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January 16, 2021

The Talbot Spy

The nonprofit e-newspaper for the Talbot County Community

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Arts Arts Notes

Meredith Foundation Awards Poetry Honor to Chestertown’s Robert Earl Price

January 14, 2021 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

The William Meredith Foundation has announced that their 2021 Award in Poetry will be given to Chestertown’s Robert Earl Price for his latest book entitled “BLOOD FLOW.”

In his poem remembering Robert Lowell, William Meredith writes,

“Your language moved slowly toward our language
until we saw that we were all immigrants –
had perhaps been shipped as convicts –
from the land of your reluctant indictment,
a land of our consent, if not our doing.”

– William Meredith

The language Meredith is describing here is the language of the tribe, and it is the same tribe Robert Earl Price describes in his introduction to “BLOOD FLOW”:

“Let our blood flow radiate warmth
From me to you
From you to yours
Until there arrises a single tribe of humans
Proud and pure as the blood flowing in their veins.”

– Robert Earl Price

Poem after poem in “BLOOD FLOW” trace the damage, the cruelty of this human tribe to each other from the murder of four little girls at the 16th Street Baptist church in Birmingham, to a disheartened Dr. King the week before his assassination: “I fear I am integrating my people into a burning house.” The poems are often more than dark. They take despair as a given: “The house is ablaze and we are trapped inside/ Hostages of suicidal arsonists.” We are asked to roll the dice again, but the election will not be fair, There is no need to vote. Still, the little martyrs lead us to the Civil Rights Act, we finally have achieved a black President. History provides us with hope.

Price opens “BLOOD FLOW” with a quote by Amiri Baraka: “The artist’s role is to raise the consciousness of the people. To make them understand life, the world and themselves more completely.” And while it is often said that a poem fails exactly to the extent it tries to preach to a reader, the redeeming quality of these poems is the extraordinary force of the images, the spot on dramatic monologue of 12 women artists, lines that show what it is like to be “the other” in society and approach philosophy: “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

“If we can not share his blood, we have at least the poems. They help us understand how black lives matter, how to look into the eyes of a fellow human being and find our own humanity. This is the great gift Price has given us. The racist world we were all born into, the land of our consent, if not our doing, is ameliorated somewhat in these poems. We are able to transcend our ontology, escape the loneliness of being who we are a bit in Robert Earl Price’s ‘BLOOD FLOW.’ William Meredith would have been so glad the 2021 award in his name has gone to Robert Earl Price, brother in the art.”

Filed Under: Arts Notes

Chesapeake Music Presents Rising Classical Music Stars in a Virtual Concert

January 14, 2021 by Chesapeake Music Leave a Comment

Chesapeake Music in Easton, Maryland is pleased to present four exciting, young classical musicians in a free virtual concert on Saturday, February 13 at 7:30 p.m., to be streamed at www.chesapeakemusic.org. The concert will be available online afterward for one week.

Violinist Randall Goosby and pianist Zhu Wang, both in their mid-20s, will perform Brahms’ Sonata No. 3 and works by Florence Price and William Grant Still. Before the concert, violinist Catherine Cho, artistic co-director of the annual Chesapeake Chamber Music Festival and Randall Goosby’s teacher at The Juilliard School, will interview Randall.

Randall Goosby and Zhu Wang

Following the Goosby/Wang concert, violist Molly Carr and pianist Anna Petrova – the Carr-Petrova Duo – will perform an exciting program of works by the “American Visionary” composers Florence Price, George Gershwin, and Amy Beach. The artists will briefly introduce and discuss each selection.

“Viewers of this virtual concert are certain to be treated to a technically flawless, poetically inspired and immensely assured musical evening by these rising star artists. Chesapeake Music anticipates this concert will serve to inaugurate future rising star programs as Chesapeake Music pursues its mission to spread the joy of music throughout the year on the Eastern Shore and beyond,” states Don Buxton, Executive Director of Chesapeake Music.

Molly Carr and Anna Petrova

Randall Goosby, who grew up in Memphis, is the youngest-ever winner, at age thirteen, of the prestigious Sphinx Concerto Competition, the national contest for young Black and Latinx classical musicians.  Among other awards, he was a 1st prize winner at the 2018Young Concert Artists International Auditions.  He earned his Bachelor of Music and Master of Music from The Juilliard School. Currently, he is pursuing an Artist Diploma at Juilliard, where he studies with Itzhak Perlman and Catherine Cho. Zhu Wang was born in Hunan Province, China, and began studying piano at age five. He pursued a baccalaureate degree at The Juilliard School and is continuing his study at the Curtis Institute of Music. Zhu is a 1st prize winner of the 2020 Young Concert Artists International Auditions. The American violist Molly Carr and the Bulgarian pianist Anna Petrova began playing together in 2005 during their years at The Juilliard School and the Manhattan School of Music.  Since then, the Carr-Petrova Duo has performed in world-renowned venues and music festivals across Europe, the Middle East, and North America. Their debut album “Novel Voices” was released on Melos Records in October 2019 to critical acclaim.

For more information, please see www.chesapeakemusic.org.

Filed Under: Arts Notes Tagged With: Arts, Chesapeake Music

World Premiere at Church Hill Theatre on February 12, 13 & 14

January 13, 2021 by Church Hill Theatre Leave a Comment

Logo Art by Sara Ann Dadds-Smith

Church Hill Theatre will be live streaming The Worst Choice, a searing—and timely—new play by John Carl Haas this February. Haas, a history professor at Chesapeake College, poses a disturbing moral question: what if General William Tecumseh Sherman had been challenged, even faced court martial, for his hard tactics during the final year of the American Civil War. By the end of the play, Haas has also challenged us to consider what we might have done in similar circumstances.

The Worst Choice is a testy conversation between General Sherman and retired General Ethan Allen Hitchcock, an officer widely respected for his ethical values. Preparing for a hostile Congressional inquiry, Sherman hopes Hitchcock will help defend decisions that hastened the end of the war. Far from supporting Sherman, Hitchcock believes there was no ethical justification for the resulting loss of civilian lives and property. While the drama unfolds in a drab Washington City hotel room in 1865, the audience is invited to imagine the destruction of Atlanta, Sherman’s army “foraging” its way to the sea, the burning of South Carolina’s capitol, and the behavior of both war-weary troops and Southern civilians. Although the discussion between Sherman and Hitchcock is fictional, the characters and historical events are real.

Professor Haas, known to many from his acting roles on the CHT stage, has written this play which works well for a Zoom presentation. Robert Thompson, Theater Department professor at Chesapeake College, plays General Sherman and CHT veteran actor Will Robinson portrays General Hitchcock. Shelagh Grasso is the Producer/Director and Michelle Christopher is the Stage Manager.

CHT is proud to live stream this world premiere production via Zoom at 8 pm on Friday, February 12 and Saturday, February 13, and at 2 pm on Sunday, February 14. Tickets for the Zoom connection are $20 (with discounts for students and members) and may be purchased through the CHT website: www.churchhilltheatre.org

Filed Under: Arts Notes Tagged With: Arts, Church Hill Theatre, local news

Cabin Fever Film Festival Presents This Beautiful Fantastic

January 9, 2021 by Chesapeake Film Festival Leave a Comment

The Chesapeake Film Festival and the Talbot County Free Library are cosponsoring the Cabin Fever Film Festival again this Wednesday, January 13 with This Beautiful Fantastic. When you’re stuck at home due to the pandemic and you have the winter doldrums, take a break and enjoy a rare cinematic gem and Zoom after the show.

Zoom discussion on Wednesday, January 13, 2021 at 7 pm: This Beautiful Fantastic

Set against the backdrop of a beautiful London garden, this contemporary fairy tale centers on the unlikely friendship between a reclusive young woman who dreams of writing children’s books and a cranky widower. Facing eviction over her neglected garden, Bella (Jessica Brown Findlay) meets her grumpy, loveless, next-door neighbor (Tom Wilkinson), who happens to be an amazing horticulturalist.

THE FILM CAN BE ACCESSED FOR FREE ON YOUTUBE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8yhL0lcQ5g&t=479s

THE FILM CAN ALSO BE ACCESSED FOR FREE ON HOOPLA FOR ANYONE WHO HAS A LIBRARY CARD FROM ANY OF THE EASTERN SHORE LIBRARIES.

THIS IS THE WEBSITE GUIDE TO USING HOOPLA:  http://www.tcfl.org/eresources/Hoopla_QuickStart.pdf

CARDHOLDERS ARE LIMITED TO 8 CHECKOUTS A MONTH.  THE FILMS NEED TO BE WATCHED WITHIN 3 DAYS (72 HOURS) OF CHECKOUT.

NOTE: Use this Zoom Link to join the discussion on Wednesday, January 13 at 7 pm:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83913806633

The Zoom discussions will be led by the Chesapeake Film Festival Director, Cid Collins Walker and Executive Director, Nancy Tabor. Come prepared to have a fun and insightful time!

The Chesapeake Film Festival is generously supported by the Shared Earth Foundation, Maryland Film Office, Maryland State Arts Council, Talbot County Arts Council, Talbot County Department of Tourism, Artistic Insights Fund, Richard and Beverly Tilghman, Karen and Langley Shook, U.S. Small Business Administration, Talbot CARES Small Business Grant and The Ravenal Foundation. Funding has also been provided to the Chesapeake Film Festival from Maryland Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as part of the 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020.

Filed Under: Arts Notes Tagged With: Arts, Chesapeake Film Festival, local news, Talbot County Free Library

Adkins Arboretum and the Fiber Arts Center of the Eastern Shore Present Yarnstorming!

January 8, 2021 by Adkins Arboretum Leave a Comment

Adkins Arboretum and the Fiber Arts Center of the Eastern Shore are partnering to offer a Yarnstorming exhibit from March 6th through April 3rd, 2021. Knitters and crocheters are invited to decorate an Arboretum tree with their creations.

Trees to be decorated are located behind the Visitor’s Center and marked with yarn. If you are unable to visit the Arboretum, you may email Jenny Houghton at jhoughton@adkinsarboretum for photos of available trees.

Photo courtesy of Adkins Arboretum

Yarn art will be installed by appointment only during the first week of March. You can schedule your appointment when you contact Jenny. Your email should include the following information:
Submitter’s Name
Phone #
Email
Address
Brief description of your yarn creation.

FACES hours: Thursday, 12-4:00pm, Friday, 12-4:00pm, Saturday, 12-4:00pm
Contact: Kathleen McCulloch Phone: 443-448-4611 Email: info@fiberartscenter.com

Filed Under: Arts Notes Tagged With: Adkins Arboretum, Arts, local news

Quartet: New Poetry Journal for Woman 50+

December 26, 2020 by Spy Desk

Quartet, new online journal for women poets over 50, will launch January 5, 2021.

The journal, founded by four Delaware women including Chestertown native Wendy Ingersoll Perry, is the culmination of a decade of weekend workshops held at Perry’s family farm on Quaker Neck Landing Road.

The other founding poets, Gail Comorat, Linda Blaskey, and Jane Miller collaborated with Perry in 2019 for the publication of their own poetry, Walking the Sunken Boardwalks (Pond Road Press). The four also gave a reading at the Bookplate in July 2019.

Collectively, the group has published seven books, received five Delaware for the Arts grants, five Pushcarts nominations, two “Best of the Net” nominations, and one best poet award.

“We want a journal specifically for women over 50 to highlight the creativity and accomplishments of women who’ve reached an age where they’ve come into their own, have attained experience and courage, and who are flourishing even in the midst of chaos, Perry says.”

The inaugural issue will showcase 16 poets including current and former state poet laureates as well as writers from all over the country from Seattle to New York City. Chestertown’s own Meredith Davies Hadaway will appear in the issue.

Perry, who writes under the name Wendy Ingersoll, sees Quartet as place for both experienced and new women poets over 50 to share poems in traditional and contemporary forms that take on difficult themes or describe everyday life with wonder and surprise.

“The Eastern Shore is so rich with writers and poets we wanted to reach out and make sure people are aware of our new presence,” Perry says.

The plan is to publish four times a year and the submission period of Issue 1 will be January 8 to February 8 of 2021.

All women writers over 50 are encouraged to read their Submissions Guideline in Issue 1.

On January 5, Quartet will be online at quartetjournal.com A previous Spy interview with Perry may be found here.

Appearing in this photograph: from left to right are Gail Comorat and LInda Blaskey, standing, and Wendy Ingersoll Perry and Jane Miller, sitting.

 

Filed Under: Arts Notes

Library Guy Interviews Donald Hall Prize for Poetry Winner Joy Priest

December 24, 2020 by Talbot County Free Library

The Library Guy, Bill Peak, has just recorded an interview for The Talbot Spy with Joy Priest, a young poet with a complicated past.  Priest won the prestigious Donald Hall Prize for Poetry in 2019 with her very first book of poems, Horsepower.  This year she won the equally prestigious Stanley Kunitz Poetry Prize for her poem A Personal History of Breathing.

Joy Priest

Priest’s poetry has appeared in The Atlantic, Poetry Northwest, Poets & Writers, ESPN, The Louisville Anthology, Best New Poets 2014, 2016, & 2019, and A Measure of Belonging: Writers of Color on the New American South, among other publications.  She has received support from the Fine Arts Work Center, The Frost Place, the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, and the Hurston/Wright Foundation.  Priest is currently a doctoral student in Literature and Creative Writing at the University of Houston.

Peak’s interview with the poet can be watched at: https://talbotspy.org/the-library-guy-donald-hall-award-winning-poet-joy-priest/

Filed Under: Arts Notes Tagged With: Arts, local news, Talbot County Free Library

DCA Kicks Off the New Year with Iconic Poster Exhibit

December 23, 2020 by Spy Desk

Vintage Globe Poster

See It Loud: Globe Poster’s Eye-Popping Evolution, from Street Art to Fine Art will kick off 2021 in the galleries at DCA. Curated by John Lewis, the exhibition runs January 8 through January 30, with a virtual Second Saturday reception on Facebook live on January 9, starting at 6:00 p.m. Featured will be a tour of the exhibition and talk with the curator.

Globe was easily one of the nation’s largest showcard printing companies. John Lewis states that during its 81 years in business, Globe Poster created show posters for a dazzling array of artists, including James Brown, Aretha Franklin, The Rolling Stones, Tupac Shakur, and numerous others. The posters, originally stapled to city walls and telephone poles, have become highly collectible and now reside in museums such as The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

A family-owned, Baltimore-based business, Globe closed up shop in 2010 but was resurrected at Maryland Institute College of Art [MICA] the following year. See It Loud will feature dozens of Globe’s iconic concert posters, as well as new work done by MICA students using Globe’s extensive collection of printing materials, now known as the Globe Collection and Press at MICA.

Says Lewis, “This show will appeal to anyone interested in design, entrepreneurship, history, and how historic materials can be repurposed and utilized by future generations”.  Gallery hours are Thursday through Saturday, noon to 6:00 p.m. DCA reopens on January 7, with the exhibition opening on January 8.

Dorchester Center for the Arts is dedicated to enriching Maryland’s Eastern Shore community through high quality, engaging programming in the visual, literary, musical, and performing arts. As the designated County Arts Council for Dorchester, DCA is committed to increasing access to the arts for all members of the community by supporting extensive outreach and educational opportunities in the arts. Visit online at www.dorchesterarts.org and on social media for the latest updates. Programs at DCA are supported by the Maryland State Arts Council.

Filed Under: Arts Notes Tagged With: Arts, local news

Academy Art Museum Annual Members’ Exhibition Open Over the Holidays

December 23, 2020 by Academy Art Museum

The Academy Art Museum’s Annual Members’ Exhibition, Signs of the Times, is open through January 17, 2020, featuring over 130 pieces of artwork made by its members, in a wide variety of mediums and styles, ranging from drawing and plein air painting to assemblage and contemporary photography.

Matt Klos, an artist, co-director of Exeter Gallery and a Professor of Visual Arts at Anne Arundel Community College, was this year’s juror for the Members’ Exhibition.

The winners of awards given for this year’s Members’ Exhibition include Susan Holt, Best in Show in Honor of Lee Lawrie; Peter Hanks, Best Landscape (sponsored by the St. Michael’s Art League); Ted Vlach, Excellence in Photography Award (sponsored by the Tidewater Camera Club); John Moran, Nancy South Reybold Award for Contemporary Art; Carol Gordean, Susan M. Stewart, Award for Best Collage; James Plumb, Jane Shanahan Hill Offutt Award for Best Painting; Ken Warwick, Trippe Gallery Award for Best Work on Paper; and Celie Baussan, Academy Clay Award.

IMPERMANENCE: Prehistoric Fossils by Susan Holt, awarded Best in Show at the AAM Members’ Exhibition.

“2020 has been a troubling year that has at least brought moments of clarity, togetherness, and gratitude for many of our members. Members were asked to contribute imaginative and experimental works in any medium that address how this unique time manifests itself in our personal and shared world. The submissions speak to the commitment of our membership to continuing to explore the world through art,” comments Mehves Lelic, Curator at the Academy Art Museum.

The Museum’s holiday hours are as follows: Open December 26th, 27th, 29th, and 30th. Closed December 24th, 25th, 28th, 31st, and January 1, 2021. The exhibition will be on display through January 17, 2021. The Academy Art Museum exhibitions are sponsored by the Talbot County Arts Council, the Maryland State Arts Council, and the Star Democrat.  After January 1, 2021, the Museum, located in Easton, Maryland, is open daily, Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Sunday, 12 noon to 4 p.m. Visit academyartmuseum.org or call 410-822-2787 for further information.

MUSEUM COVID-19 GUIDELINES

Per City, State, and CDC guidelines, safety measures have been implemented to ensure limited attendance and adequate space for social distancing. Masks must be worn at all times by participants and instructors. Prior to visiting the Academy Art Museum, visitors are encouraged to visit AAM’s website to read more about the Museum’s reopening protocols. Responses to frequently asked questions can be found on the Visit Page.

If you aren’t able to visit the Museum at this time, please enjoy our available virtual tours, art activities, artist talks, and virtual platform, Art at Home. We look forward to seeing you soon at AAM.

For additional information, visit academyartmuseum.org or call the Museum at 410-822-2787.

Filed Under: Arts Notes Tagged With: Academy Art Museum, Arts, local news, The Talbot Spy

Two More Days for “Ho Ho Hope : A Covid Christmas Play”

December 17, 2020 by Avalon Foundation

The Avalon Foundation will present the final two performances of their home grown and self-penned theatre production, “Ho Ho Hope : A Covid Christmas Play”, this Saturday and Monday nights at 7pm. There are tickets available for both shows. The show is sponsored by PNC Wealth Management. Back in August, the organization decided it would try and mount their annual holiday production amidst all of the regulations surround the Covid-19 Pandemic. At the start of rehearsals the show was seen as one that would be aired virtually online and run in front of limited audiences indoors.

Once the new Avalon’s Outdoor Stoltz Pavilion was built the show moved outside and currently has run for 6 performances. “Management thought about all of the safety measures that would need to be in place before we made the decision to go through with this,” said Director Tim Weigand. “We started rehearsals indoors from about 15 feet away from each other with masks on originally. Once we were able to rehearse outside at the new pavilion, that really changed everything for the cast. It was colder for sure, but we knew we could do a live show at that point and the show started to take some shape.” The outdoor pavilion built to seat almost 1000 people, in Covid times seats about 96 people. Seats are arranged in “pods” made up of 4 seat patio sets, 2 seat patio sets and 2 seat high back chairs. Only persons in your “covid bubble” are allowed to sit next to you and each pod set is at least 6 feet away from any other pod. “The show does take place outside so people are encouraged to dress warmly and bring blankets to keep warm. Anything you would wear to a Ravens or Redskins game should do the trick. The show was built to be about an hour long and currently runs about an hour and 5 minutes. But it packs a little bit of punch in that time frame. There is singing (most of it pre-recorded), dancing and drama in the show,” says Weigand.

Ho Ho Hope – A COVID Christmas takes place on the East Coast during the Pandemic of 2020. A mother and full-time arts administrator struggles with her colleague’s and organization’s decision to put on a holiday play during a Pandemic. Calling upon a cast of characters from classic holiday stories and the community at large (all while following CDC protocols), the story emphasizes the challenges we face as we work to adjust to our temporary new world. Watch along. Some jokes land, some don’t. The music is great. Hey… it’s a COVID Christmas. “Theatres and venues have been hurt terribly over the course of the 2020 and the start of 2021 is not looking any better. At The Avalon we have moved all of our operations outdoors and online to keep the business relevant, to present entertainment options to patrons and to offer a place to perform for artists. We hope you will come out to support the performers. The kids have been stripped of everything this year. We really wanted to get the play done so they could feel a little bit of normalcy this year. For about an hour during each performance, I think they feel that,” said Weigand.

Tickets for the show must be ordered online at avalonfoundation.org. For more information please email suzy@avalonfoundation.org.

Filed Under: Arts Notes

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