Easton – The Talbot County Arts Council held its annual Winners Circle Reception at the Academy Art Museum on the evening of November 14, 2018. The ceremony honored nine teenage recipients of summer arts scholarships as well as almost 40 non-profit and government-related organizations and 13 public and private elementary and secondary schools that received grants from the Arts Council this year.
More than 100 participants and guests were welcomed by Arts Council President Robert Forloney, who observed that since its founding in 1987 the Arts Council has awarded more than $1.8 million in grants to local arts organizations, arts programs, and arts education in the schools.
Representing the Maryland State Arts Council at the event were Executive Director Ken Skrzesz and Program Director Steven Skerritt-Davis, as well as Julie Madden of Howard County and St. Michaels who is vice chair of the MSAC Board of Counselors. Mr. Skrzesz made brief comments describing the vibrant arts scene in Talbot County, almost with a feeling of arts in the air, which contributes directly to its being the first among the state’s 24 political jurisdictions in per capita arts funding.
Other special guests were Delegate Johnny Mautz of the Maryland General Assembly, Talbot County Council Vice President Corey Pack and Council Member Dirck Bartlett, Easton Mayor Robert Willey and Town Council President John Ford and Council Member Ron Engle, and Oxford Town Commissioner John Pepe. Also, Nicholas Cohen, executive director of Maryland Citizens for the Arts, the advocacy organization in support of state funding for the arts.
The program began with the presentation of a certificate of appreciation to the Artistic Insights Fund of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation, represented by Robbin Hill, chief program officer of MSCF. The award acknowledged the Fund’s exceptional generosity over the years in making grant awards that promote the cultural and artistic life of the community. The citation emphasized its consistent provision of much-needed supplemental funding for Arts-in-Education in local schools, so that recently the Arts Council has been able to support 100 percent of school grant requests for visiting performers and visiting artists.
Students who received Willard A. Lockwood Memorial Summer Arts Scholarships in 2018 were Karli Abbott of Trappe, a sophomore at Easton High School, to study painted stitches with quilting artist Sarah Jillard of New Church, Virginia; Laurie Alltop of Easton, a senior at EHS, to attend the Music for All Seasons Summer Symposium and Leadership Weekend at Ball State University in Indiana; Katelynn Cherry of Trappe, a senior at EHS, to attend the Mikael Eliason Voice Program at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia; Justin Girard of Easton, a junior at EHS, to study Fashion: Explorations in Sewing and Construction at the Parson School of Design in New York City; India Johnston of Easton, a senior at EHS, to attend the Summer Session at the Savannah School of Art and Design in Georgia; Katherine Kilbourn of Easton, a junior at EHS, to attend the Summer Intensive of the Washington School of Ballet in Washington, D.C.; Jessica Meadows of Easton, a senior at EHS, to study voice at the Vocal Studio of Gail Aveson near Easton; Seth Wagner of St. Michaels, a junior at EHS, to study voice at the Vocal Studio of Kevin Thomas in Easton; and Emily Wittman of Easton, a graduate of EHS now attending the School of Music at the University of Louisville, for vocal instruction with Chris Noyes of Claiborne.
Grant awards totaled almost $120,000, including $40,000 earmarked for arts programs in the schools and summer arts scholarships. Most of the funding was provided by a Community Arts Development grant from the Maryland State Arts Council, with important additional contributions from Talbot County and the Towns of Easton, Oxford, and St. Michaels. Last year, these government revenues were supplemented for arts-in-education programs by generous contributions totaling more than $16,000 from the Artistic Insights Fund of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation, Carpe Diem Arts, the Dock Street Foundation, and the Ruth and Robert St. John Foundation. Grant award checks were presented in several categories as follows: Arts Programs in the Schools: Chapel District Elementary School, Easton Elementary School-Dobson Building, Easton Elementary School-Moton Building, St. Michaels Elementary School, Tilghman Elementary School, White Marsh Elementary School, Easton Middle School, St. Michaels Middle/High School, Easton High School, Chesapeake Christian School, The Country School, Saints Peter and Paul Elementary/Middle School, Saints Peter and Paul High School, and Talbot County Public Schools.
Major Arts Organizations Based in Talbot County to receive grants were the Academy Art Museum, Inc., the Avalon Foundation, Inc., Chesapeake Music, Inc., and Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, Inc. Other Arts Organizations Based in Talbot County to receive grants were Allegro Academy, Inc., Bay Country Chorus, Inc., Carpe Diem Arts, Inc., Chesapeake Film Festival, Inc., Continuum Dance, Inc., Delmarva Review Literary Fund, Inc., Easton Choral Arts Society, Inc., Mid-Shore Community Band, Inc., St. Michaels Art League, Inc., Tidewater Singers, Inc., and Tred Avon Players, Inc. Out-of-County Organizations Serving the Arts in Talbot County to receive awards were Brown Box Theatre Project, Inc. and Maryland Humanities Council, Inc. Art by Other Organizations in Talbot County included Brookletts Place, the Talbot County Senior Center, an activity of Upper Shore Aging, Inc., Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, Inc., Chesapeake Center, Inc., Christ Church Episcopal in Easton, Easton’s Costume Shop, an activity of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation, Inc., First Night Talbot, Inc., an activity of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation, Inc., Frederick Douglass Honor Society, an activity of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation, Inc., Oxford Community Center, Inc., Presbyterian Church of Easton, St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, St. Michaels Community Center, Inc., Mid-Shore Restoring Hope in Women, Inc., Talbot County Free Library. Tilghman United Methodist Church, and Waterfowl Festival, Inc. Programs for Children Outside Regular School Schedules to receive grants included Crashbox Theatre Company, Inc., Talbot Count Free Library, Talbot Hospice, Inc., Talbot Mentors, Inc., and Tilghman Area Youth Association, Inc.
Talbot County Arts Council’s next regular grant cycle, for organizations other than schools, will be announced in January with applications due by March 31, 2019. Summer Arts Scholarships will be announced in February with applications due by April 30, 2019. Arts-in-Education grants for the next school year will be announced in August with applications due by September 30, 2019. For further information email gearly@talbotarts.org or visit website www.talbotarts.org.
# ## #
~ Talbot County Arts Council