Summer Reading

I have been surfing Amazon trying to determine which books will make the best summer reads. I know that many people like light reading for the beach but I have always looked to find books that are interesting but without tragedy. Really, who wants to be sad on their vacation. Here is a list of books I have read that fit this description. I have selected several genres. 1. Here Be Dragons by Sharon K Penman (historical fiction). 2. Knight In Shining Armor by Jude Devereux (romance). 3. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (part historical fiction part romance). 4. Daughter of the Empire by Raymond E. Feist (fantasy). 5. Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman by Robert Massie (non-fiction).

Pictured Beach Glass Bracelet and Earrings by Amy Fausthttp://bit.ly/10x0fnj.

Judith Kinghorn Jewelry Designs

Sometimes I view a work of art that moves me to such a degree that I feel like I need to pull out a thesaurus to get just the right words to describe the work.  Judith Kinghorn's jewelry falls into this elite category.  That said I will let her work speak for itself. Judith Kinghorn Jewelry Designs

Baltimore Jewelry Center

Summer classes are now available online for the Baltimore Jewelry Center - http://go.shr.lc/QXKwMG. The variety of classes is amazing and includes jewelry 101, casting, Illustrator for the jeweler and working with gold. If you are used to the MICA cost for similar classes you are in for a pleasant surprise.  Classes are affordable, comprehensive and employ some of the finest instructors in the area. If you have a desire to make jewelry this is the best place to  learn.  Baltimore Jewelry Center



Don't miss Shana Kroiz's cloisonne enameling class.  The Arrow Pendant is an example of her groundbreaking enamel work.

Chris Glass & Michael Raitzyk Duo - Road Song - YouTube

Jazz Guitar at its best.  Chris Glass & Michael Raitzyk Duo - Road Song - YouTube

Howard County MD Art Awards and Dinner

GET YOUR TICKETS FOR CELEBRATION OF THE ARTS!

Saturday, March 29, 2014
6–10pm
Peter and Elizabeth Horowitz Visual & Performing Arts Center
Howard Community College

Join us at HCC’s Horowitz Center on Saturday, March 29 as Howard Bank presents the 17th annual Celebration of the Arts in Howard County. Enjoy a reception featuring musical entertainment, culinary delights from area restaurants, and a silent auction of works by local artists, then take a seat for the live presentation of the Rising Star Competition and the Howie Awards.

The 2014 Celebration is sure to be a stellar occasion, so get your tickets early! Tickets are $100 (reception and live performance in Smith Theatre) and $50 (reception and simulcast in Studio Theatre). Tickets will be available for purchase January 15 on the Celebration page or by calling 410-313-ARTS (2787).

Sponsorship, internship, and volunteer opportunities are available. Visit the Celebration page for more information or call 410-313-ARTS (2787). Proceeds from the Celebration provide funding for the Arts Council’s grant and education programs.

Image (Lee Waxman): Guests enjoy the reception at the 2013 Celebration of the Arts

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2013 HOWIE AWARDS

Each year the Howie Awards are presented to an Outstanding Artist, Arts Educator, and Business or Community Supporter of the Arts in recognition of their significant contribution to the arts in Howard County. We are pleased to announce our 2013 Howie Award recipients:

Outstanding Artist: Bruce Casteel, guitarist

Outstanding Arts Educator: Raissa Howera, visual art teacher at Oakland Mills Middle School

Outstanding Community Supporter of the Arts: Toba Dobkin Barth, arts advocate and administrator

Join us at the Celebration of the Arts on March 29 as we congratulate this year’s recipients! 

Proper Grammar is Sexy

I read an article in Joanne Goddard's Cup of Jo blog on proper grammar and I thought I would add to some of her examples.

Joanne's Pet Peeves:
Here are a few things I've learned over the years:
* Farther vs. further. Farther = physical distance. Further = abstract lengths. ("We need to drive farther down the road." "Let’s discuss this further tonight.") 
* Everyday vs. every day. "I go to the park every day." "These shoes are great for everyday wear."
* Literally. Most things aren't actually literally true. "I was literally dying with laughter." Probably not.

My Pet Peeves:
Pronouncing the word ask as if it were ax.
The incorrect use of their versus there.
Beginning any sentence with the word Like.

What are your grammar pet peeves? Tell us below! Let's get sexy.

Baker Artist Awards

 

Greetings, Just a friendly reminder that nominations close January 15th which means there are less than two weeks left to nominate yourself for the 2014 Baker Artist Awards! You may setup your nomination by visiting the "Sign-up" page on the Baker site HERE. As always nominations are FREE and come with a professionally designed online portfolio. Additional instructions on nominating yourself may be found on the help page on our Baker Blog HERE. If you have any questions, you may email me at bakerartistawards@gmail.com.   Please feel free to forward this message to anyone you think may want a chance to win a piece of the $90,000 in prize money! We hope to see your work on the Baker Artist Awards site very soon. Best Regards, David London Program and Marketing Manager Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance    www.BaltimoreCulture.org www.BakerArtistAwards.org   ______________________________________________________________________________________     About the Baker Artist Awards: The Baker Artist Awards were created to support artists and promote Greater Baltimore as a strong creative community. Through a sophisticated online portfolio and significant monetary prizes for the winners, the Baker Artist Awards serves artists of all disciplines who live and work in Baltimore City and its five surrounding counties. The website and awards were established by the William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund and are a program of the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance. The online self-nomination process exposes area artists' work to regional, national and international audiences.  The site has been viewed by hundreds of thousands of art lovers, critics, gallery owners, academics, and leaders in creative business in nearly every country around the globe. Each year, awards are made in two categories: the Mary Sawyers Baker Prizes and the b-grant Each year, awards are made in two categories: the $25,000 Mary Sawyers Baker Prizes and the b-grants. As in the past, up to three Mary Sawyers Baker Prizes of up to $25,000 each will be awarded to established artists who demonstrate a dedication to their art, a mastery of craft, and a commitment to excellence. This year, we are pleased to announce that b-grant prizes have increased from $1,000 to up to $5,000 . Up to three b-grant prizes will be awarded to recognize both emerging artists and established artists exploring new directions. The prizes are designed to support and advance the careers of all nominees, the metropolitan arts community, and Baltimore's image as a creative community. Nomination Calendar and Eligibility Nominations for the Mary Sawyers Baker Prize and b-grant awards opened October 1, 2013 and closes at 11:59 PM on January 15, 2014.  The Mary Sawyers Baker selection process will be conducted by a private jury of local and national multidisciplinary arts experts.  The Baker Artist Awards are open to artists who are at least 21 years old and have been a legal resident of the Baltimore region since October 1, 2012. The Baltimore region is defined as: Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Harford County and Howard County. The Baker Artist Awards are intended for individual artists and groups of artists working as a collective. Artists working in any discipline or multiple disciplines are eligible to win Mary Sawyers Baker and b-grant prizes. Organizations and venues are not eligible.

Baker Artist Awards

 

Greetings, Just a friendly reminder that nominations close January 15th which means there are less than two weeks left to nominate yourself for the 2014 Baker Artist Awards! You may setup your nomination by visiting the "Sign-up" page on the Baker site HERE. As always nominations are FREE and come with a professionally designed online portfolio. Additional instructions on nominating yourself may be found on the help page on our Baker Blog HERE. If you have any questions, you may email me at bakerartistawards@gmail.com.   Please feel free to forward this message to anyone you think may want a chance to win a piece of the $90,000 in prize money! We hope to see your work on the Baker Artist Awards site very soon. Best Regards, David London Program and Marketing Manager Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance    www.BaltimoreCulture.org www.BakerArtistAwards.org   ______________________________________________________________________________________     About the Baker Artist Awards: The Baker Artist Awards were created to support artists and promote Greater Baltimore as a strong creative community. Through a sophisticated online portfolio and significant monetary prizes for the winners, the Baker Artist Awards serves artists of all disciplines who live and work in Baltimore City and its five surrounding counties. The website and awards were established by the William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund and are a program of the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance. The online self-nomination process exposes area artists' work to regional, national and international audiences.  The site has been viewed by hundreds of thousands of art lovers, critics, gallery owners, academics, and leaders in creative business in nearly every country around the globe. Each year, awards are made in two categories: the Mary Sawyers Baker Prizes and the b-grant Each year, awards are made in two categories: the $25,000 Mary Sawyers Baker Prizes and the b-grants. As in the past, up to three Mary Sawyers Baker Prizes of up to $25,000 each will be awarded to established artists who demonstrate a dedication to their art, a mastery of craft, and a commitment to excellence. This year, we are pleased to announce that b-grant prizes have increased from $1,000 to up to $5,000 . Up to three b-grant prizes will be awarded to recognize both emerging artists and established artists exploring new directions. The prizes are designed to support and advance the careers of all nominees, the metropolitan arts community, and Baltimore's image as a creative community. Nomination Calendar and Eligibility Nominations for the Mary Sawyers Baker Prize and b-grant awards opened October 1, 2013 and closes at 11:59 PM on January 15, 2014.  The Mary Sawyers Baker selection process will be conducted by a private jury of local and national multidisciplinary arts experts.  The Baker Artist Awards are open to artists who are at least 21 years old and have been a legal resident of the Baltimore region since October 1, 2012. The Baltimore region is defined as: Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Harford County and Howard County. The Baker Artist Awards are intended for individual artists and groups of artists working as a collective. Artists working in any discipline or multiple disciplines are eligible to win Mary Sawyers Baker and b-grant prizes. Organizations and venues are not eligible.

Baker Artist Awards - Maryland

Greetings, Just a friendly reminder that nominations close January 15th which means there are less than two  weeks left to nominate yourself for the 2014 Baker Artist Awards! You may setup your nomination by visiting the "Sign-up" page on the Baker site HERE.  As always nominations are FREE and come with a professionally designed online   portfolio. Additional instructions on nominating yourself may be found on the help  page on our Baker Blog HERE. If you have any questions, you may email me at bakerartistawards@gmail.com. Please feel free to forward this message to anyone you think may want a chance to win a  piece of the $90,000 in prize money! We hope to see your work on the Baker Artist Awards site very soon. Best Regards, David London Program and Marketing Manager Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance  www.BaltimoreCulture.org www.BakerArtistAwards.org ______________________________________________________________________________________ About the Baker Artist Awards: The Baker Artist Awards were created to support artists and promote Greater  Baltimore as a strong creative community. Through a sophisticated online portfolio  and significant monetary prizes for the winners, the Baker Artist Awards serves artists  of all disciplines who live and work in Baltimore City and its five surrounding counties.  The website and awards were established by the William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund  and are a program of the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance. The online self-nomination process exposes area artists' work to regional, national and  international audiences.  The site has been viewed by hundreds of thousands of art  lovers, critics, gallery owners, academics, and leaders in creative business in nearly  every country around the globe. Each year, awards are made in two categories: the  Mary Sawyers Baker Prizes and the b-grant Each year, awards are made in two   categories: the $25,000 Mary Sawyers Baker Prizes and the b-grants. As in the past, up to three Mary Sawyers Baker Prizes of up to $25,000 each will  be awarded to established artists who demonstrate a dedication to their art, a  mastery of craft, and a commitment to excellence. This year, we are pleased to  announce that b-grant prizes have increased from $1,000 to up to $5,000 . Up to  three b-grant prizes will be awarded to recognize both emerging artists and established  artists exploring new directions. The prizes are designed to support and advance the   careers of all nominees, the metropolitan arts community, and Baltimore's image  as a creative community. Nomination Calendar and Eligibility Nominations for the Mary Sawyers Baker Prize and b-grant awards opened October 1, 2013  and closes at 11:59 PM on January 15, 2014.  The Mary Sawyers Baker selection process   will be conducted by a private jury of local and national multidisciplinary arts experts. The Baker Artist Awards are open to artists who are at least 21 years old and have been  a legal resident of the Baltimore region since October 1, 2012. The Baltimore region is  defined as: Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Carroll County,  Harford County and Howard County. The Baker Artist Awards are intended for  individual artists and groups of artists working as a collective. Artists working  in any discipline or multiple disciplines are eligible to win Mary Sawyers Baker  and b-grant prizes. Organizations and venues are not eligible.

Spring 2014 Fashion Trends

Great article on spring 2014 fashion trends.  It seems that the 90's are the it retro period. From metallics to tea length skirts to splashes of bright color. http://dld.bz/deTPa.  Image of 18 Piece Traffic Light Bracelet. http://dld.bz/deTQk