To view online go to: http://www.emarketingmd.org/Tourism/07_25_07/index.htm

IN BRIEF: TOURISM, FILM AND THE ARTS NEWS

Maryland State Arts Council Board Members announced
Governor O'Malley recently appointed five councilors to the Maryland State Arts Council. The new councilors are David Harp, Abigail Hoffman, Dr. Jony Jiang Liu, William Mandicott, and Dr. David Terry. Senator Richard Madaleno was appointed as the new legislative councilor by Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller. Re-appointed were E. Scott Johnson and Patricia "Patsy" Mote. The Maryland State Arts Council also re-elected its officers to another term at their annual meeting in June. The officers are: Dania R. Blair, Chair, St. Mary's County; Christopher R. West, Vice Chair, Baltimore County; and E. Scott Johnson, Secretary-Treasurer, Baltimore City.

Senior tourism officials visit Western Maryland
Assistant Secretary of Tourism, Film and the Arts Hannah Byron, Deputy Assistant Secretary Andrea Vernot and Executive Director of Tourism Margot Amelia attended a tour of Garrett County's new Adventure Sports Center International . ASCI operates both a 15-acre site on top of Marsh Mountain, home to ASCI's headquarters and the whitewater course; and a 550 acre 'Adventure Park' called Fork Run, home to myriad climbing routes on natural faces and more than 10 miles of mountain bike trails. The officials also had the opportunity to attend the Garrett Lakes Arts Fest, which was supported in part by the Maryland States Arts Council.

Connie Yingling named Vice Chair of MATPRA
Office of Tourism's public relations unit participated in the Mid-Atlantic Tourism PR Alliance's (MATPRA) annual media marketplace in Hampton, VA June 27 - 29, 2007. Connie Yingling moderated the Guidebook Media Panel on Wednesday evening, then manned the exhibit booth on Thursday morning generating 20 new media requests for Maryland trips and information. Connie became the Vice Chair of this organization effective July 1, 2007. Next year’s media marketplace will be held in Annapolis August 4-6, 2008 in the soon-to-be-opened Westin Hotel.

Artists attend Individual Artists Awards workshop
More than 65 Individual Artists attended workshop at the Maryland Historical Society on July 10 to learn more about the process to apply for an Individual Artist Award from the Maryland State Arts Council. The workshop was presented by the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation which administers the program for MSAC. Artists learned how to apply via the new eGrant system. On the Net: Maryland State Arts Council.

CDP training sessions continued in Easton, Solomons and Silver Spring
Maryland Cultural Data Project workshops were held at the Howard County Community College on June 23 and the Maryland Institute College of Art on June 27. Representatives from the Pew Charitable Trusts, administrators of the project, spoke to approximately 100 attendees about the creation of the Cultural Data Project and its goals to provide an easier application process for potential grantees through the development of a standardized system for reporting organizational data; and the creation of a consistent, reliable and useful source for comprehensive data on arts and culture in Maryland. Attendees also had a virtual tour of the project and instructions on how to enter their data and create grants reports. On the Net: Maryland State Arts Council .

IN THE NEWS

Best of Baltimore Showcase: Maryland Masters
The annual Maryland Masters showcase spotlights traditional artists and artisans in Baltimore and around the state. Put together by Maryland traditions (a partnership between the Maryland Historical Trust and the Maryland State Arts Council), it focuses on master artists passing along their knowledge and skills through apprenticeships.


Movie stars film in Havre de Grace
To film producer Chris Gibbin, Havre de Grace’s waterfront charm proved the perfect setting for “From Within,” a psychological thriller about people who seem to be committing suicides in bunches.

Pssssst! Hairspray opens
Sure, the stars turned out for Hairspray at The Charles cinema last night - Amanda Bynes, teen heartthrob Zac Efron, newcomer Nikki Blonsky. John Waters was there, too, along with his family, both real (his mother and sister) and adopted (a few hundred starstruck Baltimoreans).

Grass-roots video strategy
Most cities rely on marketing professionals, some on celebrities, but Baltimore could become the first destination to ask regular folks to sell the city. The Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association hopes the down-home advertising approach gives the city a leg up in the fierce competition for tourists' dollars.

EVENTS CALENDAR

Welcome to Sowebo
See photographs of Southwest Baltimore by world-renowned urban explorer Martha Cooper at the at the Maryland State Arts Council’s James Backas Gallery July 12 to August 18, 2007. The exhibit is presented by the Maryland Traditions program and made possible by a 2007 Maryland Traditions Project Grant to Southwest Visions. Maryland Traditions is a cooperative program of the Maryland State Arts Council and the Maryland Historical Trust is supported in part by funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. On the Net: Maryland State Arts Council.

Marketing Calendar
Maryland Tourism's Sales Team prepares to hit the road. Upcoming marketing opportunities:

  • Travel Expo New York (Corning) Travel Expo will be held September 11-12 at the Wings of Eagles Discovery Center in Horseheads, NY. More than 700 group leaders and 100 Motorcoach/Tour Operators are expected to attend.
  • MSTA Convention OTD will purchase booth space at the Maryland State Teachers Association (MSTA) Convention. The convention will be held in the Roland E. Powell Convention Center in Ocean City on October 19-20, 2007. As part of the convention, MSTA has a trade show for the 1,500+ teachers in attendance.
  • Greater New Jersey Motorcoach Association The Greater New Jersey Motorcoach Association (GNJMA) will be holding their group leader show on Tuesday, November 27th, at Trump's Taj Mahal in Atlantic City. This will be the third year for this event. An estimated 700 group leaders are expected to attend.

    Please contact Rich Gilbert with any questions regarding the sales and marketing opportunities at 410-767-6288 or rgilbert@mdwelcome.org.

Events on the horizon:
Little Italy Film Festival, Baltimore, Fridays through August 31
25th Annual Crab Days, St. Michael's, July 28 – 29
Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival, Sandy Point State Park, August 4 – 5
Art Walk, Annapolis, August 16
Maryland State Fair, Timonium, August 24 – September 3