Connecting with the Arts – April 2023

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:

Check out what’s happening at The Arts Council of Anne Arundel County

New show at the Childrens Theatre of Annapolis 

Fun things happening at Live Arts Maryland

Catch up on what’s happening at Maryland Federation of Art 

Stay up to date with what’s going on at Maryland Hall

Check out what’s happening at SoCo Arts Lab

We have a lot going on at the Arts Council of Anne Arundel County this month.

Join us for the artists reception and art walk at BWI on May 4th.

This new exhibit, Beautiful Families encouraged artists to explore in depth the beauty in various types of families and all the amazing things that come with it. From tradition, values, culture and more! Wherever artists draw their inspiration, they should make the beauty in the family the main focus of their work!

This exhibit at BWI Marshall Airport provides a wonderful opportunity for local Anne Arundel County artists to showcase their talents to thousands of travelers. Exhibits rotate every four months, each with a new theme. Located between Concourse C&D in departures (pre-security) upper level near the UPS store & door 10.

PARTICIPATING ARTISTS AND THEIR WORK:

Laura Brino – “When it was just you and me”

Maria Buszinski , Momma Rain – “Luzon”

Greta Chapin-McGill – HONOR THY FAMILY

Monica Hawse – “A Loving Touch”, ” Cousins in a Box”

Lucretia Kirck – “Charlie”

Kimmary MacLean – “Discover the World Together”, “Osprey and Baby” , “The Napping Family”

Richard Niewerth – “Renee at 3yrs”, “Sisters”

Betty Pethel – “Cousins Having Tea”, “Family Gathering”, “Grandmothers Love”

Amy Raab – “Flower Boy”

Marilyn Wiener – “Grandmas and Grandpas”

Check out Sunhee Kim Jung’s solo exhibit “Born Heroes” at the Arundel Center through June 30th. For this exhibit Sunhee was inspired by her desire for our world to be a world of peace, and the beauty in everything. The unborn babies are images of superhero babies. The babies represent hope for humanity.

“We are all born heroes, capable of changing and saving the world” – Sunhee Kim Jung

It’s not too late to get your tickets to our annual Paint The Town Gala. This year we will be celebrating 30 years of arts in our community. Join us on Saturday, May 13th at The Westin Annapolis at 6:30pm for cocktails followed by dinner and dancing.  We will have entertainment by Pressing Strings, Terry Koger Trio, Stefan Heuer, and live art by Jen Sterling & Oliver ‘Liv’ James (She/Her). Throughout the night you can participate in a live & silent auction, as well as a wine pull. We are looking forward to an evening of arts with you.

Children’s Theatre of Annapolis 

CTA Presents “Once Upon a Mattress” May 5 – May 21, 2023 Many moons ago in a far-off place, Queen Aggravain decreed no couples could marry until her son, Prince Dauntless, found a bride. Princesses came from far and wide to win the hand of the prince, but none could pass the impossible tests given to them by the Queen. That is, until the “shy” swamp princess, Winnifred the Woebegone, showed up. Would she be able to pass the Sensitivity Test, marry her prince and help Lady Larkin and Sir Harry to the altar? Carried on a wave of wonderful songs, by turns hilarious and raucous, romantic and melodic, this rollicking spin on the classic tale The Princess and the Pea provides some side-splitting shenanigans. For after all, a princess is a delicate thing.

Website: https://www.childrenstheatreofannapolis.org/event/once-upon-a-mattress/

In April, we finished our 49th Mainstage Season with the Brahms Ein deutsches Requiem. However, the music doesn’t end there and we have a number of events happening in The Studio! On May 12th at 7:30pm, Rachel Sitomer will perform her moving cabaret Motherhood* (*Instructions Not Included). You do not have to be a mother to join us for this empowering celebration of womanhood and motherhood. Then, Mariah Bonner will perform her Springtime in Paris cabaret at 7:30pm on May 19th. This concert was initially scheduled for April 14th, but was rescheduled. We will be kicking off The Local Experience Concert Series on May 18th at 7:30pm with Timmie and Tambo! The Local Experience will showcase local artists in The Studio who will perform never heard originals, behind-the-scenes stories, and more. Finally, we will close out the month with our Thoroughly Modern May Open Mic Night on Tuesday, May 23rd at 7:30pm. For more information and tickets to these events and more, go to www.liveartsmd.org. See you at The Studio!

Margie Boynton and Mischelle Wilbricht MFA at 49 West Mar 30 – May 30 Maine Renaissance, an exhibition of the work of Margie Boynton and Mischelle Wilbricht, signs of renewal and hope in the midst of a wearying global pandemic, loss, and healing. This exhibition speaks to the idea of rebirth, for Margie, the joy of discovering her own voice and identity as an artist – and finding inspiration instead of loss in Maine. Margie has a deep connection to and love for the state of Maine, as she grew up spending summers painting the shores with her late father, Lee Boynton. Mischelle first visited Maine to set up for a show of Lee Boynton’s work and has gone back every year since. Her time in Maine has become a way to heal from her current battle with Breast Cancer, and to focus on her passion for art and adventure. Margie and Mischelle’s travels to Maine have been the foundation of a wonderful friendship that has come full circle to their show, Maine Renaissance. See the show at 49 West through May 30. Visit mdfedart.com/portfolio/49west to learn more about the artists.

Jen Sterling and Richard Niewerth MFA at Hospice of the Chesapeake Apr 14 – End of Jun Jen Sterling and Richard Niewerth will have their work exhibited at Gallery 90, MFA’s gallery at the Hospice of the Chesapeake Offices from April 14 – the end of June 2023. Both Sterling and Niewerth are inspired by and view color as an essential part of their work. Sterling’s use of color in her abstract paintings is meant to inspire energy and excitement from within, to empower the viewer to do something bold and take risks to achieve their dreams. Niewerth’s oil paintings are visual metaphors that capture a fragment frozen in time through color, as well as form, light, space, and surface. View the work online at mdfedart.com/portfolio/hospiceoffice.

Reflections MFA Curve Gallery Apr 15 – May 31 The reflections in this show are both literal and metaphorical. There is art made of the light bouncing off glass or water creating a distorted version of reality, and there are pieces that hint at the artist’s internal thoughts and emotions that are then up to the viewer’s interpretation. There are fifty-five pieces in this show by fifty artists selected by Juror Denise Carson, Professor of Painting at the Savannah College of Art and Design. Awards will be announced May 1 at 5 PM. Visit mdfedart.com/portfolio/279 to see the show through May 31.

Lissa Abrams and Mary Ellen Geissenhainer MFA at Paul’s Homewood Café May 2 – End of Jul Representational plein air painter Lissa Abrams and realistic colored pencil and mixed media artist Mary Ellen Geissenhainer will show their work at Paul’s Homewood Café from May 2 through the end of July. Lissa focuses on the human figure and the landscape, capturing a moment in time. Mary Ellen focuses on contemporary still life drawings, assembling objects to create collections and tell stories. Visit mdfedart.com/pauls to learn more about the artists.

Spring Member Show MFA Circle Gallery May 3 – 27 The weather’s gotten warmer, the flowers have bloomed, and the sun is out. Spring has sprung and MFA’s annual Spring Member Show is back. Come see the wonderful works selected by juror David Carter, Associate Professor of Art at Montgomery College. There is something for everyone within the 65 works by 54 artists. The show opens May 3. Join us via Zoom for the Virtual Awards Ceremony on May 7 from 4 – 5 PM, and in person at Circle Gallery on May 27 for a closing reception from 4 – 6 PM. Visit mdfedart.com/portfolio/289 for more details.

HEALING CONVERSATIONS: EXPLORING LGBTQIA+ IDENTITY THROUGH ART
5/13 AT 7 PM, MARYLAND HALL BOWEN THEATRE
2 ND ANNUAL ‘MANY HATS WE WEAR LUNCHEON’ MOTHER'S DAY TEA
5/13 FROM 1 – 4 PM, MARYLAND HALL BOWEN THEATRE
Wear your favorite hat and a beautiful dress for a tea party you’ll never forget! Best Hat
Competition, Games, Door Prizes, and More…! Registration is free!

ANNAPOLIS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA FAMILY CONCERT
5/13 AT 8 PM, MARYLAND HALL MAIN THEATRE
GALLERY EXHIBITION:
‘ELEVATE’ BY AACPS SENIORS
April 12 th – May 16 th : CHANEY & MARTINO GALLERIES
AACPS Senior Exhibit, 'ELEVATE', will feature art selected from each school in Anne Arundel
County and will be displayed in the Maryland Hall Chaney and Martino Galleries from April 12th
to May 16th. Opening Reception is on April 27th from 5:30-7 PM.

Words on the Thirds 3rd Wednesday each month 6-8:30pm​ Poetry and art can serve the heart, soul, mind, and community in many ways. Through Words on the Thirds, we intend to create a local community of poets, or would-be poets, to explore the lyrical art that lives within everyone. Words on the Thirds is a year-long program of monthly poetry-writing workshops. The workshops will culminate in a collaborative poetry and visual art exhibition and publication. The Arts Lab invites you to join us on the third Wednesday each month to discover, develop and share your poetic voice. We welcome anyone who is interested in words and how to use them. No experience necessary! Those who attend at least 6 workshops will be eligible to apply for a slot in the exhibition. Accepted poets will be paired with a juried artist member of the Arts Lab and the resulting collaboration will be exhibited in June 2024. Poetry and art will also be published at the conclusion of this project. SoCo Arts Lab 312 Deale Rd. Tracy’s Landing, MD 20779