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BIG ART
30TH ANNAPOLIS ARTWALK CONTINUES TO HIGHLIGHT ARTISTS, GALLERIES STORY BY STEVE ADAMS
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nnapolis is an art lover’s dream town. The easily walkable downtown is home to no less than two dozen galleries and studios. The famous portraitist Charles Willson Peale spent many years working here for art patrons. Annual events draw both amateurs and professionals for inspiration and camaraderie. Local arts leaders weren’t going to let the coronavirus pandemic change that tradition. Cynthia McBride, who owns McBride Gallery in downtown and Benfield Gallery in Severna Park, is one of the founders of the annual Annapolis ArtWalk, 8 • BAY WEEKLY • August 13 - August 20, 2020
which for 30 years has been highlighting the many local galleries and artists by hosting open houses and special events one night every year, free of charge. This year’s event is scheduled for Thurs., Aug. 20 (5-9pm). The “walk” actually dates back to the 1980s, when a small group of the city’s ten or so gallery owners got together to discuss how they could raise awareness of and promote the Annapolis visual arts scene and their newest exhibits. They first tried hosting “A Round of Galleries” and quarterly open houses, but unfortunately experienced little success. Then, the 1990 relocation of McBride Gallery,
