72 HOURS Feb. 23, 2023

NEW JAMAICAN RESTAURANT OPENS IN YELLOW SPRINGS

Owner Richard Cohen grew up in Jamaica and then spent 20-some years as a chef in the States before opening a Jamaican restaurant of his own here in Frederick County. Expect to find all the Jamaican classics — fried plantains, jerk chicken, braised oxtail, curried goat — at Jerk It Smoke It, which opened in December. Stop in and get treated to some reggae along with island dishes.

DOCUMENTARY SCREENING ABOUT A HISTORIC SCHOOL IN FREDERICK

The AARCH Society will host a screening of the documentary “Back to Our By-Gone Days” about Lincoln High in Frederick as part of Black History Month. The film tells the story of this historic African-American Frederick County school, highlighting former students who share memories of attending the school prior to integration. The film screening, slated for 3 p.m. Feb. 26 at Jackson Chapel UMC, 5609 Ballenger Creek Pike, Frederick, will include live music from the Frederick County Black History Gospel Choir. Admission is free, but donations will be accepted at the door.

THIRSTY? HEAD TO BERKELEY SPRINGS

Bottled, sparkling or tap, waters of the world will be showcased and tasted during the annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting this weekend, open to the public. The competition is held at The Country Inn in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, a town known for its warm mineral springs and considered the first spa in America. The event includes speakers and seminars open to the public, and it’s the perfect excuse to make an excursion to soak in one of the town’s spring-fed baths or stroll and peruse its antique shops, art galleries and boutiques.

MAKE YOUR MARK ON THIS HUGE BLANK CANVAS IN ANNAPOLIS

St. John’s College just reopened its Elizabeth Myers Mitchell Art Museum last week after closing it through the pandemic for renovations. Its first exhibition, “The Open Museum,” invites visitors to literally make their mark on the walls of an otherwise empty gallery. Over the course of five weeks, organizers expect doodles, diagrams, drawings and texts will fill the space, resulting in an extended portrait of the Mitchell Art Museum’s community.

Meet Bob & Freddie. When it comes to local businesses, businesspeople and organizations in Frederick, they know best. Here is a personal interview with a 2022 Best of the Best winner or finalist about why they love what they do, helping those they serve and working in Frederick.

Precision ConstructionUtilityInc.

2022 FINALISTS FOR BEST ELECTRICAL COMPANY AND BEST COMPANY TO WORK FOR

584 N. East Street, Frederick 301-800-8090

Facebook.com/people/PrecisionUtility-Construction-Inc

Established in 2018, Precision Utility Construction specializing in underground utility construction, and horizontal directional drilling.

Photo courtesy of to You’re Probably From Frederick, Md, If You Remember...

Lincoln High in Frederick, 1923.

Sapwood Cellars Brewery in Columbia

In this episode of the UnCapped podcast, host Chris Sands talks with Mike Tonsmeire, of Sapwood Cellars in Columbia, about the brewery and the state of the craft beer industry. Tonsmeire was also kind enough to help Sands finally understand phantasm and thiols. Here is an excerpt of their talk.

UnCapped: Let’s start with who you are and a little history of how Sapwood Cellars came to be. I think you’re one of the more well-known brewery owners because of your past life.

Mike Tonsmeire: As you may remember, our brewery focuses on pastry sours and barrel-aged stouts. I’m joking. When we opened, we were all about my partner Scott’s [Scott Janish, Sapwood cofounder] IPAs and my barrel-aged mixed-ferm sour beers.

UnCapped: So much so, that Scott wrote a book about IPAs.

Tonsmeire: And I wrote a book about sour beers.

UnCapped: I still have not read either of them. Sorry.

Tonsmeire: They’re not fun reads. They’re both very technical and brewercentric.

So, both of us had been brewing hobbyists for a long time. I’m getting close to 20 years since I started home brewing, and Scott started a couple years after me. We both had good, cushy, cubicle jobs in Washington, D.C., and decided we could probably keep doing that for the rest of our lives and go to Homebrew Con and do a little home brew consulting on the side.

UnCapped: Scott was a lobbyist. Were you also in lobbying?

Tonsmeire: No, I was an economist for the Bureau of Labor Statistics, but an economist in the loose sense. I have an undergrad in economics.

UnCapped: Economist-lite?

Tonsmeire: Yeah. In the same way that Budweiser is a real brewery and we’re like the fun, weird brewery, I was the fun, weird economist. I worked on inflation, so obviously my old coworkers have been having a fun time for the last year or so.

But we both decided that it was

worth taking a shot at [opening a brewery] and that we would regret it more if we did not make that jump and sat in a cubicle for the next 30 years and wonder what could have been, what could we have made. So we took that jump and found a space in Columbia that had already been built out for a brewery that just never opened, and

that made the financial side of it a lot easier.

Originally we’d been looking at that Rare Barrel, buy-work-from-somebody, focus on the barrel-aged sours to get our foot in the door of professional brewing.

UnCapped: Has that model ever worked for anyone?

Tonsmeire: Rare Barrel just sold to Cellarmaker [Brewing].

I think, sadly, the issue at the moment is that barrel-aged sour beers are not the cool thing that they maybe once were. Now, the people who love them love them and go out of their way to find the best ones. But the average

SAPWOOD CELLARS BREWERY

8980 MD-108, Suite MNO, Columbia sapwoodcellars.com

CAN RELEASE: HOPS, LAGER, AND FRUIT Sapwood Cellars will release three new beers at noon Feb. 25: Smüzí Triple Berry Banana (6% Smoothie Sour with Blueberry, Blackberry, Strawberry, and Banana Purees), Pilsner Kopírovat (5% Czech Pilsner), Classic Modern (5% Dynasty and Lost Lagers-collab Historic Hazy IPA), The Dragon (8.1% Rye DIPA with Nelson, Mosaic, and Hallertau Blanc), and Dream Logic (7.2% IPA with Hydra and Mosaic).

consumer, I don’t know if they’re burnt out on it or if, after the last three years, between the politics and the pandemic and everything, when people have a beer, they … want a big chocolate marshmallow with peanut butter hug.

UnCapped: They want the mac and cheese of beers.

Tonsmeire: Yeah, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Beer is about escapism and having fun. As a brewery, we very much focused on making the beers that people want to buy.

UnCapped: I feel like everyone I talk to who originally started to go that route, changed their minds right away, last-minute or after they opened, and went the route that you’ve gone, probably because the market isn’t there.

Tonsmeire: I think part of it is the price point, too. A lot of our bottles are $14, $16, and there can be such a range in those beers. You can share it with a couple of friends, you each sip three or four ounces, and it’s fun to try, but it might be the kind of thing where you don’t want a whole one for yourself.

This excerpt has been edited for space and clarity. Listen to the full podcast at fnppodcasts.com/uncapped. Got UnCapped news? Email csands@ newspost.com.

Chris Sands

Michael Tonsmeire of Sapwood Cellars Brewery

Richard Cohen, shown here, opened Jerk It Smoke It in December in Yellow Springs.

Jerk It Smoke It offers Jamaican, Caribbean menu

During his 20 years as a chef in various New York City restaurants, Richard Cohen always dreamed of opening his own Jamaican restaurant. He cooked in a variety of styles, from Scandinavian fare to pastries, while working on opening his own place. In December, his dream was realized when he opened Jerk It Smoke It in Yellow Springs. Reggae-tinged rock plays in its dining room off of Yellow Springs Road, and the restaurant’s menu offers diners what Cohen calls an authentic Caribbean-American culinary experience. The menu ranges from brown stew fish, jerk chicken and pork, curried goat, braised oxtail and escovitch fish. He’s toned down the spices a bit, to appeal to American palates, Cohen admitted, but he also serves sauces that can turn up the heat.

— Ryan Marshall

JERK IT SMOKE IT

2060 Yellow Springs Road, Suite 104, Frederick 240-831-4157, 240-439-4523

jerkitsmokeit@gmail.com

Twitter: @JerkItSmokeIt

Instagram: @jerkitsmokeit

Facebook: facebook. com/jerkitsmokeit

Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Sunday

Prices: Entrees range $11 to $29

Owner

in particular, stands out

Cohen’s time in Jamaica, where he lived until he

17.

is the staple,” he said. The fresh chicken is cleaned and brined, then seasoned with herbs and spices, including garlic, thyme, pimiento, scallions, rosemary and jerk seasoning. It marinates for at least 24 hours and then is smoked for two hours or more. “There’s so much time and attention that goes into it,” he said.

Staff photos by Bill Green

Richard Cohen recommends: One dish,

from

was

“Jerk chicken

Shane Guerrette’s musical DIY stance

BY COLIN MCGUIRE Special to The News-Post

From YouTube covers to originalsongs success, Shane Guerrette has been working his whole life for the opportunity to tour. Now he has it. After wrapping up a quick stint with Black Joe Lewis earlier this year, he’ll hit the road with The Heavy Heavy for a 15-date trek that will take him up and down the East Coast.

Before he does that, however, he’ll make a stop in Frederick at New Spire Stages as part of the Weinberg Center’s Tivoli Discovery Series on March 2.

72 Hours recently caught up with Guerrette to talk about how he got into music, the influence of John Mayer, making a record in his bedroom and how important the release of those YouTube videos were to the beginning of his career.

I was listening to some of your music earlier today. It’s a very distinct style, and I love it a lot. I’m wondering how you came into playing the sort of music you play.

It’s really interesting because when I was starting out learning music, I was 14 years old and started on an acoustic guitar. My first influences weren’t necessarily what they are now, so it’s cool to look back and see how I was inspired by different genres. In high school, I really liked John Mayer. I just thought he was an amazing guitarist. It puzzled me how he could play guitar like that. I fell down the rabbit hole of tracing his inspirations and, in that, I found a lot of blues music. His main guy was Stevie Ray Vaughn. You trace it back and there were the Kings — B.B. King, Albert King, Freddie King — and I landed in a place where one day I woke up and all I was playing was blues-inspired music.

I grew up listening to Led Zeppelin and The Doors. It was classic rock, through and through. I went through a phase where I was just trying to figure out what my sound was and where I felt the most inspired writing and not just listening. When it came down to writing, I was wondering what I was trying to sound like. It came down to this mesh of everything, really.

These last couple years, I’ve been influenced by soul music, so it’s kind of a mesh of all the influences through the years. The approach is pretty DIY. I recorded the album myself, but I wouldn’t call myself a producer.

It sounds like retro music that was recorded in 2023 in a bedroom.

That’s very true. One thing that really struck me was your voice. You have a very soulful voice. How did you come into that?

It was me just doing it for so long. I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember. My older sister was always singing. My mom was always singing, growing up. I was always around it, and I just kind of fell into it. The first song I remember singing was U2. I really liked Bono when I was really young, and people told me I sounded like him growing up. I sang in chorus throughout high school, and I ended up doing pop covers on YouTube in high school. It was this thing of figuring out my own voice. One day, I just kind of started writing differently and fell into it.

Back to your album. You said you produced it yourself — was that something you always wanted to do, or were there other people you were hoping to work with on it?

It’s funny, actually. I recorded a debut album during COVID, when everything was coming back to normal, and at the time, I was working a job and I took a couple weeks off to figure out how to do music full-time. I visited my brother in New York City, and I was doing these open mics, and

SHANE GUERRETTE

When: 7:30 p.m. March 2

Where: New Spire Stages, 15 W. Patrick St., Frederick

Tickets: Advance tickets are available for a suggested donation of $10, or pay what you want at the door. Info: 301-600-2828, weinbergcenter.org

I felt really discouraged because there wouldn’t be a crowd. You’d just play to other musicians.

So, I decided to shift my efforts towards recording my own music and getting it out into the world somehow. At the time, I had done some production for those YouTube covers, and I kind of had a hand in the production world. I’d watch tutorials on music production and all that, and to be honest, I was recording the album as a demo to send to producers to help me record an actual album.

I had a list of producers I did reach out to. Some were interested and some of them got back to me while others didn’t, but I was only recording it as a demo to find a producer to record it as a polished album. By the time I was done with the demo, I sent it out to producers and also sent it

out to friends and family to see what they thought, and everyone seemed to like it. The whole process was so fun because I wasn’t worried about making this perfect thing. I didn’t have the pressure of the thing that stops me the most, which is perfection. It wasn’t even a worry because it was just a demo. I released the album one single at a time and made videos around them online, and they slowly picked up some sort of buzz, and here I am now. It’s been a gradual thing.

One thing I liked about the songs I heard is that they aren’t that long. Most of them are between two and three minutes, and you don’t see that a lot nowadays. Was that a conscious decision on your part?

It was and it wasn’t. I was aware of it towards the end of trying to record those songs. It was something I was considering changing, but I like being conscious of the era we’re living in and how people consume music. I knew being an unknown artist, it would be easier to capture people’s attention by releasing one song at a time instead of an album all at once.

The second part of that is the length of the songs. I figured I’d leave them at that timeframe because it was easier to digest. People weren’t so eager to sit down and listen to a fiveminute song, let alone a whole album. It was the times we were living in.

I’m interested to see how that translates in your live show. Coming to Frederick, will you have a band with you, or will you perform solo?

This show is with a band, a threepiece: myself on guitar and vocals, and I’ll bring a drummer and bassist along. It’s another thing I never thought about while recording the album. How am I going to do this live, and how will it translate? It’s been its own thing. How do I make it sound like the record, but also, how do I make it different? It’ll be different in some regards. I like working in intros and outros. I want it to be fresh, so I’m not doing the same thing day after day. It’s all part of the plan, figuring out how to keep it where it’s familiar but also interesting.

I noticed you have a nice amount of dates on your website. Is this year the most you’ve been able to tour, or have you been on the road a lot?

Touring has always been a goal of mine since I started doing music. It’s

(See GUERRETTE 10)

Courtesy photo

Shane Guerrette

The sound of spring is … a choir?

BY JOSEPH PETERSON Special to The News-Post

There’s a reason George Frideric Handel’s famed Hallelujah Chorus comes to mind when rays of sun pierce through a gray sky and break the spell of winter.

In Frederick, however, that chorus need not be of your own imagining, as multiple community choirs will be performing concerts this season, bringing the sound of spring to life at venues throughout the area.

What follows is a list of concerts from February through May from six choral groups in Frederick and the surrounding area.

CLUSTERED SPIRES CHORUS OF SWEET ADELINES

This all-female choir based in Frederick will perform “That’s Barbershop!” at 2:30 p.m. Feb. 25, showcasing women’s four-part a cappella harmonies. Their first concert of the year, it will be held at the Jack B. Kussmaul Theater at Frederick Community College. Tickets are $10 at the door, $8 for students. More information is available at clusteredspires.org.

FREDERICK CATOCTONES

This all-male choir is planning a guest night sing-out on Feb. 28 at the Church of the Brethren on Fairview Avenue in Frederick. They will also perform at the FCBIA Home Show at Frederick Fairgrounds on March 18. There is more in the works for this celebrated choir, which sang the National Anthem at an Orioles game, but most usefully, they just launched a new website this month. Check it out for videos and more information at catoctones.com.

CHORAL ARTS SOCIETY OF FREDERICK

This year, CASF celebrates its 79th year and will bring two concerts to Frederick this spring. The first will join forces with the choirs of Hood College along with a full orchestra to provide a free concert highlighting Baroque “Cathedral Classics” in the newly renovated Coffman Chapel at Hood. That concert will be held at 3 p.m. March 26. Then it’s “Over There!” on May 12 and 13 at FCC’s JBK theater, where audiences can get a preview of what CASF will perform in France later this summer as an invited choir for selected D-Day commemorative events. Learn more at casof.org.

FREDERICK CHILDREN’S CHORUS

The Frederick Children’s Chorus has a mission to “bring children together for the joyful exploration and celebration of singing.” Fresh off their holiday appearance at the city of Frederick’s Festival of Lights candle lighting, the veritable community institution will first host a small concert featuring their youngest singers on April 25, but the full choir’s main spring concert will be on May 13. Along with sending a group to Nashville for a music festival in March, Frederick Children’s

Chorus is a busy choir and will also offer other various community appearances sprinkled in throughout the season. Keep up with the latest at fredcc.org.

FREDERICK CHORALE

For more than 45 years, the Frederick Chorale has been enriching its home community with

a broad repertoire that ranges from classic masterworks to contemporary favorites. Their spring concert this season, “From Stage to Screen: Timeless Classics and New Favorites,” will be held at 4 p.m. May 21 and 7:30 p.m. May 22 at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in downtown Frederick. More about the choir and upcoming shows is at frederickchorale.org.

MASTERWORKS CHORALE OF CARROLL COUNTY

The Masterworks Chorale in nearby Carroll County is still looking to recruit more singers wanting to join the choir to perform composer Carl Orff’s popular cantata “Carmina Burana.” So, if you are looking for a choir to potentially sing with for at least one concert, go to their singer registration at masterworksofcc.org. That concert will be at 3 p.m. April 30 in the Baker Memorial Chapel at McDaniel College in Westminster.

For many choirs, it’s been a long road back to fully and safely functioning since the pandemic began. Listening to a choir can be soothing, invigorating, comforting or inspiring. Whatever your desire may be, with this many choirs in town, there’s sure to be a concert that will resonate with you or have you singing “Hallelujah!”

Joseph Peterson is a member of Choral Arts Society of Frederick.

Staff file photo by Ric Dugan

The Frederick Children’s Chorus perform with rainsticks during a concert at St. Katherine Drexel Church in December 2022.

Victoria Chamberlain

The Frederick Chorale performs at Frederick Presbyterian Church in Frederick.

MUSIC

Concert and workshop with guitarist Frank Vignola

Guitarist Frank Vignola is a star entertainer with a tremendous sense of musical fun — indeed a pillar of the jazz world. He will perform with bassist Gary Mazzaroppi at 7 p.m. Feb. 25 at the Cultural Arts Center at Montgomery College, 7995 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring.

A workshop with both artists will be held at 2 p.m. Feb. 25 at the same location.

Vignola will lead a hands-on 90 minute class on jazz styles, soloing and recommended listening. Designed for the player with some experience, this is an opportunity to take your appreciation of standards and lead sheets to the next level. Register online.

Concert tickets are $17.50 to $55 and available at marlowguitar.org. Call 301-7994028 or email info@marlowguitar. org for more information.

Skerryvore

THURSDAY, MARCH 2 | 7:30 PM

Teelin Irish Dance Company

Celtic Journey

SATURDAY, MARCH 11 | 7:00 PM

Classic Albums Live Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon

SUNDAY, MARCH 12 | 7:30 PM

Loudon Wainwright III & Tom Rush with Matt Nakoa

FRIDAY, MARCH 17 | 8:00 PM

WONDER BOOK CLASSIC FILM SERIES

Catch 22 (1970)

THURSDAY, MARCH 9 | 7:30 PM

An Evening with David Sedaris

THURSDAY, MARCH 30 | 7:30 PM

The Steel Wheels

SATURDAY, APRIL 1 | 8:00 PM Classic Albums Live

...AND

East of Eden (1955)

THURSDAY, APRIL 13 | 7:30 PM

David

Courtesy photo Frank Vignola

Care to sample some water?

Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting slated for this weekend

This is a question that gets asked over and over: “Sure, water tasting might matter, but only to a handful of old men in Canada, right?”

Actually, water tasting has a huge impact on Berkeley Springs, West Virginia.

The Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting is the largest and longest running water tasting in the world. When it started in 1991, the organizers never imagined the impact the event would have on the town and the world of water. Over the years, over 735 distinct waters from six continents, 59 countries and 47 states and D.C. have been tasting in the competition.

If you happen to be in a grocery store in Bosnia, the bottle you pick up will have a Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting medal on it — if you choose the good water. You’ll find this stamp of approval displayed on thousands of bottles

Kids book teaches the importance of the sun

Stars shine in our night sky and all throughout the galaxy, but the closest star to us on Earth is the one we see during the day, the sun.

This month, Science Naturally published Walkersville native Elizabeth Everett’s second children’s book, “Twinkle, Twinkle, Daytime Star,” with a bilingual English/Spanish edition to be released simultaneously.

children everywhere get excited about science and reading.

Science Naturally will provide a free, downloadable Teacher’s Guide in English on their website.

sold all over the world. Sometimes, the only English words on a label are Berkeley Spring.

Arthur von Wiesenberger will serve as water master and is responsible for training the judges at this year’s event, which will be held on Feb. 24 and 25.

The event also includes a seminar, Water: Beneath the Surface and Around the Globe, which takes place from 1 to 5 p.m. Feb. 24. This will also be livestreamed.

New this year, Project WET (Water Education Today) will host three exhibits at the event, two of which are interactive. They will also present at the seminar.

Come by The Country Inn on Feb. 25 to learn from Project WET, and visit the public tasting table to sample waters — bottled, sparkling and municipal — from all over the world.

Learn more at berkeleyspringswatertasting.com.

A science lesson wrapped in a familiar rhyme, “Twinkle, Twinkle, Daytime Star” is a sweet, educational bedtime story for ages 2 to 7. This charming book illuminates the important relationship we have with the sun and gives a glimpse of the amazing and surprising ways it affects our lives –– like telling time, marking the days and seasons, creating light and shadows, maintaining the orbit of planets in our solar system and providing life to all living things on Earth.

“Twinkle, Twinkle, Daytime Star” is illustrated by Beatriz Castro, who uses bright colors, diverse characters and detailed drawings to encapsulate the sun’s bright presence in our lives. With her glowing artwork, this twist on a classic poem is a cozy way to learn about the one-of-a-kind star that makes everything possible.

In the bilingual English/Spanish edition, “Brilla, brilla, estrellita del día,” the rhyming Spanish text was adapted and reviewed by native speakers to ensure that the language is accurate and rhythmic. Science Naturally is committed to publishing works in a variety of world languages to help

The guide is for educators, parents and librarians who want to help kids better engage and understand the material. The guide includes activities, discussion questions, handson activities and experiments to encourage young minds to think more about our solar system.

Everett spent 16 years as a classroom teacher before venturing into writing. Inspired by her energetic youngster, Jalen, and his love for books, she took her background in education and meshed it with his childhood interests. Everett’s first book, “This is the Sun,” won two awards: the 2022 Brain Child Award and the 2022 Creative Child Book of the Year Award. She worked for Frederick County Public Schools before relocating to Colorado with her family.

Courtesy photo

Courtesy photo

always been this daydream I’ve had. Everything I’ve been working toward has been to get to touring. Growing up, I’d play out in bars and restaurants pretty heavily, just doing acoustic gigs. It was great and all, but sometimes, it’s discouraging when you feel like background music. I just wanted to put on a show where people come out and they know my music. That’s always been a goal.

I just did a five-day run with Black Joe Lewis, and that was my first real introduction to touring. That was the first time I started doing legitimate shows and opening for awesome bands.

In April, I’ll be opening for The Heavy Heavy. It’s my introduction to touring, and so far, it’s been both good and bad. I never envisioned everything that goes into it, but it’s been a great opportunity.

Around the time I was releasing one single at a time, I was reaching out to booking agents. I always knew that I wanted a booking agent on my team, and I was cold-emailing agents. I made a list of booking agents I could see myself aligning with, and a couple

got back to me.

One of them was Chris Palmer at Madison House. Initially, in the spring and summer of 2022, we were just talking. He heard the music and really liked it. So, we’d go back and forth and have phone calls every couple weeks. I remember one day in December, I was at work when he called me in the middle of the day, and I didn’t think anything of it. I thought it was just another phone call to check in, and he mentioned he wanted to work together officially. Since then, we’ve been working together. I’m really grateful he came along, and he’s been helping me tremendously.

Let’s go back to the pop covers on YouTube. Your sound is older than modern day music. It’s interesting how those two things clash. How important do you think it is now to have that video presence on all the different platforms and getting your name out there, even if you’re just doing covers and not your own music? Do you think that’s essential these days?

That’s a very, very good question. It’s hard for an artist to come around and accept that’s where the industry is at. That’s where the opportunity is to

get a fanbase and get that exposure. I personally think it’s really instrumental in the developing stage of an artist. You’re coming from no fanbase to building one. It’s a really great platform to do that.

For me, I was building a fanbase at the same time I was figuring out how to be an artist. You get those fans that stay with you through the whole process, and they’re on the journey with you. I understand why it’s seen as a negative thing, because a lot of the time, we fall into the game of making content that appeals to an audience, and you get caught in the game of marketing more than making art. I understand that, but at the same time, I think it’s a necessary evil to at least be aware of what it can do for you and how you can get your name out there. It’s a double-edged sword.

The last thing I wanted to ask about is the rest of your year. Do you have things planned for the rest of the summer and maybe even the fall?

Right now, the furthest out I’m looking at is April. I’m doing that 15day tour for The Heavy Heavy, starting in Maine and ending up in Florida, so it’s the whole East Coast, and I’m

looking forward to that. I know we’re looking into getting more dates, so I wouldn’t be surprised if there are upcoming tours after that and into the summer.

Besides that, I’m working on new music. I can’t give all the details away on that because it’s so early, but I definitely am planning on releasing new music, and I think it’s going to be the same approach — me in my room recording this stuff. I like the organic quality to it. It’s just me and the fans. There’s no middle man. I’m writing all these songs, I’m producing them, and I feel like that’s special for these early days.

One day, I’m sure I’ll find a producer, but it has to be the right one — one where we see eye-to-eye. For now, I just really like these early days.

Colin McGuire has been in and out of bands for more than 20 years and also helps produce concerts in and around Frederick. His work has appeared in Alternative Press magazine, PopMatters and 72 Hours, among other outlets. He is convinced that the difference between being in a band and being in a romantic relationship is less than minimal. Contact him at mcguire.colin@gmail.

A fearless group of actors race across medieval Europe trying to outrun the Black Death. This wildly inventive and funny work examines the evolution of human creativity in a dark age: When does a crisis destroy us, and when does it open new frontiers?

WHAT IS IT TO BE A MUSEUM?

Elizabeth Myers Mitchell Art Museum reopens

St. John’s College reopened the Elizabeth Myers Mitchell Art Museum to the public on Feb. 17. The museum closed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and for the past three years has offered online programming while the surrounding space underwent renovations.

The newly renamed Mitchell Art Museum, previously known as the Mitchell Gallery, is the only art museum in Anne Arundel County accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and one of only five to be accredited in Maryland.

Admission to the museum is free and

open to the public. Museum hours are 1 to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday and 1 to 8 p.m. on Fridays.

The first exhibition, “The Open Museum,” runs through March 26 and asks, “What is it to be a museum?” Visitors will be invited into an otherwise empty gallery and asked to make their mark directly on the clean, white walls. Over the course of five weeks, doodles, diagrams, drawings and texts will fill the space, resulting in an extended portrait of the Mitchell Art Museum’s community.

“One of the most exciting aspects of this exhibition to me is that it will be

impossible to anticipate what it will look like day to day,” says museum director Peter Nesbett. “It depends upon who shows up. In fact, who shows up is really the whole point.”

During the run of the exhibition, St. John’s College student clubs and Annapolis community groups will host concerts and events in the gallery. Additionally, Philadelphia curator Robert Blackson will lead a conversation on how museums create their audiences, Institute for Contemporary Art Richmond curator Sarah Rifky will talk about museums and intimacy, and St. John’s College tutor Matthew Linck will

host a discussion on Umberto Eco’s 1962 text “The Open Work,” which inspired the concept of museums as more democratic, interdisciplinary and participatory institutions.

From April 8 through June 5, the museum will present two exhibitions: “Love By Looking: Selections from the Collection of Alitash Kebede Collection of African American Art” and “The Prints of Rockwell Kent: Selections from the Ralf C. Nemec Collection.”

For more information on exhibits and programming, visit sjc.edu/mitchell or follow @sjcmitchell on Facebook and Instagram.

Courtesy photo

“The Open Museum” runs through March 26. Visitors are invited into an otherwise empty gallery and asked to make their mark directly on the clean, white walls. Over the course of five weeks, a cacophony of doodles, diagrams, drawings, and texts will fill the space, resulting in an extended portrait of the Mitchell Art Museum’s community.

The day I became … aSnow Rider

BY ERIK ANDERSON Special to The News-Post

On the count of three, my entire body suddenly dropped, a rush of cold air blasted the hoodie off my head, and for a few brief moments, I knew the transcendence of surrendering all control of my being to God and the physics of nature. About half an hour later, I was back at home, telling my wife what I wanted her to grab from Sheetz for lunch.

When I reserved my ticket for the new Snow Riders snow tubing hill in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, I fully expected that kind of thrilling adventure.

What I did not expect was how easy it would be to enter into that experience and then quickly get back to regular life. In fact, prior to heading out that morning, I felt woefully underprepared for a day out on the slopes.

The last time I slid down a snowy hill, the trip involved days of preparation and took an entire day to execute. I bought a heavy coat, snow pants and thick gloves. My brother and I drove an hour from Frederick to get to Whitetail Resort in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, arriving really early to

rent poles, skis and ski boots and then to get a quick lesson on how to use them. We nearly froze our fingers off just signing the waivers at the ticket booth.

While we had a lot of fun once we got on the slopes, we had invested so much time and money into the experience that we didn’t feel compelled to leave when we started to get tired. I remember being so achy and exhausted by the end of it, I had to spend the whole next day resting. And that was 20 years ago.

When it came to preparing for Snow Riders, I knew the experience wouldn’t be as intense, but still, I worried that my hoodie, jeans, hiking shoes and thin gloves would not offer enough protection from a day involving snow.

I was wrong. The snow was cold, obviously, but the ambient temperature was in the 40s, and actual contact with the snow was very brief. While the tubing hill is covered in snow, it was too shallow and compact to get inside my shoes. I never really felt cold.

After checking in and watching a brief safety video just before my scheduled start time, I found myself really glad not to be encumbered by heavy clothes or equipment as I walked down to the “magic carpet”

that moves guests up to the start of the course. When I got there, one of the cheerful guides handed me a snow tube, which is included in the $48 ticket entrance fee. I stepped onto the slow-moving conveyor belt, clutching the tether of my tube, and began a pleasant ascent up a big hill with a nice view of the Shenandoah Valley.

I admit to feeling a bit nervous as

Snow Attendant Christian Kelican cleans a snow tube at Snow Riders.

Staff photos by Katina Zentz

Erik Anderson rides down the slope at Snow Riders, a snow tubing resort near Harpers Ferry, W.Va., on Feb. 12.

Snow tubers ride down the slope at Snow Riders, a snow

I approached the top of the lane I was about to plummet down. This was very unlike the feeling I had the one time I went skiing back in college. Skiing is a fun rush but not relaxing, because it requires active concentration and skill. If you lose control of your speed or balance, you’ll tumble, rather than glide, down the hill.

Snow tubing is a completely different experience. There’s nothing to do, really, but sit down, hold on and

enjoy the ride. The staff will even give you a push onto the slope if you’re having trouble scooting. This sliding downward allows for the kind of complete surrender to gravity that I’ve only experienced on waterslides and rollercoasters.

Dozens of people of all ages were at Snow Riders when I went on a recent Sunday, and everyone seemed to be having a great time.

Because the setup is so simple

and the staff so on-the-ball, there was hardly any wait time to get back up on the slope. I took the plunge five times during my 90-minute session, but I’d estimate it to be possible to ride down the hill a dozen times in that timeframe. When it was time to go, I left my tube at the bottom of the hill and walked to the parking lot where a little food truck was vending winter treats. I ordered a hot chocolate, drank it on my short walk to the car, and headed out.

Twenty minutes later, I was back in my home just south of Frederick discussing lunch plans with my wife and two girls. They are both under 3, but I’m hopeful the older one will meet the 36inch height requirement next winter so she, too, can be a snow rider.

Erik Anderson is a freelance writer in Frederick who cares about few things more than the history of his community. Email him at erikanderson07@gmail. com.

snow tubing resort near Harpers Ferry, W.Va., on Feb. 12.

”Natural Selection: Experiencing Change” — through Feb. 26, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Paintings by S. Manya Stoumen–Tolino. The idea of natural selection belongs to human ideas about how organic forms evolve and endure, or not. In this series, StoumenTolino reflects on major forms, lines, and color experienced in the natural world that express the inherent changes constantly occurring in all living things. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. 301-698-0656 or delaplaine. org.

”Drifting Through Deep Time” — through Feb. 26, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Photography by Keith Kozloff. A reflection on “deep time,” a term applied to how we conceive of geological timescales. Constructing a photographic narrative loosely based on the protocontinent Avalonia, his work is a reflection on human attention and humanity’s capacity to understand Earth’s life support systems. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. 301-698-0656 or delaplaine. org.

”Diversity, Equity and Inclusion”

— through Feb. 26, Blanche Ames Gallery, 4880 Elmer Derr Road, Frederick. Features nine artists from the Gaithersburg Fine Arts Association. Call 301-473-7680 for gallery hours or visit frederickuu.org.

“Community Threads: Connectivity through Creativity” — through Feb. 26. This exhibition was curated as a vignette showcase that reflects the array of creativity within the Frederick County Art Association, with work by 16 members. DISTRICT Arts, 15 N. Market St., Frederick. Districtarts.com.

”Natural Selections” — through Feb. 26, NOMA Gallery, 437 N. Market St., Frederick. Works by artists Melissa Penley Cormier and Caitlin Gill investigate the natural world as metaphor. Cormier uses photography and installations to document and explore how we mark time. Gill uses printmaking, sculpting, drawing, collage, painting and fiber to create artwork that explores ideas of identity, femininity and domesticity. Hours are noon to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. 240-367-9770.

Brad Blair: “Divergent Entities” — through Feb. 26, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Blair’s curiosity of the unknown, paired with a strong imagination and an inquisitive mindset, leads him to create art what provides wonder and examination. His ceramic work in this exhibition are obscure oddities that help convey a message regarding this mysterious life we live, in a universe yet to be explored fully. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. 301-698-0656 or delaplaine.org.

“When A Tree Falls” — through Feb. 26, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Selected woodturners from throughout Maryland join artistic forces with local Frederick artists for a treethemed exhibition of handcrafted woodturnings, presented alongside paintings, carvings and prints. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. 301-6980656 or delaplaine.org.

”Home Free: A Farewell to California” — through Feb. 26, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. The photographs in this exhibition are a part of Brandon Oleksy’s final farewell to the state he

Cumberland Valley Artists and Photographers Exhibitions

Experience 95 pieces from 86 area artists & photographers!

February 11-April 23, 2023

Washington County Museum of Fine Arts

401 Museum Drive, Hagerstown 301-739-5727 | wcmfa.org | Free admission

called home for as long as he can remember. The collection comprises scenes that he and others residents passed a thousand times, and are both a remembrance of place and the start of calling a new place “home.” 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. 301698-0656 or delaplaine.org.

”UNSHUTTERED: Celebrating Photojournalism of The Frederick News-Post — through April 1 at the Frederick Book Arts Center, 217 W. Patrick St., Frederick. Curated by Nancy Luse, the show celebrates the News-Post photographers during the era of film. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday and Friday, 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday. 301-228-9816 or contact@ frederickbookarts.org.

”Together We Rise” — through Feb. 28, EastSide Artists’ Gallery, 313 E. Patrick St., Frederick. A world traveler, most of Kianna Nobles’ photography captures the world from Iceland to South Korea to France. She also does portraits and street photography. This month, she is focusing on Black History Month with guest artists Gaby Nobody (Gaby) and Big Stratus (Jasmine). 1 to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. eastsideartists313@gmail. com.

“Mingling Echoes” — through March 3, Phaze 2 Gallery, 98 West Campus Drive, Shepherdstown, W.Va. Work by Lauren Koch, adjunct professor of sculpture who incorporates found and repurposed objects from a personal collection amassed over the past three decades from many places. 304876-5159, eboggess@shepherd.edu, shepherd.edu/art/phaze-2-gallery.

”Scents of It All” — through March 3, Gallery B, 7700 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda. Explore the artists

interruption of scent, evoking emotional memory and transporting self through space and time. Noon to 5 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. 301-215-6660 or bethesda.org/bethesda/gallery-bexhibitions.

”Behind the Fold” — through March 5, BlackRock Center for the Arts, 12901 Town Commons Drive, Germantown. Showcasing the works of nationally known sculptor, amateur magician, and former Carnegie Melon professor, Dan Droz. Artist talk Feb. 25. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sunday. 301528-2260 or blackrockcenter.org.

”Unfolding Reality” — through March 10, Esther Prangley Rice Gallery, Peterson Hall, McDaniel College, 2 College Hill, Westminster. Student honors art exhibition features a variety of work from six art majors. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m. Saturday. 410-857-2595 or mcdaniel.edu.

“Home Away From Home” — March 1 to 26, with a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. March 4 at DISTRICT Arts, 15 N. Market St., Frederick. Laurenee Gauvin’s homage to her Haitian roots. This featured-artist exhibition introduces an emotional look into what home feels like in today’s climate and reflects the journey and the arrival of Gauvin as an exciting and thought-provoking presence on the contemporary art scene. Districtarts.com.

”Angry Women Done Swallowing Our Words” — March 5 through April 30, Blanche Ames Gallery, 4880 Elmer Derr Road, Frederick. Featuring the work of Kristan Ryan. Artist reception and talk 11:45 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. March 5. For gallery hours, call 301-473-7689 or visit frederickuu.org.

May the best tea cozy win

A tea cozy is defined as a “thick or padded cover of a teapot to keep the tea hot.” The first documented tea cozy in writing was in 1867 England, however, it is thought that it might date back to the 1600s, when tea was first introduced to England.

One tale says the tea cozy was accidentally invented in Ireland. A farmer leaned across the table, legend says, and his hat fell on top of the teapot. When he later removed it, the tea was still warm.

A tea cozy is as varied as a tea drinker.

Some are knitted like a woolen hat complete with a pom-pom on top; some are made of thick material, often with a decorative pattern; at restaurants, some include a metal exterior to protect the inner fabric. The early tea cozy allowed the women of the house to have a creative outlet, while still having the practicality of keeping the tea warm during the traditional afternoon tea. The tea cozy, though, would never be used during social teas with the elaborate silver sets because a silver set was meant to be shown, not hidden

First Place Juror’s Award in photography Jillian Abir MacMaster of Frederick for “Evening Ritual.”

ON VIEW AT THE GORDON CENTER

Owings Mills native Juliet Gilden explores antisemitism and racism in her paintings

Juliet Gilden, a nationallyacclaimed artist who exhibited a one-woman show at the M+B Gallery in Los Angeles, is returning to her local Maryland roots with her exhibition “Drawn” at the Peggy and Yale Gordon Center for Performing Arts.

An artist reception will be held at 12:30 p.m. Feb. 26 at the performing arts center, located at 3506 Gwynnbrook Ave., Owings Mills.

Gilden’s work is heavily influenced by her experiences of antisemitism and racism as a young girl growing up in Owings Mills, and she now hopes to bring awareness and enact change through her brightly-color designs.

“It’s extremely gratifying to be celebrated around the country, but there is nothing like presenting my work in the Pikesville/Owings Mills area, in the heart of the world where I grew up and was tremendously influenced,” the 54-year old artist says. “I came to Owings Mills as a child as part of a migration of Jewish Baltimoreans and still remember that a swastika was painted on the new home of one of my friends, and [I] was horrified. A child has no voice to speak up in the face of that. The negative memories last forever. But, as an artist, I have a powerful megaphone. To

under a cozy.

me, this is the most meaningful place I could exhibit.”

Gilden’s show in Los Angeles helped fund efforts to fight racism and antisemitism

The Larkin Tea Co. in Martinsburg, West Virginia, is hosting a tea cozy competition, and entries are currently being accepted. In previous competitions, there have been entries from all over the U.S., and people worldwide placed a vote. In 2023 the winner will receive a prize worth over $400 in specialty loose-leaf tea, tea accessories and gift items.

Designs do not have to be original, but the contestant must have handcrafted the knitted or crocheted. Only cozies created with yarn will be accepted. One entry per person.

in entertainment with Gilden’s portraits of historic and courageous Jewish and Black women who, in many cases, have used their fame to take

To enter, contestants must email a color, in-focus, clear photograph to judy@larkintea.com or mail to The Larkin Tea Co., 545 Warm Springs Ave., Martinsburg, WV 25404. Photos will not be returned and become the property of The Larkin Tea Co. It’s suggested that you take the photo with the cozy against a plain background so the design and workmanship show up better.

All submissions must include name, mailing address, telephone number, email address and a descriptive name of the cozy.

Photos will be posted online at The Larkin Tea Co’s website at larkintea.com.

crucial moral stands. These are also the themes of many of the paintings that will be on display at the Gordon Center. Gilden grew up just minutes

Visitors to the site can vote for their favorite. The tea cozy that receives the most votes wins.

The last day to submit an entry is March 15.

Tea cozy photos will go online approximately one week after the closing date. Voting will finish seven days after posting of photographs. The winner will be notified by phone or email. A photo of the winner with the cozy will be posted on The Larkin Tea Co’s website and shared on social media.

This competition is open to residents of the U.S. only.

from the Owings Mills Jewish Community Center. She graduated from Owings Mills High School and continued her education at the Maryland Institute College of Art and Towson University.

Although Gilden’s Baltimore roots run deep, in the last several years her work has been shown around the country as much as in the Baltimore area. In 2020, her portrait of Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was prominently featured in the Washington Post’s coverage of the historic justice’s death.

Gilden’s art is also the inspiration for a new animated music video soon to be released by the performer, writer and composer Laurie Geltman.

“Featuring prominent local artists like Juliet is among the most important missions of the Gordon Center, and her show is both powerful and memorable,” says Melissa Seltzer, senior director of arts and culture at the Gordon Center. “This is a very important show to us.”

The exhibition represents the kickoff for the newly renovated gallery and performing arts center. For additional information, call 443-983-4140 or visit julietspaintings.com.

Photos courtesy of the artist, Juliet Gilden “Jewish Wedding”

“Amanda Gorman”

“Anne Frank in the News”

Courtesy photo

Brooke Boston, of Wheeling, West Virginia, was a previous winner of the tea cozy competition.

ART

Exhibition focuses on historic Storer College

Stories of Storer College students are the inspiration for an art exhibit, “Portraits of Persistence,” hosted by the Shepherd University Scarborough Library from Feb. 28 to April 1. A presentation about the exhibit and the college, which opened in Harpers Ferry after the Civil War and educated students from 1867 to 1955, will be at 7 p.m. March 7 in the Library’s Reading Room. During the presentation, artist Rhonda Smith, retired professor of art, and Dawne Raines Burke, professor of education, will discuss Storer’s history and its contribution to the American experience.

Following the Civil War, those freed from slavery were allowed to seek out an education. Recognizing a need, the Freedmen’s Bureau, a federal agency tasked with assisting newly freed slaves, and the Freewill Baptists of New England established Storer in 1865 as a one-room elementary school. Maine philanthropist John Storer contributed a $10,000 grant to the school, which offered an education “to both sexes without regard to race or color.” In 1906, the predecessor to the NAACP, the Niagara Movement, met at Storer.

The artwork by Smith featured in “Portraits of Persistence” includes 12 linoleum print portraits of six students who attended Storer in the early 1900s. The portraits represent two unidentified students, one male and one female, and students Julia E. Allston, 1923; Louise V. Hicks, 1906; Rose Thompson, 1900; and William D. Johnson 1904.

McDaniel College student showcase

Storer and brings to life many of the individuals who taught or were educated there.

“After reading this book and another I found in the National Park Service bookstore at Harpers Ferry, I knew I wanted to depict these persistent and determined students,” Smith said.

Burke said she is pleased and honored to serve as an inspiration for the exhibit and to take part in the March 7 presentation.

McDaniel College’s student honors art exhibition features a variety of work from six art majors.

Titled “Unfolding Reality,” this annual exhibition runs through March 10 in Esther Prangley Rice Gallery, Peterson Hall at McDaniel College, 2 College Hill, Westminster. An opening reception takes place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Feb. 23, with a gallery talk at 6 p.m.

The exhibition and reception are both free and open to the public. Call 410-857-2595 for more information. Visit mcdaniel.edu for information about McDaniel College.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Rowan Berti (Wilmington, Delaware) uses various media, such as clay, paint, pencil, video and digital graphics, to showcase her overactive imagination. She said, “I strive to make ordinary objects attain character and personality and come to life.”

The portraits were selected from the West Virginia University Storer College Digital Collection. Smith displays the students’ portraits on two backgrounds — one hand-cut and printed representing a style of wallpaper that might have been found on the walls of the homes and buildings first occupied by wealthy white people that became part of Storer College. The second portraits are collaged over actual wallpaper, creating bold color patterns in contrast to the linoleum-printed portraits.

“I hope the portraits invite people to ask questions about who these people were and what Storer College was and encourages them to look into the history that is all around them,” Smith said. “I was surprised to learn how few people in this area are even aware that Storer College existed and about the role it played in history. I think it is a story worth knowing and I hope my

portraits help people want to find out more.”

Smith said she conceived of the exhibit during the Black Lives Matter movement.

“I began to wonder what I might do as a white artist to reflect on the positive history and aspirations of Black Americans,” she said. “I had worked for the National Park Service in Harpers Ferry for several years roaming through and around the very buildings that were once home to Storer College. I began to consider that perhaps I had a legitimate link to the stories that were part of Storer College through this rather tenuous association.

Smith researched Storer’s history and was partly inspired to create the portraits after reading a book Burke wrote titled “An American Phoenix: A History of Storer College from Slavery to Desegregation 1865-1955.” The 2015 book provides a comprehensive history of

“As a student of history, I have not only tried to learn from history but also — and likely most important — to be intellectually stretched because of lessons from history, as Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. wrote,” Burke said. “While we perhaps may consider the pinnacle of America’s national divisiveness, chaos, and incivility to be found among the hundreds of thousands of history pages published on the American Civil War, I beg to differ: It is now; it is present; it is here.”

Burke calls Smith’s exhibit the embodiment of the country’s stretch history, saying it contains the portraiture of the deceased and almost forgotten who are asserting their influence on today’s political discourse.

“These Storer College students, as portrayed by Smith, are resurrected from the past to inform the now, contemporary present, living American citizenship about the means, methods, and pathways through which national cohesiveness, civility, and humanity may be achieved through ‘Persistence,’” she said.

Skylar Blackbull (Crownpoint, New Mexico) uses various colors, forms, and a variety of content to represent her Navajo culture. Her project brings recognition to the bravery and sacrifice of the Navajo Code Talkers during World War II. Blackbull’s art consists of images and the use of the Navajo language. She said, “I am honored to present a visual memorial to the 29 original Navajo Code Talkers through a lens filled with history and the beauty of my culture.”

Kelsey Bosley (Manchester, Maryland) uses acrylic paint to illustrate a story book showing the struggles she went through as a child to build a heightened awareness around anxiety and depression. She said, “I mainly use acrylic paint, watercolor, and sketching pencils to create sceneries or realistic portraits of people close to me, so writing and illustrating a children’s story with little characters was a new step in my journey as an artist. “

Kate Cramer (Glen Rock, Pennsylvania) addresses the vastly different roles women play in society through her art. She said, “I explore the challenges, expectations, and stereotypes imposed upon women, both by themselves and the world around them. Conversely, there is also space to celebrate the advancements women have made, and how we can be inspired by them every single day.”

Grace Harshman (Hagerstown, Maryland) went through a medical recovery during the time she worked on these pieces. She said, “Technology was something I was already critically looking at as a whole in my work at this time. It only felt right to explore this avenue in an attempt to come to terms with what had happened to me.”

Juliana Stolkovich (Littlestown, Pennsylvania) uses her art to build an awareness around autism, since she has autism herself. She said, “The different media I use is aimed at bringing more depth to each subject matter I focus on, whether it be just symptoms I experience or how other people perceive me.”

Courtesy photo

Work by Rhonda Smith

Mad River Theater Works presents ‘Freedom Flight’

In honor of Black History Month, theater company Mad River Theater Works presents a performance of their original production, “Freedom Flight,” at 7 p.m. Feb. 27.

A one-act play with music, “Freedom Flight” revolves around the most famous incident in the history of the Underground Railroad in Ohio: the story of Addison White, an escaped slave, and his rescue by the citizens of the town of Mechanicsburg, Ohio. This play brings history to life through original songs and an array of characters that pop right out of the past to relive the turbulence and hope of the Underground Railroad right before your eyes. Artistically beautiful and crafted with heart and authenticity, the show’s embedded messages about tolerance and racism are vital for audiences to hear.

Founded in 1978, Mad River Theater Works is a professional touring theater company that believes theater can make a difference. Through theater, they strive to challenge racism, sexism, and intolerance. Their plays aim to be joyful and entertaining experiences that take audiences to the historic moments where individuals make hard decisions to stand on the side of what is right. Rooted in American history, their plays examine the choices we face in a complex world.

Mad River’s theater artists are experts in traditional modes of music and storytelling that strive to inspire the next generation.

This performance is part of the Common Ground Downtown series, a partnership between the Arts Council and Common Ground on the Hill. Tickets are $30 for adults and $27 for ages 25 and under and ages 60 and up. Tickets can be purchased at carrollcountyartscouncil.org or by calling the box office at 410-848-7272. The Carroll Arts Center is located at 91 W. Main St. in Downtown Westminster.

‘Ghost/Writer’ premieres at Rep Stage

Family secrets spanning decades unravel as history and fiction collide. In 1920 just outside of Tulsa, Patrick, an Irish immigrant, seeks out the services of Ms. Ruby, a mysterious Black woman from Baltimore known to help exorcise ghosts from her clients, but the price she is asking may be too high. Meanwhile, in 2019, Charles Ross hires infamous ghost writer Rebecca Warren to help him through his writer’s block, but what she invokes could be his salvation or undoing.

Rep Stage, Howard Community College’s professional regional theater, presents the world premiere of “Ghost/ Writer” this month by Dane Figueroa Edidi, directed by Danielle A. Drakes. The show runs through Feb. 26.

Edidi’s new play examines the intersections of race and gender and invites the viewer to explore the role of love, justice and joy in a world where the ghosts of the past have yet to be laid to rest.

Rep Stage producing artistic director Joseph W. Ritsch says, “I truly believe that Dane’s voice is one of the most important and necessary voices in the American theater and will continue to be for decades to come. ‘Ghost/Writer’ is many things: a history lesson, a ghost story and a call to action. All of them told through Dane’s brilliant poetry, her arresting imagery that collides history and fiction, and her joy for the theater as a means to bring us together.”

Tickets for “Ghost/Writer” are $40 for general admission, $35 for seniors and military. The production is in The Rouse Company Foundation Studio Theatre at the Horowitz Visual and Performing Arts Center on HCC’s campus at 10901 Little Patuxent Parkway in Columbia.

For tickets and additional information, visit repstage.org/ ghostwriter or call 443-518-1500, ext. 0. This production is recommended forages 18 and up.

Courtesy photo Mad River Theater Works will present an original production, “Freedom Flight,” in February.

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Eugene Levy doesn’t like to travel. So he’s hosting a travel show.

BY ANDREA SACHS The Washington Post

If “Schitt’s Creek” were a real place, Eugene Levy would never vacation there. The Canadian comedian and actor, who won Emmys as a lead actor and executive producer for the hit show, is very particular — even persnickety — about his choice of holiday destinations.

The trepid traveler, 76, admittedly carries around emotional baggage filled with neuroses and aversions. His list of dislikes includes humidity, extreme cold, reindeer meat, volcanoes, snakes, insects, hanging bridges and happy people. In spite of his curmudgeonly attitude, or possibly because of it, Levy has taken on a new role as host of his own travel show.

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“The Reluctant Traveler with Eugene Levy,” which will premiere on Apple TV Plus on Feb. 24, opens with a bewildered and bespectacled Levy standing awkwardly in a foreign setting. He grips a suitcase better suited for selling perfume samples door-to-door than roaming the globe. Over eight episodes, he ventures into such challenging environments as a Costa Rican rainforest and the frigid Lapland region of Finland, where he grits his teeth while sampling the local activities, culture and cuisine. In each show, he slowly unclenches his jaw and breaks into the genuine smile of a convert.

In this interview, Levy explains why he decided to enter the discomfort zone, the lessons he learned from the show and the contents of his vintage luggage.

How would you describe your travel style or your vacation go-to?

My ideal vacation would have been going to a resort or a beach where you could truly relax and have nothing to do but chill by a pool with a piña colada and then talk about where you want to go for dinner. I love Italy because I love the food and you don’t have to do much to see the history. The sightseeing part of things didn’t really excite me. I’d go here and I’d

look at this bridge, I’d look at this museum. It was something to do, but I didn’t really truly enjoy it.

Why did you decide to challenge yourself with a travel show?

Originally it was a show that focused on hotels. I got a call from [executive producer David Brindley] saying they wanted to talk to me about hosting a travel show about hotels. And I said, “Jeez, why me?” I have a very low sense of curiosity and no sense of adventure.

Maybe they thought you were interested in hotels because your character, Johnny Rose, ran one in “Schitt’s Creek?”

Maybe. I never asked them. If you’re hosting a travel show, you have to be interested in what you’re talking about, and you have to be a chatty person who is interested in people. These are all things that I was really not. The

conversations triggered another angle for the show. They called me back and pitched that to me, saying what if it’s about somebody who doesn’t like to travel. I said, “Okay, yeah, why don’t we give that a shot?”

Did you have to prepare physically or mentally for the role?

No physical preparation. But mental preparation — I spent my career as a comedic character actor where I do everything in character. The closer the character came to who I was, the less comfortable I was. So I always opted for bigger, broader characters.

“Schitt’s Creek” was about as close as I’ve come to playing myself on camera, but even that was a character. This travel show, it’s not a character [laughs]. I’m playing me. I’ve never been totally comfortable being me in front of a camera. That was a scary proposition.

What are you personally hoping to get out of this show, and what do you hope your viewers take away from it?

I am hoping this show really appeals to people who love to travel. I hope it holds them. For people who don’t necessarily like to travel or were as uncomfortable about traveling as I was will find a kindred spirit. I’m giving them an experience very close to what they might actually be going through and what they actually might be thinking.

How did you pick the destinations and activities?

In the beginning they had a list of locations, and the locations I said no to were locations I would probably have said no to if somebody had said, “Hey, why don’t we go here?” And I would say, “Really? I don’t think so. What else ya got?” I helped eliminate certain locations because I thought they wouldn’t be as much fun, didn’t know what the food would be like [or] was really nervous about. The more we did the show, the more I crawled out of my comfort zone. If I’m not doing things I’m not comfortable doing, I don’t know what kind of show we have. But I think the thing is: Go for it.

Ian Gavan/Apple TV Plus

Eugene Levy visits Finland in “The Reluctant Traveler.

CASH BINGO

February 24, 2023

New Midway Vol Fire Co

Doors Open 5:00pm

Game Starts 7:00pm

Admission: $25 00 includes 20 reg games

3 Specials and $500 Jackpot

Extra Cards Avail

Food and ATM Avail

For info call 301-898-7985 or 301-271-4650

CASH BINGO

Woodsboro American Legion Auxiliary

Sunday, March 19

Doors open 12 pm; games @ 1:30 pm

$40 for 25 games, includes 3 specials @ $150 & 2 jackpots @ $500; Reserve early and receive free special game-call 301-514-7164;

Bring in canned food for local food bank and receive a free special game

King tuts, bingo balls, holder jars and door prizes; Food, drinks, baked goods available

COACH

March 19, 2023 Doors Open at 11 a m

Local Mentions

SPORTSMAN’S BINGO

Sat March 11, 2023

New Midway Vol Fire Co

10 Games for Guns

10 Games for $200 Cash

Doors open: 5:00 pm

Buffet Dinner: 6:00 pm

Games Start: 7:30 pm

Guns Include:

Ruger American 22 LR, Savage Axis w/Scope 243, Winchester SPX 12ga , Stevens Model 320

Thumbhole 20ga ,

Heritage Roughrider

Mdl 22 Revolver, Charles Daly Walnut/Blued

O/U 410, Iver Johnson Pump

Shotgun 12ga , Hi Point MKS 380 Cal, Taurus GX 4 9MM Pistol

Weatherby Vanguard II

300 Win Mag

Beer and Wine Coolers on Sale: No outside alcohol

$40/Person Includes Buffet Dinner Only 250 Tickets Sold

(Advanced Tickets Only) Call 301-898-7985 or 301-271-4650

Benefits: New Midway Vol Fire Co

WANTED CROP LAND

TO RENT

Call: 301-798-2206

INDOOR/OUTDOOR YARD SALE

Lewistown Fire Dept 11101 Hessong Bridge Road Saturday April 1, 2023 8a m - 1 p m

For reservations call Beth 240-674-4688

Miscellaneous

2 MAUSOLEUM CRYPTS

Building 15, tier side C, #36 & 37, side by side, in Garden Mausoleum in Rest Haven Memorial Gardens in Frederick, MD Asking

$13,000 OBO

Call 240-217-3606

HAVING TROUBLE CLEARING AN ESTATE?

Can't get anyone to help? We can! Full range of services from clean-outs to buyouts Express service avail Mcdonald's Auctions & Estate Liquidation Service 301707-8401

LOOKING FOR

PART-TIME A CARING CARETAKER IN MT AIRY

for young male w/autism who is semiindependent In-home help needed Must have own transportation Weekday daytime Able to speak English Email to discuss younghahn111@gmail com

ASPHALT MILLINGS

$15 00 per ton 301-524-8954

!!FATHER AND SONS!!! HANDYMAN HANDYMAN INTER. PAINTING

Home Repair & Improvements

301-694-9630

LIC #74117

Serving Frederick for 34 Years!

Features, Recipes, Extension Line FOOD

WANTED TO BUY

FInal Game - $1,000 00

Thurmont Event Complex 13716 Strafford Dr Thurmont, MD 21788

Tickets: Avail at Door or Call: Tammy or Jim Wolf at 717-642-5075 or 717-420-0209

or at www eventbrite com

This is a Non-Profit Event to Benefit the Thurmont Community Ambulance Company

FRESH PORK SALE

Burkittsville Ruritan Club

Sausage, pork chops, sliced bacon, bean soup, and country ham sandwiches

Preorder 2/25

Pick up 3/4 (8am-12noon) Call 301-371-7795

COUNTRY BREAKFAST

Sat, March 4 (6-10am)

Adults $9; Children -$5

Spring EGG-stravaganza

Craft, Yard Sale & Vendor Event Sat March 25, 2023 & Sun March 26, 2023 9 a m to 3 p m

Thurmont Event Complex 13716 Strafford Drive Thurmont, Maryland

Food available for purchase

Vendor Information: Contact Jennifer at jensgems2018@yahoo com Or 301-800-3336

General Information: Contact Joyce at 301-748-4344

Proceeds benefit Thurmont Community Ambulance Company

Sports Cards and Sports Collectibles

1888-1975

Baseball • Football• Hockey

Unopened Boxes and Autographs

John Marsili

(410) 258-7495

Fair Dealing Since 1993

Thursday Feb. 23

CLASSES

Sewing Skills: Sewing Patterns

Demystified — 10 a.m. to noon at Exploration Commons, 50 E. Main St., Westminster. For ages 12 and up. Learn about using commercial and indie sewing patterns, measuring for size, and how to interpret and navigate written instructions. This is a beginner-friendly class, no sewing experience is required. Registration required. Visit site for details. 443-293-3000. ask@carr.org. ccpl.librarymarket.com/event/ sewing-skills-sewing-patternsdemystified-1.

ETCETERA

Let’s Talk Art — 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. via Zoom. Join Director Sarah Hall and Agnita M. Stine Schreiber Curator Daniel Fulco for a discussion of collection highlights. WCMF’s new audio tour featuring some of the most significant pieces in our collection — Daniel and Sarah will discuss the works and the process, and also introduce some new acquisitions. Free, online, register for a Zoom link by contacting Donna Rastelli at 301-739-5727 or drastelli@wcmfa.org.  wcmfa.org.

Getting to Know Muslim Americans and Their Faith: A Cultural Program — 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Urbana Regional Library, 9020 Amelung St., Frederick. Amna Malik will be discussing and presenting the experience of being Muslim American. She will share insight on basic beliefs and practices as well as shining light on common misconceptions. There will be time for questions and discussions. Refreshments and snacks will be served.   301-600-7000. lwriston@

frederickcountymd.gov.

Pour House Trivia — 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Champion Billiards Sports Bar, 5205 Buckeystown Pike, Frederick. Come on out with the team and play some Pour House Trivia. 7 p.m. start. Extended Happy Hour from 4 to 8 p.m.  301-846-0089.

frederickchampions.com/weekly-specials.

FILM

Black History Month Lunchtime Movie Series - “The Woman King” (2022, 134 min., PG-13) — 11 a.m. at Decker Auditorium, Lewis Hall of Science at McDaniel College, 2 College Hill, Westminster. An American historical action drama about the Agojie, the all-female unit of warriors who protected the African

Kingdom of Dahomey in the 1800s. mcdaniel.edu/news/mcdaniel-collegehosts-events-honor-black-history-month.

MUSIC

Mike Kuster — 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Magoo’s Pub & Eatery, 1 W. Second St., Frederick . Mike Kuster will perform an acoustic set of his originals and cover traditional country music songs. 301-378-2237. mikekuster.net.

Salon Music Series: “Gems of the German Romantic Opera” — 7:30 p.m. at Shepherd University, 301 S. King St., Shepherdstown, W.Va. In Shipley Recital Hall. Featuring internationally renowned soprano Jennifer Wilson joining Shepherd faculty baritone Dr. Bobb Robinson. Duets and arias, works by Beethoven, Wagner and Strauss. shepherd.edu.

THEATER

“Angels in America Part 1: Millennium Approaches” — 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Maryand Ensemble Theatre, 31 W. Patrick St., Frederick. By Tony Kushner. Directed by Tad Janes. In the mid-1980s, amid the AIDS crisis and a conservative Reagan administration, New Yorkers grapple with life and death, love and sex, heaven and hell in this Pulitzer Prize-winning play. 18 and older.

$32. 301-694-4744. zcallis@ marylandensemble.org.

Friday Feb. 24

ETCETERA

Murder Mystery Party — 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Dutch’s Daughter Restaurant, 581 Himes Ave., Frederick. An evening of murder, mystery and mayhem. Come dressed in your cocktail attire tonight. This is a comedy mystery game set in the present day at a Hollywood Mansion. Watch out. You might die laughing. Admission includes threecourse dinner with entree options, taxes and gratuity. A cash bar will be available. $85. 410-549-2722. murdermysterycompany@gmail.com. ddmysteries.eventbrite.com.

FAMILY

Weekend Open House: Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum — 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum, 296 S. Burhans Blvd., Hagerstown. Weekend open houses year-round to see historic railroad equipment and artifacts.

$6 for adults, $1 for children 4 through 16 Free for children 3 and under. 301-739-

4665. info@roundhouse.org. roundhouse.org.

FILM

Foreign Film Festival: “Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom” (Bhutan, 2019, NR) — 7:30 p.m. at Carroll Arts Center, 91 W. Main St., Westminster. Also at 1 p.m. A disillusioned schoolteacher is transferred to the most remote school in the world, cut off from modern life deep in the Himalayan glaciers. In a classroom with no electricity or even a blackboard, he finds himself with only a yak and a song that echoes through the mountains. $7 adults, $6 ages 25 and under and ages 60 and up. 410-848-7272. carrollcountyartscouncil.org.

MUSIC

FAC After Hours: See What Sticks Performance Art Workshop — 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at FAC Art Center, 5 E. Second St., Frederick. Performance artists, musicians, poets, actors — meet Frederick’s newest performance workshop and open stage. 301-662-4190. wiegand@ frederickartscouncil.org. frederickartscouncil.org/news-events/ calendar-grid.

THEATER

Lerner & Loewe’s “Camelot” — 6 p.m. at Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre, 5 Willowdale Drive, Frederick . An idealistic young King Arthur hopes to create a kingdom built on honor and dignity, embodied by his Knights of The Round Table. His ideals, however, are tested when his lovely queen, Guinevere, falls in love with the young Knight, Lancelot, and the fate of the kingdom hangs in the balance. The legendary love triangle of King Arthur, Guinevere and Sir Lancelot leaps from the pages of T.H. White’s novel in Lerner and Loewe’s award-winning, soaring musical. See website for prices; doors open at 6 p.m. for dinner, shows at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. 301-662-6600. wayoffbroadway.com.

“Grease” — 6 p.m. at Washington County Playhouse Dinner Theatre, 44 N. Potomac St., Hagerstown. Here is Rydell High’s senior class of 1959: duck-tailed, hotrodding “Burger Palace Boys” and their gum-snapping, hip-shaking “Pink Ladies” in bobby sox and pedal pushers, evoking the look and sound of the 1950s in this rollicking musical. Dinner precedes show. Cash bar available.

$63 adults, $57 active military and first responders, includes dinner and show.

301-739-7469. washingtoncountyplayhouse.com.

“Angels in America Part 1: Millennium Approaches” — 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Maryand Ensemble Theatre, 31 W. Patrick St., Frederick. By Tony Kushner. Directed by Tad Janes. In the mid-1980s, amid the AIDS crisis and a conservative Reagan administration, New Yorkers grapple with life and death, love and sex, heaven and hell in this Pulitzer Prize-winning play. 18 and older.

$32. 301-694-4744. zcallis@ marylandensemble.org.

Saturday Feb. 25

CLASSES

Frederick County Master Gardeners Seminar: “Right Plant, Right Place: Design Fundamentals” — 10 a.m. to noon at UME Extension Office, 330 Montevue Lane, Frederick. Use basic design principles in your flower gardening to add interest and increase impact! Learn about basic landscape design concepts that can be easily applied to any garden; including shape, color, texture, framing, rhythm, focal points and other considerations. Register online.

bit.ly/FCMG23Seeds-Transplanting.

Zumba Saturdays at the Library — 10:15 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Urbana Regional Library, 9020 Amelung St., Frederick. Ready to exercise! Ready to dance! Ready to shake off the pounds? Come on in for Zumba at the Library on Saturday mornings through May 27. Ages 18 and older. 301-600-7004. marchange-desir@ frederickcountymd.gov. frederick.librarycalendar.com/event/ zumba-saturdays-library-8.

ETCETERA

Burns Night Supper — 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Urbana Volunteer Fire Department Hall, 3620 Urbana Pike, Frederick. Hosted by the Saint Andrew’s Society of Mid-Maryland. Celebrating the Birthday of Scotland’s greatest poet and author, Robert “Rabbie” Burns. Featuring the MacMillan United Pipe Band, the Crawford Family Highland Dancers, a Scottish ceilidh (dancing), and more! BYOB for the toasts.

$35 for nonmembers, $10 for ages 13-18, free for age 12 and under. 240-818-8283. marianne@mmelliott.com. sasmm.com/burns2023.

FAMILY

Mount Hope Maple Madness — 8 a.m. at at Camp Eder, 914 Mount Hope Road,

Fairfield, Pa. AYCE pancake, sausage and egg breakfast 8-11 a.m., $9 adult, $5 ages under 12, under age 3 free; maple sugaring tours at 8:30, 9, 9:30, 10:30 and 11 a.m., $7 person, under age 3 free; sweet deal package of breakfast and tour $15 adult, $10 under 12, under age 3 free. Tickets online. Hosted by Strawberry Hill Foundation. info@strawberryhill.org. strawberryhill.org.

“The Snowy Day” — 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Maryland Ensemble Theatre, 31 W. Patrick St., Frederick. Follow Peter and his friends as they set out to celebrate the first snowfall of the year with snowball fights, by making snow angels, and playing in the snow. Based on the Caldecott Award-winning book by Ezra Jack Keats. This story, packed with humor and fun, is a celebration of childhood joys and the wonder of imagination.

$15. 301-694-4744. zcallis@ marylandensemble.org.

Weekend Open House: Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum — 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum, 296 S. Burhans Blvd., Hagerstown. Weekend open houses year-round to see historic railroad equipment and artifacts.

$6 for adults, $1 for children 4 through 16 Free for children 3 and under. 301-7394665. info@roundhouse.org. roundhouse.org.

MUSIC

That’s Barbershop! Concert by the Clustered Spires Chorus — 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Frederick Community College, 7932 Opossumtown Pike, Frederick. Hear this women’s chorus perform a cappella in the barbershop style and learn more about this uniquely American art form. $10 adults, $8 students. Info@ clusteredspires.org. clusteredspires.org.

An Afternoon at The Opera — 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Knott Auditorium, 16312 University Way, Emmitsburg. Mount St. Mary’s University Department of Visual & Performing Arts present a free concert open to the public. 301-447-5150. venzin@msmary.edu. fb.me/e/46TLutqtK.

Mountain Music and Moonshine — 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at The Capitol Theatre, 159 S. Main St., Chambersburg, Pa. World-touring, top charting Nu-Blu takes the stage, plus whiskey, bourbon, beer, wine, moonshine and concessions available when the doors open at 6 p.m. 18 and older to attend. Tickets are $25-$35 plus processing fee. 717-263-0202. vperry@thecapitoltheatre.org. thecapitoltheatre.org/ shows-movies-events/live-shows-2023.

John E. Marlow Guitar Series presents Frank Vignola — 7 p.m. at Cultural Arts Center Montgomery College, 7995 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring. Guitarist Frank Vignola is a star entertainer with a tremendous sense of musical fun. He is a pillar of the jazz world and will be performing with bassist Gary Mazzaroppi. $17.50-$55. 301-799-4028. info@

marlowguitar.org. marlowguitar.org.

Alif Laila in Concert — 7:30 p.m. at Carroll Arts Center, 91 W. Main St., Westminster. Bangladeshi-American sitar maestro presents a concert of Indian classical music accompanied by multimedia watercolor projections. $25. 410-848-7272. carrollcountyartscouncil.org.

THEATER

Lerner & Loewe’s “Camelot” — 6 p.m. at Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre, 5 Willowdale Drive, Frederick . An idealistic young King Arthur hopes to create a kingdom built on honor and dignity, embodied by his Knights of The Round Table. His ideals, however, are tested when his lovely queen, Guinevere, falls in love with the young Knight, Lancelot, and the fate of the kingdom hangs in the balance. The legendary love triangle of King Arthur, Guinevere and Sir Lancelot leaps from the pages of T.H. White’s novel in Lerner and Loewe’s award-winning, soaring musical. See website for prices; doors open at 6 p.m. for dinner, shows at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. 301-662-6600. wayoffbroadway.com.

“Grease” — 6 p.m. at Washington County Playhouse Dinner Theatre, 44 N. Potomac St., Hagerstown. Here is Rydell High’s senior class of 1959: duck-tailed, hotrodding “Burger Palace Boys” and their gum-snapping, hip-shaking “Pink Ladies” in bobby sox and pedal pushers, evoking the look and sound of the 1950s in this rollicking musical. Dinner precedes show. Cash bar available.

$63 adults, $57 active military and first responders, includes dinner and show. 301-739-7469. washingtoncountyplayhouse.com.

“Angels in America Part 1: Millennium Approaches” — 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Maryand Ensemble Theatre, 31 W. Patrick St., Frederick. By Tony Kushner. Directed by Tad Janes. In the mid-1980s, amid the AIDS crisis and a conservative Reagan administration, New Yorkers grapple with life and death, love and sex, heaven and hell in this Pulitzer Prize-winning play. 18 and older.

$32. 301-694-4744. zcallis@ marylandensemble.org.

Sunday Feb. 26

ETCETERA

All About Brides Wedding Expo — noon at The Maryland Theatre, 21 S. Potomac St., Hagerstown. Featuring some of the area’s best wedding professionals showcasing top wedding trends. Advance tickets $5 general admission; $10 VIB; at the door: $10 general, $15 VIB tickets.  301-790-2000. mdtheatre.org.

Sunday Speakers: “Confluence, Harpers Ferry as Destiny “ — 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Brunswick Library, 915 N. Maple Ave., Brunswick. Join Dennis Frye, Harpers Ferry chief historian (retired) and Catherine Magi, storyteller and librarian, as they

Direct From Ireland

Dublin Irish Dance

CALENDAR

bring to life the saga of this dramatic landscape through the experiences of those who lived it. 301-600-7250. akrerz@ frederickcountymd.gov. fcpl.org.

“Back to Our By-Gone Days”

Documentary Screening — 3 p.m. at Jackson Chapel United Methodist Church, 5609 Ballenger Creek Pike, Frederick.

Remembering Lincoln High School. A brief history of this African American school highlighting former students who share their fond memories of attending the school prior to integration. Music by the Frederick County Black History Gospel Choir, Strong Tower Dance Ministry. Freewill offering. 301-694-7315.

Fundraiser for the Umbrella Project — Silent Art Auction — 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Frederick Social, a self-pour tap house and cafe,, 50 Citizen’s Way, Frederick. Local nonprofit that supports grieving young adults. Variety of art media as well as some special items and gift certificates available to purchase through silent auction format. Much of the work includes art made by the artists/volunteers of the Umbrella Project: Betsy Maymon, Tim Jacobsen, Kate Jacobsen, Dottie Rust, Eliane Coates, Martha Pierce and others. umbrellaprojecthike.org.

FAMILY

Weekend Open House: Hagerstown

Roundhouse Museum — 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum, 296 S. Burhans Blvd., Hagerstown. Weekend open houses year-round to see historic railroad equipment and artifacts.

$6 for adults, $1 for children 4 through 16 Free for children 3 and under. 301-7394665. info@roundhouse.org. roundhouse.org.

“The Snowy Day” — 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Maryland Ensemble Theatre, 31 W. Patrick St., Frederick. Follow Peter and his friends as they set out to celebrate the first snowfall of the year with snowball fights, by making snow angels, and playing in the snow. Based on the Caldecott Awardwinning book by Ezra Jack Keats. This story, packed with humor and fun, is a celebration of childhood joys and the wonder of imagination.

$15. 301-694-4744. zcallis@ marylandensemble.org.

Gracie Bullyproof Kids Self-Defense Seminar — 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Han Mi Martial Arts, 9899 Main St., Damascus. Han Mi Martial Arts/Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Damascus is offering a free Gracie Bullyproof Kids JiuJitsu Seminar to help kids in the Damascus/ Clarksburg area learn to defend themselves against bullying. Pre-registration recommended, space is limited. 301-2534726. hanmimartialarts@gmail.com.

MUSIC

Music and Arts Festival — 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at 633 Brewing, 118 Walnut St., Waynesboro, Pa. Non-stop overlapping music on two stages featuring six local bands: Prophets of the Abstract Truth,

Bluegrass Hootenanny, On Tap Duo, West Branch 3, Kin Selection, and the Brahman Noodles. Artists demonstrations, raffles, special menu. Benefits the Arts Alliance of Greater Waynesboro.  $25 before Feb. 17; $35 after that date. artsalliance.org.

Calvary United Methodist Church Community Concert Series Presents District5 Quintet — 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Calvary United Methodist Church, 131 W. Second St., Frederick. District5 Quintet will present a raucous program of music, “Invitation to the Dance” inspired by dance. This exciting program of piano transcriptions for wind quintet features works by Samuel Coleridge Taylor, Fanny Mendelssohn, Jean-Philippe Rameau, and many others. This award-winning ensemble comprised of flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and French horn. 301-662-1464. office@calvaryumc.org. CalvaryUMC.org/concerts.

Flute/Guitar Duo to Perform for Music, Gettysburg! — 4 p.m. at United Lutheran Seminary Chapel, 147 Seminary Ridge, Gettysburg, Pa. Teresa Bowers, flute, and James Hontz, classical guitar, will perform the program “Invitation to Dance,” including compositions by multiple writers. 717-339-1334. info@musicgettysburg.org. musicgettysburg.org.

Jimi Cupino Project — 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Cactus Flats, 10026 Hansonville Road, Frederick. Variety of music.

THEATER

Sherlock Sundays — 2 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. at Endangered Species (theatre) Project, 16. E. Patrick St., Second Floor, Frederick. Join us for tea and treats and a live reading from the popular radio show “The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes” by Jim French. Free. 213-926-3577. sasha.carrera@ gmail.com. esptheatre.org/shows.

“Angels in America Part 1: Millennium Approaches” — 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Maryand Ensemble Theatre, 31 W. Patrick St., Frederick. By Tony Kushner. Directed by Tad Janes. In the mid-1980s, amid the AIDS crisis and a conservative Reagan administration, New Yorkers grapple with life and death, love and sex, heaven and hell in this Pulitzer Prize-winning play. 18 and older.

$32. 301-694-4744. zcallis@ marylandensemble.org.

Monday Feb. 27

CLASSES

FAC After Hours & Yogamour: Restorative Yoga with Soundbath — 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at FAC Art Center, 5 E. Second St., Frederick. Join a gentle flow yoga session on the main level while enjoying art work that adorn the walls of this historic space. All levels which includes beginners. Some yoga mats available.

$15. 301-662-4190. wiegand@ frederickartscouncil.org.

yogamour.org/public-yoga-classes.

THEATER

Mad River Theater Works Presents

“Freedom Flight” — 7 p.m. at Carroll Arts Center, 91 W. Main St., Westminster. Oneact play with music, revolves around the most famous incident in the history of the Underground Railroad in Ohio: the story of Addison White, an escaped slave, and his rescue by the citizens of the town of Mechanicsburg, Ohio.  $27-$30. 410-848-7272. carrollcountyartscouncil.org.

Tuesday Feb. 28

ETCETERA

Pride On The Patio — 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Showroom, 882 N. East St., Fredrick. Weekly LGBTQIA social mixer. Relaxed an casual. Happy hour pricing, full menu available; drink special Gender Fluid. 21 and older. 240-409-8858. prideonthepatio@gmail. com. facebook.com/PrideOnThePatio.

Black History Month Convocation — 6 p.m. at Naganna Forum, Roj Student Center at McDaniel College, 2 College Hill, Westminster. McDaniel College hosts the annual Black History Month Convocation in recognition of Black History Month featuring Maia Chaka, the NFL’s first Black woman referee. For more information, email odei@mcdaniel.edu or call 410-857-2459. mcdaniel.edu.

FILM

FAC After Hours: Art Center Bijou — 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at FAC Art Center, 5 E. Second St., Frederick. A weekly film screening curated in collaboration with documentary filmmaker Leah Michaels and FAC Associate SJ Wiegand. Each month presents films that fall under one general theme in order to cultivate discussion about film as a mode of artistic expression. 301-662-4190. wiegand@ frederickartscouncil.org. frederickartscouncil.org/news-events/ calendar-grid.

MUSIC

Acoustic Java Jam — 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Urbana Regional Library, 9020 Amelung St., Frederick. Come on in with your acoustic guitar, mandolin, fiddle, violin, sip some coffee or tea, and jam with us. All levels welcome. 18+ 301-600-7004. marchange-desir@ frederickcountymd.gov.

Visitors Night with the Catoctones — 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Frederick Church of the Brethren, 201 Fairview Ave., Entrance H, Frederick. The Frederick Catoctones are now welcoming prospective new members. Join us on this special night to sing with the Catoctones, as well as enjoy quartets and other special guests. 240-315-4409. cboteler@catoctones.com. fredericksings.com.

Wednesday March 1

CLASSES

Intro to Honeybees, Honey & Beekeeping — 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Eversweet Apiaries, 85 Everhart Drive, Kearneysville, W.Va. Interested in learning more about honeybees, beekeeping and honey? This seminar is for those who want to learn more about honeybees and their importance to our ecosystem. We’ll discuss how they make honey, beekeeping, and how you can help honeybees. Class will be in-person and via Zoom. Registration is required. 304-8763832. info@eversweetapiaries.com. eversweetapiaries.com/ event/intro-honeybees.

ETCETERA

“Stitches Through Time: Women’s Work from Farm to Fashion” — 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Museum of Frederick County History/Heritage Frederick , 24 E. Church St., Frederick. The exhibit explores one story of women’s work, interpreting the history of textile production up to the 1950s. It features a beautiful selection of hand-sewn quilts and clothes from the 1800s; equipment, advertisements, photos and ephemera from the factory era; and selections of mid-20th century clothing by Claire McCardell that reflect the department store culture that emerged after World War II. 10 wedding dresses spanning 200 years showcase the themes in our story.

$12. director@FrederickHistory.org. frederickhistory.org/museum/exhibits.

FILM

“Picture a Scientist” Documentary and Discussion — 6:30 p.m. at Wahrhaftig Room, Hoover Library at McDaniel College, 2 College Hill, Westminster. A screening of the documentary “Picture a Scientist” (2020, 103 min., PG-13), which chronicles several prominent women scientists, kicks off Women’s History Month. A discussion about gender equity in science along with the challenges and opportunities of diversifying STEM career fields follows the screening. 410-8572400.

mcdaniel.edu/about-us/event-calendars.

MUSIC

FAC After Hours: Joe Keyes Improv Jazz — 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at FAC Art Center, 5 E. Second St., Frederick. Equal parts frontman, poet and conductor, Joe Keyes leads his nine-piece Late Bloomer Band through a fresh concoction of funk, R&B, soul, rock and jazz. The band’s vibe and sound, honed over years of theatrical, improvisational shows, journeys from gentle grooves to tight funk and epic crescendos.

301-662-4190. wiegand@ frederickartscouncil.org. frederickartscouncil.org/news-events/ calendar-grid.

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