Arts Organizations

The bust of Abraham Lincoln by John Gutzon Borglum that graces the corner of a gallery at the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts was not purchased with public funds, but taxpayer dollars do help pay the light bill, Director Rebecca Massie Lane said. With a 2011 budget of about $1.1 million, the Maryland Symphony Orchestra will receive $74,477 from the Maryland State Arts Commission (MSAC), about $1,200 less than in 2010, MSO Director of Development Vicki Willman said. Mary Anne Burke, executive director of the Arts Council of Washington County, said MSAC funding for her organization has dropped from about $102,000 two years ago to about $85,000 this year.

The Hagerstown City Council and Washington County Board of Commissioners met in a joint session Tuesday to hear the results of a feasibility study recently completed that examines the current arts and entertainment community in the city and county. Economist Anirban Basu of the Sage Policy Group, which administered the study, said that Hagerstown stands as the most logical point to establish the hub of the local arts and entertainment scene since it already has the needed infrastructure.

FREDERICK, Md. - The Frederick Arts Council is seeking proposals from artists, arts organizations, or other collaborating nonprofit and government entities for a potential permanent public art project. This project is contingent on the FAC being approved for and receiving state funding. The FAC will review all proposals received and select one that will be submitted to the Maryland State Arts Council for consideration. Once approved, the project must be permanently installed in a public place and accessible.

Artists invited to submit Washington County Free-for-All is an exhibition open to any and all artists who reside or work in Washington County, as well as those who are members of the Washington County Arts Council. Each artist may submit up to two pieces for the exhibition. There are no submission fees. Submissions will be accepted at Washington County Arts Council Gallery from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 2, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 5. First come, first accepted until the gallery is full.

A recently formed community task force will soon commission a series of studies to assess the arts and entertainment community in Hagerstown and Washington County. The Arts, Education and Community Task Force, created to help build the community's reputation as an arts destination, informed the Hagerstown City Council Tuesday of its plans and goals for the studies. James E. Miller, project chairman, said the task force will complete three complementary studies looking at marketing, economic impact and artists.

By KAREN MASTERSON Staff Writer The Washington County arts community learned Wednesday that it is getting at least $130,785 from the state for 1998 programs. That total will go up as soon as the Maryland Theatre Association grant is finalized. The theater's state grant for 1997 was $35,000. The Maryland State Arts Council on Wednesday announced that Gov. Parris Glendening approved a budget of close to $7 million in 1998 arts-related grants. Half of that will go to large, statewide projects, while the other half is reserved for county arts councils and smaller arts organizations.

The steering committee of the Arts Alliance of Greater Waynesboro is seeking individuals interested in joining the new organization's founding board of directors. Since March 2012, this group of volunteers has held meetings with consultant John Divine (funded by the PA Council for the Arts) and met bi-monthly through June to develop a statement of purpose, a board job description and an application for board or committee position, according to a news release from the organization. In addition, they hosted a public forum at Waynesboro Middle School and an inaugural Artists After Hours event at Christine's Café in downtown Waynesboro.

tarar@herald-mail.com The City of Hagerstown received two state grants totaling $70,000 for revitalization projects, including a $50,000 grant that will help the Washington County Arts Council pay for a new Arts Center. Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s office announced the grants Wednesday. The grants are part of the Maryland Community Legacy program. The Community Legacy Program is designed to assist urban neighborhoods, suburban communities and small towns in revitalization efforts.

State funding to support the arts, including classical music, the Maryland Theatre and another blues festival in Washington County, will increase by $25,000 over the current year's amount, state officials said Thursday. Gov. Parris N. Glendening announced that Washington County will receive $156,543 in grants in the coming budget year to support arts programs. The grants, recommended by the Maryland State Arts Council, are used to support a variety of arts programs in the county, including the Maryland Symphony Orchestra, Washington County Museum of Fine Arts and the Maryland Theatre, which received $24,500 for operating expenses.

Events during the week leading up to Christmas so sadden my heart that I couldn't do a “Christmas wishes” column last week. However, so many of my friends responded to my request for their personal Christmas and New Years wishes that I'll try to get at least a taste of their thoughts into this column. I've divided the responses into categories - so here goes. Under the heading of safety and education for our children Wayne Ridenour responded with, “My wish would be that our children are safe and that we continue to support them as a community as much as is humanly possible.” Elizabeth Paul echoed that sentiment: “Like all of us right now after these horrifying shootings, I wish for peace.

Events during the week leading up to Christmas so sadden my heart that I couldn't do a “Christmas wishes” column last week. However, so many of my friends responded to my request for their personal Christmas and New Years wishes that I'll try to get at least a taste of their thoughts into this column. I've divided the responses into categories - so here goes. Under the heading of safety and education for our children Wayne Ridenour responded with, “My wish would be that our children are safe and that we continue to support them as a community as much as is humanly possible.” Elizabeth Paul echoed that sentiment: “Like all of us right now after these horrifying shootings, I wish for peace.

The Hagerstown City Council and Washington County Board of Commissioners met in a joint session Tuesday to hear the results of a feasibility study recently completed that examines the current arts and entertainment community in the city and county. Economist Anirban Basu of the Sage Policy Group, which administered the study, said that Hagerstown stands as the most logical point to establish the hub of the local arts and entertainment scene since it already has the needed infrastructure.

Retirement for Andrew Sussman is not an end, but a beginning. Sussman, 61, of Waynesboro, Pa., will retire from his position as executive director of the Cumberland Valley School of Music in Chambersburg. The last day of his 18-year career with the school is Friday, Aug. 31. Sussman's path to becoming the executive director of the CVSM was a journey. Growing up, he always loved music and learning to play new instruments. After graduating from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, he spent six years traveling abroad visiting more than 50 countries including South Africa, Denmark, Ireland, India and Pakistan.

The steering committee of the Arts Alliance of Greater Waynesboro is seeking individuals interested in joining the new organization's founding board of directors. Since March 2012, this group of volunteers has held meetings with consultant John Divine (funded by the PA Council for the Arts) and met bi-monthly through June to develop a statement of purpose, a board job description and an application for board or committee position, according to a news release from the organization. In addition, they hosted a public forum at Waynesboro Middle School and an inaugural Artists After Hours event at Christine's Café in downtown Waynesboro.

An early meeting about an arts organization forming in the Waynesboro area generated feedback Thursday about youths, participation, exposure and existing resources. “We're really ready to go to the public and talk about the possibility of an arts alliance of the greater Waynesboro area,” said Andrew Sussman of the Cumberland Valley School of Music. Vision 2015 hired a Kansas-based consultant, John Divine, to work on plans for an arts alliance. “As a community, to be successful in anything you do, it has to be your decisions, your commitment and your buy-ins,” Divine said.

A recently formed community task force will soon commission a series of studies to assess the arts and entertainment community in Hagerstown and Washington County. The Arts, Education and Community Task Force, created to help build the community's reputation as an arts destination, informed the Hagerstown City Council Tuesday of its plans and goals for the studies. James E. Miller, project chairman, said the task force will complete three complementary studies looking at marketing, economic impact and artists.

The bust of Abraham Lincoln by John Gutzon Borglum that graces the corner of a gallery at the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts was not purchased with public funds, but taxpayer dollars do help pay the light bill, Director Rebecca Massie Lane said. With a 2011 budget of about $1.1 million, the Maryland Symphony Orchestra will receive $74,477 from the Maryland State Arts Commission (MSAC), about $1,200 less than in 2010, MSO Director of Development Vicki Willman said. Mary Anne Burke, executive director of the Arts Council of Washington County, said MSAC funding for her organization has dropped from about $102,000 two years ago to about $85,000 this year.

FREDERICK, Md. - The Frederick Arts Council is seeking proposals from artists, arts organizations, or other collaborating nonprofit and government entities for a potential permanent public art project. This project is contingent on the FAC being approved for and receiving state funding. The FAC will review all proposals received and select one that will be submitted to the Maryland State Arts Council for consideration. Once approved, the project must be permanently installed in a public place and accessible.

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. -- One might think the arts would be one of the most progressive segments of society in terms of the advancement of women and minorities, but the walls of many major galleries are dominated by the works of white men, as are the halls of power in Hollywood, according to a woman wearing a gorilla mask. Who was that mysterious masked woman at Wilson College for Arts Day on Wednesday? She used the name "Frida Kahlo," but that was a nom de guerre for this Guerrilla Girl, whom like other members of her group, uses the name of a deceased female artist.

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - It's been held all around Shepherdstown through the years. Three or four churches hosted it, it was at the Shepherdstown Men's Club, the Entler Hotel, Shepherd University's Reynolds Hall, O'Hurley's General Store and even "several living rooms," said Joanie Blanton. Each September, traditional music fans eagerly await the Upper Potomac Dulcimer Fest, which offers a weekend of workshops and performances to celebrate the folk instrument and related music, said Blanton, who started the festival in 1988.