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Executive Director’s Letter September 11, 2019

What a great weekend in Little Italy at the Fifth Annual Madonnari Arts Festival! This year’s festival was presented by the Little Italy Neighborhood Association and the Baltimore Jazz Alliance with support from Governor Larry Hogan and the Maryland State Arts Council, Mayor Jack Young and the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts. In addition to the exquisite street art, the Festival included the BJA Soundstage where I was fortunate enough to catch the amazing Baker Artist Awardee and music legend, Carl Grubbs. It was great to see friends and GBCA members from Contemporary Arts and Germano’s Piattini. Congratulations to all for a wonderful event.

Passed by Congress in 2010, House Resolution 275 designates the week beginning with the second Sunday in September as National Arts in Education Week. During this week, the field of arts education joins together in communities across the country to tell the story of the impact of the transformative power of the arts in education. “The rich and well-documented links between the arts and education, both formal and informal, create a robust case for supporting pro-arts education funding and pro-arts education policy in every community.” (Americans for the Arts)

Locally, this year marks the first full year of implementing the Fine Arts Strategic Plan to improve equity and access to arts education in Baltimore City Public Schools. You can read more about the plan, accomplishments thus far, and other news on arts education here.

Today, we celebrate a tragic anniversary. It’s hard to believe that it has been 18 years since the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. So many people lost their lives there, and in the plane that crashed in a Pennsylvania field. We continue to mourn for the lost and dream of a world where America is at peace and moves through the world with a voice of solidarity and reason. If you haven’t visited yet, you might take a moment to reflect at 9/11 Memorial located at the World Trade Center in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.

With respect,

Jeannie

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