FY 2017 Budget for the Arts Could Set Record

Governor Larry Hogan recently released his Fiscal Year 2017 budget proposal. The Governor's FY 2017 budget includes a record setting $20.3 million appropriation for the Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC), including a $2 million enhancement contingent on the enactment of legislation.

“We are grateful to the Governor and the First Lady for their extraordinary support for the arts,” said Bill Pencek, Acting Managing Director, Division of Tourism, Film and the Arts. “The arts not only have a powerful impact on Maryland’s economy but our quality of life. By bringing art into our communities, we have created not only a vitally strong arts sector but an economic engine that supports job growth and new business.”

  
Maryland Arts Day, Feb. 17

The 2016 Maryland Arts Day, presented by Maryland Citizens for the Arts (MCA), is February 17, at St. John’s College in Annapolis.

Maryland Arts Day is the largest annual gathering of arts professionals in Maryland. With more than 400 participants, representing every county in the state, this arts advocacy event connects artists, educators, administrators, volunteers and trustees with lawmakers from every legislative district in Maryland.

  
The keynote speaker Navasha Daya is co-founder and director of Baltimore's Youth Resiliency Institute. Cost for the MCA event is $35 before February 5 and $50 from February 6 – 12. Register here.

Pictured: Department of Commerce Deputy Secretary Ben Wu at the 2015 Maryland Arts Day

  
MSAC News

Chad Edward Buterbaugh

New Program Director of Folklife and Traditional Arts

MSAC has selected Chad Edward Buterbaugh as its new Program Director of Folk and Traditional Arts effective February 3, 2016. 

Buterbaugh will manage grants in the folk and traditional arts and co-direct the agency’s Maryland Traditions Program.

During his academic and professional life, Buterbaugh’s focus has been on folklife, ethnography, cultural studies, oral narratives and teaching. He also is an award-winning journalist.

Buterbaugh has a Ph.D. from the Folklore Institute at Indiana University and an M.A. in telecommunications from Ball State University. His research specialization is Irish oral tradition, with an emphasis on professional storytelling since the mid-twentieth century. Read more.

Maryland Artist Registry Exhibit at Maryland Art Place, photo by Tedd Henn

First Maryland Artists Registry Show

Maryland Art Place and MSAC present a juried exhibition through March 26 at Maryland Art Place, 218 West Saratoga St., Baltimore. The show highlights the wide range of artists’ work featured on the Maryland Artist Registry. Gamynne Guillotte from the Baltimore Museum of Art curated the show. 

The artists selected: John Ruppert, Greg McLemore, Elizabeth Burin, Darcie Book, Alice Valenti, Sue Johnson, Alexandra Chiou, Elizabeth Mackie, Trace Miller, Mike McConnell, Ursula Cain-Jordan, René Treviño, Mia Halton, Yambe Tam, Carrie Fucile, Elizabeth Kauffman, Sanzi Kermes, Cynthia Jawitz Brower, Nilou Kazemzadeh, Marcia Wolfson Ray, Daniel Humphries-Russ, Glen Kessler, and Aaron Oldenburg.

Maryland Artist Registry Exhibit at Maryland Art Place, photo by Tedd Henn

Photo of Toby B. Orenstein, courtesy of CCTA

Columbia Center for Theatrical Arts to Receive Cherry Adler Award

On February 22, the Maryland State Arts Council will award its esteemed Cherry Adler Award to the Columbia Center for Theatrical Arts (CCTA), a Howard County-based theater company founded by Toby B. Orenstein. The 40-year-old CCTA educates preschoolers to teens in the arts by creating theatrical experiences that inspire thought, action, creativity, and change.

The MSAC will present its triennial Cherry Adler Award, recognizing excellence in Maryland children’s theater at the Baltimore Best Western Plus Hotel & Conference Center. The award is named for the late Charlotte “Cherry” Adler, a former MSAC chair who also founded and directed the Library Theatre in Montgomery County.  A $3,000 prize funded by the Adler family accompanies the honor.

Photo of Toby B. Orenstein, courtesy of CCTA
First Lady Yumi Hogan at her inaugural student art exhibition in October 2015, photo by Richard Lippenholz
First Lady Yumi Hogan at her inaugural student art exhibition in October 2015, photo by Richard Lippenholz
First Lady to Host Second Student Art Exhibition
Working in conjunction with the Maryland State Department of Education and MSAC, First Lady Yumi Hogan will present a selection of artwork by Maryland students during her second exhibit in the First Lady’s Art Gallery. An opening reception is March 4 at 5 p.m.

The gallery, which opened fall 2015, is in the House of Delegates Office Building in Annapolis. This statewide arts program and exhibition are conducted in the spring and fall.

Arts Organizations Feature Black History Programs
Maryland’s cultural institutions are presenting events about the African American Experience throughout Black History Month: Feb. 7-March 7: 'Paul Rucker: Rewind' – Musician/visual artist Paul Rucker explores issues of race, culture, gender and equality at the Creative Alliance. (Reception: Feb. 7 from 6 to 8 pm) .  And, February 28: Narratives in Black Identity: Antonio McAfee, Tiffany Jones, and Stephen Towns at the Montpelier Arts Center thru Feb. 28. This exhibition celebrates African American heritage and identity. More events

Join Marin Alsop and the BSO for a Night of Celebrating a Century
Make history with Maestra Marin Alsop and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) as they celebrate their 100th year.

On February 11, at 8 p.m. at the Meyerhoff, enjoy Gershwin, a suite from Bernstein’s “West Side Story” with violinist Joshua Bell and Mothership, and a composition by Mason Bates. Wes Moore will recount the BSO’s history with a glimpse into the BSO’s future. The evening culminates with Ravel’s “Boléro” and a champagne toast. Buy tickets here.

Sue Hess Maryland Arts Advocate of the Year Awardee Named
Self-taught artist Herbert Massie is the winner of the 2016 Sue Hess Maryland Arts Advocate of the Year Award. Massie, a community artist, organizer, teacher, sculptor, and mosaic artist, is Director of Community Engagement at Baltimore Clayworks.

The "Sue Hess Maryland Arts Advocate of the Year Award" is in honor of MCA’s first Chair of the Board of Trustees and the longest serving member of the organization. The award recognizes an individual whose advocacy efforts have significantly increased support for and public recognition of the arts in Maryland. Massie will be feted at the 2016 Maryland Arts Day, February 17.
Adam Holofcener, Executive Director Maryland Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts
Adam Holofcener is the executive director of the non-profit Maryland Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts (MdVLA). Years earlier as a law student, he interned at MdVLA with the former director Marcia Semmes.

An eclectic musician, DJ, and guitarist, Holofcener understands the legal questions artists face while making a living. Since September 2014, he has headed up the organization. As executive director, he organizes a network of 40 volunteer lawyers donating their time specifically to help artists, artist organizations, and non-profits. He also launched outreach programs, seminars, and clinics for artists.

Maryland Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, which won City Paper’s “Best Lawyers for Artists,” in the 2015 Best of Baltimore issue, has become an invaluable resource for the arts community. MdVLA has helped Maryland artists with legal issues since 1985, providing pro bono legal services and education to income-eligible artists and arts organizations in Maryland. To qualify, individual artists must make less than 40k per year in household income, and arts organizations must have an operating budget of less than 150K.

Read the full interview.
Opportunities

NEA Offers Creativity Connects Grant
With the launch of the National Endowment for the Arts’ 50th anniversary September 29, Chairman Jane Chu announced the initiative Creativity Connects. This initiative will show how the arts are central to the country’s creativity ecosystem, investigate how support systems for the arts have changed, explore how the arts connect with other industries, and invest in innovative projects to spark new ideas for the arts field.

Open your hearts to the arts
If you are shopping for a one-of-a-kind gift this Valentine’s Day, check out the crafts, visual arts, music and more, offered for sale through the MSAC’s Maryland Artist Marketplace.

Seeking mural artists
The Downtown Development Commission of Cumberland is seeking artists to design a Signage Mural for the Historic City Center of Cumberland. The 30’ x 10’, mural will be printed on sheets of thin metal and attached to the side of a building at the entrance to the downtown pedestrian mall, a part of the Historic City Center. Learn more.

Bethesda Painting Awards
The Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District is accepting applications for the 13th annual Bethesda Painting Awards, a juried competition awarding four painters with $14,000 in prize monies. Deadline is February 22, 2016. Up to eight finalists will display their work in June 2016 at Gallery B. To apply click here.

Juried Show for Artists
The Art of Stewardship and the Howard County Conservancy seek artists for the sixth annual Juried Art Show, "Nature through the Artist's Eyes." Deadline is February 19, 2016. Learn more.
MSAC Grants

Maryland Touring
Grants ››
The fiscal year 2017 Maryland Touring Grants will open February 19, 2016 in eGrant. Deadline is April 15, 2016. Learn more.

Artist-In-Residence Grant for Schools ››
The Artist-In-Residence Grant for Schools opens March 1, 2016. The grant provides teachers opportunities for hands-on workshops with artists from the Artists-in-Residence Roster of Artists who work with small core groups of students over a number of days or weeks.

The MSAC grant pays for half the total costs of the residency including travel. All schools must apply for the AiE Grant through the MSAC eGrant system. Applications must be submitted by Friday, May 13, 2016, by 5 pm.
Mary Blumberg Watercolor, Night Time on Boot Key, courtesy of the artist. Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center’s Main Gallery will transform from exhibition space into artist studios, allowing visitors the opportunity to appreciate the artistic process as well as the product. Throughout February 20 artists will participate in “Artists in Action: A studio Experience for Everyone,” demonstrating their techniques for attendees.

Watercolorist Mary Blumberg will make a gallery space her studio from February 7-13. A passion for intense color and realism with a sense of the abstract, her paintings are a result of many years of study in a variety of art forms.

  
Blumberg resides in Solomons and is a member and past president of the Calvert Artists Guild; she teaches advanced watercolor classes at the Annmarie Garden Studio School. Learn more.

Mary Blumberg Watercolor, Night Time on Boot Key, courtesy of the artist.
Featured Events

February 14

Monterey Jazz Festival Tour
Jim Rouse Theatre, Columbia

Through February 14

As You Like It
Center Stage at Towson University

February 19 - 21

ACC Craft Show
Baltimore Convention Center

February 28

Deep River: A Classical Musical Tribute to Black Composers
Montpelier Arts Center in Laurel

Add your arts event to our free calendar ››