Area Arts Council Awards 12 Grants, Eight Scholarships

BERLIN -- The Worcester County Arts Council has awarded $14,750 in Community Arts Development Grants program to 12 art projects and events to be presented by local nonprofit arts organizations during the six-month granting cycle beginning July 1.

Grants were awarded to Art League of Ocean City, various art exhibits; Berlin Heritage Foundation, Berlin Peach Festival; Berlin Intermediate School, Believing in BIS Summer Academy; Germantown School Community Heritage Center, Tinley Gospel Fest; Great Pocomoke Fair, Gospel Concert; Historic St. Martin’s Foundation, “Romeo & Juliet” production; Julia A. Purnell Museum, Heritage Arts for Kids Workshops; Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, various performances; Pine Tones Chorus, Winter Concert Series; Steven Decatur High School, new band uniforms; Worcester Chorale, fall concert; and Worcester County Children’s Theater, summer academy.

In other news, eight talented local students have been each awarded $1,000 art scholarships from the council in support of their artistic goals. These young artists were selected by the scholarship committee for the applicant's talent, dedications and artistic potential.

The students were Katherina Burton and Robert Dimaio, Stephen Decatur High; Hannah Gaskill, who was awarded William Best scholarship; Kathleen Kotoski and Allison Stancil, previous year scholarship recipients who are currently art majors in college have both been awarded scholarship again this year; Casandra Raefski, Pocomoke High School; Maggie Winterling, Delmarva Christian High School; and Dan Norris, Wor-Wic Community College.

Annual art scholarship awards are made possible in part through a generous grant from the Mary Humphreys Foundation, Nancie Beste and her family in memory of her husband William Beste and by donations from many patrons of the Arts Council.

The council also recently elected a new slate of officers. Former President Jim Falcon has passed the torch to Carol Dorman, who served on the board for many years, most recently as a treasurer. Chris Welch, who has been serving as secretary, has been elected vice president.

Rounding out the slate of elected officers are Monika Lilley, secretary, and Dorothy Shelton, treasurer.  Nancy Howard and Monika Lilley have been reelected for the next three-year terms. New Board Directors Brett Smith, Dick Jacobs, Holly Anderson, Carol Dorman, Pat Barrett, Marcy Snyder, Tamara Mills, Dorothy Shelton and Davis Simpson have been elected for three-year board terms.