtime Tour - American Impressionism
Wednesday, September 11
12:15-12:45 pm
Mitchell Gallery at St. John's College
60 College Avenue, Annapolis

Join Art Educator Lucinda Edinberg for a tour of American Impressionism: Treasures from the Daywood Collection."

About the exhibit: American art changed significantly between the late 19th and early 20th centuries when artists moved from European-style landscapes and monumental portraits to intimate subjects of the American countryside and portraits of those around them. This exhibition of over 40 works highlights this shift through the visions of artists Arthur Bowen Davies, Henry Ward Ranger, George Inness, Ernest Lawson, Willard Metcalf, Edward Redfield, Charles Hawthorne, Georg Luks and John Sloan. Also included in the exhibition are “The American Ten,” a group founded by John Henry Twachtman, J. Alden Weir and Childe Hassam, who were dissatisfied with the conservatism of the American art establishment, and “The Eight,” a group of urban realists led by Robert Henri. Learn more here.
Annapolis Green's Activities This Month!
Annapolis Green is working with the City of Annapolis on a public information program to to urge all Annapolitans to cut back on single-use plastic.Annapolis Green and the City are teaming up in common cause with Plastic Free Annapolis, in a movement to change habits and reduce pollution at its source for a cleaner, more beautiful Annapolis with participation from businesses, residents and visitors.

The goal of Plastic Free Annapolis – a month-long campaign – is to inform, residents, visitors and businesses about ways to voluntarily reduce throw-away plastic, such as bags, water bottles, carry-out containers,  balloons , and yes… straws, by using environmentally friendly alternatives or by just not using these products. They are planning on “signing up” at least 30 in this one-month period and plan to exceed that number in the weeks to come, even after the short, yet powerful, City campaign is over. Annapolis Green will keep the Plastic Free spirit alive demonstrating that there are alternatives to plastic. Read more here .

NEXT GREEN DRINKS: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10
5:30 – 7:30 pm
Chesapeake Bay Trust, 108 Severn Avenue, Annapolis
THEME: ELECTRIC VEHICLES & THE ENVIRONMENT
Join Annapolis Green as we tell you about the environmental benefits of driving electric at the offices of the “license plate people,” the  Chesapeake Bay Trust,  in advance of the  Annapolis EV Showcase  on Sept. 14. Read more here .
Strokes of Genius 2019 Deadline Approaching!
Deadline is September 5!

Maryland Federation of Art (MFA) invites all artists residing in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada and Mexico to enter this 9th annual all-painting competition. All original 2-D work created through any painting media (inc. oil, pastel, acrylic, watercolor, encaustic, etc.) and following entry guidelines, will be considered.

Terms of Entry:
All entries must adhere to MFA general guidelines as well as the terms of entry specific to the exhibit as listed below.
When entering the exhibition you will be asked to accept the Terms of Entry. Any entry that does not follow Terms of Entry and General Guidelines will be subject to rejection regardless of the Juror’s decision.

Awards:
Cash awards designated by the juror total $1000. Award contributors and recipients will be listed in the exhibition catalog.

Learn more here.
Galesville Square Dance - Save these Dates!
Please save these upcoming Saturday dates for the fall Galesville Square Dances:

September 14
October 12
November 23

Live traditional Appalachian dance music by Leah Weiss (fiddle), Gary Wright (guitar), and Friends
No partner, experience, or lessons necessary. 

Yes, YOU can do it! Sit ins welcome on fiddle, guitar, and clawhammer banjo.
Square dances, Circle dances, Contra dances — Come join the fun!

$10 adults, $5 ages 5-17, under 5 free. 5:40-10:00 pm. Learn more here.

Location: Galesville Memorial Hall, 952 Main Street, Galesville
Webinar: Introducing the Inclusive Historian’s Handbook
Thursday, September 19
3:00 - 4:15 pm

This webinar introduces The Inclusive Historian’s Handbook, a new digital resource co-sponsored by AASLH and the National Council on Public History launching in August 2019. Participants will be provided with an overview of the Handbook’s contents as well as suggestions for how to incorporate it into their practice. The facilitators will also gather feedback, ideas, and suggestions from participants regarding future additions to the Handbook’s content. Learn more here.

About The Inclusive Historian’s Handbook
The main objective of the Handbook is to support inclusive and equity-focused historical work in public settings by:
  • Sharing a knowledge base that invites more people to engage in history projects.
  • Providing concrete examples of how to make history work more relevant.
  • Centering equity, inclusivity, diversity, and public service.
  • Offering accessible windows into the many ways public historians work.
Call for Nominations for Four Rivers Heritage Awards
Do you know a great heritage practitioner? Perhaps a valuable staff member or dedicated volunteer you would like to publicly acknowledge?

Four Rivers Heritage Area seeks nominations for its Sixteenth Annual Heritage Awards . These awards recognize individuals, organizations, partnerships, programs and products that contribute significantly to the community by interpreting, promoting, preserving, researching and/or supporting our historical legacy.

In 2019, nominations are invited in ten categories, including Heritage Tourism Product Award, Heritage Volunteer Award, Heritage Partnership Award, Heritage Professional of the Year, Heritage Interpreter of the Year, Legacy Award, and Public/Private Initiative Award. Other categories include the Sponsor of the Year Award, the Stewardship Award, and the Heritage Leadership Award, which goes to an individual for significant and long-lasting contributions to local history and heritage. Self-nominations are accepted.

Nomination forms can be downloaded from our website or by calling the Four Rivers Heritage Area office (410-222-1805). The nominations deadline is October 11, 2019. A heritage area awards committee will review and evaluate nominations; awards will be presented at the Four Rivers Annual Awards ceremony in November. Thank you!!
Four Rivers Heritage Area | 410-222-1805 | heritage_area@aacounty.org | fourriversheritage.org