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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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Annual Community Art Show: The Best Local Art of 2023
DEADLINE: October 20, 2023
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Call for Artists
Annual Community Art Show: The Best Local Art of 2023
The Washington County Arts Council, Inc. invites local artists working in any medium to submit their best new works for WCAC’s Juried “Annual Community Art Show: The Best Local Art of 2023.” The juried community art exhibit will be on display virtually and in the gallery from December 7, 2023 through January 2, 2024.
Artists are encouraged to submit up to three entries. No works previously shown at WCAC will be considered. Submissions are FREE!
NEW for 2023! Online Submissions only!
Full Guidelines plus Submission and PR Media Release Form Links
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A Proclamation on National Arts and Humanities Month, 2023
During the throes of the American Revolution, General George Washington wrote a letter to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences saying, “The arts and sciences [are] essential to the prosperity of the State and… the ornament and happiness of human life.” His words are a reminder that, since our founding days, America’s arts and humanities have helped tell the story of our Nation. They represent the freedom of expression that empowers Americans to speak and think independently and creatively. They build bridges of understanding by chronicling the shared experiences of hope, heartbreak, joy, and pain that help us see ourselves in one another. And they record and wrestle with the truth of our history while envisioning all the possibilities our future holds. During National Arts and Humanities Month, we celebrate all the artists and scholars whose works depict the rich, enduring soul of our Nation.
My Administration is committed to ensuring that appreciation of and access to the arts and humanities are within the reach of every American. My American Rescue Plan invested over $1 billion to help libraries, theaters, concert halls, and other venues, and we have invested hundreds of millions more into strengthening the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). I also signed an Executive Order to make art more accessible to people from underserved communities, elevate new voices through the arts and humanities, and expand opportunities for artists and scholars.
In coordination with the White House United We Stand Summit, the NEH launched a new initiative titled “United We Stand: Connecting Through Culture” that leverages the arts and humanities to combat hate-motivated violence — utilizing the power of art to promote civic engagement and cultural understanding. This project helps reaffirm our Nation’s central promise that hate will have no safe harbor in America. And we recently announced the top five awardees of Art x Climate — the first-ever call for visual art that will be featured in the fifth National Climate Assessment.
One of the greatest joys The First Lady and I have is the opportunity to celebrate the arts through performances and screenings here at the White House. Over the past two and a half years, we have held screenings of films, welcomed dancers to the state floor, and hosted musicians and poets whose performances captured our hearts and souls in a way that only artists can. And I have honored the indelible impact of incredible artists and scholars — from a poet and a painter to musicians and actors — by awarding National Humanities Medals and National Medals of Arts and by hosting Kennedy Center honorees here at the White House. Each of these artists are a testament to a larger truth: that we are a great Nation in large part because of the power of the arts and humanities, which is forever stamped into America’s DNA.
During National Arts and Humanities Month, may we celebrate all the artists and scholars who have dared to reveal the good, bad, and truth of our Nation, and, in the process, have strengthened the covenant that is our democracy.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 2023 as National Arts and Humanities Month. I call on the people of the United States to observe this month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and celebrations.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-ninth day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-three, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-eighth.
JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.
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Washington County Chamber of Commerce! | |
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Call for Films:
Maryland International Film Festival - Hagerstown
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EARLY BIRD DEADLINE: October 6, 2023
Welcome, filmmakers, to the Maryland International Film Festival-Hagerstown. We are excited about our 11th year coming up on March 21st-24th, 2024. We are Movie Magazine's top 50 festival worth their entry fee. For 12 years, we've been bringing in the finest films from around the world. The film festival became a 501(c)3 and launched in 2009 and now screens more than 100 films each year! Hollywood Director Joe Carnahan is our creative director, and has been a powerful partner with our festival! He has brought us such films as "The Grey" and "The A-Team" with Liam Neeson and just released Wheelman to Netflix which is getting RAVE reviews. He now has his own production company with Frank Grillo, and has recently signed a deal with Sony Entertainment to work on their Adaptation of 'UNCHARTED'. So join us! We look forward to having you screen at our 12th anniversary!
The festival is conveniently located downtown; we're in the middle of the arts and entertainment district. And after the films, we host some of the best after parties with live bands and fantastic food and drinks!
Submission Guidelines: Entries must be submitted online, through FilmFreeway's online screener option.
Entry Fees: Checks or money orders must be made payable to Maryland International Film Festival.
Notifications: February 15, 2024
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Friday, November 10, 2023 at 7:30pm
in the Manger Ballroom - 4th Floor.
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Felix and Fingers brings the party to The Maryland Theatre with a high energy, all request show that thrives off audience participation! From Sinatra to Lady GaGa and anything in between, Felix and Fingers plays your requests and has you singing along.
Book your seat in the gorgeous Manger Ballroom, select from a choice of banquet tables, high top tables or general admission chairs/standing. If you wish to purchase 8 or more tickets please call the local box office at 301-790-2000.
Cash bar with specialty dessert drinks and select concessions snacks available.
Nate Rodriquez
One night, Nate Rodriguez stumbled into a dueling piano bar that did live Karaoke. When Nate got the entire crowd singing with him to “Don’t Stop Believing,” the dueling pianists were pleasantly surprised by his voice and his performance and asked if he knew how to play the piano. He said “No, but I’ll learn.” And with that, Nate changed his life forever.
Nate’s entertainment career has taken him from coast to coast. He’s performed in over 2000 events in 15 states and marks his time in New Orleans as a major period of growth. Performing nightly on Bourbon Street for tens of thousands of guests per year, he was also mentored by some of the best musicians and performers in the country.
Jordan Michael Peterson
Jordan Michael Peterson is a small-town Nebraska boy! His mom had to make him go to his first piano lesson when he was 7 years old, but after that, she had to yell at him just to get him to stop! He played classical music and anything his teacher assigned, but everything changed when his mom bought him an Elton John songbook.
After college, Jordan went on to play with various cruise lines doing solo piano bar shows as well as full mainstage shows with a band. A cruise line guest referred him to the guys at Jellyrolls, the dueling piano bar at Walt Disney World. There he worked with the legendary Ray McGee who taught him everything he knows about entertaining a crowd. Now with Felix and Fingers his goal is always for the audience to have as much fun as he is having!
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Our Box Office Location is:
The Maryland Theatre
21 South Potomac Street
Hagerstown, MD 21740
Contact Our Box Office
301-790-2000
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The Maryland Theatre
Box Office Hours
Tuesday 12 PM - 6 PM
Wednesday 12 PM - 5 PM
Thursday 12 PM - 6PM
Friday 12 PM - 5 PM
The Box Office is Open
+1 Hour Prior to Showtimes
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THE MARYLAND THEATRE
Saturday, October 14, 2023 | 7:30 PM
Sunday, October 15, 2023 | 3:00 PM
Elizabeth Schulze Conductor
Tim Fain Violin
Boulanger | D’un matin de printemps
Fain | Edge of a Dream
Berlioz | Symphonie Fantastique
Prepare yourself for a thrilling concert experience that will take you on a journey through some of the most innovative and daring works in the orchestral repertoire. The concert begins with Boulanger's "D'un matin de printemps," a lively and joyous piece that captures the essence of springtime with its playful melodies and bright orchestration. Next, Tim Fain's haunting "Edge of a Dream" creates a dreamlike atmosphere, with its delicate and introspective melodies, leaving the audience in a state of contemplation and reflection. Finally, the orchestra performs Berlioz's "Symphonie Fantastique," a monumental work that tells the story of an artist's descent into madness. Throughout the concert, the orchestra demonstrates their technical virtuosity and musical sensitivity, taking you on a journey of nature, introspection, madness, and inspiration.
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Our Box Office Location is:
The Maryland Theatre
21 South Potomac Street
Hagerstown, MD 21740
Contact Our Box Office
301-790-2000
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The Maryland Theatre
Box Office Hours
Tuesday 12 PM - 6 PM
Wednesday 12 PM - 5 PM
Thursday 12 PM - 6PM
Friday 12 PM - 5 PM
The Box Office is Open
+1 Hour Prior to Showtimes
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The Maryland Theatre hosts
Eaglemania
Saturday, October 7, 2023 at 7:00 PM
EagleMania has been dazzling audiences for over a decade by spectacularly reproducing the music of The Eagles. EagleMania thrills internationally sold-out audiences with their stunning five part harmony, virtuoso guitar work and uncanny ability to emulate the distinct sound of The Eagles. The EagleMania show consists of the Eagles’ greatest hits, as well as select Don Henley, Glenn Frey, and Joe Walsh solo efforts.
If you like The Eagles you simply must experience the world’s greatest Eagles Tribute, EagleMania!
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Our Box Office Location is:
The Maryland Theatre
21 South Potomac Street
Hagerstown, MD 21740
Contact Our Box Office
301-790-2000
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The Maryland Theatre
Box Office Hours
Tuesday 12 PM - 6 PM
Wednesday 12 PM - 5 PM
Thursday 12 PM - 6PM
Friday 12 PM - 5 PM
The Box Office is Open
+1 Hour Prior to Showtimes
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FASHIONABLE DISPLAY
Frederick native Claire McCardell redefined women's fashion from the 1930s through the 1950s. She designed casual sportswear for women that was comfortable yet stylish. The Washington County of fine Arts has 12 fashions in a special display from our collection to celebrate McCardell's fashionable legacy. They can be seen through Nov. 12, 2023.
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Washington County Museum of Fine Arts
401 Museum Drive, Hagerstown, MD 21740
Hours: Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m.
301-739-5727
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FRIENDS OF MUSIC OPENS CONCERT SEASON OCT.7 & 8, 2023
The Friends of Music will open its 2023-2024 concert season with two performances during the October 7-8, 2023 weekend by an acclaimed visiting ensemble, the Poulenc Trio.
The first performance will be at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday the 7th at the Frank Arts Center's Shipley Recital Hall on Shepherd University's West Campus in Shepherdstown. The second performance will be at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday the 8th at Zion Episcopal Church in Charles Town.
This will be the first time the Friends group has given a concert in Charles Town.
Now in its 20th year, the Poulenc trio includes Irina Kaplan Lande on piano, Alexander Vvedenskiy on oboe, and Bryan Young on bassoon. It plays works from many periods but emphasizes commissioning, performing, and recording new works from contemporary composers. The Washington Post has praised the trio for its "convincing elegance" and "near effortless lightness and grace."
The program for the trio's October 7 and 8 performances will include works by one 19th century composer: Gioachino Rossini; four 20th century composers: Jean Françaix, Francis Poulenc, André Previn, and Dimitri Shostakovich; and one 21st century composer: a young Vietnamese-American named Viet Cuong.
Admission to the concert will be free for Friends of Music members. The ticket price for others will be $35 per person.
Tickets and memberships can be purchased on the Friends' website at www.friendswv.org or by mail (FOM, PO Box 220, Shepherdstown, WV 25443). Visa and Master Card will be accepted. For more information, contact the Friends' office at info@friendswv.org or 304-876-5765.
The Friends of Music organization is a non-profit organization that was founded in 1999 to support and promote musical excellence in the region.
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IT'S SPOOKTACULAR!
Bring the kids for the hauntingly fun event, Spooky Night at the Museum, Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023, from 5 to 7 p.m. The event features mini tours, kids' crafts scavenger hunts, treats, pumpkin decorating and fresh cider. Cost is $10 per person. To register in advance by calling Donna Rastelli at 301-739-5727 or drastelli@wcmfa.org.
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Washington County Museum of Fine Arts
401 Museum Drive, Hagerstown, MD 21740
Hours: Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m.
301-739-5727
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October Culture & Cocktails: Artifacts of Black History from the WCHS Collection
On Friday, October 13, 2023, join local historian and author Dr. Emilie Amt for a lecture highlighting artifacts and treasures of black history from the WCHS collection, including church records, artwork, nineteenth-century photographs, and stories from the Miller House's past.
This month’s drink is the Sherry Cobbler, an American cocktail of sherry, sugar and citrus, shaken, served over ice and sipped through a straw. Doors open at 5:30 PM and light hors d' oeuvres will be served!
Culture & Cocktails 2023 has been made possible by the generous support of the James and Mary Schurz Foundation of Williamsport, MD.
Photo: The photograph may have been taken for the Baltimore Conference of the A.M.E. Church, which met at Ebenezer in April 1913. A recent acquisition of the WCHS, this photograph was found in the Herald-Mail offices when the building closed in 2022.
(Note: this event was originally listed as "Victorian Spirit Photography" and has changed due to a scheduling conflict. For questions, please contact us at info@washcohistory.org or call 301-797-8782.)
Contact WCHS at 301-797-8782 or email us at info@washcohistory.org to make your reservation.
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Washington County Historical Society
Miller House Museum
135 West Washington Street Hagerstown, MD 21740
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Explore Art with Your Preschooler
Registration is underway for our new art class, Bonding Through Art Hour, at the museum. Intended for preschool-age children and a parent or guardian, these FREE art classes are Fridays, Oct. 13, 20, and Nov. 3, 10 to 11 a.m. Connect with your little one by looking at art, discussing art, and making art together. Recommended for ages 3 to 5. Take all three classes or sign up for just one. Space is limited. To register, contact Donna Rastelli at 301-739-5727 or drastelli@wcmfa.org.
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Washington County Museum of Fine Arts
401 Museum Drive, Hagerstown, MD 21740
Hours: Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m.
301-739-5727
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Adams County Arts Council featuring
local artist jim mackey
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HCC to host STEAM Festival on October 14, 2023
Hagerstown Community College will host its annual STEAM Festival on Saturday, October 14, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., on the campus of HCC.
The free event will feature STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, math) exhibits and demonstrations, hands-on activities, competitions, and a pumpkin patch, for all ages. Refreshments will be available.
This event is free and open to the public. Sponsors include HCC, HCC Alumni Association, Washington County Free Library, Beacon House, WCPS, and JLG, Inc. For more information, visit www.hagerstowncc.edu/steam.
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Opportunities for Artists
Explore MSAC grants and opportunities available to independent artists, click here for details.
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To include your happenings in future editions of Artist Alley, please send your art information to maryanneb@washingtoncountyarts.com
Please specify: Organization, Program, Dates, Brief Description, Location, Ticket Price, and Contact Information.
Please also include a graphic!
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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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