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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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Abstracts & Patterns
Opening Reception
April 4, 2024 from 5pm until 7pm
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The Washington County Arts Council announces a show of the photography of Ira S. Lourie along with the photography of students from four Washington County High School, showing from April 4 to May 7, 2024 to at Washington County Arts Council at 53 South Potomac Street in Hagerstown. This show will focus on the theme of Abstracts and Patterns including new abstract digital photographic images demonstrating textures and patterns, including reflections.
Dr. Lourie, who in the past has had three previous shows of his photographic landscape images, has challenged himself to a new photographic theme and presents 50 new images. As with his 2018 show in which he worked with the Maryland Symphony Orchestra to create a photo montage to play along with the symphony’s rendition of Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring, Dr. Lourie has challenged students from four Washington County Public School (WCPS) high school photography programs to also submit photographic images on the same theme to also demonstrate the same Abstracts and Patterns theme. Four WCPS teachers agreed to create projects for their photography classes: Mark Youngblood and Kristen Green from the Barbara Ingram School for the Arts, Josh Edwards at Clear Spring High School, and Marsha Secrest at North Hagerstown High School. These four teachers along with Dr. Lourie will pick the 60-70 student pictures from those submitted to be hung in the student part of the gallery exhibit.
Ira S Lourie
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MSAC Celebrates 10 Years of the
Maryland Traditions Archives
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MTA anniversary webinar participants, from top left to bottom middle: Earl Brooks, Tiffany Chavis (Lumbee), Jenifer Dolde, Angel Rivera, and Greg Adams. | |
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The Maryland Traditions Archives (MTA), a collaborative partnership with University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) and the Maryland Traditions program of the Maryland State Arts Council's (MSAC), turns ten this year! Join staff and stakeholders for a free, celebratory webinar on Thursday April 4, from noon to 1:30 p.m. ET. Webinar participants, shown above, will discuss how the MTA have impacted their work and their cultural communities, and the role archives play in connecting members of the public with their history and cultural traditions.
Featured webinar participants are: UMBC assistant professor Earl Brooks; archivist and librarian Tiffany Chavis (Lumbee); Jenifer Dolde of Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum; Puerto Rican tradition bearer Angel Rivera; and moderator Greg Adams of the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.
This virtual event is open to the public, but registration is required to attend. For more information and to register for this free event, please visit MSAC’s Eventbrite page.
Click below to register for this free webinar on our Eventbrite page.
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About the Maryland Traditions Archives | |
The MTA preserve a wealth of institutional records, folklorist papers, and fieldwork materials. Collection materials are in a variety of paper, analog media, and digital formats. These resources document practices dating back to the 1960s and are contributed by practitioners of living cultural traditions. Under a "shared stewardship" approach, the MTA collaborate closely with the communities whose traditions are represented in the collections and allow for shared curatorial authority. Housed within the Special Collections at the Albin O. Kuhn Library and Gallery at UMBC, these archives are open to the public. | |
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Apply Now to be a FY 2025
Grant Panelist!
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The Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) is seeking panelists for the Creativity, Professional Development Opportunity, and Presenting and Touring grant programs. Panelists will be selected to review grant applications throughout each program's full granting cycle for fiscal year (FY) 2025, occurring every month from July 2024 to May 2025.
MSAC relies on a wide array of experts from across the state to do the important work of evaluating applications. Panelists are selected with a focus on diversity of experiences, diversity of location, and expertise in varying artistic disciplines. Whether you're an independent artist, arts administrator, fundraiser, educator, or enthusiast, your expertise is valuable!
Click here to learn more about program-specific eligibility requirements on our "Ways To Get Involved" page.
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Frequently Asked Questions | |
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What does a panelist do?
- Attend a virtual orientation outlining panelist responsibilities
- Review applications using SmartSimple, MSAC’s online grants management system
- Conduct virtual or in-person interviews with applicants, as assigned
- Attend a virtual panel meeting to finalize application reviews with fellow panelists
- Receive compensation depending on the number of assigned applications
How do I apply to be a panelist?
- Submit an application via SmartSimple
- Click the Apply Now button below to log in or create a free account in SmartSimple (you will need to be registered as an Independent Artist to apply)
- Under Funding Opportunities, select "Public Call"
- Under the “Narrative” tab, select "Panelist Call" from the dropdown options
- Select the program you are interested in applying for from the “Grant Program” dropdown menu
- Click "Save Draft" to populate the application
- Complete the application, and click “Submit”
Applications due by Tuesday, April 30, 2024.
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MSAC Land Acknowledgement Project Receives Historical Update | |
A map of historically erased tribes, part of a historical update that is now available at the MSAC Land Acknowledgement Project webpage. | |
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Maryland Traditions, the traditional arts program of the Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC), is pleased to announce that a historical update to the MSAC Land Acknowledgement Project is now available online as a public resource. This update includes a map and information on historically erased tribes.
Click below to view the updated project materials.
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Land Acknowledgement Statements | |
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“Land acknowledgments” are statements that recognize Indigenous peoples dispossessed of their land and/or relationships with land by settler colonists. In the United States, land acknowledgement statements are an increasingly popular practice in arts and cultural heritage contexts. Researching and delivering these statements educates audiences and refutes the inaccurate yet widely-held idea that Native people no longer exist in the place now known as Maryland.
Land acknowledgement statements are seen as an effective and ethical way to begin acknowledging Indigenous sovereignty, begin correcting the stories and practices that erase Indigenous people’s history and culture, and begin inviting and honoring the truth.
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Maryland Traditions staff published the MSAC Land Acknowledgement Project in 2022 in response to constituent requests and in consultation with previous American Indian grantees and the Maryland Commission on Indian Affairs. Staff researched best practices for delivering land acknowledgement statements and, most importantly, engaged in compensated consultations with tribal leaders and elders in Maryland-located American Indian Tribes.
This new historical update – created in response to constituent requests – provides information on fifteen tribes who were erased or genocided in the 1600s, 1700s, or 1800s. These tribes include the Acquintanacsuck of modern-day St. Mary’s and Charles counties, the Tockwogh of present-day Kent County, and an unnamed tribe(s) of present-day Anne Arundel and Baltimore counties and Baltimore City. Staff conducted research into newly accessible archival materials at the Maryland State Archives’ Mayis Indigenous Records Database, and consulted with a tribally-connected and -respected archaeologist and with tribal elders.
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Materials Available for Public Use | |
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A map and information on historically-erased tribes joins previously available public materials on the MSAC Land Acknowledgement Project webpage, including land acknowledgement statements and maps for the lands of each of the tribes who consulted on the project.
A “Land Acknowledgement Project Overview and Resource Guide” document is also available. In addition to land acknowledgement statements and maps on living and historically erased tribes, the guide features explanations of best practices for creating and delivering land acknowledgements, tribal histories, and pronunciation guides. It also contains a “Key Concepts” section, which explains culturally-specific information to help constituents more easily create land acknowledgements, and an “Additional Resources” section listing books, articles, and archival collections for additional study.
Tribal consultants reviewed and approved tribal materials for cultural accuracy.
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The Maryland State Arts Council is committed to making sure all Marylanders can access its programs and services. For 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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Opportunities for Artists
Explore MSAC grants and opportunities available to independent artists, click here for details.
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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. | |
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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! | |
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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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