NEWS FROM FOUR RIVERS
January 26, 2021
Study Released: Four Rivers Heritage Area’s Economic Impact Estimated at $244.8 Million
Maryland Heritage Areas Authority (MHAA), the governing body of the Maryland Heritage Areas Program, today released the results of a study that estimates the contribution of the Four Rivers Heritage Area to the statewide economy to be more than $244.8 million, and 3,469 jobs.

According to the study, a key result of the program and heritage tourism is that Four Rivers Heritage Area supports and sustains 3,469 jobs including direct employment by the Four Rivers Heritage Area, as well as indirect and induced jobs created by supply and equipment vendors, jobs created in the community at hotels, restaurants, and retail stores in support of the Four Rivers Heritage Area’s operations, grantmaking and heritage tourists.

The study also calculated tax revenues generated by this level of economic activity, including sales, property, personal income and corporate income taxes. The study concluded that Four Rivers Heritage Area generates about $32,802,447 in tax revenues for state and local government.

Deadline This Week! MHAA Heritage Tourism Grant
The Maryland Heritage Areas Authority (MHAA) has announced that it is now seeking applications for its FY 2022 grants cycle.

There is a recorded webinar available to watch, click here to view it. The information shared does not change in the webinars, but you might want the chance to ask questions in a live webinar. This year, the MHAA staff is holding "Office Hours" to answer grant questions, find the hours here.

Resources to assist applicants, such as sample applications and project guidelines, are found on this site: https://mht.maryland.gov/heritageareas_partners.shtml

An online "Intent to Apply" form is due no later than 11:59 pm on Friday, January 29, 2021.

Completing this form will allow you to access the online application. Full applications are due online on March 1, 2021 in this heritage area (deadlines for the full applications are set by each of the 13 heritage areas for their applicants.) Grant awards will be announced in July of 2021.

If you are planning an application in the Four Rivers Heritage Area, please send an e-mail to heritage_area@aacounty.org to schedule a phone call or Zoom meeting with our Director, Carol Benson. Thank you!

Need more information? Watch FAQ videos about MHAA grants
Virtual Event – Wil Talk with Linda Popp
Tuesday, January 26
5:00 pm
Organization: Maryland Federation of Art

Join the Maryland Federation of Art to meet narrative found object assemblage sculptor Linda Popp! Popp is a Baltimore artist, art educator, and is currently supervising art education student teachers at Towson University. Popp creates narrative found object assemblage sculptures using artifacts and symbolic objects to convey stories about relationships with family, place, love, faith, and self. Come watch to learn about her inspirations and artistic process. This event is free to attend.

Virtual Lecture – Gardens and Gardening in Early Annapolis
Tuesday, January 26
7:00 pm
Organization: Historic Annapolis

The William Paca House is famous for its reconstructed eighteenth-century garden. A place for leisure, experimentation, artistry, and the production of food and medicine, William Paca’s garden—and gardens elsewhere in Annapolis and the British Atlantic World—were integral to everyday life. Join Bethany McGlyn as she explores several eighteenth-century Annapolis gardens, their construction and design, and the stories of the enslaved and servant gardeners whose expertise maintained them.

Registration is required. Cost is $15 per household for General Admission or $10 per household for HA Members and Volunteers

Climate Change: Individual Actions Make a Difference
Wednesday, January 27
7:00 pm
Featuring Annapolis Green

Annapolis Green President & Co-founder Elvia Thompson will present a talk about Climate Change, bringing global issues home to the Chesapeake Bay area, and addressing what individuals can do about this existential threat to the health of our planet and ourselves.

This virtual talk is presented by the Eastport Yacht Club’s Environmental Committee and is open to the public.

Virtual Event: Oysters and Ecosystems: How the Eastern Oyster Shapes the Chesapeake Bay
Thursday, January 28
7:00 pm
Organization: Annapolis Maritime Museum

Featuring presenter Jesse Iliff, Riverkeeper of South, West, and Rhode Rivers. For millennia, the oyster has been a linchpin in the Bay’s ecosystem. For centuries, the oyster has impacted the politics and economy of the State of Maryland. At this event, learn about the impact of aquaculture on the wild fishery, supplying more oysters to market and focus on the Chesapeake Oyster Alliance that is dedicated to helping recover the Bay’s oyster population by putting 10 billion oysters in the Bay by 2025.

Registration is required. Lecture is $10 or free for AMM Members First Mate and above.

Webinar - Staying Afloat: The Latest on PPP & Other Pandemic Relief Options
Friday, January 29
1:00 pm
Organization: Network for Good

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 contains over $900B in COVID-relief provisions, including funds to expand the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and other pandemic relief options. Join Network for Good and Your Part-Time Controller as we help you navigate what your nonprofit needs to know from the latest economic stimulus package.

During this webinar, you will learn:
  • Eligibility criteria and guidance on applying for the new round of PPP loans
  • The latest changes to the PPP loan forgiveness rules and how they impact your forgiveness application
  • Frequently asked questions (and answers) about PPP and other pandemic relief options
  • Next steps to take, including ways to maximize PPP loan forgiveness

Save the Date: Athletes for the Arts, January 27
Wednesday, January 27
7:00 pm
Organization: Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts

An uplifting virtual event! Athletes for the Arts is an inspiring and entertaining evening of stories, live performances, and a chance to bid on an exciting silent auction. Support the arts, celebrate our youth and spend a night with celebrated professional athletes at this inaugural event for Maryland Hall.
 
Featuring former Navy, Washington Football Team, and New England Patriot Fullback Eric Kettani, former Penn State and Bills/Jets Linebacker Aaron Maybin and six-time Grammy nominated jazz vocalist Nnenna Freelon who will perform throughout the evening. Sportscaster Julie Donaldson, Washington Football Team's Senior Vice President of Media & Content will host. Get your tickets to Athletes for the Arts.
Your Input Requested - Maryland Heritage Areas Program
Please note: The following survey is only for organizations that have applied for or have received MHAA funding.

In an effort to assess the extent to which the programs of the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority (MHAA) have racially equitable beneficiaries, the MHAA is interested in knowing the racial and ethnic makeup of the organizations that have either applied for or were awarded MHAA grants. The MHAA will use this information to establish how the program has performed in the past with a view towards having a better understanding of how to achieve racial equity in the future.

Please consider completing on behalf of your organization the survey found here: https://forms.gle/8XBGsk6jcoAC6BsA7

The survey seeks information on the racial and ethnic identities of your organization's board members and staff. Please respond on behalf of your organization as a whole and make best efforts to respond accurately and completely.

RESPONSES TO THIS SURVEY WILL NOT BE USED FOR SCORING OR RANKING OF CURRENT OR FUTURE MHAA GRANT APPLICATIONS.

Please complete the survey by February 1, 2021. Thank you in advance for your participation!
Live Webinar: What is the AASLH Awards Program?
Tuesday, January 26
3:00 pm
Organization: American Association for State and Local History

Have you always wondered what the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) awards program is? Do you feel that your organization is too small to win a national award? AASLH knows that organizations across the country do amazing work in the field of state and local history and want to recognize your efforts. Join this free informational webinar to learn about the program and why you should apply, no matter what your budget size. Also get tips for how to put together an award-winning nomination.

Visit the AASLH Awards page to read more about AASLH Leadership in History awards and see profiles on previous award winning organizations.
Margaret Crowner's Cook Shop, Galesville's Gathering Place
Did you miss the Live Stream to Reimagine Margaret Crowner’s Cook Shop in Historic Galesville?

NEW - Learn more through the Annapolis Discovered Blog Post Margaret Crowner's Cook Shop, Galesville's Gathering Place.

Built in 1941 by Margaret’s husband Benjamin Crowner, Sr. and other men within the community, the Cook Shop stood at 954 West Benning Road in Galesville and operated until 1962. This local restaurant became a central gathering place during segregation and afterward.
Opening This Week - A. Aubrey Bodine: Our Town
January 29–March 21, 2021
The Mitchell Gallery at St. John's College presents "A. Aubrey Bodine: Our Town." View the exhibit online.

A Collection of Mid-20th Century Photographs of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County

A. Aubrey Bodine (1906–1970), although probably best remembered for his association with the Baltimore Sun, was among the early Pictorialist photographers—an aesthetic movement that emphasized romantic beauty over documented reality. This exhibition of more than 20 photographs, some of which have been exhibited internationally, features urban and rural vignettes that expand beyond the city “beat” to include poetic and nostalgic images of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County, Maryland in the mid-20th century.
Survey: Why Do Museums Engage You?
Historic London Town and Gardens cares deeply about making the history and horticulture they share with you, our community, and visitors, meaningful. 

But they need your help. To learn more about how visitors like you engage with them, they are participating in a national survey of museum-goers, sponsored by the American Alliance of Museums. This survey will provide them with data to help them more effectively share their work with the communities they serve.

The survey takes about 9 minutes to complete. Simply go here to get started.
Save the Dates: The Maryland Day Celebration Weekend will be March 19-21, 2021
Save the Dates:

Friday, March 19 through Sunday March 21, 2021

The signature annual collaborative event of our area, the Maryland Day Celebration weekend, will take place this year on March 19-21, 2021. The event will be a "hybrid" of virtual and in-person events, as our partner sites make plans to safely reopen again this year.

The theme will be Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and our partners are planning a wide range of NEW offerings, stories, and programming for this event. Mark your calendars, and watch for announcements as we get closer to the dates! Thank you!
Four Rivers Heritage Area | 410-222-1805 | heritage_area@aacounty.org | fourriversheritage.org