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July 30, 2025

Talbot Spy

Nonpartisan Education-based News for Talbot County Community

6 Arts Notes

Talbot Arts Announces New Name, New Look, and New Resources in 2021

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The colorful new logo for Talbot Arts was designed to represent the vibrant, diverse creative communities across Talbot County.

Colorful, bold, dynamic, fresh—all words to describe a new logo and a new brand for Talbot County Arts Council. As of April 1, 2021, the organization will be known as Talbot Arts, dedicated to supporting Talbot County’s vibrant, diverse and inclusive arts community. More than a year in the making, the Board of Directors, led by President Nancy Larson, and executive director Joan Levy are thrilled to release the new name and logo as they begin the next chapter in the now 34-year-old organization.

The new look and name are strategic. Talbot Arts supports a local arts community that broadly spans all ages, locations, and creative mediums. Rich diversity was the inspiration for the organization’s new messaging, as Talbot Arts looks ahead to the ways arts and artists will continue to evolve in the future.

Allison Speight, one of the founders of Continuum Dance, performs in front of an original mural by Easton artist Shelton Hawkins in a photoshoot for the new web rebranding of Talbot Arts.

In addition to a new logo and name, the organization is also launching a new website. Featuring artwork by local muralist Shelton Hawkins and colorful portraits of local Talbot County artists, composers, dancers, photographers and singers, the site conveys the spectrum of creative expression within the local community. The site also provides grant opportunities for students, groups, and schools, ways for community members to sign up for updates and news, links to Talbot Arts’ social accounts, and more.

“This new branding, logo, and name reflect the ways Talbot Arts is looking to the future,” said executive director Joan Levy. “As our arts communities change and grow, we need to reflect that, and provide the tools and resources necessary to create a rich arts environment for our County.”

Founded in 1987, Talbot Arts is the official designee of the Maryland State Arts Council for the purpose of regranting state arts funding and for supporting the artistic and cultural health of the County. Governed by a board of up to fifteen members representing all aspects of the arts and in different regions of Talbot County, Talbot Arts establishes policies and makes decisions on funding requests from arts organizations, arts programs in non-arts organizations, and from the schools, as well as on summer arts scholarships for highly qualified high school students.

To learn more, visit them at: www.talbotarts.org or follow them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TalbotCountyArtsCouncil or Instagram @talbot_arts

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Easton High School Musicians Now Benefit from Talbot County Arts Council Artists-in-Residence Program

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Despite the pandemic, music has never been stronger in the secondary public schools in Talbot County. An ambitious Artists-in-Residence Program, which initially began through collaboration between the Talbot County Arts Council, Chesapeake Music, the University of Maryland School (UMD) of Music faculty, and Easton Middle School (EMS), has expanded this year to include band students at Easton High School (EHS) as well.

This year, the Annapolis Woodwind Quintet, as well as UMD Music faculty, have been working virtually with EMS and EHS students. Using a collaborative lesson plan, the Annapolis Woodwind Quintet is working with music students and teachers to listen to music from around the world and talk about the genres and musical styles. Each visit has involved a 40-minute presentation by the quintet, as well as class time to help develop a meaningful relationship between quintet members and the students they mentor. In addition, students receive masterclasses from the visiting artists.

Photo: The Annapolis Woodwind Quintet which has been working virtually this year with Easton Middle School and High School students through the Artists-in-Residence Program to present online virtual concerts, perform solo works for the students, and give private and group lessons.

The University of Maryland and Annapolis Woodwind Quintet portion of the initiative is being managed by Dr. Robert DiLutis, Professor of Clarinet. He states, “So far, the program has been an amazing success, and students and our woodwind quintet have had some incredible concerts and classes. Because we initially were 100 percent online, I decided that we needed to move in a slightly new direction this year using more experienced musicians. I turned to the members of the Annapolis Woodwind Quintet, of which I am a member. The other principal members of the Annapolis Woodwind Quintet are Kim Valerio, flute; Fatma Daglar, oboe; Patty Morgan, bassoon; and Tony Valerio, French horn. Everyone in the group is also a member of the Annapolis Symphony. Having professional musicians at this high of caliber has allowed us to present online virtual concerts, perform solo works for the students, and give private and group lessons.”

EJ Oesterle, Band Director, Easton High School and Director of the Mid-Shore Community Band since 2016, adds, “This has been a great opportunity for high school band students this year to work with professionals from a symphony. It has been a really positive experience for students. Even though these are professional musicians, they are approachable to the students and excellent teachers.”

“The musicians offer specialty clinics where they perform for the students. These include exposing them to different types of music they may not have heard before, breathing techniques, rehearsal strategies, and such practical advice as to how to deal with performance anxiety and how to prepare for college auditions.”

According to Donna Ewing, Band Director at Easton Middle School, the students, who had four group sessions in the fall, will continue with the virtual sessions this spring.  She comments, “Even though this is a virtual experience, the students are still getting quality performers with whom to interact. Students still get a chance in the breakout rooms to improve their skills and still can participate in virtual lessons with these musicians.”

Two members of the Annapolis Quintet are members of military bands and have been able to share their experiences of another type of music career with the students. On a new website, students can find links to classes, lectures, music clinics, recordings of solos they are working on, band music, and other helpful material so they may continue to learn and grow as young musicians during this time of great separation and struggle.

Ewing adds, “I don’t think the students will fully appreciate the magnitude of this experience until later, having a college professor and other professionals offering them these experiences is just extraordinary.”

The Artists-in-Residence Program was initiated in 2017 by members of the board of directors of the Talbot County Arts Council who were dismayed by the near-total absence of young people attending Mid-Shore Area performances of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, and Chesapeake Music.  A study group concluded that younger people might begin attending if they could be introduced to classical music in various appealing forms at the secondary school level.

Nancy Larson, Chesapeake Music and Talbot County Arts Council liaison with the Artists in Residence Program in Talbot County, comments, “What has thrilled us is the enthusiasm of Dr. DiLutis and his colleagues. They have developed new ideas and new formats to meet the needs of the students and teachers. Students are living in a virtual world anyway, so this is a way to meet them on their own platforms.”

“This program has opened pathways in how we approach teaching music while offering alternatives to how we communicate musical experiences and get students interested in having music in their lives and carrying that passion into the future.”

Dr. DiLutis adds, “I believed in the beginning and it has proven to be true that having extremely flexible and versatile musicians, when working online, would be imperative to a successful program. Keeping students engaged and excited about music has been our main mission.”

Joan Levy, Executive Director of the Talbot County Arts Council, one of the funders of the program, adds, “We are excited to be supporting the Artists-in-Residence program. Dr. DiLutis and his colleagues with the Annapolis Woodwind Quintet have managed to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic and deliver creative programming which has continued to inspire our students at Easton Middle, and now this year, Easton High School as well.”

The program is made possible by a grant from the Artistic Insights Fund of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation and through funds from an Arts-in-Education grant from the Talbot County Arts Council, using revenues provided by the Maryland State Arts Council.

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Talbot County Arts Council Announces Policy Changes to Arts in Education Program During COVID19

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The Talbot County Arts Council is making two significant changes in the Arts Council’s process for awarding Arts in Education grants for the 2020-2021 school year. The Arts in Education program provides Talbot County public and private elementary and secondary schools with grant support for visiting artists or visiting performer programs during school hours.

“We need to continue to fulfill our mission, and keep growing our relationship with the schools,” said Joan Levy, Executive Director. “We are committed to keeping our Arts in Education programs strong and stable. “

As schools continue to face challenges due to COVID 19, teachers are no longer required to apply for grants during a once a year grants submission period. They can apply on a rolling basis to best meet their needs for scheduling flexibility

Applications received by the end of a given month will be reviewed by the Council’s Arts in Education Committee and recommended for approval by the Executive Committee the following month.  Exceptions may be requested if this policy creates unusual scheduling difficulties.

The grant criteria and eligibility requirements will remain the same. The application is located on the Council’s homepage talbotarts.org.

Matching funds are required for all Arts in Education grants, and each school must provide at least half of the total program cost from non-State funds. Exceptions to the match will be considered this year.

A new addition to the Arts in Education grant program is support for Talbot County arts teachers. This year the Council is expanding the Arts in Education grant opportunities to include support for arts educators. Resources and funds are available to pursue professional development and skills enrichment workshops for teaching the arts in a virtual environment. This change recognizes the classroom challenges teachers are facing and the Council’s desire to help teachers meet those challenges. Matching funds are not required. This is a new initiative for the Arts Council. A simple grant application form was distributed to teachers this week

According to Nancy Larson, board president, “Our Board met at the end of September and during our discussions it became clear we had to get creative and quickly adapt our existing programs to meet the needs of the schools and teachers during this time.” Teachers, principals and school arts program supporters were informed of these changes last week.

For more information about the Talbot County Arts Council Arts in Education grant program contact Joan Levy, Executive Director, 410-245-5195 or email [email protected].

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Talbot Arts Council Announces Willard A. Lockwood Summer Scholarship Winners

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The Talbot County Arts Council is awarding full tuition-paid summer arts scholarships to six Talbot County students who have just completed grades 9-12. This program provides grants for advanced art studies during summer 2020 to students with outstanding artistic promise. It is named in honor of the late Willard A. Lockwood, longtime president of the Arts Council, under whose guidance it was developed.

The scholarships are talent-based, not need-based, with the amount of support requested from the Arts Council to be matched dollar-for-dollar from other sources. Based on the financial challenges students and families are facing this year, the summer arts scholarship selection committee, Amy Steward, Janet Adams and Karla Wieland-Cherry recommended that the Board forgo the match requirement for this summer’s program. The students were outstanding, their recommendations were excellent and the Council wanted to be sure there would not be any financial obstacles to their accepting the scholarship opportunity.

Recipients of this year’s Arts Scholarships are:

Amanda Dolle, a student at Easton High School, for private music lessons on clarinet and piano.  According to Amanda, “Music is my happy place in life and creating music is one of my ways to relax.” Amanda’s reference, Maura Thompson, Director of Bands at Easton High School, wrote, “Amanda is an excellent asset to any music program as she is persistent and has an admirable work ethic… displays leadership ability in that she is willing to put herself in front of a crowd and try something new.”

Bradley Duley, student at St. Michaels Middle High School, enthusiastically described, “Dance is a great form of expression and I think these classes would greatly contribute to my artistic development, now and in the future!” Nominated “for his talents as an academic, musical, theatrical and compassionate leader in school” by Daniel Smith, teacher, Social Studies and Theater Department Chair, Bradley will use his scholarship for private choreography lessons with Erinne Lewis, award-winning choreographer/dancer based in Easton.

Kelvin Montoya, student at St Michaels Middle High School, was nominated by teacher Amy Effler. In her reference, she noted his natural aptitude for the performing arts and strong stage presence. Kelvin wrote in his application, “I feel I should expand my artistic education and learn to master the guitar because it would open opportunities to more future possibilities.” Kelvin will take guitar lessons at Mike Elzey’s Guitar Studio over the summer.

Madeline Morrell, a student at Easton High School, is an outstanding student and gifted young artist, interested in pursuing a career in art. “I have painted for as long as I can remember. Art is my creative outlet and it is something I never want to stop exploring.” Matt Ghrist, her teacher explained, “Maddie has experimented with new, unfamiliar art mediums in her advanced art class. These challenges were met with perseverance, creativity and success.” She will be applying her scholarship for a “One on One” painting experience with Susan Horsey.

Elisabeth Snapp, student at Sts. Peter and Paul High School, explained, “…painting and drawing have given me the ability to express myself while also being able to move other people intellectually or emotionally.” Jacqueline Gosselin, Fine Arts Chair, Sts. Peter and Paul, wrote, “Elisabeth is truly gifted with the ability to render anything she sees and does it with amazing detail.”  Elisabeth scholarship will be applied to her enrollment in an online pre-college figure painting program at Pacific Northwest College of Art.

Mara Stoyanov, student at Easton High School, is flexible, quickly adjusting her plans to pursue harp lessons rather than attending flute camp at Westminster Conservatory, Princeton. She explained, “Musicianship is all about flexibility “and wrote about her need to continue to be flexible and make good choices about the direction of her musical career. Mara performed under the direction of Kennedy Center Principal Harpist, Rebecca A. Smith, and they collaborated on virtual recital music for a recent program. Mara will continue her private lessons with Kay Lister, harpist, instructor and a former student of Smith.

Funding is provided by grants to the Arts Council from Talbot County, the towns of Easton, Oxford and St. Michaels.  For additional information regarding the Talbot County Arts Council, contact Joan Levy, Executive Director, 410-245-5195 or email [email protected].

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Talbot County Arts Council Scholarship Recipient Sails the World

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Over the last 20 years, students in Talbot County have had tremendous opportunities to experience summer arts programs across the country to explore the visual, musical, performing and literary arts through the Talbot County Arts Council’s (TCAC) Summer Arts Scholarship Program. These summer camps, music camps, writing workshops, as well as private and group lessons in art, music, and writing have been critical to launching the professional careers in the arts for many Talbot County students.

Pictured is Julian Brezon, a professional musician who received a Talbot County Arts Council Summer Arts Scholarship while in high school at Easton High School.

Julian Brezon, who graduated from Easton High School in 2009, used his TCAC summer arts scholarships for saxophone lessons at the Peabody Preparatory in Baltimore. Today. Brezon teaches private music lessons with the New York Music Cooperative, a worker-owned lessons company he co-founded, as well as after school programs for the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music. He was recently hired as a performer on Virgin Voyages’ new cruise line and hopes to return for a five-month contract after the current pandemic has subsided. He recently recorded his debut album, “The Deep Light.” 

Brezon states, “I don’t think I would have been able to go on to study music and become a professional musician without access to the education I was able to get thanks to the TCAC scholarships. Public school band directors are typically not able to provide students with the one on one attention necessary to help a student develop a high level of playing. Private lessons are crucial from middle school on for any student who wants to study music at a high level.”

Brezon’s advice to high school students pursuing careers in music is to find a good teacher, or teachers, and apply themselves diligently to studying music theory, listening to challenging music, and practicing several hours a day. 

Over the years, Talbot County students have participated in such national and statewide programs as Parsons School of Design in New York City; Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ; Washington School of Ballet in Washington, DC; Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD; Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia; Tanglewood Institute of Boston University; Savannah College of Art and Design in  Savannah, Georgia; Stagedoor Manor in Sheldrake, New York; Delaware College of Art and Design in Wilmington, DE and dozens of other locations.  

According to Joan Levy, Executive Director of the Talbot County Arts Council, “The Arts Council is very committed to the spirit of these scholarships and understands that the match can be a barrier to deserving students and their ability to participate. This year, we are working closely with other grant sponsors who have expressed a willingness to help students identify potential sources for the match.”   

TCAC arts scholarships are available for Talbot County students now enrolled in the 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grades.  This is the twentieth year the Arts Council has offered scholarships to help students with outstanding artistic promise attend advanced programs in their artistic areas. The program is named in honor of the late Willard A. Lockwood, longtime president of the Arts Council, under whose guidance it was developed. Preference in selection goes to high school students with years of demonstrated experience and excellence in their area of the arts.  Program funding comes from Talbot County and the Towns of Easton, Oxford, and St. Michaels.

There is no specific dollar limit to individual grant requests, but the amount asked of the Arts Council must be matched dollar-for-dollar by funds from other sources. (For example, if a program costs $1,000, no more than $500 may be requested from the Arts Council.)  Eligible art studies include summer arts or music camps and art, music or literary programs, classes, or private lessons. While scholarship applications are due April 30, 2020, because of the current pandemic, extensions will be provided if students contact Joan Levy at [email protected]. It is preferred that applications be submitted electronically.

For further information on applying for the TCAC’s Summer Arts Scholarship Program, visit talbotarts.org or call 410-245-5195. 

 

 

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