State Officials Meet with Sports Representatives
A Maryland delegation – headed by Department of Business and Economic Development Deputy Secretary Clarence T. Bishop and Sports Marketing Director Terry Hasseltine – participated in a tradeshow for the sports-event industry, the 10th annual TEAMS Conference and Expo, in Pittsburgh, Oct. 22-24. The Maryland group had more than 40 appointments with national and international event-rights holders.
During the show, Harford County was awarded the U.S. Lacrosse National Championship event (for ages 15 and under), planned for July 2009. And, Cecil County won the rights for one of the ESPN Bassmaster national series of fishing tournaments in 2009. Also, the Baltimore Ravens will host the annual National Sports Forum – another sports-industry tradeshow – in January 2010.
Members of the Maryland delegation included: Jo McNeese (Annapolis & Anne Arundel Conference & Visitors Bureau); Nikki Curry (Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association); Winifred Roche (Harford County Tourism); Rachelina Bonacci (Howard County Tourism); Kelly Groff (Convention and Visitors Bureau of Montgomery County); Carl Smith (Prince George’s County Conference and Visitors Bureau); and Andrew Wick and Kate Roth (Wicomico County Convention and Visitors Bureau).
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Heritage Expert Named to Tourism Board
Gov. Martin O'Malley has appointed Samuel J. Parker to the Maryland Tourism Development Board, effective immediately. The 24-member board is an advisory panel for the Maryland Office of Tourism, the tourism-marketing arm of the state.
"Sam brings a wealth of experience to the Tourism Board having served as the Prince George's County Planning Board Commissioner," said Gov. O'Malley. "I know that his keen appreciation for Maryland's role defending our then young country during the War of 1812 will ensure that Maryland's stories of perserverance, preparedness, unity and diversity attract and inspire visitors in the years ahead."
Parker has more than 25 years experience in historic preservation planning and community revitalization. He has been associated with The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission since 1991.
"We're delighted to have Sam join the Maryland Tourism Board," said Margot Amelia, executive director of the Tourism Office. "His expertise in historic preservation and planning will bode well with Maryland's efforts to showcase our rich historic and cultural assets."
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TFA Official Outlines Arts Survey Results in Ocean City
The Art League of Ocean City (ALOC) hosted more than 75 participants at the Ocean City Convention Center October 29 for a day-long town meeting on the arts. "Ocean City Speaks" invited local and state elected and government officials, educators, artists, arts organizations along with ALOC members to discuss how the visual arts can best serve residents of the Eastern Shore and of Ocean City.
Andrea Vernot, chief operating officer of the Division of Tourism Film and the Arts, provided an update on "Imagine Maryland," the State Art Council's strategic planning initiative scheduled to be unveiled in February. She also presented the key findings and results of the recent Maryland Survey on the Arts which revealed that Marylanders foster a deep appreciation of and involvement with the Arts. Information on Imagine Maryland and the survey are available at www.msac.org.
For information on the ALOC programs and events visit www.artleagueofoceancity.org.
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Film Office Director Congratulates Young Filmmakers
For one Sunday morning in late October, it was Oscar night.
Baltimore's Senator Theatre presented a collection of world premieres – film noir-style shorts – during a red-carpet celebration. The movies had been written, shot and produced over the summer by students, ages 8-17, who had attended the 5th Wall/Steve Yeager Young Filmmakers Workshop.
Jack Gerbes, director of the Maryland Film Office, addressed the aspiring filmmakers at the workshop’s sixth-annual screening premiere, Oct. 26. He told the group that perhaps the next John Waters or Barry Levinson could be among them.
He also explained how the making of a film requires people who have a variety of skills, reinforcing the value of the specialty areas that the camp offered during the six-week summer session – acting, directing, writing, production design, lighting, costumes, makeup and props.
Following the filmmaking camp, which was held at Park School in Baltimore County, Yeager presented a two-week workshop for making documentaries, also geared for students. Yeager has a longtime association with Maryland's film and theater industry. His documentary about John Waters, Divine Trash, received top honors at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival.
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Poet Laureate Nominations Due December 1
Compared to England, the position of poet laureate in Maryland is a new development.
Ben Johnson was the first English poet laureate, appointed by King James I in 1616. John Dryden, in 1668, was the first to assume the role as a designated royal office. Maryland's General Assembly established a state poet laureate in 1959, authorizing the governor to appoint a Maryland citizen to the position.
Unlike their English counterparts who have the role for life, Maryland poets laureate change more frequently. Eight Marylanders have been the state’s poet laureate during the past 49 years.
Participate in the search for Maryland's next poet laureate by nominating a fellow citizen for the post. The entry deadline is Dec. 1 and nomination information is available at www.msac.org.
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