Cover story

YEAR IN REVIEW

A look back at our local creative community

The end of the year inspires us to look back and reflect on all that’s transpired during 2022 in our local arts and culture community.

OPENINGS AND CLOSINGS

We welcomed several new businesses to the area this year, perhaps the biggest of which is Cannon’s Events, located in the upstairs portion of Smoketown Brewing in Brunswick and run by its same team. Housed in the 1940s firehall, the space hosted the likes of Patsy Cline, Jimmy Dean and Duke Ellington in its heyday but has sat vacant for about a decade. Thanks to Smoketown owner David Blackmon and a passionate staff, including his son, Jake Blackmon, the space reopened in September for live music and other community events. The grand opening on Sept. 10 brought to the stage A Jazz Tribute to Duke Ellington, Baltimore rockabilly artist Sean K. Preston and headliner Katie Deal, the Georgia-based country singer-songwriter and Patsy Cline tribute artist. “This has been years in the making,” Jake Blackmon said. “It’s been quite a journey.”

Also a huge boon to the arts community was the opening of the W.F. Moran Bladesmith & Artisan Academy in Middletown. William F. Moran, aka Bill Moran, became a local bladesmith legend for his technique of using welded steel to make modern knives, and he’d go on to receive national acclaim for his work. He founded the American Bladesmith Society and shared his knowledge of bladesmithing until his death in 2006. After more than a million dollars and years in the making, the new academy opened its doors in October.

After closing its storefront throughout most of the pandemic, Uncle Ralph’s Not Yet Famous Cookies reopened its bakery to the public this year under new ownership.

In June, Frederick MADE owners Miranda and Christy Mossburg (a mother and daughter duo), opened their second location in Frederick. They now host artist markets every Saturday and Sunday at 31 W. Patrick St., Frederick, in addition to their workshops and classes.

Also in June, owner Sue Leveille relocated Give Rise Studio to 125 S. Carroll St., Frederick, offering classes, retreats, workshops and products in a much larger space. More room to play. Local artists and wellness practitioners, as well as visitors, have much more room to play and unwind in this new spot.

McClintock’s Back Bar held its grand opening in March, and Liquidity Aleworks opened in the historic bank building on North Main Street in Mount Airy, being the first brewery in the town.

In sadder news, Taco Daddy and Glory Doughnuts closed, in a decidedly dramatic way. While employees at Starbucks and other chains around America were unionizing, we saw some of our own disgruntled employees here at home, and these workers took a stand against their employers. Both Taco Daddy and Glory Doughnuts employees voiced similar concerns, essentially paychecks being past due.

The Community Fridge, which was formerly housed inside Glory Doughnuts, had to be relocated after the shop closed. It’s now located at The Frederick Center at 322 W. Patrick St., Frederick.

In another big blow to the creative community, the Griffin Art Center artists were blindsided this summer when they learned the building they call home had been sold by owner Alice Hoxie, and artists would have 18 months to relocate. The artists linked up with the Frederick Arts Council in search of new studio space, and some are interested in potentially renting studios at the former BB&T bank building at 1 N. Market St., which could accommodate approximately 30 artists in the heart of downtown Frederick. The FAC is in the process of working out a lease agreement. Meanwhile, word on the street is the massive art center along West Fifth Street, which started as the Blue Elephant Art Center in the ’90s under benefactor Becky Griffin, is likely to become condos.

Shungu closed — a blink-and-you’ll miss it gallery in downtown Frederick that hosted some incredible shows during its short duration. Located at 125 S. Carroll St., Frederick, it hosted its last exhibition in the space in April. Owner Freddy Katana said they do not plan to relocate but hope to employ an itinerant model.

Courtesy photo

ALSO NEW THIS YEAR

The Pottery Trail of Washington County launched this summer as the first trail of its kind in the state. The brainchild of ceramic artist Kirke Martin, who’s based in Keedysville, the self-guided tour includes a collection of potters whose shops can be visited year-round during gallery hours or by appointment.

There’s also a new pumpkin patch in town. Farmer ChuckBone’s Pumpkin Patch opened for the season on Sept. 17 at 6269 Ed Crone Lane in Frederick, bringing the long-vacant Crone farm back to life.

Beyond Comics, meanwhile, which has become a destination for comic book lovers across the state, celebrated its 25th anniversary in August, and the Maryland Ensemble Theatre opened its 25th anniversary season in September with “The Lifespan of a Fact” on its newly renovated and dedicated Beth Williams & Bob Herbertson Stage inside the Robin Drummond MainStage Theatre.

Volunteers help at The Record Exchange after the fire.

YEAR OF FIRE

Some of Frederick’s most beloved businesses experienced tragedy this year, when seemingly one fire after the next broke out downtown.

A fire in June required the Frederick Book Arts Center to shut down operations and move nearly all equipment out of the building. As founder Johnny Carrera put it in an email, “FBAC must have a lucky star shining over us, because the only printers damaged were the modern ones that are easily replaced.” In other good news, renovations are finally complete, the FBAC has moved back in, and the updated space at 217 W. Patrick St. will reopen to the public on Jan. 7 with a daylong event including demos, make and takes, tours and the FBAC shop. Meanwhile, their new space at 127 S. Carroll St. is still under construction, and they expect to open in another year.

The Record Exchange, at 151 N. Market St. in downtown Frederick, was severely water damaged

YEAR IN REVIEW

after firemen responded to another fire on Aug. 24 in the apartments above the shop. The water caused the ceiling to collapse, and owner Sam Lock said almost no inventory is salvageable. He was still in shock, as he worked with staff and volunteers to see what, if anything, could be saved days after the fire. Lock plans to reopen the store at a new location, 410 N. Market St., Frederick. The new space is slightly smaller at 1,400 square feet, so Lock plans to discontinue selling DVDs but will add a small stage for concerts.

Tiara Day, one of the cutest boutiques in town, was located in the same building and its inventory was also nearly completely destroyed during the fire. Owner Maria Peck said this week that she’s still working through the insurance process and sorting through everything that was salvaged.

“This definitely was not anything I could have ever imagined going through, but I am moving forward and focused on reopening in a new location downtown in 2023,” she said. “It may sound cliché, but in all tragedy, there is good that surfaces, and I witnessed that after the fire. The customers, other businesses, friends and community members that cried with me, reached out with words of support, provided food and donations, raised money, volunteered hours to clean and box anything salvageable … it was an awful time, but this community helped me see the good around. … Frederick is a pretty fabulous place to have a small independent business.”

A MOMENT OF SILENCE

We lost so many wonderful people this year, among them longtime News-Post photojournalist Sam Yu and well-known Frederick record collector Joe Bussard.

Sam Yu moved to Frederick as a child in the 1950s and returned to town after college, accepting a position as a photographer with The Frederick NewsPost in the 1970s. He led the photo department for decades and even after semi-retirement would pitch in with assignments when needed, up until his death on Sept. 21. Some of his work was featured in a News- Sam Yu Post retrospective exhibit this fall, “Unshuttered” at Gaslight Gallery, curated by longtime News-Post editor Nancy Luse, who is currently an editor with Frederick Magazine.

Joe Bussard was so passionate about collecting old-time 78s, he eventually became an archivist of sort, sought after for the collection of rare early blues, gospel and folk music he’d amassed over his lifetime. He died on Sept. 26.

We must also note here that the famed hip-hop artist Coolio performed one of his last shows at The Great Frederick Fair. Only a few days after his performance during the fair’s “I Love the 90’s” Night, the artist was found dead at a friend’s house on Sept. 28.

GRANTS AND AWARDS

Frederick’s Shoshanna Shapiro, an interior designer, won the HGTV 2022 Designer of the Year award for the “Dramatic Before and After” category. Shapiro is a lifelong artist who’s experimented with several mediums until she found her perfect fit: designing homes. She creates custom interior designs for clients through her business Sho and Co. in Frederick.

A local husband-and-wife artist duo, Marguerite de Messieres and Tsvetomir Naydenov, helped to commemorate Theophilus Thompson, the earliest documented Black chess master in America and a Frederick native, by creating a kinetic sculpture that sits in Carroll Creek, just behind Idiom Brewing Co. This year, the piece was selected to be included in an online, interactive map of public art sites located throughout America, a cool honor.

The Frederick Arts Council gave $400,000 in grants to artists this year. The Create and Activate Now Recover awards, funding that was made possible through a National Endowment for the Arts American Rescue Plan grant to Local Arts Agencies, have been used for all kinds of interesting new art projects in our community. For instance, Frederick resident Bill Shoemaker founded the Frederick Experimental Music Association through his grant and began a music series at the Y Arts Center called Improvisers Forum, bringing worldrenowned experimental and jazz musicians to town in an intimate setting. Drummer Jeff Cosgrove founded another series, Jazz Journeys, through his grant, hosting regular concerts at Beans in the Belfry, with proceeds going to local nonprofits.

Brunswick Heritage Museum won a Small Museums Collection Care Grant this year, which allowed staff to begin the process of sorting through its large collection of antique garments from the people of Brunswick that date back hundreds of years — wedding and funeral dresses, uniforms, hats, accessories, quilts — and ultimately display them for the public to see.

IN OTHER NEWS

In the early aughts, Frederick’s First Saturday events were called First Saturday Gallery Walk and showcased art galleries, exhibit openings and receptions, and often live music at those venues and throughout the sidewalks downtown. As more restaurants and shops took residence downtown, Downtown Frederick Partnership, the organization that hosts First Saturday, wanted to highlight all the facets of the scene, not just our arts community — hence dropping the “Gallery Walk” portion of the name. But in September, DFP launched First Sunday Artwalk, a time reserved for art talks, demonstrations, studio visits and hands-on projects from noon to 4 p.m.

The 72 Film Fest ends each year with a screening on the big (Weinberg Center) screen of all the films that were submitted during the competition, followed by an awards ceremony. This year brought with it a new host, Aura Manjarrez, who emceed the weekend events in October alongside Film Fest mainstay Mikael Johnson.

Other Voices Theatre was at the helm of Susan Thornton for many years. When she retired earlier this year, the community theater company knew she was leaving behind some big shoes to fill. Coming up as the theater’s new artistic director is Steve Cairns, who has been involved with the theater for about five years

Courtesy photo The Community Fridge in its new location on West Patrick Street.

as an actor and director.

Heidi Ackerman took on a new role as the director of the Frederick Chorale this year. Ackerman also directs the American Military Spouses Choir, based in Washington, D.C., and is currently director of choirs at North County High School in Glen Burnie. She performs around the D.C./Baltimore area, including in a concert series she started at the Maryland Correctional Institution for Women.

Monocacy Field Music got its 15 minutes of fame this year when they were featured in the Civil War-era Christmastime feature film “I Heard the Bells,” which opened nationwide in theaters in December.

Out40 hosted a long lineup of local hip-hop and R&B artists in September at its inaugural 40Fest along the Golden Mile. Out40 founder Kiki Wilson created the business and blog to spread awareness about the positive things happening on the west side of Frederick along U.S. 40., and a music festival was a natural extension of her work to bring together the community.

The City of Frederick — more specifically, the Weinberg Center for the Arts, which is run by the City of Frederick — took over New Spire Stages this year. Weinberg staff will run the venue, which is just across the street at 15 W. Patrick St., for the next three years at minimum. The space includes a 300-seat blackbox theater, which will now house smaller, more intimate shows, such as the Weinberg’s annual Tivoli Discover Series, which brings emerging artists to town.

And … 72 Hours returned as a weekly publication in July. You didn’t think we’d forget to mention that, did you? Thank you for building such a rich creative community for us to showcase every week.