State's 9/11 memorial to be dedicated on 10th anniversary of attacks
Less than a year ago, representatives of the Maryland State Arts Council, the Maryland Commission of Public Art and the Maryland Port Authority traveled to New York to select a Sept. 11 artifact from the collapsed twin towers of the World Trade Center for a memorial to be built in the state.

Randall Griffin, appointed by Gov. Martin O'Malley, chairs an advisory committee that has guided the evolution of the Maryland memorial. After a design competition, consultations among the committee and family members of Maryland's Sept. 11 victims, and several months of construction, the 9/11 Memorial of Maryland will be dedicated on the plaza of Baltimore's World Trade Center, Sunday, Sept. 11 at 3 p.m.

The 22-foot-long artifact – three steel beams twisted together from the North Tower – is the centerpiece of the memorial. It will rest on a marble base. Markers etched in the base will create a sundial effect and note the times when each plane crashed into the towers, the Pentagon and the field in Shanksville, Pa., and when each tower came down. The east side of the base will be inscribed with the names and birthdates of the 68 people from Maryland who died at the three sites.

In addition to the outdoor memorial, a Sept. 11 exhibit also opens on the 27th floor of the World Trade Center, the “Top of the World” observation-level, on the day of the dedication. It features a smaller steel artifact, limestone from the Pentagon's west façade and limestone rocks from the Flight 93 National Memorial near Shanksville. Names and photos of each of the Marylanders who died in the terrorist attacks will be included in the exhibit.

A photography exhibition by Maryland photographer Bill McAllen that documents the development of the memorial – from arrival of the artifact and marble selection in Vermont through design and construction – will be on display in the lobby of the World Trade Center, Sept. 11 through Nov. 11.

Traditions in Schools brings artists to schools
All middle schools and high schools in Montgomery County – public and private – will have an opportunity this fall to bring in local traditional-art masters for performance and classroom workshops at a discounted rate as part of a new program, Maryland Traditions in the Schools: Montgomery Masters.

The project represents an alliance between the Maryland State Arts Council's Arts in Education and Maryland Traditions programs, in partnership with the National Council for the Traditional Arts (Silver Spring) and Class Acts Arts (Silver Spring). Four world-class traditional artists will participate: Samia Ahmad (South Asian classical music); Junious “House” Brickhouse (urban dance); Daryl Davis (barrelhouse piano/American roots music); and Phil Wiggins (country blues harmonica).

Individual schools will be responsible for paying one-third of the artists' regular fees, starting at $233 for one performance and two workshops. For more information, call or e-mail Class Acts Arts, 301-588-7525.

The Arts Council is planning for Maryland Traditions in the Schools to continue with five traditional artists available for appearances at Prince George's County schools during spring 2012.

Pictured: Junious “House” Brickhouse

Western Maryland arts museum receives national grant
Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, located in Hagerstown, is the recipient of a $144,578 grant from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services.

The Washington County museum – selected from 481 applicants across the U.S. – will use the grant for a collections-inventory project involving its more than 7,000 works of art, which include significant holdings of European and American art dating from the 16th century to the present, Asian and African Art, and decorative arts. This project will also address elements of collections planning, collections security and safety, database conversion, photography and documentation.

“We look forward to the opportunity to better serve our community,” said Rebecca Massie Lane, museum director, “by enhancing the museum's capacity to reach its audiences with complete and accurate information on our important art collection.”

Image from Rustica exhibition, starts Sept. 24 (artist: Robert Patierno)

Eastern Shore museum earns accreditation
Salisbury University's Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art has received accreditation by the American Association of Museums (AAM).

The Ward Museum becomes one of 13 museums accredited in Maryland. To mark the occasion, the museum offers free admission through Oct. 9. It will also host an accreditation celebration, Friday, Oct. 7, during the annual Chesapeake Wildfowl Expo . Of the nation's estimated 17,500 museums, 779 are now accredited.

“The museum's future is bright due to the support from Salisbury University, our local community and beyond,” said Lora Bottinelli, executive director at the Ward Museum and a member of the Maryland State Art Council.

AAM president Ford W. Bell said: "The Ward Museum has proven itself to be among the nation's finest institutions, exceeding the standards of the museum field in all its operations, public programs and educational initiatives."

Image: decoy courtesy of Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art

Americans for the Arts salutes Howard County firm
Columbia-based Corporate Office Properties Trust (COPT) was recently named one of the 10 Best Companies Supporting the Arts in America by the Business Committee on the Arts, a part of the national arts advocacy organization Americans for the Arts. Other companies on the list include 3M, Macy's and Walt Disney World Resort.

Randall "Rand" Griffin (pictured), CEO of the Maryland firm, is chair of the Maryland 9/11 Memorial Advisory Committee, the group that has guided development of the memorial through its work with design selection, community engagement and public funding. Griffin is also a member of the Maryland Commission on Public Art.

Strathmore attempts world record for ‘ukes'
Nearly a 1,000 ukulele players – part of a crowd that exceeded 2,100 – gathered in North Bethesda on the 11-acre Strathmore campus, Aug. 24 for UkeFes t. More than 50 performers and 945 players of all experience levels registered for a group strum-a-long of “Aloha ‘Oe” and “This Land is Your Land.”

Strathmore – a venue for multi-disciplinary arts programming – coordinated the event to capture the Guinness World Record for “largest ukulele ensemble,” which at the time was thought to have been set in 2009 by 851 uke players at the London Ukulele Festival.

However, following UkeFest, Strathmore learned that 1,547 uke players had performed just days before, on Aug. 20 in Helsingborg, Sweden. Guinness recognized the Swedes as the new international record holders. Strathmore, home to the Music Center at Strathmore, now has the American record.

Photo by Margot I. Schulman