Governor Martin O'Malley attended the Star-Spangled Banner Dedication Ceremony on Wednesday, Nov. 19th at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. The Star-Spangled Banner, the flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the poem that became our National Anthem, underwent nine years of restoration work and will be displayed in the museum’s newly constructed “Star-Spangled Banner Gallery."

The private ceremony included remarks by President Bush. Accompanying the Governor were Hannah Byron, Assistant Secretary, and Kate Marks, Outreach and Partnership Coordinator for the Maryland War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission.

A public re-opening ceremony will take place on Friday, Nov. 21. Bill Pencek, director of Heritage and Cultural Tourism and executive director of the Commission, will participate in this ceremony at the museum.

The Star-Spangled Banner Flag House and Fort McHenry have ongoing exhibits related to the iconic flag. The Flag House is where Mary Pickersgill, in the summer of 1813, made the huge 40-by-32-foot banner that flew over Fort McHenry. Key was moved to write his lyrics after seeing the flag flying in the aftermath of an all-night British attack on the fort during the War’s pivotal Battle of Baltimore.

On November 5, Maryland State Arts Council hosted “Connect, Collaborate, Communicate,” the first networking meeting for Maryland arts presenters at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, at the University of Maryland College Park.

Arts Council Executive Director Theresa Colvin provided an overview of the council's planning initiative, Imagine Maryland and shared the results of the first statewide public opinion poll on the arts in Maryland.

Pennsylvania Presenters' president Chad Herzog shared highlights from a block-booking project, which had more than 22 Pennsylvania locations to present the New York-based Paul Taylor Dance Company. Those in attendance and arts organizations that hire local and national touring artists to perform in their venues participated in an interactive block-booking session.

The latest edition of the Maryland Tourism Monitor – the Tourism Office's monthly report that measures visitor activity, advertising response and state travel trends – is now available online.

"We've redesigned the Monitor this month, and are now reporting the eight tax codes that are being tracked due to the passage of the Tourism Promotion Act of 2008," said Margot Amelia, executive director of the Tourism Office. "This issue highlights August sales tax collections, as well as fiscal year-to-date changes."

Because some industry indicators take three months to report, this issue predominantly highlights September 2008 activity.

The Office's redesigned web site had a 3.5 percent increase in unique visitors in September. Demand for hotel rooms, Amtrak ridership and BWI passenger arrivals all trended down this September compared to last year, reflecting a nationwide softening in the travel industry.

Maryland State Arts Council Executive Director Theresa Colvin and Senior Program Director Carla Dunlap met with members of the board of directors of the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts in Hagerstown on November 12. Colvin's presentation included an overview of the Imagine Maryland strategic planning process as well as the results of the Opinion Works survey on the arts in Maryland, and Dunlap provided a description of the general operating grants program and process. After a tour of the museum, the group was joined by members of other arts and community organizations in Hagerstown.

Frostburg’s Bill Mandicott Helps Guide MSAC

"The seeds that were planted so many years ago," says Bill Mandicott, an assistant vice president at Frostburg State University and Treasurer of the State Arts Council, have produced a vibrant cultural landscape in Western Maryland where residents are “excited and engaged with the arts.”

A statewide survey commissioned by the Arts Council and taken in September backs him up – about 70 percent of Western Maryland residents say that the arts have some impact on their lives, a figure that is higher than anywhere else in the state. The average response rate for the entire state was 58 percent.

Western Maryland has experienced "a convergence of tourism, arts, economic impact and educational outreach," Mandicott says, which has resulted in "the perfect storm" for creating an environment where the arts are thriving.

Organizational developmental Assistance Workshops

The Arts Council sponsors free capacity building workshops through its Organizational Development Assistance
Program (ODA) to small, emerging and mid-sized organizations that produce or present arts activities.
Registration is required. Registration forms and workshop descriptions are available by calling (410) 767-6555 or
visiting www.msac.org

12/3	Strategic Planning with Practical Implementation	4 - 6:30 p.m.
12/4	Fundraising: How to Ask	4 - 6:30 p.m.
12/8	Starting a Non-Profit... Is it for You?	4 - 6:30 p.m.
12/9	Fundraising Strategies for Tough Economic Times	4 - 6:30 p.m.
12/11	Marketing: Media Relations	5 - 7:30 p.m.
12/12	Marketing: Special Projects	4 - 6:30 p.m.
12/16	Boards.....A to Z	4 - 6:30 p.m.
12/17	Financial Management	4 - 6:30 p.m.

Annapolis pair subject of tonight’s MPT documentary
Maryland Public Television airs Pip & Zastrow: An American Friendship on Nov. 19 at 10 p.m. This documentary
depicts the story of two young men in Annapolis who crossed racial boundaries during the segregation era of the 1940s and forged a 60-year friendship. The Maryland State Arts Council helped to fund the production.

Sondheim Prize applications due Dec. 12
The Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts is accepting applications for the fourth edition of the Janet and
Walter Sondheim Prize, a $25,000 fellowship for an individual visual artist or artist collaborators working in
the Baltimore region. Applications must be submitted by Dec. 12. For details, contact Gary Kachadourian at
410-752-8632.

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