2024 Baltimore Chapter Showcase

Spring into the Arts: Sights, Sounds, and Stories of a New Day

Sunday, April 21, 2024 2:00 p.m.

Coppin State University

J. Millard Tawes Student Center Tawes Ballroom

Charlotte W. Bullock, President

Jasmine E. Myers- Duncan, Esq. and Yolanda N. Brannon, Showcase Chairs

A Message from the President

Greetings,

It is indeed a great privilege for me to welcome you to The Society, Incorporated, Supporting the Arts, Baltimore Chapter Biennial Showcase. This auspicious event commemorates the legacy of The Society, Incorporated showcasing Exceptional Youth in the Arts.

You have confirmed by your presence here today the immeasurable importance of supporting youths in the arts. Proceeds from the 2024 Showcase allow us to give monetary gifts to performers to assist with their professional development. Additionally, the funds support our Creative Arts programs for the community and neighboring schools.

The task of shepherding such a momentous endeavor of producing a Showcase was entrusted to me. I must take the opportunity to express my sincere gratitude for the invaluable assistance and cooperation of the Showcase committee: Lady Jasmine Myers-Duncan, Showcase Chair, Lady Yolanda Brannon Co-Chair, Lady Ruth Gladney, Chair, Talent Search, and Lady Sadie Gregory, for her mentorship.

Thanks to Thompson’s Hospitality, Mr. Avery Rogers, and Dr. Kimberleigh De Laine for support in helping us to plan for this elegant and enjoyable event for our guests.

In order to continue and expand on the great legacy of our Founders, The Society needs your support in helping us to identify likeminded partners in the arts to support our youth. Increasing the number of donors and artistic volunteers to work with our Youth is a priority of the organization.

Thanks to all who are present today, our sponsors, and contributors for your generosity and continued support. Enjoy the wonderful artistic talent of our Baltimore youth and the ambience of your surroundings.

Artfully,

Lady Charlotte W. Bullock President

*Deceased

Officers and Members

President - Charlotte W. Bullock

Vice President - Jasmine E. Myers-Duncan, Esq.

Recording Secretary - Kathleen White, Ed. D.

Corresponding Secretary - Bessina Jeffries Williams

Financial Secretary - Mabel Lake Murray, Ph. D.

Treasurer - Sadie Gregory, Ph. D.

Chaplain - Deborah Courtney-Peterson

Yolanda N. Brannon, Psy.D

Stephanie Covington

Audrey Freeman, Ph.D.

Ruth C. Gladney

Deborah Hawkins

Virginia Johns, Ed.D.

Barbara W. King, Ed.D.

E.

Francine Stokes-McElveen, Esq.

Brenda Savoy, Ed.D.

Ashlee Nicole Turner, Ph.D.

Beatrice W. Williams

Chapter Presidents

Charlotte W. Bullock

Deborah Hawkins

Brenda G. Baker

Sandra Estes

Mabel Lake Murray

Toina Vaughn

Juanita Simon

Harriet Brown

Mae Bate*

Olive Dulaney*

2022-Present

2016-2022

2013-2016

2009-2013

2005-2009

2001-2005

1997-2001

1995-1997

1990-1992

1992-1995 /

1987-1990

Supporting the Dreamers of Today to Become the Stars of Tomorrow Historical Overview

A National Organization

Exposing, Supporting, and Promoting Youth in the Arts

1983-Present

The Society, Incorporated was founded May 1983 in Washington, DC by women of vision and sensitivity. They conceived the idea of organizing to embody the goals of promoting friendship among members and service to talented young people. The acronym SOCIETY denotes the seven (7) attributes of membership: Sisterliness, Openness, Creativity, Inclusion, Energy, Tenacity, and Youthful attitudes and interests. Members act as mentors and role models for young people who show promise of being leaders of the future. From this vision, chapters have been formed in every region of the United States.

On Saturday, April 25, 1992, a majority of regional chapter delegates unanimously adopted its constitution and bylaws and approved the establishment of The Society as an incorporated national organization. Chapters sponsor showcases of youth in the arts as means of spotlighting the talents of young people. Chapters have also sponsored friendship teas, awards ceremonies, receptions for artists, and master classes for students. Members support the work of art institutions, provide scholarships, and help develop art organizations. Above all, The Society, Incorporated is committed to youth in the arts locally and nationally. Supporting Youth in the Arts is the mission of The Society, Incorporated.

The Baltimore Chapter

1987-Present

Olive Dulaney was responsible for the establishment of the second chapter of The Society, Incorporated in Baltimore in 1987. Baltimore hosted the second national conference in 1990. The Chapter has established relationships with performing arts organizations including The Arena Players, Inc., Morgan State University, the Maryland Institute College of Art, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and a myriad of schools and churches in the Baltimore metropolitan area. In 2017 and 2019, the chapter was recognized for commendable achievement in programming. In 2022, the Baltimore Chapter representative to the National Showcase, Brooke Murphy, an opera singer, achieved Second Place in the performing arts category. The Chapter was recently lauded by the national organization for 35 years of service.

Supporting the Dreamers of Today to Become the Stars of Tomorrow Program

Welcome………………….…............................…………..…….. Charlotte W. Bullock Chapter President

Introduction of Mistress of Ceremonies Ruth Gladney, Talent Search Subcommittee Chair

Artspiration…….....………………………................…..............Kathleen White, Ed.D.

Occasion…..................…........................…….. Jasmine Myers-Duncan, Showcase Chair

Guest Performance……………………..…......................………..Dr. John Lamkin, II, Director, B Sharp Music Camp

Musical Selection.............................................................……........................ Natasha Green

Dance Presentation……….................………...........……....……… Olivia A. Anderson

Visual Art Presentation…………….............……...............……....……. Megan Iwuoha

Guest Performance……….............………………...................…….………...Mia Miata

Intermission

Visual Art Presentation……...........................................................................Natasha Green

Instrumental Presentation…….............…………....……….......……….Ethan T. Jones

Visual Art Presentation….............………………....…….…...…….............Jada Iwuoha

Dance Presentation…………….....…..............….....……..…..…. Dance Happens, Inc.

Presentation of Awards.……..…… Charlotte W. Bullock and Jasmine Myers-Duncan

Acknowledgements and Remarks…..……............................…..... Charlotte W. Bullock, Chapter President

Raffle Drawing............................................................................................ Deborah Hawkins

Supporting the Dreamers of Today to Become the Stars of Tomorrow

Guest Performer and Mistress of Ceremonies

Mia Miata

A native of Baltimore, Mia Miata is a vocalist, radio talk show host, educator, and author. Mia's rich soprano ranges clearly over three octaves. She demonstrates a background of classical training from the Baltimore School for the Arts. A school known for producing talents such as Jada Pinkett-Smith and the late Tupac Shakur. Thereafter, Mia Miata received a Bachelor’s of Arts at Morgan State University (MSU) in Television and Radio.

While at MSU, Mia studied under the late Dr. Nathan Carter and the highly acclaimed vocal trainer Betty Ridgeway where she performed with the world class Morgan State University Choir. Accredited performances while at Morgan State University would include, singing with the Philadelphia Philharmonic, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and the Bonn Orchestra in Bonn Germany. Mia holds a master's degree from Notre Dame of Maryland University in Public Relations, and she is currently pursuing her doctoral degree from Morgan State University in Community College Leadership. She works as an associate professor at Baltimore City Community College.

Supporting the Dreamers of Today to Become the Stars of Tomorrow

Our Talented Performers

Natasha Green

Olivia A. Anderson

Ethan T. Jones

Jada Iwuoha

Megan Iwuoha

Dance Happens, Inc. –Eve Craven, James

Ash, Kailyn McLain, Nadia and Victory Green-Noel

Supporting the Dreamers of Today to Become the Stars of Tomorrow

Natasha Green

Natasha Green is seventeen years old, currently in the eleventh grade, and has attained the highest of academic honors with a perfect 4.0 grade point average since entering high school. This includes coursework that she participated in as a dual college enrollment student in the Jump Start program at Howard Community College. In the past, Natasha has been honored by the Howard County Council of Elders for her great academic achievements and she has made the Principal’s Honor Roll in every semester of high school.

Natasha has been playing the trumpet under the tutelage of Dr. John Lamkin II since the fourth grade. During her elementary school years, she participated as a music student in the B-Sharp Summer Institute Program (founded by Dr. John Lamkin II and the late Mrs. Eartha Lamkin). She has also played at the Baltimore Artscape festival as a part of the B-Sharp program. She is currently designated as the First Chair Trumpet for her high school’s Symphonic Winds band.

In addition to her musical studies, Natasha has been actively drawing since elementary school, and has achieved high honors for her artwork. During middle school and in high school, her artwork was selected as one of the representative pieces from her school at the annual Howard County Public School artwork display at the Board of Education and the Columbia Mall. In 2024, she won the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory Art contest in the high school category and in 2024 she also won the Black History Month Expo Art Contest, which was sponsored by the Pan Hellenic Society. Natasha is the designated Art Commissioner for the Black Student Union of her high school and has actively created and donated numerous pieces of her Black historical art to the Black Student Union for their current use and for posterity.

Natasha aspires to attend college and to pursue a career which allows her to further explore her love of computer science and her artistic abilities.

Supporting the Dreamers of Today to Become the Stars of Tomorrow

Olivia A. Anderson

A gregarious, caring and ambitious young lady with big dreams, Olivia is an 18-year-old senior at the George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology where her prime is dance. She serves on the Carver Center Inertia Dance Company, Black Awareness Club leadership team, and as co-Director of the 2024 GW Carver Fashion Show. Her leadership skills have afforded her the chance to serve as a member of an elite group of dancers for the past 11 years that travel and compete throughout the northeast region. Olivia has trained at the Dance Theatre of Harlem and is recognized as a national honors arts and academic scholar. She is a certified day care assistant teacher and a dance instructor with an unwavering dedication to academic pursuits.

In the Fall of 2024, Olivia will attend Jackson State University to pursue and obtain a Bachelor’s and Master of Business Administration. In the future, she plans to own and operate early childhood education and art centers to foster a love of learning and creativity in children.

Supporting the Dreamers of Today to Become the Stars of Tomorrow

Ethan T. Jones

Ethan T. Jones is 17 years old and is an 11th grade honors student at the Western School of Technology and Environmental Science. His magnet is Academy of Health Professions, and his goal is to major in Biomedical Engineering and to become a doctor focusing on the advancement, development, innovation, and study of prosthetics. Ethan is a member of New Shiloh Baptist Church and has been a student in the Carter School of Music for 12+ years.

Ethan’s love for piano developed at a very young age when he would watch his older brother, Austin, matriculate in piano, and that prompted Ethan to want to learn how to play as well. Since the age of 5, Ethan has been a student in the Carter School of Music, receiving multiple honors and scholarships, and has performed in various recitals. Throughout the years Ethan has collaborated in piano duets with his older brother, participated in outside programs and performed at wedding receptions. His long-term music goal is to advance as high as he can in his piano musicality and to one day be a participant in a music and medicine program.

Ethan has been blessed recently with wonderful opportunities to perform. He was featured as the “Catch A Rising Star” performer at the Morgan State University’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Prayer Breakfast program on January 13, 2024, where he performed a classical piano selection. He also won 1st Place in classical instrument for the Talent Hunt Competition of the Pi Omega Chapter, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. on March 2, 2024, and he was also featured as a musical artist for the Carter School of Music Virtual Spring Concert held on March 9, 2024, via livestream on social media platforms.

Along with his love for piano, and classical music, Ethan enjoys learning multiple foreign languages, studying different cultures, and wants to travel the world. His present and past hobbies include - current Media Camera Operator at New Shiloh Baptist Church, former Jiu Jitsu Student and 1st Place Tournament Winner for Crazy 88 MMA, Tennis Student at Baltimore Fitness and Tennis, Summer Robotics Program Participant, and Summer Enrichment Program Student at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, for STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics).

Supporting the Dreamers of Today to Become the Stars of Tomorrow

Jada Iwuoha

Jada Iwuoha is a 19-year-old, sophomore, mechanical engineering major, and entrepreneurship minor at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC). There she is also a Meyerhoff Scholar in the M34 Cohort.

Jada’s areas of art interest are sculpture, oil painting, and drawing. In 2022, Jada earned a perfect score on the AP Art exam and took her art to the NAACP's Act-SO competition to win gold medals in sculpture at the local and national level. In high school, she also won the principal purchase prize and sold her art to the school for it to be showcased in the halls of the school.

At the university, she conducts sustained research at UMBC's energy harvesting and design optimization lab. Last summer, she conducted research at the University of Nebraska Lincoln's Midwest roadside safety facility. Recently, she attended the Emerging Researchers National Conference (ERN) where she presented the research she conducted in Nebraska and won a 1st place poster presentation award. This semester she also won the Bennet Marshall scholarship and the PNC scholarship through UMBC's entrepreneurship scholarship committee.

She is interested in entrepreneurship as well as research in robotics, additive manufacturing, and prototyping.

Supporting the Dreamers of Today to Become the Stars of Tomorrow

Megan Iwuoha

Megan Iwuoha is a seventeen-year-old senior at George Washington Carver Center. She will be graduating in May and plans to attend a 4-year college for Pre-law.

The paintings being shared today are part of her senior art show, that will take place on May 21st, 2024 at 6:00pm, at George Washington Carver Center for the Arts and Technology (938 York Road, Baltimore, MD 21204), all are invited!

Megan is a three-season athlete, a class officer, and a student government member. Her artwork has been featured at places such as The NAACP Baltimore County Branch Annual Freedom Fund Awards Banquet and The Lewis Museum of Art!

Megan’s art Instagram accounts are @mci004 and @megan_iwuoha.

Supporting the Dreamers of Today to Become the Stars of Tomorrow

Dance Happens, Inc.

Eve Craven

Eve Craven has been dancing with Dance Happens, Inc. since she was three years old. She is in ninth grade at Baltimore School for the Arts, and last year performed the role of Grace at Baltimore School for the Arts’ The Nutcracker: A Magical Tale in Mt. Vernon and in 2022, the lead role, Swanhilda, in the Baltimore TWIGS program’s production of Coppélia.

Eve has studied dance at the Ailey School in New York and at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University.

This summer, she is planning to attend Ballet Hispánico on scholarship, and has been offered a scholarship to the Ruth Page School of Dance in Chicago.

Supporting the Dreamers of Today to Become the Stars of Tomorrow

Dance Happens, Inc.

James Ash

James Ash, 15, is currently a freshman at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute. James has been part of the Dance Happens family since he was a toddler, watching his sister dance with the Company. He began dancing with Dance Happens when he was four, and now focuses on tap and African dance.

In addition to dance, James enjoys nature (birds, in particular), playing video games, and math.

Dance Happens, Inc.

Kailyn McLain

Kailyn McLain is 13 years old and attends Roland Park Elementary/ Middle School in Baltimore City. She has been a dancer since she could walk.

At the age of 3, she began dancing with Dance Happens, Inc., where Paula LeVere is the director. As a Dance Happens dancer, Kailyn has learned many dance genres: ballet, hip-hop, acrobatic, jazz, modern, and her favorite, tap. In addition, she became a company dancer at 7 years old. Currently, she is a dancer at Dance Happens, Inc. and is in Tap Company.

In 2nd grade, Kailyn was accepted into the TWIGS program at Baltimore School for the Arts. She was in that program until the 5th grade. Once she went to middle school she joined SIS (Stepping into Sisterhood). Kailyn learned various steps, participated in community service activities, and became a leader. Additionally, she is on the cheer squad and plays travel softball.

During summer 2023, she attended Coach G Academy where she enhanced her skills as a stepper through extensive training and learned more about being a young lady.

Kailyn attends Freedom Temple AME Zion Church and dances with Freedom in Motion (dance ministry). Also, she attends and assists Children’s Church, and is a junior trustee. She is very helpful and has a passion for dance and children. During her free time, she likes to dance, step, and watch her favorite shows.

Next year she will attend Baltimore Polytechnic Institute.

Dance Happens, Inc.

Nadia and Victory Green-Noel

Nadia Green-Noel and Victory Green-Noel are siblings who have been immersed in the world of dance since the tender age of 4. Under the guidance of Ms. Paula LeVerer at Dance Happens Inc., they honed their skills and passion for dance.

Both are students of the Baltimore School for the Arts TWIGS Program with Mrs. Samantha Christisan. They have also trained under the tutelage of Ms. Stephanie Powell at Baltimore Dance Tech and participated in the Dance Theatre of Harlem Dance Intensive Program.

Victory's dedication and talent have been recognized with an acceptance into the prestigious Alvin Ailey Summer Intensive program in New York City, where she has earned a partial scholarship.

Meanwhile, both Victory and Nadia will showcase their talents in lead roles in this year's production of Coppelia at the Baltimore School for the Arts.

Beyond the dance floor, Victory and Nadia find joy in spending time with family, engaging in arts and crafts, and giving back to their community alongside their older sister, Christine. Their journey in dance is a testament to their hard work, dedication, and love for the arts.