TFA NEWS IN BRIEF
  Artscape, the Nation’s Largest Free Outdoor Arts Festival, Returns to Baltimore

OTD’s Jennifer Jones Retires

Oakland Becomes Maryland's 25th Arts & Entertainment District

Hagerstown Cuts the Ribbon on New Cultural Arts Trail

Two Maryland Welcome Centers Receive TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence

Maryland Traditions’ Chad Buterbaugh Gives Keynote Address at Common Ground On the Hill

Maryland Heritage Award Nominations are Now Being Accepted

IN THE NEWS
UPCOMING EVENTS
 
Artscape in Baltimore
 
Artscape, the Nation’s Largest Free Outdoor Arts Festival, Returns to Baltimore
 
The 36th annual Artscape festival comes to Baltimore July 21-23, featuring visual arts, the famous art cars, installations, music, comedy, film, food vendors, more than 130 artists and craftspeople selling their work, and Kidscape with the Kidscape Academy, Artscape is the largest free outdoor arts festival in the United States. The three-day festival covers 16 city blocks, with multiple stages and venues hosting more than 200 live performances.

Last year’s festival brought more than 350,000 people to Baltimore, with 67 percent coming from outside the city and 23 percent coming from out of state, resulting in an economic impact of $26 million. This year’s festival features performances by Sheila E, Robert Randolph & The Family Band, and gypsy punk legends Gogol Bordello. For more information, go to visitmaryland.org.

 
 
  TFA NEWS IN BRIEF
 
 
 
OTD’s Jennifer Jones Retires
 
  Jennifer Jones, OTD
   
Jennifer Jones, Customer Contact Programs Manager, OTD, has retired after 10 years with the department. Jones came to OTD from the hotel industry and used her expertise in facilities management and customer service to helm Maryland’s Welcome Centers. Some highlights from Jones’ career include the reopening of the Mason Dixon Welcome Center in time for the 150th anniversary of the Civil War and bringing two key OTD programs in-house: the call center and the mail fulfilment program. Under Jones' direction, the fulfilment operation was relocated to the Mason Dixon center. This year, Mason Dixon was one of two Maryland Welcome Centers to receive the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence.

Bringing OTD’s call center in-house not only led to financial savings, but to a more streamlined system which has allowed the center to react instantaneously to changing priorities and even natural disasters. Jones’ duties also included representing OTD at major conferences like Fish & Hunt Maryland and the American Bus Association’s annual convention. More recently, Jones oversaw the reopening of three of Maryland’s dormant Welcome Centers. “It’s been one of the best jobs I’ve ever had,” said Jones. “I think I left it better than I found it, and we came full-circle with the reopening of the Welcome Centers.”

“Jennifer will truly be missed,” said Liz Fitzsimmons, Managing Director, TFA. “Her warm welcoming presence at the heart of each of our Welcome Centers made them Maryland’s ‘front porch.’”

 
 
 
Oakland Becomes Maryland's 25th Arts & Entertainment District
 
 
   
Maryland Secretary of Commerce Mike Gill has approved an application for official Arts & Entertainment District Designation for Oakland, making it the State's 25th A&E District and its furthest west. Oakland joined Grantsville as Garrett County's second such district when the designation took effect on July 1. The town is looking to its roots as a mecca for artists in the Appalachian region as inspiration for the Oakland Renaissance A&E District. Seeing recent renewed interest in its downtown from artists, arts organizations, and arts-related businesses, the town plans to use the tax incentives associated with A&E designation to build on revitalization efforts already underway.

Maryland's Arts & Entertainment District Program was established through legislation in 2001 and is administered by the Maryland State Arts Council. The program encourages place-based community engagement, tourism, and revitalization by making available tax-related incentives that attract artists and arts-related activity to spur local economic and community development. In FY16, the State's A&E Districts attracted 147 new events, 23 new festivals, and 117 new capital projects, with these new initiatives attracting an estimated total attendance of nearly 1.8 million people.

 
 
 
Hagerstown Cuts the Ribbon on New Cultural Arts Trail
 
 
   
The Hagerstown Cultural Arts Trail Ribbon Cutting Ceremony was held June 17 for the launch of the trail that features the 80-foot-tall "Mural of Unusual Size,” which was commissioned by the city. Other features of the trail include the hand-carved sculpture “The Pod," as well as "Faces of Hagerstown,” portraits of local people who live, work, and play in the area. Mayor Bob Bruchey and local industry partners cut the ribbon and welcomed large crowds for the opening day event. The trail joins the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts and other cultural attractions in solidifying Hagerstown’s place as a true arts destination. The trail can be accessed from the starting point on West Antietam street, just a short walk from the downtown Arts & Entertainment district on North Potomac Street and can be followed all the way to the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts.
 
 
 
Two Maryland Welcome Centers Receive TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence
 
 
   
The Sideling Hill Overlook & Rest Area in Hancock and the Mason Dixon Welcome Center in Emmitsburg have both received 2017 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence designations. Founded in 2010, the Certificate of Excellence honors hospitality businesses that consistently deliver great service and that have achieved uniformly excellent traveler reviews on TripAdvisor over the past year.

The awards come as OTD has expanded Welcome Center hours to seven days a week. “We are very proud of the tradition of customer service excellence exemplified by the staff at all eight state-operated welcome centers,” said Casey Keyfauver, Acting Customer Contact Programs Manger, OTD. “We look forward to adding more TripAdvisor Certificates of Excellence to our resume next year.”

Pictured (left to right): Donna Karn, Travel Counselor and Jeanie Newcomer, Supervisor, both of Sideling Hill Welcome Center.

 
 
 
Maryland Traditions’ Chad Buterbaugh Gives Keynote Address at Common Ground On the Hill
 
  Common ground On the Hill Logo
   
Chad Buterbaugh, Director, Maryland Traditions, gave the keynote speech at Westminster’s Common Ground On the Hill Roots Music Art Festival. Common Ground has been a Westminster tradition for 23 years, celebrating the best music and art from the region and around the world, and the MSAC, through Maryland Traditions and Buterbaugh, has been an important partner.

"Common Ground On the Hill is proud to be in partnership with the Maryland State Arts Council and Maryland Traditions,” says Maria Wong, Director of Programs & Development, Common Ground On the Hill. “Their work is a critical part of what we do. Jointly, we work not just to preserve traditional arts, but to expand their presence in Maryland's artistic and educational environment. We have a close partnership with the Carroll County Public Schools, which sends teachers to us to learn traditional arts and take them back to the classroom. We are grateful to have such an invaluable resource available in the State of Maryland."

 
 
 
Maryland Traditions Heritage Award Nominations are Now Being Accepted
 
  Maryland Traditions Logo
   
Maryland Traditions Heritage Awards are selected through a public nomination process. This is your chance to nominate an outstanding steward of folklife in the category of Person, Place, or Tradition. Nominees should be able to demonstrate a commitment to Maryland’s living cultural traditions—also known as folklife. For more information about the awards, go here.

Download the form to get started. The nomination deadline is Aug. 7, 2017, at 5 p.m.

 
 
 
 
 
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  IN THE NEWS
 
 
   
 
 
Maryland Minute
 
Each week, the Maryland Minute provides highlights and insights on this weekend’s events around the state. Maryland Minute is featured on CBS radio stations in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. and on Baltimore’s WBAL-AM 1090.
 
 
 
 
 
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  UPCOMING EVENTS
 
 
JULY
Thru-16
 
Constellation Senior Players Championship, Owings Mills
The Constellation Senior Players Championship is underway, bringing golf legends Fred Couples, Vijay Singh, John Daily, Fred Funk, Tom Kite, and more to Caves Valley in Owings Mills. For more information and tickets, visit our website.
 
 
JULY
14-16
 
Annual Ocean City Tuna Tournament
Fish for big cash prizes or come on down to the docks and watch the excitement as the catch comes in. Enjoy live entertainment, delicious food, cold drinks, tight lines and good times. For more information, go to visitmaryland.org.
 
 
JULY
15-16
 
Reggae Wine Festival, Mount Airy
Shop the open-air market with hand-crafted and imported goods from around the world. Listen to live bands and sample delicious wines. Find out more at our website.
 
 
 
 
 
 
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