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Welcome to Artist Alley,
Washington County Arts Council's electronic newsletter.
We hope this publication will engage you with the arts in your community.
WCAC welcomes your ideas and support as it continues to take the lead in bringing together the community's art organizations to strengthen our region's arts culture.
For artist information, arts events, calls for art, and more visit WCAC's web page...
www.washingtoncountyarts.com.
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Call for Editors - Folklife Apprenticeship & Heritage Award | |
Members of the Arch Social Club, recipient of the 2019 Heritage Award in the category of Place. The Arch Social Club (Baltimore City) has been a central location for generations of African American community and culture in the city since 1912. Photo by Edwin Remsberg Photographs. | |
As MSAC staff begin revisions to the Folklife Apprenticeship and Heritage Award programs, we need editors from across the state! Editors review current policies and procedures and recommend changes that ensure equity, transparency, and access in MSAC programs. The Folklife Apprenticeship program supports traditional arts education, and the Heritage Award program recognizes long-term achievement in the traditional arts. Following approval by the council and department, the changes recommended by editors through this process will take effect with the FY 2024 (July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024) Folklife Apprenticeship and Heritage Award application and nomination processes.
Editors:
- Review and provide requested responses to current policies, constituent feedback, and staff proposed changes. (Approximately 6-8 hours)
- Participate in two meetings (virtually), discussing program policies and developing recommendations for proposed changes to the programs. (4 hours)
- Receive $300 for participating in the editing process.
- Must have access to a Gmail account.
What we are looking for:
- Maryland residents with backgrounds in the traditional arts, or who are interested in learning how changes are considered and implemented within MSAC.
How to apply:
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Click the Apply Now button below to log in or create a free account in SmartSimple. You must be registered as an “Independent Artist” to apply to be an editor.
- Under Funding Opportunities, select "Public Call."
- Select "Program Editor" from the first drop down option.
- Select “Maryland Traditions Apprenticeship” or “Maryland Traditions Heritage Award” as the Grant Program from the second drop down option. Apply once - applicants to either program will be considered as editors for both programs.
- Click "Save Draft" at the bottom to populate the application.
- Complete the application and click “Submit.
If you have questions about the editing process, please contact Folklife Specialist Ryan Koons at ryan.koons@maryland.gov.
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Deadline: Tuesday, August 31, 2021 at 5 p.m. | |
2022 Heritage Award Nominations Open September 1st!
Register for the "How to Nominate" Webinar on August 31st
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Joan Gaither (Anne Arundel County), who received the Heritage Award in 2017 in the category of Person or People, creates story quilts that bring Maryland history to life. Her work focuses on the stories of the state's African American communities. Photo by Edwin Remsberg Photographs. | |
MSAC will begin accepting nominations for 2022 Maryland Heritage Awards on Wednesday, September 1st. We invite you to nominate individuals, places, and traditions for outstanding achievement in traditional arts and culture. Awards are $5,000 each. Nominations are due Friday, October 15, at 5 p.m. Begin a nomination using MSAC’s application system, SmartSimple. Log in to SmartSimple or create a free account at marylandarts.smartsimple.com.
Maryland Traditions, the traditional arts program of MSAC, has given Heritage Awards annually since 2007. Awards are given based on a nominee’s sustained commitment to a particular traditional practice, current importance to communities in which that traditional practice is important, and past contributions to that traditional practice. Each year, winners are chosen in the categories of Person or People, Place, and Tradition. Click here to see a list of past winners, and to read the Heritage Awards guidelines and evaluation criteria.
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MSAC will host a free webinar on Tuesday, August 31st, 1 - 2 p.m. entitled “How to Make a Heritage Award Nomination.” Anyone interested in learning more about the Heritage Award and nomination strategies is welcome to attend. Click here to register.
If you have questions about the nomination process, please contact Folklife Specialist Ryan Koons at ryan.koons@maryland.gov. If you require any accommodations to access the nomination form, please contact msac.commerce@maryland.gov. If you have questions about the SmartSimple application system, please contact Grants Management Associate Tammy Oppel at tammy.oppel@maryland.gov.
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MSAC Upcoming Virtual Events | |
How to Make a Heritage Award Nomination
Tuesday, August 31st, 1 p.m.
In this webinar, MSAC staff will walk attendees through the process of making a nomination for a Heritage Award, which recognizes long-term achievement in the traditional arts in three categories: person or people, place, and tradition. Nomination strategies will also be covered. To register, click here.
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Make Your Voice Heard:
Join MSAC’s “The Future of Artist Employment in Maryland” sessions
MSAC is spending the next year focusing on improving its efforts to connect Maryland artists with employment opportunities across the state. In September, make your voice heard by participating in “The Future of Artist Employment in Maryland,” a series of five public dialogues in which artists are invited to share recommendations that will inform what MSAC offers as part of this initiative:

- Session 1: Wednesday, September 1, 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
- Session 2: Friday, September 3, 10 a.m. - 11 a.m.
- Session 3: Thursday, September 9, 5 p.m. - 6 p.m.
- Session 4: Tuesday, September 14, noon - 1 p.m.
- Session 5: Friday, September 17, 3 p.m. - 4 p.m.
In each public dialogue, attendees will spend the first part of the session responding to prompts about MSAC’s artist employment initiative, including the funding, networking, and training opportunities it might provide. The last part of each dialogue will serve as an open forum for attendees to ask questions and voice further needs.
Following these public dialogues, along with additional outreach activities to be announced, MSAC staff will develop a responsive program that strives to meet the needs of Maryland’s artists.
Each of the five public dialogues will offer the same content, so it is not necessary to attend more than one. To register, please visit the links above or MSAC’s listing of upcoming events. For questions, contact Senior Program Director Chad Buterbaugh at chad.buterbaugh@maryland.gov or (443) 469-8239.
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Join MSAC and your fellow colleagues across the state on Tuesday mornings with your favorite coffee drink for a dialogue about the arts in Maryland.
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Virtual Regional Arts Summit
Join us on Thursday, September 23rd from 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. to kick off the 2021 Virtual Regional Arts Summit! At the kick off, we will hold virtual space for artists and arts organizations to convene with MSAC staff and arts professionals through sessions on reimagining your organization, presentations from our collaborators, and arts discipline-specific artmaking. Following this kickoff, we will hold an Aesthetic Perspectives Salon Series that will highlight organizations across six regions of Maryland and the ways they are implementing the aesthetic perspectives framework. Registration is now open! Click here to register.
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The Maryland State Arts Council is committed to making sure all Marylanders can access its programs and services. For grant application assistance, please contact the appropriate Program Director. Guests with further accessibility questions or who require accommodations may fill out the Accommodations Request Form or contact the MSAC Office Secretary at msac.commerce@maryland.gov. | |
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The Washington County Arts Council, Inc. is funded by a grant from the Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC), an agency of the Department of Business & Economic Development. | |
The Washington County Arts Council is a proud member of
County Arts Agencies of Maryland,
Maryland Citizens for the Arts, and Americans for the Arts
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The WCAC facility is wheelchair accessible! | |
Thank you for providing your email address to the
Washington County Arts Council. Your information was obtained from
at least one of the following methods: signing our guest book,
becoming a member, donating, entering a contest, or exhibiting with us.
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