15 minute read
Arts
”Unstructured Rise” — through Sept. 23, Frederick Arts Council Arts Center, 5 E. Second St., Frederick. Features a variety of materials including textiles and cast iron that highlight Alyssa Imes’ approach to creating a multimedia experience for viewers of her work. Alyssa grew up in Emmitsburg, now lives in D.C. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. 301-662-4190 or frederickartscouncil. org.
”Infinite Growth: An Exhibition of
LBGTQ+ Artists” — through Sept. 23, FAC Art Center, 5 E. Second St., Frederick. Artists from Frederick, Baltimore and D.C. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. frederickartscouncil.org. ”Fresh Art and Stale Jokes” — through Sept. 23, Eastside Artists’ Gallery, 313 E. Patrick St., Frederick. Sculptural artwork by Doug Moulden. Gallery hours are 1-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. eastsidearts313@gmail. com or eastsideartistsgallery.com. ”Art for Food” — through Sept. 25, North Gallery of the Mansion House Art Center & Gallery, 480 Highland Ave., in Hagerstown’s City Park. Artist Katherine Peterson and other invited members of Valley Art Association will donate a portion of the sale of their works from this show to the Maryland Food Bank, Western Branch. Exhibit hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 1-5 p.m. Sundays. Free admission. facebook.com/ valleyartassociation.hagerstown.md or 301-797-2867. ”Fleishig” — through Sept. 25, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Sculptures and paintings by Noah McWilliams. Fleishig is Yiddish for “of meat” or “for meat” and is associated with the Jewish dietary laws. McWilliams’ free-standing and wall-hanging sculptures are, as he says, “segments of a mysterious organism presented as both the result of, and decorative vessels, for our darkest impulses.” Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Free admission. 301698-0656 or delaplaine.org. ”A Few of My Favorite Things” — through Sept. 26, Adams County Arts Council’s Arts Education Center, 125 S. Washington St., Gettysburg, Pa. Watercolors by Eric Miller, who explores a variety of subjects in his work, from old machinery and local gardens to livestock and wildlife. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. 717-334-5006 or adamsarts.org. ”Refractions” — through Sept. 26, Adams County Arts Council’s Arts Education Center, 125 S. Washington St., Gettysburg, Pa. Photographer Dana Bruinsma’s collection of 35mm film images shot on expired film, some are double exposure, sandwich prints or small pieces of larger images selected to create an abstraction from reality. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. 717-334-5006 or adamsarts.org. ”Speculative Sex” — through Sept. 29, Shepherd University’s Phaze 2 Gallery, 301 N. King St., Shepherdstown, W.Va. A fall 2021 class developed around sex and gender. Primarily a studio class, though queer theory was also explored through critical readings and group discussion. Gallery hours are 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. 304-876-5000 or shepherd. edu
”The Nature of Catoctin Mountain”
— through September at Thurmont Regional Library, 76 E. Moser Road, Thurmont; and October through December at Urbana Regional Library, 9020 Amelung St., Urbana; both are satellite locations of the Delaplaine Arts Center. This collection of photography is comprised of flora and fauna found in the Catoctin Mountain ecosystem. Hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. fcpl.org. ”Travels” — through September at Brunswick Branch Library, 915 N. Maple Ave., Brunswick; and October through December at Thurmont Regional Library, 76 E. Moser Road, Thurmont. Both are satellite locations for the Delaplaine Arts Center. Photography by Beamie Young from the photographer’s travels and a desire to discover new images, patterns and narratives. Hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. fcpl. org. ”The Annotated Vessel” — through September at Urbana Regional Library, 9020 Amelung St., Urbana; October through December at Brunswick Branch Library, 915 N. Maple Ave., Brunswick; both are satellite locations of the Delaplaine Arts Center. Acrylic paintings by Maremi Andreozzi portray, embody and celebrated lesser-known historical female artists and illustrate the fine textiles and jewelry of the period. Hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. fcpl. org. ”Seeking the Light” — through Oct. 2, DISTRICT Arts, 15 N. Market St., Frederick. The paintings of Delna Dastur are featured in an exhibition that focuses on nature and its ebullience, bringing us joy and sanity during difficult times. Hours are noon
Courtesy photo
Photography by Dana Bruinsma is on view at Adams County Art Council through Sept. 26.
to 6 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. districtarts. com/delna-dastur.
”Purple is the Color of Recovery: Prevent Addiction and Eliminate
Stigma Through Art” — through Oct. 4, Washington County Arts Council, Main Gallery, 34 S. Potomac St., Hagerstown. Juried community art exhibit. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. 301-7913132 or washingtoncountyarts.com. Photography by Ira Lourie — through Oct. 4, Washington County Arts Council, Hall Gallery, 34 S. Potomac St., Hagerstown. Lourie is a Hagerstown photographer and a physician. Most of the photos were taken in Western Maryland and Montana. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. 301-7913132 or washingtoncountyarts.com.
10th Annual Eastern West
Virginia Juried Exhibit — through Oct. 8, Berkeley Art Works, 116 N. Queen St., Martinsburg, W.Va. Work of artists living in the Eastern Panhandle including watercolor, oil and acrylic painting, pastel drawing, wood carving, basketry, fiber arts, more. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
”Breathtaker: The Groundbreaking Graphic Novel From Concept to
Comics” — through Oct. 29, McDaniel College, Esther Prangley Rice Gallery in Peterson Hall, 2 College Hill, Westminster. Featuring original works of art in conjunction with the remastered edition of Mark Wheatley and Marc Hempel’s acclaimed graphic novel “Breathtaker.” Features more than 90 original works of art and explores the creative and physical processes undertaken during the original production of the “Breathtaker” comic in the 1990s, as well as how the work was re-adapted during the preparation stages for the Titan Comics re-release. 410-8572595 or estherprangleyricegallery. com. ”Upcycle!” — through Oct. 29, Black Rock Center for the Arts, 12901 Town Commons Drive, Germantown. Artwork with intriguing details and unusual, repurposed materials. Opening reception 1 to 3 p.m. Sept. 17. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, and 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sunday. 301-528-2260 or blackrockcenter.org. ”Stills on White” — through Oct. 30, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Photography by June Jarkey, looks at aspects of nature that otherwise may go unnoticed. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through
Lauren LaRocca
The Thacher & Rye courtyard in downtown Frederick.
Outdoor art exhibit at Thacher & Rye
Thacher & Rye and Gaslight Gallery collaborated to showcase sculptural pieces by regional artists, which will be on exhibit in the restaurant courtyard for several months.
The Sculpture in the Courtyard Art Opening will be held from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Sept. 22 at Thacher & Rye, 228 N. Market St., Frederick. The rain date is Sept. 28.
Mingle with the artists and enjoy food and drink from the restaurant while taking in the artwork.
Tickets are $60 and include two drink tickets and passed hors d’oeuvres.
Event proceeds will benefit the Frederick Art Club Scholarship Fund.
Learn more at thacherandrye. com/sculpture-garden.
Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Free admission. 301-698-0656 or delaplaine.org. ”Together Alone” — through Oct. 30, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Paintings by Lusmerlin Lantiqua that explore the relationships with one’s womanhood, shared humanity, and the people and places around us. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Free admission. 301-698-0656 or delaplaine.org. ”Toward Winter” — through Oct. 30, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Woodcut prints by Max Winkler, long-time artist and teacher. Now in his 80s, Winkler reflects on the seasons of the year and the seasons of his life, utilizing two major themes of his career: landscapes and the human figure. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Free admission. 301-698-0656 or delaplaine.org. ”Ever Beyond, Beyond Ever” — through Oct. 30, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Paintings and sculpture by McKay Otto. Otto’s works are meditations on timelessness and the boundaries between the material and immaterial. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Free admission. 301-6980656 or delaplaine.org. ”Contemporary Innovations” — through Oct. 30, Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. Works by McKay Otto, meditations on timelessness and the boundaries between the material and immaterial. Paintings and sculptures that collaborate with light. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. 301-6980656 or delaplaine.org. ”This Far Down the Road” — through Oct. 30, Blanche Ames Gallery, 4880 Elmer Derr Road, Frederick. Photography by Chris Fowler. View on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday by appointment only. BAGalleryappointment@gmail.com. ”Unshuttered” — through Oct. 30, Gaslight Gallery, 118 E. Church St., Frederick. Celebrating the contributions of The Frederick News-Post photojournalists to understanding the world around us. Produced and curated by Nancy Luse, a FNP journalist from “back in the day” of black-and-white photography, 1970s to the 1990s. Gallery hours are 1 to 6 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Call or text 703-309-3826 to schedule an appointment. ”Emanations” — through November, Majestic Theater’s art gallery, 25 Carlisle St., Gettysburg, Pa. A collection of abstract figurative portraits of Abraham Lincoln by artist Wendy Allen, who has been painting portraits of Lincoln since 1983. Box office and gallery hours are 3 to 7 p.m. Friday, noon to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays. 717337-8235 or gettysburgmajestic.org. Crestwood Gallery Fall Exhibit — through Jan. 6, 2023, Crestwood Center, 7211 Bank Court, Frederick. Original works of art, including oil, watercolor, mixed media, wood carvings, and photography from some of Frederick’s most talented artists. Hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. 240-2151460 or frederickhealth.org. ”Relief From the Heat” — through Jan. 22, 2023, Kentlands Mansion, 320 Kent Square Road, Gaithersburg. Works by the Washington Water Color Association. Viewing is by appointment 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call 301-2586425 to schedule an appointment. Meet the artists 7 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 13. gaithersburgmd.gov. “The Hot Button” — through August 2023, Hot Button Gallery, 129 E. German St., Shepherdstown, W.Va. Carol Williams exhibits textiles and poster art that reflect her passion for social responsibility through artistic communication. Gallery hours from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays. The artist will be available for conversation at these times. anothercarolwilliams.com.
”Joseph Holston: Color in Freedom, Journey Along the Underground
Railroad” — Sept. 23 through Jan. 14, 2023, Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, 401 Museum Drive, Hagerstown. In this exhibit, Holston leads his audience through four movements that deepen our understanding of America’s Black enslaved people’s experience. Meet the artist reception, with light refreshments, 2 to 4 p.m. Sept. 25. Hours 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Closed Mondays and major holidays. Admission and parking are free.301739-5727 or wcmfa.org.
BY ANDY STOUT
Special to The News-Post
Some days, my neighborhood at the north end of downtown Frederick smells just delicious.
The wonderful aroma of baked goods comes by way of Uncle Ralph’s Bakery, which sits on the corner of Eighth and East streets.
I often roll down my driver’s side window when driving through to take a deep inhale of the goodness.
That said, I’ve always found the bakery sort of mysterious.
I can smell cookies, but why can’t I see or eat the cookies (an important part of the equation)?
Also, who is Ralph? It’s like he’s some reclusive baking mystic that you’re implying I’m related to. If we are family, why aren’t their more delicious treats in my life? Maybe I already know Uncle Ralph and don’t even know it. What’s up with that?
I decided to see how this cookie crumbles.
If the City of Frederick has an official cookie or delicious baked goods, the snacks of Uncle Ralph’s Bakery — formerly Uncle Ralph’s (Not Yet Famous) Cookies — would likely be one’s top choice.
Started as Uncle Ralph’s (Not Yet Famous) Cookies in 1985 by (Uncle) Ralph and Peggy Wight, the bakery has gone from a small home business in Frederick that sold 1,500 cookies the first year (with delivery services in the couple’s family car) to being a player in the regional pre-packaged cookie and snack scene — and a supplier of a variety of ready-to-bake doughs.
After 37 years, the Wights decided to sell the business to two of their (now former) employees: Tom Rogers, who served as transportation manager at Uncle Ralph’s for five years, and Richard (Rome) Ramsburg, a native of Frederick County who served as Uncle Ralph’s production manager for over 20 years. The combination of the pandemic, which saw a cut in both the bakery’s business and workforce, combined with the Wight’s desire to retire, led to the decision to sell.
This downturn during the pandemic was not unique to Uncle Ralph’s. Artisan and regional bakeries around the world saw changes in their business models, as food consumption habits and home baking trends changed. Having weathered these changes and adjusted accordingly, Uncle Ralph’s new owners, like Uncle Ralph himself, believe they still have an outstanding product to offer and want to do their part to keep the dream alive. They also want to keep people employed in Frederick and to continue to be a part of the Frederick community.
Today, Uncle Ralph’s has been in operation at their current location since 1992. The bakery offers 60 products, employs 21 people, and a fleet of six trucks delivers around Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Washington, D.C.
According to the new owners, Uncle Ralph’s storefront is once again open to the public and accessible from Eighth Street in Frederick. Having closed during the pandemic, the store is now regularly open Monday through Thursday year-round and includes Friday hours from Thanksgiving to Christmas.
At Uncle Ralph’s Bakery, as
Rome Ramsburg, left, and Tom Rogers are the new owners of Uncles Ralph’s Bakery in Frederick.
Staff photos by Ric Dugan
it is now called, shoppers can purchase 5-pound bags of readyto-bake frozen dough or alreadybaked treats — gourmet cookies, brownies, crumb cakes, pound cakes, doughnuts, mini cupcakes, cinnamon rolls and twists, and coconut macaroons, to name a few.
The bakery’s mighty stature yet relatively small size is a bonus for locals, who can take advantage of Uncle Ralph’s ability to make custom products. Uncle Ralph’s also offers entire platters for parties and other events.
Rogers and Ramsburg said they would like to get their products into more stores and coffee shops in Frederick County and increase their local delivery routes and partnerships with local businesses whenever possible. Uncle Ralph’s cookies, cakes and other treats can be found at a variety of locations downtown, such as the McCutcheon’s Factory Store and the North Market Pop Shop.
In addition to the bakery’s
Assorted flavors of soft chewy gourmet cookies from Uncle Ralph’s Cookies.
Double Chocolate Fudge Brownies.
IF YOU GO
Uncle Ralph’s Bakery
801 N. East St., Frederick 800-422-0626
commitment to providing quality baked goods on a local and regional level, there is a commitment to Frederick that appears to be baked into their enterprise in more ways than one.
Under the Wights, Uncle Ralph’s once supplied baked goods to local charities, organizations and schools, who could then sell the treats as a way to do their own fundraising. Rogers and Ramsburg want to renew those efforts.
“We really want to continue to build on the legacy that the Wights started and show our commitment to the local community that we also love by giving back as much as possible,” Rogers said. “We hope to relaunch Uncle Ralph’s charity and fundraising work soon.”
While the bakery’s biggest seller is still their delicious raw doughs, the new ownership hopes to continue to draw local fans to its baked goods and packaged snacks, as well. The bakery also makes specialized proprietary products for specific customers, including business franchises in the fast food and tourism industries.
The story of Uncle Ralph’s is as much a tale of Frederick as it is a cookie story. When asked if it bothered them that Uncle Ralph’s had been in business for decades and was still “not yet famous,” Ramsburg and Rogers laughed.
“It all started with a cookie,” Ramsburg said.
It has certainly grown far beyond that, as these dedicated employees turned owners can attest. They hope the name change to Uncle Ralph’s Bakery will let people know they have a lot more to offer than just cookies. Rogers and Ramsburg are both aware that Uncle Ralph’s Bakery is a vital part of the Frederick community, and they hope to continue to be a delicious and tasty part of it for decades to come.
Andy Stout is an anthropologist and writer interested in community, culture, music, the arts, history and conservation. He has written dozens of articles in local, regional and national publications covering a variety of topics. He has lived in the city of Frederick for over 25 years.
