Up.St.Art Annapolis Winter 2016

THE

OFFICIAL

MAGAZINE

OF

THE

ANNAPOLIS

ARTS

DISTRICT

WINTER 2016

ART+CULTURE+LIFE

ANNAPOLIS

We the People

THE ANNAPOLIS COLLECTION GALLERY on gallery row in historic annapolis

www.AnnapolisCollection.com

55 west street 21401 410 - 2 8 0 - 1414

watercolor by Greg Harlin

CONTENTS 6 | Winter 2016

Volume 3

CANVAS

12

THE

Designing a Life

OFFICIAL

MAGAZINE

OF

THE

|

ANNAPOLIS

Issue 4

ARTS

WINTER 2016

DISTRICT

By Julia Gibb

WAVES

18

Everything Is New

24

Chesapeake Close Up

By Leah Weiss

SNAP

By Brenda Wintrode

CONCEPT

34

Life Craft

ART+CULTURE+LIFE

By Timothy Sayles

SPACE

40

ANNAPOLIS

It’s Here, It’s There, Pop!

By Desiree Smith-Daughety

COVER

SUP

46

Fire, Markers on Vellum 24x36 in

by Mark Peria - markedcanvas.com

Sailor's Delight

By Melanie McCarty

HOOD

INK

52

Building a Future by Honoring the Past

By Julia Gibb

SPACE

58

Kind of a Writing Journey

By Emmy Nicklin

WAVES Keeping Time

72

By Leigh Glenn

Symphony for the Senses

By Theresa C. Sanchez

WUNDERKIND

64

68

Priddy Music

HOOD

76

By Brenda Wintrode

A Home for the Arts

By Leah Weiss

CALENDAR

82

Annapolis Arts District Calendar

Editor’s Inkwell

W

e all know that one of Annapolis’ biggest claims to fame is being situated along the Chesapeake Bay. Yet there’s so much more to this place; it has history, beauty, and a community of myriad textures, cultures, and lifestyles.

SNAPSHOT: Calling All Annapolitans We need you, our Annapolitan neighbors, to show us what

Annapolis is to you ! We’d like you to take a picture of an element of Annapolis that stands out, is a part of your life, brings you joy, makes you feel a part of the community, or simply says, “Yeah, this is home.”

You could send in a picture of your favorite coffee shop or hangout, your school or neighborhood, or something iconic . . . It should be a picture of anything in or of Annapolis that expresses your appreciation and excitement for it. EXCEPT: No

pictures of

the Chesapeake Bay. This is your chance to show us what other amazing attributes this city has to offer.

HOW TO ENTER Submit no more than two photos in JPEG format, 300+ dpi (high resolution) to upstarteditor@gmail.com. Make sure to include your name, address, phone number, email address, and a brief description of what you photographed and what it means to you. Selected images will be featured in our next issue, as well as on social media and our website.

You need not be a professional photographer. Anyone with a camera can participate!

Where’s Up.St.ART? Last issue, we invited you to bring along Up.St.ART wherever you go. We want pictures of Up.St.ART joining you on your journey, whether it be by plane, train, or automobile (or foot, skateboard, bike, surfboard, or even camel, elephant, or pogo stick—you get the point),whether you’ve traveled halfway around the world or settled into your favorite tree house overlooking the water. We’d like to know how and where Up.St.ART is spending its time, and what kind of people it’s hanging with (as any good parent would want to know!).

Below is the first picture we received—Up.St.Art visiting the great state of Washington. It was submitted

by Minnie Warburton.

upstart-annapolis.com | 7

Bay Ridge Shopping Center,

107 Hillsmere Dr, Annapolis, MD 21403 | 410-571-5073

annapolissmokehouse.com

ART+CULTURE+LIFE

ANNAPOLIS

Publisher & Creative Director Jimi Davies jimihaha@gmail.com Editorial Director Andrea Stuart upstarteditor@gmail.com Copy Editor Leah Weiss Associate Editors Michele Callaghan MacDuff Perkins Contributing Editors Julia Gibb Leigh Glenn Melanie McCarty Emmy Nicklin Theresa C. Sanchez Timothy Sayles Desiree Smith-Daughety Leah Weiss Brenda Wintrode

Art Director Cory Deere cdeere@gmail.com Contributing Photographers John Bildahl Karen Davies Jay Fleming Alison Harbaugh Sophie Macaluso Marie Machin Larry Melton Allison Zaucha Advertising Jimi Davies jimihaha@gmail.com Kim O’Brien up.st.artkim@gmail.com Melissa Lauren melissalaurenupstartannapolis@gmail.com

facebook.com/UpstartAnnapolis twitter.com/upstartnaptown instagram.com/UpstartAnnapolis

Mailing Address: Up.St.Art Annapolis P.O. Box 4162 Annapolis, MD 21403 410.212.4242 SUBMISSIONS: For article submissions, email proposal to upstarteditor@gmail.com. Up.St.Art Annapolis Magazine is published quarterly. Address: P.O. Box 4162, Annapolis, MD 21403. Subscription rate: $40, payable in advance. Single copies $4.99. Back issues, if available, $15 (includes shipping and handling). POSTMASTER send address changes to Up.St.Art Annapolis, P.O. Box 4162, Annapolis, MD 21403. Entire contents © 2016 by Up.St.Art Annapolis Magazine™ unless otherwise noted on specific articles. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part is strictly prohibited without Publisher permission.

10 | Winter 2016

Melanie McCarty

Leigh Glenn

Julia Gibb

Emmy Nicklin

Theresa C. Sanchez

Timothy Sayles

Desiree Smith-Daughety

Leah Weiss

Leah Weiss

WRITERS PHOTOGRAPHERS

Sophie Macaluso

John Bildahl

Karen Davies

Alison Harbaugh

Marie Machin

Larry Melton

Allison Zaucha

Jay Fleming

upstart-annapolis.com | 11

CANVAS

12 | Winter 2016

Designing a Life

by JULIA GIBB

I

n Cavite, a province along the southern shores of Manila Bay in the Philippines, Mark Peria grew up with his tight-knit family. He was introduced to his first love, printmaking, by his uncle, Gabriel, who was also a painter. Every weekend, Peria would hang out in his uncle’s studio, observing the printmaking process. Inspired by the art surrounding him, he would draw and doodle—sometimes landing himself in trouble in school. Once Peria’s father saved enough money, he sent his 14-yearold son to the United States. With encouragement from his uncle and much hard work, Peria has found a prominent place in the Annapolis

art community and a growing career in graphic design.

After graduating from high school, Peria earned an associate degree in graphic design at Anne Arundel Community College (AACC). Loath to accrue debt, he held down three jobs while pursuing his degree: working construction, doing freelance graphic design, and serving as a busboy. The construction job made for an early start of the day.

“I would be working, then getting home, and within 30 minutes I’d have to go to class,” he groans at the memory. “Then I would have to do graphic design until 3 a.m.”

After catching a few hours of sleep,

he would wake up and do it all over again. Despite the exhausting schedule, Peria enjoyed being in the AACC printmaking studio.

“I’d been watching [printmaking] while growing up, so when I came in, I actually did my own thing . . .

I really like the process,” Peria says.

“It’s meditative.”

An offer to revamp Baltimore Washington Billboards’ website landed Peria a full-time job as a graphic designer for the company.

As the owner’s business expanded, so did Peria’s responsibilities and challenges. He has gotten involved with architectural design, learning new software and creating concept art that is shown to clients so they

Left: Snow, Markers on Vellum - 24x36 in. | Top: Bowie, Markers on Vellum - 24x36 in.

upstart-annapolis.com | 13

can see what a completed project looks like. “It’s actually kind of interesting,” Peria laughs. “I didn’t expect to be doing this for a living!”

In his fine artwork, economy of line and bright, unexpected colors bespeak Peria's experience in printmaking and graphic design. His preferred subject is the human form, often portraits. “I don’t know what it is about the human face, but I’m just so interested in it” he says. “I can tell a lot from how people look; people’s moods.”

Working from photographs, Peria uses Adobe®Photoshop® software to create a sketch. “I draw [on Mylar®] with a paint marker. Before it dries, I use a wet brush and move [the paint] around—that’s how I get the watercolor effect.” Contrasting with the translucent, white backdrop of Mylar®, the colors and contours in his portraits seem luminous and shimmering. Last winter, he created such a portrait of rock icon David Bowie shortly after the star’s death. As a tribute to the musician, Peria sold limited edition prints of the piece, donating thirty percent of his sales to the Cancer Research Institute.

Peria recently created a series of portraits on plywood panels that incorporated collaged patterned paper and acrylic paint, the color and texture of the wood becoming part of the composition. The mixed-media works reflect Peria’s expert use of line and color, and in their layered materials and darker hues they are a distinct departure from the artist’s portraits on Mylar®. One piece in this series is another portrayal of Bowie. It was created at a tribute hosted by

14 | Winter 2016

luring locals and passersby. Its late hours, the sight of artists in action, the diverse selection of art, and live music made it an appealing destination. Peria creates music videos for the local band Pompeii Graffiti and made the cover for Kit Whitacre & the Chardonnay Boys’ latest LP. He is reticent about the importance of his role in Annapolis’ art scene and modest about his achievements, but mention his name in a local café or restaurant and one will find that he has a hand in many projects.

During his rare downtime, Peria likes to relax while listening to records in the basement of the home he shares

with two sisters and a friend. Also a musician and songwriter, he hopes to start a band with some local musicians.

He also trained for a half marathon at the Baltimore Running Festival; running, like printmaking, is meditative and helps settle his active mind. Peria contemplates going back to school someday, earning credentials to teach at a college level. It’s not hard to imagine him as a teacher—his skill and passion, combined with his humble and upbeat disposition, would make him a great mentor. Clearly a collaborator, he enjoys working with people. “For the most part,” Peria smiles, “I just cheer them up!” █

CANVAS

Metropolitan Kitchen & Lounge. The artists and musicians involved donated the proceeds to the Cancer Research Institute and Keep a Child Alive, an organization providing support and care for families affected by HIV. Peria’s paintings are on display at Metropolitan indefinitely. Sherrie von Sternberg’s Gallery at Rock Hall, located, fittingly, in Rock Hall, Maryland also hosts a long-term exhibit of Peria’s work.

Annapolis is experiencing an artistic renaissance, and Peria has been at its forefront. Last fall, he collaborated with other local artists to create 45 West, a gallery, studio, and music venue. The pop-up blossomed into a lively place,

Left: Bahaghari, Markers on Vellum - 24x36 in. | Top: Mark Peria. Photos by Alison Harbaugh.

upstart-annapolis.com | 15

It's About Time

"This is the way it used to be.

Old school doctor who spends a lot of time.

Dr. Freedman and his staff are the best!!

Very little to ZERO wait time.

A great value as well."

Facebook Review October 25, 2016

THE BALTIMORE MUSEUM OF ART O N LY E A S T C O A S T V E N U E

THROUGH

JAN 29

PURCHASE TICKETS AT ARTBMA.ORG

MEMBERS SEE IT FREE—JOIN TODAY Left: Henri Matisse. The Yellow Dress. 1929-31. The Baltimore Museum of Art. ©2016 Succession H. Matisse / ARS, New York Right: Richard Diebenkorn. Seated Figure with Hat. 1967. National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. ©2016 The Richard Diebenkorn Foundation

More than 90 paintings and drawings explore Henri Matisse’s enduring influence on the artwork of Richard Diebenkorn.

This exhibition is co-organized by The Baltimore Museum of Art and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Major support for Matisse/Diebenkorn has been provided by The Henry Luce Foundation and Terra Foundation for American Art. This exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities. The Baltimore presentation of the exhibition is made possible by Ellen W. P. Wasserman, Jeanette C. and Stanley H. Kimmel, Tony and Lynn Deering, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Corporate sponsorship is provided by Bank of America and Education Partner Transamerica.

WAVES

18 | Winter 2016

EVERYTHING IS NEW

by LEAH WEISS

“T

photography by LARRY MELTON

here was never, ever, any music in the house,” says Angela Charles, reminiscing about her childhood. It’s a few hours before a Friday night gig. Her shock of curly platinum blond hair explodes out of her trademark black felt hat, and her broad smile contrasts sharply with what she has just said. She seems like someone unfettered, on the cusp of a grand adventure.

A rising presence in the local singer/ songwriter scene, Charles debuted in Annapolis in 2013, at a Stan & Joe’s open mic night, singing “Linger,” the 1993 hit by the Irish rock band The Cranberries. She had nearly given up on playing music but decided to come out and sing. Her performance caught the attention of some local musicians, and she soon found herself surrounded by a community that helped her

rediscover her musical passion.

Growing up in a strict household in Upper Marlboro—the fifth of twelve children, with Native American and French Creole parents—she attended Annapolis Area Christian School through seventh grade. The radio was on only during a religious program that aired before her father left for work. Charles secretly watched television, and movies were her first conduit to popular music. She sat with the video controls, constantly rerunning credits to listen to the songs at a movie’s end. Commercials enthralled her, and she dreamed of writing and singing jingles. She connected with harmonies upon hearing her brothers performing madrigals (polyphonic Renaissance songs) in their school chorus.

A seminal moment occurred in 1996, when Charles was twelve. While

upstart-annapolis.com | 19

“. . . she had nearly given up on playing music but decided to come out and sing.” in the backseat of a car, she heard two songs on the radio: “Ready or Not” by The Fugees and “Don’t Speak” by No Doubt. “It really made my hair stand up, and I was just frozen,” she says. “I actually felt guilty for liking it.” She became secretly obsessed with making music, learning to play a guitar that she persuaded her mother to buy at BJ’s Wholesale Club and kept in her closet. She began writing songs shortly thereafter.

The Internet gave Charles unlimited access to music, and she downloaded anything and everything, listening without any social or commercial context or accompanying baggage. “I’m actually very happy I was raised the way I was, because everything I get now—even if it’s from someone fifty years ago—is new to me.” One of the reasons she loves singing cover songs is because they provide a bridge to a past that she has missed.

Charles gravitated toward folk music with its storytelling aspects. “That’s the kind of music I started writing without even knowing that it was a genre because I hadn’t been introduced to it yet,” she explains. “I love the [apparent] simplicity, doing a lot with a little.”

While working and living in Crofton, she began playing with musicians such as Levi Stephens and lined up a recording project. But after a crisis of confidence, she stopped playing altogether.

20 | Winter 2016

Through Alex Peters, she eventually met the right producer in Bob Novak of Red Bridge Studios in Savage. Her album of original material is planned for release in April 2017.

Charles’ songs are reflective and personal, and her voice has an emotional, airy quality. She aims to express the gravity of situations while maintaining some lightness. When performing solo, she plays with texture through loops—

recording percussion, harmony vocals, and guitar lines, and then layering, bringing them in and out during the piece—creating them live and then erasing them. “Every single gig, it’s starting fresh,” she explains. “I think it’s more fun for the audience, adding an element of surprise and anticipation.”

She fulfilled her jingle dream with “The Angela Show,” a series of online video shorts that she creates with her sister Anne. Some shows are musical performances; others are humorous skits or reality pieces.

Charles scores, records, and edits the soundtrack, and penned the catchy theme song. The project maintains her Internet presence for her fans and crowdfunders.

“I give them something to show that I’m still doing music, something to look forward to.”

Drawn to and inspired by Simon & Garfunkel, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, and Coldplay, Charles is comfortable with her cross-genre tastes.

“Music is music. I grew up in an interracial household.

I’m a bit of everything.” She stood up to those who first questioned her musical choices with an elegant retort: “I don’t understand the question. Did you enjoy it?” After a while, the questions stopped, “I think because I got so comfortable with it,” she explains. “This is the right music. And if I sang stuff just to please, they would question me again.”

Charles smiles as she reflects on growing up with eleven siblings. “[It] put me in a place where I always want to stand out,” she says. “Get comfortable with what you do and roll with it, because there’s no other way to do it.” █

WAVES

“When music is in your soul, you can only bury it for so long,” she says.

After the Stan & Joe’s open mic night, Charles dove back into music, playing with Charles Kavoossi, Thomas Beall, and Ahren Buchheister, among others. She secured crowdfunding for her recording, but her producer took a job in Los Angeles, stopping the project in its tracks.

upstart-annapolis.com | 21

Shop. Eat. Drink. Be Merry.

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22 | Winter 2016

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⠀㐀㄀ ⤀ ㈀㈀㐀ⴀ 㔀㄀㤀 簀 眀眀眀⸀搀愀猀愀氀漀渀愀渀搀猀瀀愀⸀挀漀洀 簀 ㄀㌀ 䰀甀戀爀愀渀漀 䐀爀⸀ 䄀渀渀愀瀀漀氀椀猀Ⰰ 䴀䐀 ㈀㄀㐀 ㄀ upstart-annapolis.com | 23

SNAP

24 | Winter 2016

C H E S A P E A K E

CLOSE UP Potomac River waterman Rocky Rice fishes his catfish pots. Marshall Hall, Maryland.

by BRENDA WINTRODE photography by JAY FLEMING

W

e see workboats from the shore of the Chesapeake Bay. Watermen balance crab pods on the wide, flat roofs of deadrise boats putting along from one buoy to the next. Barcats make their way down shallow creeks and deliver a fine catch to a dockside restaurant, where we will dine on the spoils next Friday night accompanied by a frosty pilsner. These are familiar scenes to Maryland’s residents and seafood consumers. But what we don’t see is the effort and resources it takes to catch the rockfish, perch, crab, or oyster that come to be on our plate. Someone plucked it out of the Bay, but with what?

From exactly where on the Bay? How was it cleaned and processed? Photographer Jay Fleming brings us inside the reality and the beauty of the Chesapeake Bay’s seafood industry in his new photography book, Working the Water, October 2016.

Fleming presents an educational tour of what it takes to earn a living on the water, fishing the Bay, throughout the four seasons.

Working the Water opens in the spring. Fyke nets are laid in the shallow waters of a creek at daybreak to capture anadromous yellow perch. Watermen in bright orange rubber coveralls pull gill nets full of rockfish into a small wooden dinghy on the calm, brackish Virginia water. A turtle

upstart-annapolis.com | 25

Billy Laws, oyster shucker at Metompkin Seafood, pauses after a morning of work. Shuckers typically start at around 4:00 a.m. and finish work around noon. Crisfield, Maryland.

opens his jaw wide on the deck of a turtle fisherman’s boat as if protesting his capture—indeed, snapping turtles are caught, processed, and exported from Chesapeake waters. This and many other little-known facts about the industry can be found on page after page of Fleming’s book, which came out in October.

Fleming not only captures the harvest but also its reapers, some of whom are fourth-, fifth-, and even 26 | Winter 2016

An oyster shucker takes a quick break and poses for the camera at Bevan's Oyster Company. Oyster shuckers are compensated based on the weight of the oyster meat the shuck each day. Kindle, Virginia.

eighth-generation watermen. Over a three-year period, Fleming formed relationships with watermen up and down the Bay. One fisherman would vouch for him to a boat builder, a net weaver, and a muskrat trapper. Over time, they allowed him, his kayak, and his diving gear onto their boats to document their work, and he immersed himself in their world. He explains his motivation behind the project: “I wanted to show people how it’s

done, not just show pretty pictures of the Chesapeake Bay.” The result is an encyclopedic time capsule that encompasses the details of a waterman’s efforts on the murky Chesapeake.

Fleming gained a tremendous respect for their knowledge of fish population fluctuation, fishing techniques, business savvy, and ever-pertinent weather predictions. “To me, they are the most knowledgeable people on the Chesapeake Bay.”

Right: Louis Cantler crab pots near Hackett Point at sunrise. Annapolis Maryland.

Fleming considers himself an environmental photojournalist and a fine arts photographer: “I like to show how humans interact with the environment.� He captures the mental and physical toughness of the fishermen, who are up before the dawn and still manage to smile through beards covered with frozen chunks of snow. Fleming, too, was there, and shared those hardships with them for a time.

He took many shots from his kayak in

Above: Oyster shuckers, in the Chesapeake Bay region, use a long sharp knife to open oysters. They wedge the knife between the two faces of the shell, at the front, known as the "bill" of the oyster and turn it in order to open the shell. Lottsburg, Virginia.

upstart-annapolis.com | 27

Sophie, a chocolate lab, stands on the bow of her owner's skiff, as he runs through the creeks. Manokin River, Maryland.

frigid waters to fully capture the scene, and has considered what it would have meant if he had tipped. “At times, it was scary because of the weather,” he recalls.

Luckily, he was able to capture events from rarely seen perspectives without incident.

Three men pull in the ropes of a haul seine heavy with gizzard shad. Their faces are strained; the last man is leaning back as if he is the anchorman on a tugof-war team. They are not just pulling in shad, but also their paychecks. An oyster shucker is in a yellow rubber apron and safety goggles; he is covered in a graybrown splatter of carrion. Exposure to 28 | Winter 2016

“Luckily, he was able to capture events from rarely seen perspectives without incident.”

harsh winds is evident on the faces of seasoned watermen. Pensive gazes—or perhaps apprehension—on young faces are revealed. The photos are as vibrant as they are informative, and as shocking as they are reverent.

Both of Fleming’s parents influenced his career choice. His father, Kevin, was a professional photographer with National Geographic and taught Fleming how to shoot with his first camera, a Nikon N90s. Eliminate the horizon line, his father would say, consider composition, find a clean background, and use the light as one would use a verb in a sentence. Fleming’s mother,

Millard Littlepage sets the Last One's ribs in place before strip planking the workboat.

Crocheron, Maryland.

Jay Fleming in his element.

Photo by Burl Lewis.

Carla, worked for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), where Fleming had two internships in high school, assisting with spawning fish surveys in the Bay. He brought along his camera, and the pictures became documents used by the DNR for public education.

In that same vein, Working the Water is an educational instrument as much as it is a work of fine art. Fleming’s ultimate goal is to educate the public. “I want people to know how much goes into it. When we buy a dozen crabs, the price can be shocking. But when you see what goes into it, you understand.” █ upstart-annapolis.com | 29

Working skipjacks form a line, at the start of the annual Deal Island Labor Day skipjack races. Chance, Maryland.

30 | Winter 2016

SNAP upstart-annapolis.com | 31

32 | Winter 2016

upstart-annapolis.com | 33

E F I L

CONCEPT

34 | Winter 2016

T F A R C “I

by TIMOTHY SAYLES

am absolutely not an artist,” says Ashley Thompson. “I’m more of a craftsman.”

No disrespect intended, but that’s a distinction without a difference. You may agree if you’ve seen any of Thompson’s gleaming, muscular, low-riding hot rods—the 1956 Chevrolet pickup in his garage, for instance, or either of two 1949 Mercury coupes he has souped up and tricked out, or the sky-blue 1959

photography by ALISON HARBAUGH

Chevrolet Bel Air. Or the meticulously powder-coated, nearly four-foot-tall engine he designed for one of his works in progress: a 1930 Ford Model A. This five-window coupe won’t be just any hot rod; it will have a World War II warplane theme, with bomber seats, gas tanks made of Navy practice bombs, and air suspension tanks from a P-51 Mustang. Thompson has been collecting period-correct airplane parts for the project for the past 12 years.

Thompson’s artistic bent is evidenced in and around the Annapolis home he shares with his wife and their two young children. It is beautifully decorated and restored—with many creations and built-in features of Thompson’s making—and bedecked with art, much of it by Annapolis artist Jeff Huntington. The yard surrounding the two-story mid-century home off of West Street is also a work of art, complete with a burbling, well-stocked

upstart-annapolis.com | 35

koi pond. This is not surprising, as Thompson is proprietor of A.R.T. Lawn & Yard Management, which specializes in landscaping and interior renovations.

He started the company when he was 10.

Yes, 10. That’s around when he started collecting art and making things.

Timothy: You seem to have gotten a jump on the rest of us, starting your life in earnest at a very early age. Tell us about that.

Thompson: Well, I started my own business when I was 10, and I started making and building things [at 11 or so].

I wanted a GT Performer Pro Plus bike, but I couldn’t afford it at 600 bucks, so I said, “Well, I’ll just make my own.”

Timothy: And you did that?

Thompson: I did. I bought my own frame, had my own handlebars made, got my own mag wheels. I made these little fins that were like triangles, and I named it the NR 2. I don’t know why. Then I just got into millions of other things. I was building tree forts . . . real tree forts, with, like, interlocking siding and decks and all that stuff. My dad and I used to do that.

Timothy: Do you remember why you wanted to build your own things, or what drove you to do so?

Thompson: A lot of it was because I just wanted to, and over the years a lot of it was because that was the only way I could afford it. We didn’t grow up poor or anything like that, but my parents always made me pay for everything.

Timothy: When did you move on to cars?

Thompson: I got my first car from my mom. It was a 1979 [Volkswagen] Rabbit, diesel, with a blown-up motor.

She said “Here, here’s your first car.” I didn’t know how to work on engines at that point—and I’m still not a huge engine guy, I’m more of a car builder— but we put a junkyard motor in it and I started working on it. I wanted to make it look like a GTI and I didn’t know how to do body work. I used to go to body shops and hang out. I’d ask, “How do I do this, how to I do that.” I still have dreams 36 | Winter 2016

about that car. I dream that I’m driving it around. No other car, only that one.

Timothy: What came next, car-wise?

Thompson: After college, I really got into hot rods. I started on a 1958 splitwindow Volkswagen bug . . . but my first real hot rod was my ’56 Chevy pickup. It went from there—a couple of Model As that [didn’t work out], a ’59 Chevy Bel Air, a 1949 Mercury, which I sold to a man in New Zealand, and now another ’49 Merc, which is almost done. And another Model A, which will be my last car.

Timothy: Your last car? Why? Thompson: Well, the kids are getting older and [cars are] so time-consuming.

I’ve been building cars for 20 years, and I just want to do different things . . . different types of art. I want to do more stuff with furniture or painting, or be involved in other [facets] of art.”

Timothy: Do you have anything in particular in mind?

Thompson: I don’t really know, just stuff that appeals to me personally. I like building cabinetry. I’ve started working with wood again. I like working with wood a lot. Like in the house, I built all the radiator covers.

Timothy: You and your wife are similarly inclined toward artistic endeavors, yes?

Thompson: Oh yes, Adrianne is very creative in her own right. She has a degree in graphic design. She designed the A.R.T. logo. We’re very focused on art and creating. We do an enormous amount of projects with our kids— painting, drawing, constantly making things. I played with LEGO™ [bricks] like crazy as a kid.

Timothy: Your fascination for art as a kid went way past LEGO™ bricks.

Thompson: I started buying artwork at a super-young age. There used to be an art gallery off West Street called the Pendragon. Every time we’d go downtown, my mom and I, we would always go [there]. When I was really young, my mom would buy me paintings.

She’d say, “What do you want for Christmas? Do you want that watercolor of your favorite castle in Holland?” And I’m like, “Yes, that’s what I want.”

Timothy: And this was something of an international hobby, too?

Thompson: My mom is Dutch, and I have dual citizenship, and we would go to Holland every two years. When we’d go, we’d visit all the museums. I wanted artwork so badly, but obviously a lot of that was beyond my financial reach. But I bought one of my first paintings in Paris.

I think I was eleven years old. I’ve always had an art budget. When Adrianne and I were working on our house and didn’t have a lot of money, we would buy a lot of poster artwork, inexpensive stuff, but we wanted to have nice images on the wall to come home to. That’s what we’re all about.

Timothy: That and low-rider hot rods— at least for the moment.

Thompson: The [’56 Chevy pickup] is not technically a low-rider . . . it’s just a hot rod truck that has [an adjustable airride suspension]. What’s so great about it is that you get a great ride quality, but when you set it down on the ground, it looks amazing. [The 1959] Bel Air is a cool car in its own right. With the suspension inflated, driving around it looks great, but when you slam it on the ground, it looks like a rocket ship from Mars or something.

Timothy: What is art to Ashley Thompson?

Thompson: Art is everything to me.

One thing I have learned over the years is that you really don’t own the art on the wall or the car in your garage. You are just the creator and curator. You can’t take anything from this world, but you own the emotion you have when you’re creating or admiring art created by others.

I am very lucky to create what I want with lots of other artistic, skilled people.

As a craftsman, I hope my projects will evoke emotions in others. That’s what art is to me. █

“...but I couldn’t afford it at 600 bucks, so I said, ‘Well, I’ll just make my own.’ ”

CONCEPT

Ashley Thompson's craftsmanship and design skills are seen all over his Annapolis home.

The bomb tables are WWII Navy practice bombs. They were surplus bombs that were filled with water or sand and dropped on paper targets for practice.

Ashley Thompson works on a 1959 period-correct built motor for a small-block Chevy. It's set up as a dragster motor.

upstart-annapolis.com | 37

38 | Winter 2016

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40 | Winter 2016

IT’S HERE, IT’S THERE,

POP! A

Amy Fresty & Ellen Lunay (Amy & El).

by DESIREE SMITH-DAUGHETY photography by SOPHIE MACALUSO

round Annapolis, you never know what kind of fun may pop up.

Here’s something to watch for: an ephemeral incantation of a dream. That’s how you can begin to visualize Amy Fresty and Ellen “El” Lunay’s venture, called HERE. a pop-up shop.

This plucky pair is doing what others merely daydream— developing a creative outlet into a viable, economic venture.

Along the way, they continue to create communities within communities made up of artists and fellow Annapolis business owners and patrons, and

extending their creative tendrils in every location where they set up temporary quarters, leaving positive, lingering evidence of their labors.

We meet at a busy Annapolis coffee and tea shop one of the last blisteringly hot Fridays of the summer. Chic and quietly confident, Fresty and Lunay greet me with smiles. Lunay bypasses my proffered hand with a raised arm and says, “I’m a hugger.” Fresty, just behind her, does the same, “I’m a hugger, too.” They radiate warmth and nurturing, which may be the secret sauce for their successful enterprise. upstart-annapolis.com | 41

The initial spark was born of a need and nurtured by friendship: both sets of children were in elementary school at the same time, and their school needed spirit wear, which is gear customized to reflect a school’s name, team, etc., to help the kids show school pride and raise a little money for the PTA. By the second year of accommodating the need, Lunay and Fresty realized how much they were enjoying the creative aspects of designing logos and graphics for items such as sweatpants, T-shirts, and water bottles. Over inspirational glasses of wine, the plan for a pop-up shop crystalized, an ideal business model with low start-up costs for two friends who worked well together and would self-fund their enterprise, with a leap in creative opportunities.

Entrepreneurship is not for the skittish, and it can quash the spirit of a creative person

“ ‘People make it an event, coming out to shop and eat or grab a drink.

The feedback we have gotten is very positive,’ says Lunay.”

42 | Winter 2016

venturing into business-building territory. But Fresty and Lunay have been setting up their pop-up shops for four years with no intention of slowing down.

By doing so, they have turned a symptom of economic blight—empty storefronts where businesses once stood—into something intriguing and provocative. Their temporary establishments are a literal reminder that nothing is permanent. They take the challenge of working within a space’s current design, under an ultra-short lease, and turning it into

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an opportunity for a dreamy display. “We get inventory from the artists and set up the space as a boutique—it tells a story. We keep the vibe fresh by changing displays, and it provides different experiences,” says Fresty. “It creates a sense of urgency and excitement,” adds Lunay.

Each shop offers a new theme that gives customers an idea of what to expect. Their first was called Lazy Days of Summer, featuring as a focal point a hammock with artisanal pillows and a huge umbrella. Homegrown in Annapolis showcased a boat that was made into a display table using grapnel anchors, some hanging down like chandeliers while others functioned as display props, things like easels for other items. Another display featured mannequins with living-greens skirts. These are but a few examples of the creative twists and turns that Fresty and Lunay take to make each event unique.

How do they make it happen? By tapping into the community pulse through social media, old-fashioned but effective print marketing with posters and postcards, grassroots outreach, and word-of-mouth.

About five times a year, HERE. a pop-up shop will pop up at a location—either by invitation or scouting for a temporary space— and remain on site for up to 10 days. They typically host an opening party on the Friday night. Seventy-five to 100 people show up, both faithful customers who follow the shop around town and soon-to-be converts.

Fresty and Lunay work hard to make the most of their limited time at a site, not only for themselves but also for the artists they vend and neighboring businesses. Prior to opening, they personally introduce themselves to nearby shop owners and offer to collaborate through cross-promotion. Those proprietors can then answer questions about the “coming soon” poster on the nearby building. In return, Fresty and Lunay create community through various marketing ideas. While they are open, for example, customers flocking to their pop-up may also receive special, time-limited discounts for patronizing nearby local restaurants and other businesses.

“People make it an event, coming out to shop and eat or grab a drink. The feedback we have gotten is very positive,” says Lunay.

“The local businesses we collaborate with each time are thrilled with the amount of additional business they get when we are popped-up near them.”

When talking about the beating heart of their business model, their eyes light up. “We love promoting local artists—we’re passionate about their products and the ability to link them to local-based shopping,” says Fresty.

Fresty and Lunay keep everything fresh, including their product inventory. As their endeavor grows, it provides them with more creative opportunities, such as adding to their limited-quantity offering of affordable, trendy garments. They work with a core group of artists and artisans that has expanded over the years, and they rotate the supplier roster for each pop-up shop. In turn, the artists and artisans agree to provide new pieces—including jewelry, art, photography, and home, furniture, and gift items—for each event. Fresty and Lunay also collaborate to obtain pieces for their signature collection, HERE.& NOW, xo, Amy & El, which offers a sampling of everything. This appeals to customers who come to collect pieces from specific artists and artisans whom they’ve discovered through a previous pop-up shop.

Fresty and Lunay also put on smaller events such as store openings and fashion shows.

Doesn’t Annapolis already provide adequate venues for artists and their work? What makes this shop different? “HERE. a pop-up shop is a boutique setting that is also similar to a 10day event. We get tremendous foot traffic in the short time we are open. The artists are seen by a wide audience because of this, and we carry all artisan products, not just one category. In moving locations every pop-up, it enables us and our artists to reach new demographics each time,” explains Fresty. If community is what you make it, we’re in good hands with El and Amy extending the equivalent of a professional hug that’s inclusive of local artists and artisans, business owners, and both loyal and yet-to-bemet customers. █

upstart-annapolis.com | 43

GET CREATIVE GET GETCREATIVE CREATIVE

with the Visual Arts department at Anne Arundel Community College with withthetheVisual VisualArts Artsdepartment departmentatat Anne AnneArundel ArundelCommunity CommunityCollege College

Courses range from the traditional fine arts to digital design and time-based media.

Curriculum emphasizes the technical and conceptual aspects of visual ideation.

Courses range from the traditional fine arts Courses range the traditional to design andfrom time-based media.fine arts digital Newest course additions include to digital design and time-based media. animation and lithography.

Curriculum emphasizes the technical and Curriculum emphasizes technical and conceptual aspects of courses visual the ideation.

AACC teaches in: conceptual aspects of visual ideation.

Newest course additions include • Ceramics.

Newest course additions include animation • Paintingand andlithography.

Drawing. animation and lithography.

• Photography.

AACC teaches courses in: •AACC Printmaking. teaches courses in: • Ceramics.

• Sculpture.

• Ceramics.

• Painting and Drawing.

• Video Game Design.

• Painting and Drawing.

• Photography.

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• Photography.

• Printmaking.

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• Video Game Design.

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• Video and Media Production.

• Video and Media Production.

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• Web Design.

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If you love art and want to see what AACC can offer you, visit www.aacc.edu/visualarts.

Photo courtesy of Paul Graves, Photography Student at AACC.

If you love art and want to see what AACC can you love and want to see what AACC can offerIfyou, visit art www.aacc.edu/visualarts. offer you, visit www.aacc.edu/visualarts.

Photo courtesy of Paul Graves, Photography Student at AACC.

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Sailor’s Delight

by MELANIE MCCARTY photography by ALLISON ZAUCHA

46 | Winter 2016

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Scott Herbst at the helm.

here can you drink a rum cocktail called the Skull Puncher, dine on raw oysters and tinned fish, and joke around with a bevy of tattooed, stripe-wearing waiters? At Sailor Oyster Bar, West Street’s newest addition and the first full-fledged raw bar in the Annapolis Arts District.

“We wanted to specialize in some boutique oysters, some West Coast oysters, some things that you might not get other places,” says owner Scott Herbst.

The restaurant carries three to four types of oysters at a time, from Chesapeake Bay varieties to an assortment from places as far away as California. The selection lets diners compare the tasty bivalves, whose flavors vary based on the attributes of the water where they originated. Sailor Oyster Bar serves them with three housemade sauces, including hot sauce served in a medicine dropper “so you can get just the right amount,” says Herbst.

In addition to its offerings on the half shell, Sailor Oyster Bar presents a creative menu inspired by life at sea, from ceviche toast and a “bloney sandwich” made with high quality Italian sausage to tinned fish, which is served in the tin and packed in amazingly flavorful sauces and oils. Diners who order the tinned fish receive a tiny work of art—a cartoon drawing of a sea creature (part of the packaging from tinned fish manufacturer José Gourmet).

It’s details like these that delight patrons, who have been flocking to Sailor Oyster Bar since its August opening.

Herbst has ample experience capturing the attention of diners. He spent the better part of the past two decades in the restaurant business, working everywhere from sports bars to fine dining establishments. He has an easy way with people, something he developed growing up. His father’s job took the family from Miami to Orlando to Tallahassee, and then to Minneapolis. The moves taught Herbst to adapt and make friends quickly.

After landing his first restaurant job at age 17, his people skills were noticed by management, and soon he was tending bar, notwithstanding his age. He enjoyed the work and kept at it. “While I was figuring out what I wanted to do when I grew up, I was already doing it,” he says.

In 1996, Herbst traveled from Minneapolis to Severna Park to spend the summer with his parents. Plans changed when he met Gabrielle, a makeup artist who had recently moved to the area from Washington, DC. “I was smitten,” he says.

Married now for 18 years, they are the force behind some of West Street’s stylish and exciting outposts. In addition to Sailor Oyster Bar, the couple co-own Sparrow, the jewelry boutique next door. They are also part owners of the popular sushi

upstart-annapolis.com | 47

“I f igured this would be a cool way to celebrate the sailor and the sea and all the great food that we get from the water around us.�

48 | Winter 2016

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restaurant Tsunami, where Scott has been the general manager since 2006. “We fell in love with Annapolis,” he says. “At the same time, we wanted to bring some new things to the town.”

Housed in a former row house, Sailor Oyster Bar brings a concept to Annapolis that is as intimate as it is innovative. The restaurant seats 30, and food is prepared behind the bar as guests look on. “I wanted to see if we could sustain a restaurant without the grills, the hoods, and the fryers. I wanted to do something more healthy in a small space,” says Herbst. The restaurant doesn’t have a kitchen, and the only heating elements used are a toaster and a miniblowtorch (used to sear tuna). Herbst likens the experience of eating at Sailor Oyster Bar to spending time in somebody’s boat. This is reflected in the restaurant’s nautical theme, from the exposed pipes and the white sailor cap perched upon the beer taps to the mismatched stripes that the waiters wear in lieu of a uniform. “When our guests wear stripes, we always say, ‘Careful, somebody might ask you for something!’” Herbst laughs.

Yet at Sailor Oyster Bar, the naval theme runs deeper than décor. Both Herbst’s and his wife’s fathers spent time in the Navy. A photograph of Gabrielle’s father, a Navy frogman who specialized in underwater demolition, greets customers at the restaurant’s entrance. A drawing of his scuba helmet serves as the restaurant’s unofficial logo.

The restaurant also pays homage to Annapolis’ maritime history. “I figured this would be a cool way to celebrate the sailor and the sea and all the great food that we get from the water around us,” says Herbst.

Although Sailor Oyster Bar pays sincere tribute, it also embraces the bawdier aspects of life at sea. The bathroom is collaged with images of pinup girls, and the restaurant’s initials—S.O.B.— are proudly displayed on its business cards.

Looking ahead, the restaurant will debut a winter menu and add daily specials. Herbst will divide his time between Sailor Oyster Bar and Tsunami, where he will remain general manager. Annapolis is lucky to have a new, stylish place to grab a seat and sample unique seafood dishes. Just look out if you happen to be wearing stripes! █

upstart-annapolis.com | 49

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THE MITCHELL GALLERY

Dignity and spirit.

The absurdities of life.

You’ll find it all here.

Ruth Starr Rose: Revelations of African American Life in Maryland and the World

Jan. 11 - Feb. 26, 2017

The Fantastic World of Ronald Markman: A Mini-Retrospective

March 10 - April 23, 2017

For information about all exhibition-related events including tours, lectures, and book club,

visit www.sjc.edu/mitchellgallery or call 410-626-2556.

THE UNEXPECTED TREASURE IN ANNAPOLIS

St. John’s College | 60 College Avenue | Annapolis, MD 21401 Ruth Starr Rose (American, 1887-1965), Anna May Moaney, 1930, oil on Masonite. Estate of Ruth Starr Rose.

Ron Markman (American, b. 1931), Traffic Jam, Mixed media. Photography courtesy of Robert Madden.

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BUILDING A FUTURE BY HONORING THE PAST 52 | Winter 2016

by JULIA GIBB

photography by ALLISON ZAUCHA

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t the intersection of Church Circle and Franklin Street in Annapolis sits the Circuit Courthouse for Anne Arundel County, a popular wedding spot for those eager to wed or just looking for a practical, inexpensive spot to tie the knot. In the courtyard, excited couples in all combinations of ethnicities pose for photographs. This is a sign of how far our nation has come; before the 1967 US Supreme Court decision in Loving v. Virginia, states were still allowed to place racebased restrictions on marriage. Just a little further down Franklin Street, one of the quieter spokes radiating from the hub of Church Circle, is the Banneker-Douglass Museum. A visit there reveals how far—in terms of understanding our state’s AfricanAmerican history—we have yet to go.

Before it was dedicated as the Banneker-Douglass Museum in 1984, the older section of the building, constructed in 1875, was Mount Moriah African Methodist Episcopal Church. The church was included in Annapolis’ Historic District in 1971, and added to the National Registry of Historic Places in 1973. The museum bears the names of two prominent Maryland-born African-American historic figures: free-born Benjamin Banneker—a scientist, mathematician, writer, and activist—and Frederick Douglass, who escaped from slavery and was the first prominent AfricanAmerican activist, advocating for the anti-slavery movement and women’s suffrage. He also produced newspapers and, in 1845, published an autobiography that gained worldwide recognition. As Banneker-Douglass grew, an addition housing and

exhibiting the museum’s permanent collection was completed in 2006.

Interim Director Maya Davis and her colleagues share a passion for researching some of Maryland’s lesser-known history and historical figures. Davis’ work with the Maryland State Archives Study of the Legacy of Slavery makes her especially qualified to debunk misconceptions about slavery in Maryland. She explains that there were more slaves in counties on the Western Shore of the Chesapeake Bay than many presume, while on the Eastern Shore, there were also large free black communities. Davis says that building and telling those untold stories is one the museum’s key missions. She sees the potential for the museum to grow and make an impact. “[I] would like to see [Maryland’s civil rights history] become included in the national story,” she explains. Visitors to the museum can find information and photographs that document the movement in the permanent collection exhibit in the new wing.

Organizing and cataloging Banneker-Douglass’ collections is the work of Tabitha Pryor Corradi. One of the museums’ largest is the Herbert Frisby Collection. Explorer Matthew Henson made history as the first African-American to reach the North Pole, but few know that Frisby was the second. He also taught biology in Baltimore, headed Douglass High School’s science department for over thirty years, and was a war correspondent during World War II. As Frisby entered old age, he endowed Banneker-Douglass with his entire assemblage, including geological specimens, animal furs, photographs,

upstart-annapolis.com | 53

Mr. Theodore Hyman, Security Guard with exchange students from Denmark.

Shakia Gullette, Curator of Exhibitions, Tabitha Pryor Corradi, Curator of Collections, Maya Davis, Interim Director, LeRonn Herbert, Outreach Coordinator, and Morrisa Reddon, Archivist.

54 | Winter 2016

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and audiotapes, along with documentation of his careers in speaking, teaching, and the military. “We wanted to make sure people remembered Herbert Frisby,” says Corradi. “He was part of getting Matthew Henson acknowledgement when people had largely forgotten who he was.”

Another of Banneker-Douglass’ prominent collections is the Thomas Baden Collection. Baden was a prolific African-American photographer in the Annapolis area who documented cultural events and everyday life in the 1950s and '60s.

Some of his photographs are featured in Jumping the Broom, an exhibit on display in the church portion of the museum until January 21, 2017. Shakia Gullette, curator of exhibitions, explains that Jumping the Broom is part of a series of community-requested exhibitions. “We’re working on strengthening relationships with them,” she says. The title refers to a marriage custom practiced by enslaved African-Americans. Such marriages were not legally recognized, and slaveholders could break up the family, separating couples from each other and their children. The

exhibit features a reproduction of an early, treasured marriage license, decorated brooms that contemporary couples use in their wedding ceremonies, and photographs showing the evolution of traditions and wedding fashion.

“We actually have a floor dedicated to couples who have been married 50 years or more,” says Gullette. The husband in one of the couples, married for 72 years, is named Methuselah, and the biblical reference opens up conversation.

Outreach programs are integral to the museum’s vibrancy. “We have a team of volunteers that is growing,” says Corradi, “I have one volunteer that’s been with me here for four out of my five years.” Engaging the public, says Outreach Coordinator LeRonn Herbert, is his pleasure: “I have the opportunity to present and share what it is we have to offer the community and how we can help give back.” Herbert is also special assistant to the Maryland Commission of African American History and Culture.

After reciting a long list of his responsibilities, he chuckles. “I have my hands in a few pots!”

His colleagues share his enthusiasm, seeing their work as a labor of love. “We don’t come in because of the money,” Davis says as heads nod in agreement. “We come in because we’re passionate about what we do. We love what we do, we love the objects we work with, the stories we get to tell, the people we get to interact with.”

The staff is currently researching the family legacy of Charity Folks, whose family was one of the wealthiest African-American families in Annapolis. The effort may culminate in an exhibit, but regardless of the outcome, it’s an important endeavor. “Just for the staff to be aware of some of the unknown stories makes us a more powerful museum,” Davis says.

“African-American history is American history,” says Herbert. “The museum is for everybody.” Davis adds, “I think it’s those public spaces—museums, cemeteries, churches—that actually build an interest in people, not just sitting in a classroom, reading out of a textbook.” And so the Banneker-Douglass Museum staff continue on their mission to personalize connections to our history, bringing people to history and history to the people—in Maryland and nationally. █

upstart-annapolis.com | 55

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KEEPING TIME

by LEIGH GLENN

photography by KAREN DAVIES

A

s the fifth of five brothers growing up in Clinton, Maryland, Matt Mona got a sound education. All of his brothers had distinctive record collections, music posters, art, and musical chops of their own. Mona spent hours with their collections and serving as audience during their rehearsals, and later learned guitar from the brother closest to him in age.

“Whether they knew it or not, my brothers were like my musical sherpas,” he says.

If Mona’s Everest is local music, vinyl, and Annapolis history, then he’s about scaled to the top. He’s drumming and collaborating in the band Mantis Toboggan and managing and selling diverse music, especially on vinyl, at KACHUNK!! Records in its unique space at 78 Maryland Avenue in Annapolis.

58 | Winter 2016

Mona wanted to fill the void when the Record and Tape Exchange closed. He has fond memories not only of listening to samples inside the store, but also of the punk bands that played outside. Both Baltimore and Washington, DC, had their own shops and musical identities, and Mona wanted Annapolis to have something of its own.

In December 2010, after 10 years of selling music online, he seized the opportunity to open a storefront. Mona had always been drawn to the mid-century style of the building on Maryland Avenue, which, compared with other buildings downtown, is tiled and has a curvy, once-futuristic canopy and marquee.

Despite the potential for failure, Mona forged forward. “I kind of put blinders on and committed to the idea of opening a physical shop before I could talk myself

upstart-annapolis.com | 59

out of it,” he says. “I know people didn’t think a Annapolis” at KA-CHUNK!! to feature punk bands from Annapolis, Washington, DC, and shop in Annapolis would work, but six years in, Baltimore. This year, he was tapped to recruit so far, so good.” bands to play outside of the store for the KA-CHUNK!! has provided a reach and a Maryland Avenue Festival. He also takes part community not available online. Mona met in events such as Record Store Day in April.

Mantis Toboggan guitarist Justin Chaplin (Vinyl hunters should arrive early, as the line as one of the store’s first customers who snakes down the avenue.) Among the used sometimes waited outside before it opened. and new reissues on vinyl at KA-CHUNK!!, They launched the band as a duo and then Mona keeps selections from artists such met bassist Adam Jeffrey, first through the as the Wipers, Billy Childish, and Robert store and then through Jeffrey’s work with Pollard to bring new sets of ears to their other area bands. His style and songwriting music. have made the band Mona likes vinyl better, says Mona. because he feels Generally, Chaplin “People don’t remember the he cannot get the or Jeffrey have a riff same sense, not to or an entire song at f irst MP3 they downloaded, mention sound, the ready, and after from ones and collaborating, it but asking someone about zeros in a WAVE includes some DNA file. “People don’t from each member. their f irst album triggers remember the Mona’s musical first MP3 they gravitational pull deep memories and emotions.” downloaded, but first centered around asking someone the band Nirvana, about their first album triggers deep which led him to explore the music coming out memories and emotions,” he says. There is of the Pacific Northwest. Then it shifted to the something to be said for convenience, adds Midwest, where he discovered drummers like Mona, who grew up on CDs. But today, he Todd Trainer of Shellac and Mac McNeilly uses them as “an antiquated MP3 delivery of The Jesus Lizard—both of whom greatly system,” playing them in his car, where he influenced his style. doesn’t need superior fidelity. “Convenience Working in his band has given Mona a greater awareness is fine, as long as you realize there’s a price to pay for it.” Some would argue that MP3s of local bands offer a cleaner, more sterile sound with a at venues such discernably different feel from analog, while as Metropolitan others don’t notice the difference.

Kitchen and Whether it’s KA-CHUNK!!, Mantis Lounge, which Toboggan, or the emphasis on diversity, supports diverse all roads lead back to Mona’s boyhood and music. “Even his brothers. His growing-up ears heard though it’s not everything from the Beatles and Led my preferred Zeppelin to Rush, Devo and DC hardcore musical genre, that included Minor Threat, Teen Idles, I really like the fact that the Metropolitan is proving to be an interesting venue for hip-hop,” and Bad Brains (courtesy of eldest brother Chris, an artist who teaches at Anne Arundel Mona says. “Anything to bring more musical Community College. Some of the art prints diversity to Annapolis is much appreciated.” at KA-CHUNK!! are collaborations between Mona fosters some of that diversity himself. him and Mona.).

Every October Friday night, he hosts “Anti60 | Winter 2016

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It feels fitting that KA-CHUNK!! is located in a space with such a distinctive facade.

Recent-comers to Annapolis may not recall the store’s previous lives, which included a Subway® sandwich shop. But residents born in the 1930s and 1940s may remember the space as Albright’s, which sold electronics. It was Albright’s, says Mona, that transformed the facade into Streamline Moderne style.

According to Mona, in the 1950s and 1960s, after Albright’s, the store’s next life was actually a record store called the Hi-Fi Shop.

Customers sometimes tell Mona how amazing it is that the store has come full circle. “I can only hope I’m helping to create those same memories for others that’ll last another 50 years and more.” As patrons peruse the store, he imagines that they are looking around the shop, mentally overlaying their memories of the old record store atop the atmosphere of the current shop. █ Matt Mona.

upstart-annapolis.com | 61

WUNDERKIND

64 | Winter 2016

Priddy Music Lee Priddy.

L

by BRENDA WINTRODE photography by JOHN BILDAHL

ee Priddy pops open a plastic container of blue ear plugs and holds it out like one would offer chewing gum. A sign in the live performance studio at Priddy Music Academy (PMA) recommends ear protection.

Priddy is the owner of PMA, a school in Millersville where people of all ages can learn to play in a rock band. Go With The Flow, a rock band of four teenagers, three of whom are Priddy’s children, is setting up.

Lead guitarist and singer Max Pulone fastens the strap to the body of his new, creamcolored Fender electric that he bought with his own money.

Priddy throws out a song suggestion: “Stevie Wonder?”

Pulone offers his idol: “Maybe John Mayer?” “How about ‘The Spirit of Radio’?” asks Mackenzie Priddy, as she emulates Rush’s Geddy Lee on her bass. John and Andrew Lee stand ready at the keyboard and drums. They settle on Steely Dan’s “My Old School,” a song

that showcases the technicality of each student. The well-known opening keyboard riff is played with confidence, especially for someone who has played the keyboard for only five years.

The others chime in on cue.

Drummer and bassist watch each other to keep the pulse tight. The singer croons, “I remember the 35 sweet goodbyes . . .” While none of the band members have been playing for more than five years, they execute the song with the precision of musicians many years their senior.

“If you close your eyes, you’d never know they’re teenagers,” says Priddy, who has been teaching guitar and voice since 1995. PMA’s eight teachers cover guitar, bass, piano, drums, vocals, and music theory, and encourage students to form rock bands, not just for competitions, but to play together for years and to be able to work as musicians. George Cowan teaches guitar and voice at PMA. He believes in teaching students about professionalism and teamwork. “They learn that other people are relying on them

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to know their stuff,” he says. “It’s about growing as a person, not just as a guitar player.”

Currently, PMA has 120 enrolled students. They comprise 20 to 30 bands, some of which perform in local venues and at Maryland festivals such as Naptown NerdFest, Annapolis Fringe Festival, and Eastport a Rockin’. Bay Music

Festival chairman Twuan Oakes has hired PMA bands for that annual event two years running and praises their readiness to perform. “They were extremely well-prepared,” he says, “and they all had a great stage presence.”

The preparedness comes at Priddy’s confidence that his students can do it. He explains,

Rapid Fire.

Elias Rivera playing bass.

66 | Winter 2016

Safety 3rd.

“I have always wanted to have a music school, to nurture talent, and raise kids’ self esteem.” Trip Cahouet, one of Priddy’s former students and drummer for metal band Aura Awake, describes how Priddy encouraged him, at age 12, to play a Blink-182 song. Despite much self-doubt and after just a few weeks, Cahouet was nailing it. Priddy

Charlize Lefler studying singing with Jennifer Marie.

put Cahouet in a PMA band, mentored the group, and provided constructive criticism. “It was a great way to realize my confidence and explore a talent that I didn’t know I had,” says Cahouet.

Former PMA vocal student and songwriter Jillian Taylor will attend Berklee College of Music in Boston in January 2017. She describes the care and attention for each individual learner at PMA. “Every kid is a part of the family, is special, and is highlighted,” she says. “More than that, their weaknesses are tended to.”

In addition to investing the last two decades teaching young musicians, Priddy is an accomplished musician in his own right. He began playing professionally at 15. He later joined a band, The Melons, penning several of their songs and touring all over the Southeast. The band

dissipated, as bands do, but not before Priddy and the bassist were discovered by a legendary Alabama recording house. “Roger Hawkins of Muscle Shoals Sound Studio offered to produce my music,” reports Priddy. After much soulsearching, Priddy decided not to pursue that business relationship.

These days, he plays in Annapolis and the surrounding area with his band, The Lee Priddy Trio, and fills in with other groups.

“Lee is one of the best guitarists I have ever heard in 20, 30-plus years,” says Annapolis musician John Van Dyke. Van Dyke not only invites Priddy to gig with him but also has him teaching his son to play guitar, an instrument that Van Dyke plays professionally. “Lee just has that gift of being able to explain.”

Back in the PMA live performance studio, Go With The

Flow is playing Prince’s “Kiss.”

While Mackenzie Priddy slaps her bass, Pulone focuses on the guitar lead. Act your age, mama, not your shoe size, maybe we could do the twirl.

Years of working with students like these is rewarding for Priddy.

He admits that it is much different than playing on stage. “It’s more of an opportunity to have an impact on someone. It’s an honor.”

He listens intently to the band as he glances down at his phone.

There is nothing for him to teach right now. The band is in high demand and rather independent.

Pulone nails Prince’s high pitched, quick-strumming guitar solo, an impressive feat to the untrained observer, and a satisfying result for Priddy. While it’s just another day at the office, it fills him with gratitude. █

WUNDERKIND

Go With The Flow.

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INK

68 | Winter 2016

KIND OF A WRITING JOURNEY

By Jonathan Stone Photos by Joe Karr

by EMMY NICKLIN

O

photography by MARIE MACHIN

n a muggy, Indian summer night at Coconut Joe’s Bar & Grill in Edgewater, Matt McConville explains the seemingly inexplicable: why he passed up an opportunity to work with a publishing icon 25 years prior. After finishing another set of Neil Young and James Taylor covers, the big-hearted writer/musician/chef/nonprofit founder/school bus driver/philosopher/

husband/father drinks his scotch under a moonless, starless sky and reflects. “It’s kind of a funny story,” he says—a line that seems to start all McConville life events.

Roughly 25 years ago, McConville, with hardly any sailing experience or love for boats—“The thing about boats is that when get on one, you can’t get off,” he says facetiously—found himself as the cook on a

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41-foot Bristol bound for the Virgin Islands. Before the trip began, he pitched his idea of writing some gonzoish, nonsailor sailing stories to Playboy editor Reg Potterton, who was intrigued. But Potterton saw more to the pieces and encouraged McConville to pursue a whole book about his misadventures at high seas and the quirky people he met along the way. After finishing it a few years after completing his trip, McConville found that he couldn’t turn the book over to Potterton “I didn’t feel good about it,” he recalls, and started seeing a fictionalized story within it.

Now more than two decades later, McConville has finally published a two-part novel series. It’s Just the Wind: Kind of a Sailing Story (2015) and Second Wind: Kind of a Trippy Love Story (2016) are loosely based on his travels all those years ago. McConville now jokes: “I’ve been writing this book for 25 years . . .

[It’s my] 32-year-old [child] who lives in my basement. And it won’t go away!”

Driven by a love of his characters and a deep sense of responsibility to finish the work, McConville persisted. When asked if he regrets not selling the book to the publishing legend, McConville is adamant: “Not one bit. All I have to do is look at my wife and kids,” he says, convinced that his life would not have included them, had he given the initial manuscript to Potterton.

While It’s Just the Wind and Second Wind parallel McConville’s personal experiences, they include many other layers as well. “[I want] to write about significant philosophical, fundamental things,” he says, “but with humor and grace. I usually find that the greatest clarity comes from a good laugh.” His books give us rich, whimsical characters grappling with life’s adventures and wrestling with ghosts and philosophical ruminations. McConville takes another

70 | Winter 2016

“[They’re] truly books of ideas . . .

He’s trying to f ind home; he’s trying to get home.”

Surprisingly, McConville didn’t always see himself as an artist: “I was supposed to be the lawyer or the governor or something.”

But starting from a very early age, he always seemed to have stories in his head. Drawing inspiration from a litany of artists, everyone from The Beatles to Kurt Vonnegut to Bob Dylan to John Steinbeck, McConville eventually felt compelled to write those stories down. “[I realized] that’s the way I saw the world. I was always trying to find a way to take the pictures in my head and put them into some sort of expression, [whether it’s a book, or music, or food], all the while rejecting the fact that I was doing it, I guess.”

These days, when he’s not driving a school bus, making his daughters’ lunches, playing music, or managing AMFM, McConville writes. “It’s part of the many things that I love. I see things that break my heart—not in a bad way, but in a beautiful way . . . writing helps ease that, the way that music does. I think most artists are trying to find ways to ease our broken hearts because our hearts break in so many ways. It’s not just the horror of life, it’s the beauty of life. It’s all of it.” █

INK

sip of scotch before describing his series as one deeply rooted in the fundamental Hero’s Journey: “[They’re] truly books of ideas . . . He’s trying to find home; he’s trying to get home.”

Much like his books’ protagonist, McConville had always felt that “home” was a tricky concept. The Pittsburgh native came to Annapolis more than 20 years ago, after stints in Morgantown, Key West, and other far-flung places, and had no intention of staying. “I couldn’t find where the real people were, at first,” he says.

But two books, three daughters, and several occupations later, McConville seems to have found his place at long last.

“My views of Annapolis have changed over the years,” he says on another September night on the back patio at 49 West Coffeehouse, Winebar & Gallery—one of his favorite writing spots. “It’s because of the people I’ve met here, the community we’ve built.”

Inevitably, for McConville, who first picked up a guitar at age 12, he found one of the most important parts of that community in the world of musicians.

In 2006, he founded the nonprofit Annapolis Musicians Fund for Musicians, Inc. (AMFM), which assists working musicians faced with unexpected hardships (See Up.St.Art Annapolis, “Songs of Support,” Summer 2015, 74–77.). It continues to be one of his proudest accomplishments.

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WAVES

Symphony Senses FOR THE

by THERESA C. SANCHEZ photography by ALISON HARBAUGH

“T

he measure of a man is the depth of his convictions, the breadth of his interests, and the height of his ideals.” This compelling statement—intended to inspire 1930s Annapolis High School students—is inscribed above the proscenium in the recently renovated auditorium at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, where the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra (ASO) makes its home.

Despite having no official connection to those words, the ASO personifies them. Its commitment to excellence is evident both on and off the stage with quality performances and education.

People have taken notice, including the world-renowned violinist Midori.

It’s fitting that the legendary, Japanese-born American violinist served as guest soloist to help usher in the organization’s 55th season

with unprecedented, back-to-back, sold-out shows on September 30 and October 1. Classical music in 2016 is at a crossroads, and ASO’s staff, board members, musicians, donors, and patrons are moving in the right direction.

Critics have been mourning the cadaverous state of classical music for years. National orchestras are struggling to survive, largely due to funding deficits, aging audiences, and music packaging. Distinguished ASO Music Director and Conductor José-Luis Novo begs to differ. “I’ve been hearing that symphonic music has been dying for the past 100 years, and that’s just not the case.

We are an ever-changing society, and we adjust to new ways of doing things. Symphony orchestras will do just that. Music has been around much longer than most things.” He continues by explaining: “People tend

Opening night of the ASO at Maryland Hall with special guest violinist, Midori.

72 | Winter 2016

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Opening night of the ASO at Maryland Hall with special guest violinist, Midori.

to see things in one color and oversimplify in order to deal with the complexities of life in an easier way.”

He believes everyone is capable of adapting to changes and new situations and musicians help people uncover the “subtle coloring” necessary to navigate the world. “That is what art in general is best for – to make sense of the inexplicable and communicate profound needs and emotions that otherwise would be difficult to express.”

Patrick Nugent, who celebrated his first anniversary as ASO’s executive director on opening night, echoed that artistic analogy. He, Novo, and General Manager Marshall Mentz each play an integral role in the orchestra’s operations. “[Our job] is to give Novo the tools and the palette with which to paint, and he’s the painter. He’s the one who decides what the season will look and feel like,” says Nugent.

Music is something you hear, see, and feel. That undeniable connection

74 | Winter 2016

is something that the modernist painter Marc Chagall recognized and incorporated into much of his work.

Novo named ASO’s current season “The Triumph of Music,” based on one of the master painter’s two large murals for the New York Metropolitan Opera. “[It shows] how great music can be, on its own and through the eyes of a visual artist,” said Novo.

Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts acknowledged the importance of that relationship, launching a massive, fiveyear, $18 million renovation in 2014.

Last year’s installation of the theatre’s new state-of-the-art acoustic shell has transformed the way the orchestra and spectators hear the sound. “The music reaches out from the stage and wraps its arms around you in a hug. It’s not a sound I’ve heard anywhere else,” says Nugent. “Classical music is a living, breathing thing. It’s far from dead, and we’d like to be involved in making it breathe.”

Executive Director Patrick Nugent welcomes ASO supporters during the Prelude pre-concert party at Maryland Hall before their opening night show.

accessibility for pub crawls, mall pop-ups, and small, ticketed concerts at places of worship. Such events would not interfere with the current schedule. “We have to adapt for new audiences by making the classical music experience more social,” he says. He is certain that, if done right, people will come.

Education is another focus of ASO’s intent to expand its reach. One of this season’s priorities is significantly expanding its integrative learning programs. Novo, who likens music to being almost a religious experience, is an ardent advocate for arts and music education. He points to the lack of such education as affecting current culture and contributing to the declining interest in classical music. “Education in the arts and music is not complementary but essential. For musicians, it’s a no-brainer.

Its positive effects on the mind have been proved by science. But for many people,

“ The music reaches out from the stage and wraps its arms around you in a hug.”

it’s something difficult to measure, so it’s hard to convince people that it’s more important to have training in music than one more sport activity in school,” he says, adding that it is important to start that education early.

Midori, who is profoundly committed to providing musical education to children, made her debut at age 11 with the New York Philharmonic’s traditional New Year’s Eve concert. On opening weekend with the ASO, she performed the Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 61, by Ludwig van Beethoven. The deaf composer, who reinvented the symphony, performed publicly for the first time at around age 7.

Novo was quick to point out that music education is not meant to create prodigies. “[It] gives you the tools to appreciate a different part of your culture that you otherwise wouldn’t appreciate.” █

WAVES

All things considered, Annapolis’ hometown symphony is thriving. ASO is currently comprised of 70 part-time, unionized, professional musicians and boasts a subscription rate of 72 to 73 percent, which is twice as high as the national average. The median age of the symphony goer, 63, has held steady at that number for a century, according to Nugent, who has for the past 10 years honed his skills in nonprofit management, strategic planning, and fundraising, and is determined to attract the Gen X demographic as subscribers.

“People under the age of 45 are looking for new social experiences.

They don’t want to accumulate things.

They want broader, deeper, and better richness of experience,” says Nugent. He’s considering proposing a second, more experimental subscription series. They are developing small ensembles of three to five instruments to increase mobility and

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HOOD

76 | Winter 2016

A HOME FOR THE

Arts

by LEAH WEISS photography by ALLISON ZAUCHA

L

innell Bowen is standing in the Martino Gallery on the second floor of Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts (MHCA).

Vibrant oil paintings by Eastport artist Cindy Fletcher Holden grace the walls.

Bowen has just articulated the importance of the connection between art and the community when a woman walks in, waves, and points to one of the pieces. “My cats are in this painting,” the woman says. “I couldn’t come to the opening last night, but I wanted to come out and see it on display!”

MHCA’s massive red brick building at 801 Chase Street was built in 1932 to house the then all-white Annapolis High School. It has a Beaux-Arts flair with its arched front windows and the bas-relief over its classical entryway.

Large banners announcing upcoming shows— Midori, “Louis and Ella! A New Jazzical,” Esperanza Spaulding, and Blue Oyster Cult— hang along the portico.

upstart-annapolis.com | 77

HOOD continued...

Some of the cast of The Second City. Amy Thompson, Emma Pope, Nate Verrone, Charles Pettitt, and Katie Kershaw act out a sketch about a local woman in Bowie, Maryland.

78 | Winter 2016

Walking into the front entrance, adults are thrown back to their school days: speckled terrazzo flooring, burnt-yellow baked-brick walls, air ducts along the ceiling, two large, square radiators blasting warm air on a chilly day. In the second floor hallway, the arts center reveals itself. Paintings adorn the walls, welcoming signs identify the ticket office, galleries, and resident companies, bulletin boards announce upcoming events and offer brochures, and two banners proclaim “Art for All.” “I taught here. Room 205, down the hall,” says Bowen, who has served as MHCA’s executive director for 20 years. “I love that the community has artists. They live next door to you. And Maryland Hall supports them. It provides them with studios, it helps them sell their work. It is a community anchor for the artists and creates community pride.” It is also part of the Annapolis Arts District.

In the 1700s, Annapolis was the “Athens of America,” ahead of Boston and Philadelphia in having a dedicated theatre space and multiple performance venues. By the early 1970s, groups such as Annapolis Symphony Orchestra, Civic Ballet Company, Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre, Colonial Players, and Youth Experimental Theatre were in full swing. “For a city that had such deep cultural roots, it was amazing that it lacked an arts center,” says community activist and former mayor Ellen Moyer, also an MHCA founder. Efforts to create a center began in the 1960s.

Moyer chaired The Committee to Bring a Culture & Education Center to Annapolis, a city effort. Its 1972 prospectus provided a compelling rationale and recommended locating the center downtown on Compromise Street.

When the City Council showed little interest in the project, Senator Roy Neville Staten convinced Governor Harry Hughes to convene a commission to develop a plan. Released in 1978, the plan placed the center along College Creek, near St. John’s College, with a five-milliondollar price tag.

In 1979, while discussions about location and funding ensued, the county-owned Annapolis High School building became available when the school moved to its current location on Riva Road. Hughes Commission members Joanne Scott and Beth Whaley scoped out and presented a site plan to the Board of Education of Anne Arundel County and the County Council. A lease agreement was negotiated, and MHCA came into being as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

“For our lease, we give tuition waivers to Anne Arundel County Public School students for our classes. We’ve been doing that for over 35 years,” says Bowen, explaining the school board’s terms.

“It was visionary.” MHCA took the building, which had many structural problems, fixed it up, and filled it with classes. Today, it offers a rich catalog of courses for all ages and abilities, taught by over 60 artists.

Supported by grants and patron donations, MHCA is multidisciplinary, providing a home for all of the arts as well as arts education. Four resident companies—Annapolis Chorale/Live Arts Maryland, Annapolis Opera, Annapolis

Renata Mastroti teaches an Intermediate Ceramics adult class.

Mastroti has been teaching at Maryland Hall for 12 years and teaches about 4 classes each year.

Nancy Branch works on a bowl during class.

upstart-annapolis.com | 79

Cheryl Mauck teaches a "Ballet, Tap and Tumbling" class for children ages 3-4. Mauck has been a dance faculty member at Maryland Hall for over 20 years.

Right: Linnell Bowen is the President and CEO of Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts.

During her tenure, Maryland Hall’s artistic programs have expanded, audiences increased and annual operating budget has grown from less than $100,000 to more than $2 million.

Far Right: Kirsten Elstner, Director of National Geographic Photo Camp and Executive Director of Vision Workshops, has established a community partnership with Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts.

Vision Workshops provides free photography workshops to students with a goal to give them a voice, challenging them to see themselves and their communities in new light in Annapolis and throughout the world.

80 | Winter 2016

Ten artists in residence, in rotation for one- to three-year periods, are provided with subsidized studios, access to materials, and opportunities to show work. “The community aspect is very important to me,” says artist Elizabeth Kendall. “Even though I work alone, I feel that where you are or what you’re responding to is part of the process of making.”

She enjoys hearing groups practice or having people ask about her work. “You have this interaction, which is part of being in this space.”

“It’s a great way for kids to take the reins of something and bring it to a community.”

MHCA has free youth after-school and summer programs for underserved youth. “It’s a way to invite in people who have barriers or challenges that they’re dealing with that maybe they can’t otherwise express. And they feel accepted and celebrated in our arts community,” says Outreach Coordinator Natalie Spehar. Jovenes Artistas, a rigorous three-day-a-week arts and music program for middle and high school age Hispanic youth, involves student exhibitions and performances.

A new collaboration with local attorneys and the Department of Juvenile Services is bringing gifted students on probation to MHCA to work with artists and art and music therapists.

“Art is vital to development for youth, not only from the self-expression standpoint, but also to teach collaborative skills,” says Spehar.

Over 500 children from the Boys and Girls Club and We Care and Friends attended workshops with guest artists last summer.

“These are programs that are meaningful,” says Garvin. “[We are] doing this in response to the changing community that we’re living in.”

Courses and events are also changing to meet current community interests and attract new patrons. Today’s popular classes differ from those in demand ten years ago, although dance studies continue to be the mainstay.

Interactive events such as “Yoga in the Gallery” and “Sip and Color,” and lectures and demonstrations are planned for the future.

Also new is Annapolis Young Artists Program, which fosters leadership skills. After taking classical music workshops and master classes, students collaboratively plan and present free concerts for groups that cannot access live performances. “It’s a great way for kids to take the reins of something and bring it to a community.” says Spehar, who founded the program.

MHCA’s cross-disciplinary opportunities are synergistic. Performance goers see artwork during intermission. Students observe artists working in their studios. Artists interact with other artists, paint or sketch the dance students while they are taking classes, and participate in youth programs. “If you take ballet, you should see “The Nutcracker.” If you take music, you should see the violin being played. If you paint, you should see an exhibition,” explains Bowen. “I love seeing the little kids in their tutus with their bright eyes.

Will they all become prima ballerinas? No, but they will like ballet when they grow up. And hopefully they’ll like music and appreciate art.”

The building reflects MHCA’s personality and mission. On the first floor, playful murals painted by Brazilian artists fill the walls of the southern wing. Just inside the opposite entrance, an old school-days sign reads, “All Visitors Must Report to the Office.”

Upstairs, the performance hall provides a lush sanctuary. It’s grit and refinement, tradition, and innovation. Most importantly, it’s welcoming and accessible.

“I am just in awe of what this place is about,” says Garvin. “ It is a great collection of many, many people. It’s connecting the community with the artists, who are delivering and are able to engage, entertain, enrich, and inspire. We’re just the conduit.” █

HOOD

Symphony Orchestra, and Ballet Theatre of Maryland—receive rent subsidies for office and performance space and have first dibs on the calendar for the newly renovated, acoustically modernized, 733seat auditorium. The Chesapeake Youth Symphony Orchestra, Vision Workshops, Peabody Preparatory, and The Writer’s Center—resident community partner organizations—occupy reduced-rent offices and studios. Each resident has its own operating budget and board of directors yet is an integral part of the greater community. Additionally, over 25 arts and community organizations regularly interact with MHCA. “It is a destination, a broker between arts and artists and the community,” says Emily Garvin, vice president of programs. “It sets the structure for people to participate in the arts as audience members, through classes, through community events where they can come and hear free concerts, and by visiting the galleries, which are open and the free to the public.”

Balancing the more classical repertoire of resident companies, MHCA offers affordable family shows and a free summer music series. “We continue to broaden the audience and reach, making sure we are truly hitting the ‘Art for All’ note,” says Garvin. It partners with World Artists Exchange to bring in international touring groups and Rams Head Group, which presents national contemporary musical acts. Three children’s theatre touring companies present school shows.

Visual arts are on display in the Martino and Chaney Galleries as well as in the less formal Openshaw Balcony Gallery on the third floor. Exhibits change every six to eight weeks, often heralded by opening receptions. Student works are routinely exhibited in the hallway spaces and the downstairs eatery alcove. “The first time any of the young people sell something, they are ecstatic. That means somebody likes what they do,” says Bowen, “and I think that’s critical.”

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ANNAPOLIS ARTS DISTRICT

HAPPENINGS HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

#SHO P S M A L L

Finnapolis | The Studio of Charles Lawrance | charleslawrance.com | 214 West Street Sparrow Jewelry | sparrowcollection.com | 443.995.4068 | 198 West Street

Nancy Hammond Gallery | nancyhammondeditions.com | 410.295.6612 | 192 West Street Whitehall Gallery | artinannapolis.com/whitehall.html | 410.263.1300 | 57 West Street

Annapolis Collection Gallery | annapoliscollection.com | 410-280-1414 | 55 West Street October 10–31 | Greg Harlin and Ann Munro Wood ArtFarm | artfarmannapolis.com | 45 West Street

Naptown Sings | naptownsings.com | 410.279.3208 | 47 Spa Road, Suite 1

Jeremy Ragsdale Voice Studio | jeremyragsdale.com | 443.370.8855 | 162 West Street Wine & Design | wineanddesign.com | 240.925.7464 | 32 West Street

Charles Lawrance.

OUTREACH If you’re feeling philanthropic this season, these organizations, located in the Arts District, are providing great service to the community. Contact us to learn more about Arts District 501(c)(3) sponsorships opportunities.

Stanton Community Center | 92 West Washington Street Lutheran Mission Society | 230 West Street

Downtown Hope | downtownhope.org | 255 West Street

Light House | annapolislighthouse.org | 10 Hudson Street

Asbury Methodist Church | aumcannapolis.org | 87 West Street

First Baptist Church | fbcannapolis.org | 31 West Washington Street

Chocolate Binge Festival.

Like us on facebook/AnnapolisArtsDistrict | instagram @AnnapolisArtsDistrict | twitter @AnnapArtsDistr | annapolisartsdistrict@gmail.com

82 | Winter 2016

EVENTS Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts | 410.263.5544 | 801 Chase Street

November 10–December 17 | Infinite and Unknowable: Mixed Media by Anita Hagan, Martino Gallery January 9–February 25 | Rick Malmgren: Retrospective, Chaney Gallery

December 10, 11, 17, 18 | The Nutcracker presented by the Ballet Theatre of Maryland December 16 | Holiday Pops presented by Annapolis Symphony Orchestra

January 28 | Sleeping Beauty: A New Opera for Children presented by Annapolis Opera January 29, 4 p.m. | Take a Chance on Love presented by Annapolis Opera

February 24–26 | The Little Mermaid presented by Ballet Theatre of Maryland Rams Head On Stage | 410.268.4545 | 33 West Street

December 9, 8:30 p.m., December 10, 3:00 p.m., 8:30 p.m. | Carbon Leaf with Mare Miller December 12, 13, 7:00 p.m. | An Annapolis Christmas

December 22, 8:00 p.m. | The Alternate Routes with Brian Dunne

January 12, 8:00 p.m. | Pressing Strings with Mo Lowda and Little Bird January 13, 8:00 p.m. | Lez Zeppelin

January 28, 6:30 p.m., 9:30 p.m. | The Smithereens

February 2, 8:00 p.m. | The Time Jumpers featuring Vince Gill, Kenny Sears, and Ranger Doug Green

Sailor.

Compass Rose Theatre | compassrosetheater.org | 410.980.5857 | 49 Spa Road December 9–January 22 | Camelot

February 17–March 26 | God of Carnage

Inner West Street Association | First Block of West Street, Church Circle to Calvert Street December 4, 12–5 p.m. | Chocolate Binge Festival | annapolischocolatefestival.com

To be a vendor for First Sunday Arts Festival (starting May 2017), visit firstsundayarts.com The Rising Tide Society | risingtidesociety.com | 209 West Street December 13 | Tuesdays Together January 10 | Tuesdays Together

February 14 | Tuesdays Together

Light House Bistro | annapolislighthouse.org/the-light-house-bistro | 206 West Street Grand Opening this winter!

Live performances nightly, full schedules updated via naptownmusic.us

Metropolitan Kitchen & Lounge | metropolitanannapolis.com | 410.280.5160 | 169 West Street

Sparrow.

Wednesday nights | Ajar Mic Night with Jimi Haha

Stan and Joe’s Saloon | stanandjoessaloon.com | 410.263.1993 | 37 West Street Rams Head Tavern | www.ramsheadtavern.com | 410.268.4545 | 33 West Street

49 West Coffeehouse, Winebar & Gallery | 49westcoffeehouse.com | 410.626.9796 | 49 West Street December 5, 8–11 p.m. | First Monday Songwriter Showcase

December 18, 4–6 p.m. | The Spiral Staircase Poetry Reading and Open Read December 28, 5–7 p.m. | Dean Rosenthal and friends

BAROAK Cookhouse & Taproom | baroakannapolis.com | 410.295.3225 | 126 West Street Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, 6–9 p.m. | Un-Plugged at BAROAK—live music

Check out our new website: annapolisartsdistrict.org

Nancy Hammond Editions. upstart-annapolis.com | 83