Connecting with the Arts – August 2022

Welcome back to the Arts Council of Anne Arundel County’s monthly blog series, Connecting with the Arts,  where we feature news and updates from the arts community in Anne Arundel County. Tune in the last Friday of each month to connect and learn more about the arts organizations that are making an impact locally.

Here’s a look into this month’s post:

• Employment Opportunity at Historic Annapolis.
• Ballet Theatre of Maryland Unveils New Logo Design at Gala Event.
• South County Concert Association Kicks Off Their 2022-2023 Concert Season.
• World Artists Experiences (WAE), in partnership with the Embassy of Mozambique, presents live performance of The Albino Mbie Trio.
• Encore Creativity Adds New Choral Programs for Older Adults in Anne Arundel County.
• Catch up on all the latest happenings at Maryland Hall.
• Classic Theatre of Maryland: two upcoming productions, an open house, and registration for fall classes.
• ArtFarm Studios fall classes are here.
• Harbor City Music Company – the Road to Louisville Goes Through the Cabaret.
• Check out MFA’s current exhibitions.

You can connect and learn more about these organizations by clicking their logos below. We hope you enjoy!

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Employment Opportunity at Historic Annapolis

Historic Annapolis (HA) is seeking a highly organized, detail-oriented, and energetic individual for the position of Senior Executive Associate. The Senior Executive Associate is responsible for supporting the operations of the President’s Office for HA, the leading non-profit preservation and history organization in Annapolis, Maryland. This individual will report to the President and CEO and will interact with the organization’s various departments, as well as a variety of others including Board of Trustee members, the public, vendors, and prospective donors. Essential duties and responsibilities will focus on proactively supporting high-level administrative needs of the President and Executive Team and serve as a liaison to the Board of Trustees.

Click here for the full job description.

Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and resume to Ms. Lucy Mikhailova at [email protected] by August 31, 2022.

Ballet Theatre of Maryland Unveils New Logo Design at Gala Event

Their 44^th anniversary gala gave Annapolis’s resident ballet company an opportunity to perform live and share what the logo means for the future

On Thursday night, Artistic Director Nicole Kelsch shared Ballet Theatre of Maryland’s new logo at a gala celebrating their 44th anniversary season. The event, held at Prism Annapolis, also featured a silent auction, a raffle, and live performances from company artists.
The new logo was created by Lauren Martinez, BTM’s Digital Content and Marketing Coordinator who is also a principal dancer in the company. Presenting a cohesive brand to the public with the logo helps make the general community more aware of the company while also supporting Kelsch’s vision for BTM.

Says Kelsch, “The most impactful ballet companies are ones that are deeply knitted into the fabric of their community. When residents of the area hear ‘BTM,’ our goal is for them to think of us. The new logo represents this association with our public, as well marking the exciting time the company is entering. Over the next few years, I envision BTM’s growth to include presenting a diverse repertoire of classical and contemporary works as well as many more works by outside choreographers.”

This commitment to expanding the repertory is evidenced not only by the upcoming world premiere from celebrated choreographer Keith Lee in Les Sylphides and Other Works (October 7-9), but also by the choice of programming for the gala performance: the joyful work Mudita, choreographed by principal dancer Lindsey Bell in 2021; an untitled contemporary solo by soloist dancer Michael West Jr.; Rhapsody, choreographed by Kelsch this year; and the classic White Swan Pas de Deux from Petipa’s Swan Lake. These works demonstrate the growing diversity and excellence that audience members can expect from the company’s programming.

The 44th anniversary season will open with the VIP event Ballet in the Garden at Hammond Harwood House (September 18), followed by mainstage productions Les Sylphides and Other Works (October 7-9), The Nutcracker (December 10-18), Momentum (February 24-25), and Don Quixote (April 28-29) at Maryland Hall. To learn more, visit balletmaryland.org.

Press Release Here

South County Concert Association Kicks Off Their 2022-2023 Concert Season!

Sultans of String
Tuesday September 20, 2022 at 7:30 pm
Southern High School, 4400 Solomons Island Rd, Harwood MD 20776
Subscription $70 (6 concerts)
$25 at the door (on the day of the concert)

“Energy & exciting music from a band with talent to burn!” – Maverick Music Magazine

2018 Canadian Folk Music Awards
2017 Juno Award Nominees

The Sultans of String are a genre-hopping passport of Celtic, flamenco, gypsy, and Arabic rhythms that celebrates musical fusion with warmth and virtuosity. This amazing trio excites audiences utilizing fiery violin dances with rumba-flamenco guitar and unstoppable grooves. Acoustic Strings Meet Electronic Wizardry.

World Artists Experiences (WAE), in partnership with the Embassy of Mozambique, presents live performance of The Albino Mbie Trio
September 7, 2022, 7:00 pm: Gloria Dei Lutheran Church; 461 College Parkway, Arnold, MD

Albino Mbie is a multi-award-winning musician, guitarist, singer, composer, and producer from Maputo, Mozambique, currently based in Boston, Massachusetts. Mozambique is a southern African country known for its rich musical and cultural heritage. Mbie built his first guitar from a 5 liter can of oil, scrap wood, and electric cords at the tender age of 14. Drawn to the street music of his native Maputo, Mbie soon started playing with bands in the local scene.

Mbie’s music succeeds in combining many disparate parts into an organic whole. It incorporates his musical experiences from Mozambique, the U.S., and many other places around the world, combining rhythmic patterns and musical concepts to create a unique Marrabenta, Nikatche, Afro-Pop and Moz-Jazz sound.

Mr. Mbie studied music at the Universidade Eduardo Mondlane in Mozambique and the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. He is an active touring musician who has shared the stage with Godfathers of American jazz such as Wayne shorter, Joe Lovano, John Patitucci and others as well as African giants such as Richard Bona, Jimmy Dludlu, Mulato Astatke and others.

Additional information about Albino Mbie is available at albinombie.com. World Artists Experiences is a non-profit organization that fosters transnational and cross-cultural understanding by bridging people and cultures across continents and through shared artistic experiences. More information is available on the WAE website, worldartists.org or by email at [email protected].

The performance is FREE, but donations are appreciated.
WAE recommends wearing a mask and social distancing, regardless of vaccination status.

Encore Creativity Adds New Choral Programs for Older Adults in Anne Arundel County

Annapolis-based Encore Creativity for Older Adults, America’s largest choral organization for adults over 55, has partnered with local entities to expand opportunities for singing for older adults in Anne Arundel County. In September, a new Encore Chorale will debut at the Chesapeake Arts Center, and Encore’s Sentimental Journey Singers, a choir for those with early-stage Alzheimer’s or memory impairments and their care partners, will launch at the Pascal Senior Activity Center in Glen Burnie in a partnership with the Anne Arundel Department of Aging and Disabilities.

The Encore Chorale of Chesapeake Arts Center will sing a fun and eclectic mix of music in many styles and from many different eras. No auditions are necessary. Encore’s mission is to provide an accessible arts education and performance opportunities for older adults regardless of ability or experience. The program will meet for 15 weeks on Tuesdays, beginning September 6th, from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., at the Chesapeake Arts Center, 194 Hammonds Lane in Brooklyn Park. Encore welcomes new conductor Jacquelynne Fontaine, voice teacher, conductor, stage actress, and a soprano who has performed nationally and abroad in both opera and musical theater. Tuition is $190.00 per person for the 15-week session that will culminate in a holiday concert that is free and open to the public. For more information and registration visit www.encorecreativity.org or call 301-261-5747.

Sentimental Journey Singers, which is offered free of charge, will meet for 15 weeks on Tuesdays, beginning September 6th, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at the Pascal Senior Activity Center, 125 Dorsey Road in Glen Burnie. Participants will engage in therapeutic music activities and sing familiar songs and new pieces in a social group setting under the leadership of Dr. Mary Ann East, performer, teacher and founder of the popular women’s chorus, Capital Harmonia. Dr. East is the program director of Encore’s highly successful Sentimental Journey Singers choirs in Fairfax and Loudoun, Virginia.

“We are thrilled to partner with the Chesapeake Arts Center and the Anne Arundel Department of Aging and Disabilities to expand our programming in the region,” said Joshua Vickery, CEO of Encore Creativity for Older Adults, a non-profit organization celebrating its 15th anniversary this year. “Encore has become a community where our singers can discover a new passion, challenge themselves, foster new friendships and experience joy.”

Encore’s existing programs in the county are also gearing up for fall. Encore Chorale of Annapolis will meet at Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church, 611 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd. in Severna Park, on Wednesdays, beginning September 7th, from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. The conductor is Stephen Harouff, music director and organist at Towson Presbyterian Church, and conductor of Encore’s chorales in Baltimore and Columbia. Annapolis ROCKS, a rock and roll chorus, will meet Tuesdays, beginning September 6th, from 10:30 a.m. to noon at Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis, 333 Dubois Road with new conductor Ethan Lolley. Lolley will come to Encore from Orlando, Fla. where he is the music director of the CFCArts Young Artists Orchestra as well as resident conductor and music director for all Florida premieres of composer Nathan Felix at Timucua Arts Foundation. He’s also a conducting protégé́ to nationally renowned Music Director Eric Jacobsen of the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra.

Tuition is $190.00 per person for each 15-week program. Encore will follow all City, State and Federal Covid-19 guidelines. For more information and registration, visit encorecreativity.org or call 301-261-5747.

For those who prefer to sing virtually, Encore is also offering its popular Encore University, a comprehensive online program of singing plus enrichment courses in music history, music theory, dance, art, movement classes and more. Tuition for the fall semester of Encore University is $185.00 per person. Registration starts August 10th . Singers can combine both the in-person program with online classes for a full musical experience.

Photos (Top to Bottom):
The Encore Chorale of Annapolis performing in a holiday concert this past December at Maryland Hall ( photo credit Larry Kelly)
(L) Jacquelynne Fontaine will conduct the new Encore Chorale of Chesapeake Arts Center, a choral program for older adults
(R) Ethan Lolley is the new conductor of Annapolis ROCKS, an Encore Creativity for Older Adults rock and roll chorus

As we close out a very active summer at Maryland Hall, we continue our Front Stairs Series and welcome back the United States Navy Band. This popular outdoor free concert is always well attended and enjoyed by all. Resident Company the Annapolis Opera, celebrating their 50^th year, presents the magnificent La boheme in the Main Theatre. During the summer audiences enjoyed concerts by Maryland Hall partner Rams Head Presents and performance from youth with our outreach program Hood2Good. The Annapolis Film Society and Maryland Hall with support from the Goldstein-Cunitz Center for Film & New Media presented: Student Shorts Showcase. These films, which have played at some festivals were made at a unique program for local teenagers called, FILMSTERS Academy.

Anticipation is growing for our largest fundraiser of the year, Alive Global sponsored by Rams Head Presents taking place Friday, September 9^th outdoors under a huge tent at Maryland Hall. The Yacht Lobsters and all four MD Hall Resident Companies – Annapolis Opera, Annapolis Symphony Orchestra, Ballet Theatre of Maryland, and Live Arts Maryland – will provide live entertainment for the evening. Arts Alive Global guests will “board a yacht” and sail the world enjoying entertainment, décor, art, food, and Pusser’s Painkillers®. This memorable night is the not-to-be-missed party of the year launching the area’s social and arts season.

Our education department is growing! New Fall classes and teaching artists including; Mini-Makers for tiny tots, jewelry making, new pottery classes for teens, a language-based literacy immersion class, and Wild Hearts Academy are a sampling of new programs being offered this fall. Registration is open!

The Servant of Two Masters (Every Tuesday May 17- Aug. 30th, at 7:30pm performed at Reynolds Tavern):
This hilarious play tells the story of a hungry servant who, realizing that working for two masters could ensure him more food, tries to do the job of two men while working desperately to conceal that fact from both employers. Presented weekly on Tuesdays in the outdoor courtyard at Reynolds Tavern. ***We encourage patrons to arrive between 6:00pm-6:30pm in order to order a pre-show dinner.  All patrons should arrive no later than 7:00pm for the performance.***

 TICKETS: https://ci.ovationtix.com/36626/production/1121242

2022 Open House (September 8, 2022 from 6:30 – 9:30pm):
Join us for CTM’s 2022-23 OPEN HOUSE! You are ALL invited to the Classic Theatre of Maryland on September 8th, 2022 from 6:30pm – 9:30pm to get to know CTM, tour the theatre, meet staff and enjoy live entertainment as well as catering provided by Smashing Grapes. This is a completely FREE event, however we ask that you RSVP no later than September 5th.

RSVP: https://ci.ovationtix.com/36626/production/1136174

September 1920’s Cabaret (September 12, 2022 at 7:30pm):
Enjoy an evening of live music! These popular costumed and choreographed productions feature our resident vocalists and special Broadway guest performers, accompanied by the popular Unified Jazz Ensemble. This is perfect for date night or a fun evening out with friends. Our updated Cabaret Venue features cafe tables and a full bar in a relaxed comfortable setting.

TICKETS: https://ci.ovationtix.com/36626/production/1127249

FALL CLASSES:
Our 2022 Fall Semester of classes through our Classic Studio begins the week of September 5th and runs for Nine Weeks culminating in a Student Showcase on November 7th at 7:30pm. We are offering four classes this semester which are Techniques of Fencing, Intro to Acting for the Camera, Intro to Acting for the Stage, and Musical Theatre: Owning Your Song. The last day to sign up for classes is September 5th so sign up NOW!

SIGN UP: https://ci.ovationtix.com/36626/store/products

ArtFarm Studios Fall Classes Are Here! Sign up, HERE

Harbor City Music Company- the Road to Louisville Goes Through the Cabaret!

Harbor City Music Company is back! After a long 2-year Covid pause in Sweet Adelines Competitions, we competed at the Regional level in April.  What a thrill to win this competition! The win enables Harbor City Music Company to compete with the best choruses in the world. This Sweet Adelines International event will be held October 2023 in Louisville, KY.

Curious about A Cappella music in the barbershop style? Then please join Harbor City Music Company for “An Evening at the Cabaret” on October 1^st at the Goucher College Kraushaar Auditorium. It will be an evening of amazing harmonies, colorful costumes, dance, and a very special guest! Don’t miss it!

Saturday, Oct. 1 at 7:00pm
Goucher College, Kraushaar Auditorium
Tickets

American Landscapes: Scenes from the Americas
MFA Circle Gallery
Aug 31 – Sept 24

From the oceans surrounding it to the mountains dividing it, this land is home to some of the world’s most powerful landscapes. Whether urban, rural, or suburban, the landscapes of our lives are always changing. See the artistic renditions of landscapes from all over the Americas that have made an impact on these 56 artists’ lives at MFA Circle Gallery from Aug 31 – Sept 24. Join us the evening of Sept 24 from 4 – 6 PM at Circle Gallery for a closing reception. To see the 61 works selected by Juror Al Gury, Professor of Art at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, visit mdfedart.com/portfolio/259/.

Elemental: Earth, Fire, Water, Air
MFA Curve Gallery
Aug 15 – Sept 30

What worldly elements do you resonate with? The foundations of our Earth? The intensity and light of flames? The calmness or raging tides of our seas? The freedom of taking flight into the sky? Elemental: Earth, Fire, Water, Air is an online show of work that explores the four elements, either through inspiration or medium. Sixty-four works by fifty-three artists, selected by Juror Tom Walton, will be on display in MFA’s online gallery, Curve Gallery, from Aug 15 – Sept 30. Visit mdfedart.com/portfolio/260/ to see the work.

Angela and Emil Petruncio
MFA at 49 West
Aug 4 – Sept 28

Accomplished multimedia MFA artists Emil and Angela Petruncio will be showing their work at 49 West from Aug 4 – Sept 28. Angela earned a Fine Arts degree from the University of New Mexico and primarily works in mixed media assemblage and collage. She allows the found objects and images in her little poems to tell their own story, inviting viewers to make their own interpretations of the resulting narrative. Angela established and chairs the biennial found object exhibition at Circle Gallery, “Eye of the Beholder.” Emil is a self-taught digital artist and an oceanographer whose work is influenced by his childhood exposure to Ukrainian folk art and Byzantine icons, as well as the symmetry, colors, shapes, and lighting apparent in nature. His work ranges from nature photography to abstract cubist works and colorful mandalas created by manipulating digital photos. Emil is the chair of MFA’s annual all digital media show, “Digital Directions.” Join us at 49 West on Aug 7 from 5 – 7 PM for an opening reception. Learn more about the Petruncios and MFA’s other restaurant shows at mdfedart.com/portfolio/restaurants.

Mike McSorley and Marisa Evangelista
MFA at Paul’s Homewood Café
Aug 17 – the end of October

Highly accomplished painters and MFA Members Mike McSorley and Marisa Evangelista have both been fascinated by the details from a young age. McSorley, by the “mundane;” Evangelista, by the nuances of human emotion. McSorley brings an object’s spirit to life through an active painting process. Paint is applied, scraped, and wiped off, again and again. Paint that is or isn’t left on the surface is “an analogy for life, scarred but surviving.” Various elements in and of Evangelista’s portraits contribute to the narratives created by hidden nuances and are used intentionally to evoke specific emotions. She starts with a concept derived from her own experiences, and deliberately composes a photograph (often of herself) to use as a guide, but views her image “as a character in a painted reality.” Works by McSorley and Evangelista will be on display at Paul’s Homewood Café through the end of October. Works by McSorley and Evangelista will be on display at Paul’s Homewood Café through the end of October. Learn more about the artists and MFA’s other restaurant shows at mdfedart.com/portfolio/restaurants/.

Fall Member Show
MFA Circle Gallery
Sept 28 – Oct 15

Fall into the season of the changing leaves and chilly air at Circle Gallery with our annual Fall Member Show. Come see what our talented Members have been working on recently in this all-media exhibition. Works selected by juror Susan Badder will be on display in Circle Gallery Sept 28 – Oct 15. Visit mdfedart.com/portfolio/264 to see the work.