A blue ribbon cutting ceremony in celebration of the completion of the mural by artist Jeff Huntington, winner of the Arts Council of Anne Arundel County Mural Design Competition, took place recently at the site of the building location at 47 Spa Road.  The artist spoke the following words:

“The Poe mural is a tribute to the creative people of Annapolis, especially to those who have dedicated their lives unconditionally to their chosen craft out of necessity, out of love, our of their own primal urge to create. Artists are not marginal to society but are the fabric of soceity.

In additional to enriching the artistic landscape of Annapolis, my hope for this mural is to inspire conversation to educate or remind people about the life and career of Edgar Allan Poe, his genius and the hardship endured by this great American icon; to appreciate the hard work and life-long dedication of artists in general that often goes unrewarded.”

The artwork by Jeff Huntington brings a new perspective to the plain white wall and vacant lot that sits diagonally across from Park Place and the traffic circle. Huntington , who lives in Annapolis, earned his BFA at the Corcoran School of Art and Design and his MFA from the  Chicago Art Institute. Huntington’s work has been exhibited in New York, Washington D.C. and Miami.

Members of the community celebrated with Poe inspired music and poetry at nearby ARTfarm. The mural resides on a building owned by Chuck Walsh and Ken Wagner adjacent to the Lot owned by Michael Gardiner where  the gathering took place.

Julie Vallario, Jay and Joe Huntington; Jeff Huntington and Julia Gibb.

The recent Mural Contest is just one type of project to promote the arts, funded by the Arts Council of Anne Arundel County . The Arts Council also awards mini grants, strategic grants and Arts-in-Education grants in addition to providing support, advocacy, and resources for Arts and Historic Preservation. For more information about the Arts Council of Anne Arundel County and to find out more about membership call 410-222-7949 or visit www.acaac.org.