Connecting with the Arts – February 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:
- As we celebrate Black History Month, please join The AngelWing Project online for a powerful and meaningful Virtual Event.
- Only two more weekends to catch Cabaret, the Musical at Classic Theatre of Maryland, and a special live performance coming in May you won’t want to miss.
- Writers, Visual Arts, Musicians, Performers…don’t miss Annapolis Arts Week Virtual Q&A for Local Artists.
- Join the Annapolis Opera and see what happens when classic fairy tales collide in Into the Woods.
- Chesapeake Youth Symphony Orchestra Gala Concert Features Award-Winning Pianist and Famed Opera Stars.
- Maryland Hall has two exciting announcements – ArtFest and a new group joining their education program.
- The Annapolis Film Festival will hold its tenth festival from March 31st – April 3rd, 2022.
- Chesapeake Arts Center is hosting its 9th Annual Chip in for the Arts golf tournament on April 13th.
- 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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A Very Special Black History Presentation
As we celebrate Black History Month, please join us online for a powerful and meaningful Virtual Event.
February 25 & 26, 2022 at 7 PM
Talking Black – Poetry, Prose, Rhymes, Lyrics, and Limericks is a lineup of incredible poets and spoken word artists. They are writers, performers, singers, lyricists, and more, especially gifted at putting pen to paper and rhythm to words. Gifted expressionists using written imagery to give voice to life and living. This is a time to listen, learn, absorb and take in the powerful words presented by these talented individuals.
This is a free event; however we appreciate your donation in any amount to support us as we continue to share art with the community. Register here!
Only two more weekends to catch Cabaret, the Musical at Classic Theatre of Maryland!
Welcome to the infamous Kit Kat Club where you can leave your troubles behind. Updated from our popular performance three seasons ago, a raucous ensemble takes the club stage nightly to tantalize the crowd while society ominously unravels beyond. Winner of 4 Tony Awards including best revival (1998). Purchase your tickets HERE!
Steve Dorff: The Hit Songs & the Stories Behind Them
May 20th & 21st, 2022 at 8 pm on the cabaret stage at Classic Theatre of Maryland
Purchase your tickets HERE!
Steve Dorff:
Inducted into the prestigious Songwriter’s Hall of Fame in New York in 2018, Steve Dorff’s career as a songwriter spans five decades and includes more than forty BMI awards, more than twenty Top 10 hits, twelve No. 1 hits, and an American Music Award. The Grammy and Emmy-nominated songwriter and composer has had songs recorded by more than four hundred artists from all genres of music, as well as twenty-eight movie scores and countless theme songs and placements on TV series. He has had #1 Records across 4 decades.
Steve’s songs have been recorded by iconic artists such as Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Kenny Rogers, Anne Murray, George Strait, Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Dusty Springfield, Blake Shelton, Keb Mo, and countless others. A few chart hits include Rogers’ “Through the Years,” Murray’s “I Just Fall in Love Again,” Strait’s “I Cross My Heart,” and Eddie Rabbitt’s “Every Which Way But Loose”—the title track from Clint Eastwood’s 1978 film.
Dorff has composed TV music for shows such as Murphy Brown, Growing Pains, Murder She Wrote, Columbo, Reba, Spenser: For Hire, Just the Ten of Us, and The Singing Bee. His film contributions include songs and scores for Pure Country, Bronco Billy, Rocky IV, Tin Cup, and Honky Tonk Man. Branching into stage productions, he wrote the music for the theatre production, Josephine.
Steve published his critically acclaimed 2017 memoir, I Wrote That One Too…A Life in Songwriting from Willie to Whitney, and enjoys performing his best-loved songs at venues across the country.
2022 finds him continuing his streak of landing major cuts with not only established artists but also some of the most talked-about newcomers as well as scoring for major film and television projects.
CALLING ALL LOCAL ARTISTS!
Arts Week Virtual Q&A for Local Artists
Monday, March 14, 2022 AT 12 PM – 1 PM
Writers, Visual Arts, Musicians, Performers…
Annapolis Arts Week will take place June 5-11th this year and we’d love to get as many local artists involved.
Arts Week Directors, Darin Gilliam and Alison Harbaugh of ArtFarm Studios will be hosting a virtual Q&A session to share all the details about how to get involved with Arts Week and would love to have you tune in and ask questions!
For Annapolis Arts Week to be successful, our local arts community must all come together to connect and collaborate to make this year the best yet! Please join us! For more information about this event, click here
Happily-ever-after comes at a price when classic fairy tales collide in Into the Woods!
What do a cow as white as milk, a cape as red as blood, hair as yellow as corn, and a slipper as pure as gold have in common? A baker and his wife’s wish for a child lead them Into the Woods on a magical journey to reverse a curse. Along the way they meet two princes, Red Riding Hood, Jack (and the Beanstalk), Rapunzel, and Cinderella, each pursuing their own wish, in Stephen Sondheim’s magical tale of love and adventure.
Friday, March 18, 2022 at 7:30 PM
Saturday, March 19, 2022 at 7:30 PM
Sunday, March 20, 2022 at 3:00 PM
Maryland Hall | 801 Chase Street, Annapolis, MD
Purchase your tickets HERE!
Chesapeake Youth Symphony Orchestra Gala Concert Features Award-Winning Pianist and Famed Opera Stars
The Chesapeake Youth Symphony Orchestra (CYSO) will hold their gala concert on March 19, 2022, at the Bowie Performing Arts Center at 2:00pm, 6:30pm, and 7:30pm. ‘A Celebration of Expression’ gala concert will showcase the 150 student musicians of CYSO and feature award-winning pianist and famed opera stars during the evening performance.
The 2:00pm performance will feature five ensembles: Preparatory Orchestra, String Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Junior Flute Ensemble, and Concert Orchestra. Ranging in ages from 8 to 20, the students in these ensembles have dedicated many hours and worked tirelessly with our conductors to building the foundation of their musical technique.
Doors will open at 1pm for the afternoon concert and 6pm for the evening concert so that everyone may view and bid on the auction items and purchase raffle tickets. At 6pm we will have a cocktail hour for the audience of our evening concert.
At 6:30pm in the lobby of the Performing Arts Center, the CYSO’s Jazz Orchestra will serenade the audience with a selection of both jazz and pop standards that are sure to keep your feet tapping. Jazz is one of the great American art forms, which celebrates freedom of expression through the means of improvising.
The 7:30pm performance features CYSO’s Senior Flute Ensemble and the Symphony Orchestra, which are the most advanced ensembles. During this performance, student musicians have the opportunity to perform alongside some of the most talented performers and soloists on the international stage.
Read the full press release HERE.
To learn more about this event and to purchase your tickets, visit www.cysomusic.org/gala-tickets
Join us for ArtFest – our free annual Open House on March 27 from 1-4:00 pm.
ArtFest is a day of creativity for all ages showcasing the arts at Maryland Hall featuring art & dance demonstrations, art sales, live entertainment, exhibitions, and hands-on activities. Chevy’s food truck and an ice cream truck will be on site with delicious food and treats to purchase. ArtFest is proud to be a part of Four Rivers Heritage Area’s Maryland Day celebration. The U.S. Naval Academy Band will close out ArtFest with a performance showcasing its many ensembles. Registration is recommended to guarantee seating for the concert.
We’re excited to welcome Naptown Jazz Kids (and Adults) to our education program and bring transformative music education, community engagement and jazz performances for students of all ages to Maryland Hall. Internationally renowned jazz performers teach alongside professional staff, offering teens and adults a variety of creative programming that helps develop character, leadership, friendships and communities through jazz, America’s original art form. Read more about NJK and their classes and performance opportunities at MD Hall that begin March 14!
The Annapolis Film Festival will hold its tenth festival from March 31st – April 3rd, 2022.
In partnership with the City of Annapolis, Maryland Hall and local Arts and Business Communities, this non-profit Festival brings a major cultural event to our area. For four days, AFF will transform Annapolis with internationally acclaimed filmmakers, exceptional independent films, engaging guest speakers, parties, panels and discussions.The festival will showcase all categories of film and will offer various opportunities for communitywide participation.
HOW TO SUPPORT AFF
The Film Festival could not happen without your support. To become a Sponsor or Patron, please visit our website and click on Support.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
To learn about many volunteer opportunities, visit our website, click on Support, then Volunteer or send an email to [email protected] for more information
HOW TO FEST
Festival Passes are available now. Visit our website and click on Festival, then How to Fest for more information. Tickets go on sale on March 11th!
Keep up with the Annapolis Film Festival
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
Chesapeake Arts Center is hosting its 9th Annual Chip in for the Arts golf tournament on April 13th at the Compass Pointe Golf Course in Pasadena. Golfers from around Maryland will enjoy a fun day of camaraderie and competition, while also supporting the arts. Registration is now open for solo players & teams of four with a deadline to apply by April 7th.
Follow the link HERE to read more about joining our golf fundraiser and help support the arts in Northern Anne Arundel County.
Keep up with the Chesapeake Arts Center: Website | Facebook | Instagram
Mélange
MFA Circle Gallery
Mar 1 – 13
Mélange is an annual show featuring 12 randomly chosen MFA Artist Members who have supported MFA through both their time and talent. Eligible Members donated a piece in MFA’s annual fundraiser, Collector’s Choice, entered a juried exhibition, and volunteered within the past year. A wide range of mediums, from oil and watercolor, to digital art, to ceramics and found object assemblage art and more will be on display from Mar 1 – 13. If possible, an in-person reception will be held Mar 6 from 3 – 5 PM. Visit mdfedart.com/portfolio/249/ for more details.
Art on Paper
MFA Circle Gallery
Mar 17 – Apr 9
Paper, which was first made in China around two thousand years ago, is the foundation of this exhibition. MFA’s 45th annual Art on Paper exhibition was open to all 2D or 3D work made on or of paper. This year’s exhibition contains a wide variety of work, featuring paintings and drawings on paper, collages and sculptures made of paper, handmade paper, and artist books. Juror Daniel Shay, former Art Services Manager at the National Gallery of Art selected 52 pieces by 45 artists that will be on display at MFA’s Circle Gallery from Mar 17 to Apr 9. There will be a Virtual Awards Ceremony on Mar 20 at 4 PM via Zoom, and, if possible, an in-person closing reception will be held on Apr 9 from 4 – 6 PM. Visit mdfedart.com/portfolio/245/ to learn more.
Lowe House
MFA at Lowe House of Delegates Office Building
Jan 20 – Apr 11
Maryland Federation of Art (MFA) has been invited to exhibit artwork at the Lowe House of Delegates Building in Annapolis. Come see these 40 artworks by 31 MFA Members and Anne Arundel County residents before Apr 11 at 6 Bladen St. Artist, Anne Arundel Community College Professor and Chair of the Department of Visual Arts and Humanities, Wilfredo Valladares selected works that “reflect the variety of mediums submitted and compositions that included interactions between space, form, subject matter, and pieces that implied symbolism and memory.” Learn more at mdfedart.com/portfolio/239/.
Street Scenes
MFA Online in Curve Gallery
Feb 15 – Mar 31
What a view! Juror Margaret Murphy, Director of the Center for Visual Arts at Johns Hopkins University selected an incredible show of street scenes both near and far that represent diverse perspectives of and from the street. Streets, highways, and country roads tell the stories of communities, and what we see there defines that place in our memories. This show shows you what resonates with these artists in towns and cities as well as everywhere in between. See Street Scenes online at mdfedart.com/portfolio/241/ through Mar 31.
Jim EARL and Rae Hamilton at Paul’s
MFA at Paul’s Homewood Café
Feb 9 – end of Apr
Watercolorist and intaglio and silkscreen printer Jim EARL and landscape, waterscape, animal, and still-life oil painter Rae Hamilton will have a dual show at Paul’s Homewood Café starting Feb 9 through the end of Apr. EARL has a PHD from MIT, and earned an undergraduate degree in studio art with a focus on printmaking when he was teaching at the University of Maryland. He began to make silk screen prints after seeing this technique applied to Brillo Boxes by Andy Warhol that were exhibited at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Hamilton received his formal training at the American University and the Zoll Studio School of Fine Art, but says he is grateful to the Impressionists, pre-Impressionist masters, and modern realists who have greatly influenced his work. His work is held in many private collections across the country and is represented by several different galleries in and around Maryland. Visit mdfedart.com/portfolio/restaurants/ to learn more.
#WOMAN
MFA Online in Curve Gallery
Mar 1 – Mar 31
Women breaking through the glass ceiling, women at home, women taking to the streets, women on the bench. Throughout history, women have taken on and challenged many roles. Artists of all genders share their experiences and perspectives about what it means to be a woman living in the 21stcentury. This exhibition celebrates the achievements of women and brings light to the future. Catch the show online in MFA’s Curve Gallery from Mar 1 – 31, and vote for your favorite piece on our online voting gallery before midnight on Mar 24 at mdfedart.com/portfolio/250/.
Artwork Photos (top to bottom)
Amelia Arria, “The Rain Dragon”, acrylic painting, from Mélange
Scott Newcomb, “Glitch 143”, wax, oil on wood panel, from Lowe House
Jim EARL, “Queen Conch and Cordless Drill”, etching, from Paul’s
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