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04-Nov-2007
WASHINGTON COUNTY ARTS COUNCIL MARKS 40 YEARS OF SERVING THE COMMUNITY ? ANNOUNCES COMMUNITY ARTS GRANTS AT BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION
HAGERSTOWN, MARYLAND; November 5, 2007?The Washington County Arts Council (WCAC) will celebrate its 40th anniversary at a reception at the WCAC Gallery in historic downtown Hagerstown on Thursday, November 15 from 5-7pm. The reception is free and open to the public. During the reception, the WCAC will announce the recipients of 2008 Community Arts Development grants awarded by the WCAC. During the last three years, the WCAC has awarded more than $70,000 in project grants and arts-in-education funding to local organizations and school groups.
The WCAC was created when a group of county residents met in October, 1967 to discuss ways to better serve the entire county with the arts. Thus was born the Washington County Arts Council, formally incorporated in 1968 with a mission to enhance the cultural, educational, economic and social life of the community through nurturing the arts. ?It is satisfying--though not surprising--that the people of this community were the first in the State of Maryland to form a county arts council,? noted Donna Newcomer, president of the WCAC. ?Even more rewarding is that community support for the work of the WCAC continues decade after decade, surely an indication that we all share a belief in the transformative power of the arts throughout Washington County.?
?We work continually to further our service to Washington County,? said Kevin Moriarty, the fifth executive director in the arts council?s 40-year history. ?And we value the collaborative partners who join us in that mission, whether they be likely candidates like the Maryland Symphony Orchestra and the Hagerstown-Washington County Convention & Visitors Bureau, or unexpected partnerships, such as those we enjoy with the Hagerstown Suns Minor League Baseball team and the Valley Mall. The fact that the arts every day emerge in unlikely places here tells us that the next 40 years hold great promise for our Washington County.?
In addition to arts funding and the WCAC Gallery?which is dedicated to showcasing the work of local artists, the WCAC conducts and supports numerous programs in the community, including numerous free public concert series, cultural festivals, and children?s educational programs.
The Washington County Arts Council is supported by a grant from the Maryland State Arts Council, an agency funded by the State of Maryland and the National Endowment for the Arts. Projects of the WCAC receive support from the Washington County Board of Commissioners, the City of Hagerstown, the Nora Roberts Foundation, and members of the WCAC. For further information about the WCAC and its programs, visit www.washingtoncountyarts.com, or call 301-791-3132.
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