Skip to main content

Cover Stories


 

Well, isn’t this cool!

From Emily Bahhar, Director of Multimedia Communications at HCPSS:

Congrats @InARTrust on landing the cover of this month’s  @washingtonian. #hocomd is the place to be!  #merriweatherpark #visithoco



Seeing this photo reminded me that I have two events at the Chrysalis coming up this week. Well, Facebook helpfully reminded me, too.


On Wednesday, I’ll be trying out my first ever Yappy Hour in the park. No, I don’t have a dog, but I’m a great admirer of dogs and an even greater Happy Hour in the Park enthusiast. I went to several last summer when outdoor events were my primary social events and they were a lot of fun. Added bonus: I bumped into people I knew every single time.

You know I love those picnic tables.


Saturday marks the return of Cultura Plenera to the Chrysalis stage. If you haven’t seen them yet, you absolutely want to put this on your calendar. If you have, you’ve probably already registered for your free tickets. For more about Cultura Plenera, take a look at my impressions in “Community Building” from August, 2021.

If you can afford to make a small donation to the Inner Arbor Trust when you register for tickets, you’ll be helping to underwrite free arts performances for those in our community who don’t have the means to pay, but, for whom these arts experiences are every bit as important as they are to you. Maybe moreso.

Accessibility to the arts isn’t simply about growing more artists and arts audiences. The arts promote a strong sense of community. They foster a sense of belonging and empowerment. The arts connect with many, many other disciplines by so many tiny threads that a free ticket to a concert may also open a door to many other amazing dreams. (“Open the Door”, September 19, 2019)

The Inner Arbor Trust has placed a high priority on making Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods the local home of high-quality, culturally diverse programming which is open to all. This kind of a mission is about removing barriers. Doing that takes a combination of “small change and major funding.” Small donations truly make a difference. 

President and CEO of the Trust, Nina Basu welcomes visitors to the park before each performance. She asks for a show of hands,

“How many people have been to an event at the Chrysalis before?”

“Wonderful! That’s awesome! Welcome back!”

“How many are here for the first time?”

“Excellent! It’s so good to have you here today! I promise you it will be easier to find the next time you come.”

Although it’s a bit of a light-hearted reference to finding a park which is actually smack-dab in the middle of town, there’s a greater truth there. Once you come to the park, you’ll want to keep coming back.

Meet me at the Chrysalis?




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Getting Fresh

One of my favorite days in the Spring comes when this year’s list of Farmer’s Markets is released. That happened this week. New this year are markets in Old Ellicott City and the “Merriweather Market” which, according to the address, will be located here . I mistakenly thought at first glance that it was in the new-construction part of the Merriweather District. I find the name confusing considering its actual location. I’m going to guess that this market is an initiative of the Howard Hughes Corporation because the name seems chosen more for branding purposes than anything else.  Alas, the market in Maple Lawn is gone. The thread on the markets on the County Executive’s FB page will provide you with quite the education in who actually runs the Farmers Markets vs what people often think is going on. Short answer: they are not  chosen nor run by the county. Each market is an independent entity, sometimes started by community volunteers, other times supported by local businesses...
1 comment
Read more

They Can Wait

This is not a typical Saturday post. That’s because, in my community, it’s not a typical Saturday.  Oakland Mills High School, after years of deferred repair, needs massive renovation. It’s pretty simple: when you don’t fix a problem it gets bigger. The school system itself said the the OMHS school building was  "no longer conducive to learning" back in 2018.  2018 .  But Thursday the Boad of Education voted to push it out of the lineup of important projects which will be given the go-ahead to proceed soonest.  In my opinion it’s a terrible decision and sets a dangerous precedent. To explain, here’s the advocacy letter I sent in support of Oakland Mills High School. I was rather proud of it. I am writing to ask you to proceed with needed renovation at Oakland Mills High School in the most timely and comprehensive manner humanly possible. I have read the letter sent to you by the Oakland Mills Community Association and I am in complete agreement. You are extremel...
1 comment
Read more

What Kids Are Thinking

  It’s a Monday in February, and if you guessed that a lot of Howard County students have the new cell phone policy on their minds, you’d be right. It will mean big changes and it will be stressful, no matter how much good we hope it will do in the long run. But on this particular Monday cell phones might not be top of mind, as amazing as that seems. Some kids will go to school wondering if they or family members will be seized by ICE. Some will fear that their parents’ employment will be purged by the ongoing rampage of Elon Musk and his cronies through Federal Government. Some fear heightened and renewed racism as programs that supprted Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are vilified and destroyed.  Some worry that it soon won’t be safe for them to use the bathroom in school anymore. It goes without saying that some kids fear going to school every day because of the prevalence of school shootings.  And look! Here’s something new to fear. That old hate group, Libs of TikTo...
1 comment
Read more