Per Montgomery County:
For Immediate Release: Wednesday, September 14, 2022
The Sixth Annual Wheaton Arts Parade & Festival returns to the streets of Wheaton on Sunday, Sept. 25, with activities on Marian Fryer Town Plaza in Downtown Wheaton following the unique parade. The free event celebrates the artistic and cultural diversity of the community and provides a showcase for local artists.
The Arts Parade starts at 10 a.m. at the intersection of Grandview and Ennalls avenues. It will move down Georgia Avenue, around the Wheaton Triangle Business District and will end at the festival site adjacent to the entrance of the Wheaton Metrorail Station.
Marian Fryer Town Plaza is located at 2424 Reedie Dr. in Wheaton.
Anyone can join the parade as long as they push, pull, carry, wear or perform art. On this day, everyone can be an artist. No motor vehicles are allowed in the parade. However, there will be more than 15 large, artist-designed floats—some old favorites and some new ones. The line of march will include a gold and silver double tetrahedron.
The parade will walk to the beat of marching bands, bagpipes, drums and dance companies. A map of the parade route can be found at https://www.wheatonartsparade.org/wapf2022.
The festival will have more than 50 tents of original art for sale and three stages of continuous performances from noon-5 p.m.
More than 40 individual artists, as well as art organizations and galleries, will sell their original art. There will be artists representing the Montgomery Art Association, the Washington Watercolor Association, the Capitol Hill Art League, Gallery 209 and the Wheaton Arts Parade Gallery.
Family fun will include balloon art, chalk art, face painting and various free art-making activities.
The lineup of music and dance performers will include Strathmore artists Taisha Estrada, Amadou Kouyate and Seán Heely; the Urban Artistry Dance Company, the Wheaton Studio of Dance, the Culkin School of Traditional Irish Dance, Beijing Opera Dance. There also will be performances by the Albert Einstein High School and the Northwood High School band.
Carpe Diem is bringing a number of performers including Munit and Z Lovebugs, Mr. Lilo, Gabrielle Zwi & Friends, Christina Drapkin and the Glenn Pearson Band with Dick Kaufmann.
Also performing will be local musicians Roadside Attraction; Dir and the Howlers; Spencer J,; Cody as Always; and Tai the Bouffoon.
Food will be available to purchase from local award-winning restaurants. The festival will have a beer garden featuring Astro Lab Brewing and True Respite Brewing Company.
A map of the festival tents and the program of entertainment on each stage can be found at https://www.wheatonartsparade.org/wapf2022.
Wheaton is one of three Maryland Arts and Entertainment Districts in Montgomery County. The mission of the Wheaton Arts Parade organization is to bring the community together with art.
The parade and festival are sponsored in part by the Montgomery County Government, the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County, Montgomery Parks and Planning, the County Department of Environmental Protection, Montgomery County Recreation, Greenhill
Properties, Westfield Wheaton, the Maryland State Arts Council and numerous local businesses and community organizations.
For more information on the parade and festival visit: www.wheatonartsparade.org.
Per Strathmore:
(NORTH BETHESDA, MD)- Founded in 1946 by Chester J. Petranek, The Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras of Strathmore (MCYO) are officially celebrating their 75th anniversary on Sunday, May 22 in the Music Center at Strathmore. All MCYO ensembles will perform in this special anniversary program. At 1PM students in Future Stars, Young Artists, Symphony, and Kamerata! will perform while the 7PM concert features presentations by Preparatory Strings, Chamber Strings, Chamber Ensemble, and Philharmonic.
Highly regarded regionally and nationally as one of the country’s most outstanding youth orchestra programs, The MCYO is the oldest and most established youth orchestra program in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. In MCYO, students experience a seamless connection between the artistic and the educational experience. Since 2005, MCYO has been a resident partner in the Music Center at Strathmore.
Under the direction of Artistic Director Jonathan Carney and Music Director Kristofer Sanz, MCYO offers three full orchestras: a chamber ensemble, two string orchestras, small ensembles and chamber groups to nearly 500 talented musicians in grades 2-12.
“We are extremely proud and honored to celebrate our 75th Anniversary with a day full of wonderful performances culminating with a world premiere of a brand-new multimedia orchestral suite In Aqua Sanitas, for orchestra, piano, poetry, water percussion, children’s choir, mezzo soprano, and audience participation performed by our Philharmonic,” said MCYO Music Director Kristofer Sanz. “Not only are our performances a culmination of the countless hours of hard work and dedication of our young musicians, but also a testament to the trust instilled in MCYO by our parents for the music education of their children, and the legacy that was set in place by past conductors and leaders of MCYO over the last 75 years. Even though this year has been difficult due to COVID restrictions and protocols, every single musician in the organization has risen to the occasion and made music with more dedication than ever before.”
During recent seasons, MCYO has collaborated (performances and musical exchanges) with many diverse groups including the Afghan National Youth Orchestra at the Kennedy Center; Tuned-In, a Baltimore inner-city wind program; Young Artists of America; NASA and the Sally Ride Foundation; Scotch College, Australia; Strathmore Children’s Chorus; the National Symphony Orchestra; Black Violin, and CityDance.
Strathmore is grateful to the following institutions and individuals who have contributed to MCYO this season: Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; Gerilee Bennett; Cathy Bernard and the Bernard Family Foundation; Harriett and Jerome Breslow; Bette Eberly-Hill and John Hill; Edward Grossman and Rochelle Stanfield; Olivia Warley Gutoff Memorial Scholarship Fund; Eunice Park-Lee and John Lee; The Silver Spring Chapter of The Links, Inc.; Peilin Tan-Aquino and Welman Aquino; Jim and Carol Trawick Foundation; Bernard Wills
For more information about MCYO visit – https://www.strathmore.org/community-education/mcyo/
The Imagination Stage (4908 Auburn Ave, Bethesda) has announced that Jason Najjoum will be theater’s new Managing Director and Triza Cox has been appointed to the new position of Associate Artistic Director of Theatre for Change.
Press release below:
IMAGINATION STAGE SELECTS JASON NAJJOUM AS NEW MANAGING DIRECTOR TO PARTNER WITH FOUNDING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR JANET STANFORD ON GROWING IMAGINATION STAGE’S IMPACT ACROSS THE DMV
Triza Cox Appointed to New Position of Associate Artistic Director of Theatre for Change
Bethesda, MD (April 7, 2022) Imagination Stage Board President Patrick O’Neil and President-Elect Kim W. Barnette, PhD announced today that transformational arts leader Jason Najjoum will be Imagination Stage’s new Managing Director beginning April 4, 2022. Najjoum’s hiring concludes a transition that will see him and Founding Artistic Director Janet Stanford co-leading the 42-year old organization into a post-COVID future. They will focus on strengthening the acclaimed established programming in professional theatre and performing arts education for children and youth, as well as growing newer efforts including Theatre for Change (Imagination Stage’s ground-breaking social justice work), digital outreach, and expanding programming in Washington, DC.
In this executive leadership role, Najjoum is responsible for overseeing all managerial aspects of the organization, with a focus on strategic planning, fundraising, marketing, community relations, operations, people and organizational development, and governance of the Maryland and DC Boards.
Najjoum is an organizational engineer who achieves transformational objectives. He is guided by a deep-seated curiosity of people and systems, a value of reciprocity, and over 12 years of management experience across sectors. Most recently serving as Managing Director of Synetic Theater, Najjoum led it to financial stability, improved artist and audience experience, and innovative community programming during the COVID-19 pandemic. He has also served as Producing Director of New York Theatre Barn, an award-winning nonprofit theater that incubates new musicals. Jason has held roles at Yale Repertory Theatre, Baltimore Center Stage, ABC Television, and on Broadway. His arts experience is augmented by several transformative experiences in the private sector, including at McChrystal Group, a global organizational development firm, and at Bridgewater Associates, the world’s leading hedge fund.
Najjoum earned an MFA/MBA in Theater Management from Yale University, co-chaired the Equity Committee of the National Landing Business Improvement District, and is a member of Leadership Greater Washington.
O’Neil believes Najjoum is “the ideal person to build upon Founder Bonnie Fogel’s bold dream to bring the arts to all young people regardless of their background or ability. Jason shares this vision and is poised to expand Imagination Stage’s impact outside its Bethesda roots into DC and beyond. Jason’s energy, entrepreneurial outlook, and strategic approach are the perfect formula for Imagination Stage at this inflection point in its 42-year history.”
Fogel shares O’Neil’s enthusiasm: “Imagination Stage’s new leadership team of Managing Director Jason Najjoum and Founding Artistic Director Janet Stanford will, together, position Imagination Stage to take advantage of new challenges and opportunities in Washington, DC, in the areas of Theatre for Change and digital content and distribution, as the organization approaches the half-century mark.”
Janet Stanford, who has been serving as Producing Artistic Director for the past 15 months, welcomes Najjoum and the move to a dual leadership structure in which she will have the title of Founding Artistic Director. Says Stanford, “As Imagination Stage recalibrates post-pandemic to meet the needs of now for our children and youth, we need a leader with strong business, theatre, fundraising, and entrepreneurial skills. Jason Najjoum is this person. I am confident that, as the Board’s choice for the Managing Director role, Jason will help us to build an Imagination Stage set to thrive in the 2020’s and beyond.
Najjoum’s hiring was overseen by a Board of Trustees committee helmed by O’Neil, Barnette, and Catherine Leggett. Says Barnette, “I am thrilled about the exciting energy and fresh perspective that Jason Najjoum will bring to Imagination Stage. As our new Managing Director, he is already focused on how to achieve the vision for Imagination Stage at 50 years strong! Jason is particularly aligned with our commitment to anti-racism, ensuring that diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility initiatives are a priority in all that we do, and strengthening the expansion of theatre arts education to youth throughout the metropolitan DC area.”
“The main guiding force in my own development has been immersion in the arts and humanities – both in strengthening the ways I can uniquely serve society and showing me how I can grow,” says Najjoum. “Therefore, as a leader who unlocks untapped potential in visionary organizations vital to their communities, I can think of no better organization to serve at this moment than Imagination Stage. Together with Janet and our incredible board and staff, we will spread the power of performance and play as a means of youth development, leading the charge towards connectedness and democracy as a bulwark to oppression. I can’t wait to get started!”
Another significant executive hire sees Triza Cox in the newly-created position of Associate Artistic Director of Theatre for Change. She will play a pivotal role in this growing program, which includes the ¡Óyeme! and 10 Seconds workshops, plays, and films, among others.
Working as a professional theatre artist with a specialty in theatre devising and community-based theatre, Cox has lent her creative and academic skills to various productions and educational pursuits across the country. Her comprehensive approach to artist development, directing, and writing has allowed her to create new art in many of the most underserved and unserved communities in the nation. Through her education and experience, Triza Cox has adroitly led theatre projects that address equity and disparities as well as elevate artistic aesthetic. Cox is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association, an associate member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, and is the South Carolina Ambassador for the Dramatists Guild. She has an MFA in Theatre Performance from University of Louisville.
Cox also has an impressive background working in public health. Most recently, she was Executive Team/Coordinator of Community Services for Circle Park Behavioral Health Services in Florence SC. A trained prevention specialist, working at Trinity Behavioral Care in Dillon, SC, she coordinated needs assessments to identify problem behaviors in the community.
About her work at Imagination Stage, Cox says, “For over a decade I’ve worked as a theatre artist, often in marginalized communities, with the goal of democratizing arts access. I did this work independently, but it is truly a gift and an honor to be with a company that has the same dedication to making the world a better place.”
Cox will work closely with Joanne Seelig Lamparter, Imagination Stage’s Artistic Director of Education and Theatre for Change. Seelig Lamparter, who was central to establishing Theatre for Change in 2014 and to stewarding its development ever since, says she is “delighted to have Triza join us. Her robust background in public health combined with her artistic skill set as a director, playwright, and teaching artist make her an ideal leader to work alongside our artists, administrators and many community partners, as we see continued expansion of our Theatre for Change work across the region. Her fresh perspective, creativity, and sharp administrative skills make her a perfect match for the position.”
Stanford concurs: “Triza comes to Imagination Stage with a wealth of theatre and public health experience. In collaboration with Joanne, Triza is poised to oversee exponential growth of the work we do with teens across the DMV. No one understands better than she the power theatre possesses to give young people a voice and to find inspiration for their futures.”
About Imagination Stage
Founded in 1979, Imagination Stage has grown from an after-school program serving 17 students to become one of the largest youth-oriented arts organizations on the East Coast, reaching 75,000 children and families each year and with a budget of around $4.5 million. Imagination Stage resides in a beautiful 40,000 square-foot building in the heart of Bethesda and has significant programming in Washington, DC and around Montgomery County.
RM of BTS Visits MoCo’s Glenstone Museum
Recently, rapper RM visited Glenstone Museum in Potomac while on a trip to the DC area. He posted two different sets of photos from his visit on Instagram. One post includes the caption “돌의 마을.. 세라가 잘 어울렸다,” which roughly means “The village of stone… Serra built it well,” referring to sculptures by artist Richard Serra.
27 year old RM is one of the founding members and the leader of South Korean boy band BTS. The band has been active since 2013 and currently has 7 members: RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook. BTS has won numerous awards internationally and have been one of the few groups to earn four US number one albums in less than two years (a distinction also held by The Beatles). Some of their singles include songs “Butter,” “Mic Drop,” “Savage Love,” and “Permission to Dance.”
Glenstone is an art museum based in Potomac. The museum displays exhibits of contemporary and modern art from post-WWII artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Louise Bourgeois, Alexander Calder, Andy Goldsworthy, Jeff Koons, Richard Serra, and more. A large portion of the museum’s art and architecture can be viewed through an outdoor walking tour experience, spread out throughout the 300 acre property.
The museum is free to visit, although tickets are required for entry. Glenstone offers a guaranteed entry (no ticket required) program for students, active military personnel, museum professionals, and Ride On Bus passengers. Glenstone also partners with MCPS to offer free field trips for students. All visitors must be over age 12.
You can learn more about Glenstone by checking out their website.
Featured photos courtesy of @rkive on Instagram.
Special thanks to Christine Muhn for help with translating RM’s caption.
By Michelle Katz @pike.and.rozay
A previous version of this article referred to the newspaper published by The Town Paper as The Town Crier, which is the HOA published newspaper for the Kentlands.
Kentlands Photography Café Opening December 14
The Kentlands Photography Cafe will be open for retail business starting Tuesday December 14. This new venue will serve as a photography gallery, cafe, photography bookstore, wine bar, as well as a space for classes and lectures. The cafe and wine bar will start operating at a later date, which has not yet been announced.
Per their website, the gallery will be the focal point of the space. They will display a permanent collection of work, plus new photography exhibitions every 6-8 weeks with art from local, national, and international photographers. They plan to host events including opportunities to meet the artists, workshops, book signings, and more.
The cafe will serve ready-made sandwiches and salads from local chefs, plus house-brewed coffee and wine curated by a local sommelier. They plan to host pop up dinner nights featuring local chefs in addition to wine tasting events.
The bookstore will offer photography tutorial books, “coffee table” photography books, photography prints, posters, reproductions, and photography magazines.
The Kentlands Photography Cafe is located at 309 Main St in Gaithersburg and is replacing the Wellspring Skin Care Clinic.
While they were remodeling, the owner discovered the original signage for the office that used to occupy that space– the Town Paper (publisher of The Town Courier from 2003-2020).
Kentlands Photography Café will be open from noon-8pm Tuesdays-Fridays and 10 am- 5 pm on Saturdays. The Cafe and gallery will be closed on Sundays and Mondays.
You can learn more about the Kentlands Photography Cafe by checking out their website , Instagram, and facebook.
Featured photo courtesy of Seth Steinberg.
By Michelle Katz @pike.and.rozay
Martin Amini was just hitting his stride in Los Angeles when the pandemic hit in March of 2020 and forced him to leave his dreams behind and move back in with his family in Montgomery County. The comedian had recently made Thrillist’s “Best Undiscovered Stand Up Comedian list” and had previously opened for headliners such as Trevor Noah, Jerrod Carmichael, and Hasan Minaj.
After over a year of the pandemic and most people staying at home, many businesses that were Martin’s favorite places to perform in D.C. were going out of business– namely Big Hunt and DC Drafthouse., so he decided he would open Room 808 (808 Upshur Street, NW) in DC to try to bring back a space where he and other entertainers could perform.“The art community had been impacted and there was a huge void.” Amini told us. “Those with dreams to grow in the arts were finding their dreams crushed.”
“I needed art more than ever…I needed it to feel safe.” he said. So he went out and found his favorite local painters, jazz musicians, and comedians, and placed them under one roof. Martin told us “I wanted to find anything that would remind people that community is still alive during these hard times and help them find comfort through the inclusivity of art.” In late-June, Room 808 was officially ready to go. As of just a couple weeks ago, starting in the month of September, Room 808 expanded its offerings to include entertainment 5 nights a week, including Comedy and Jazz with headliners flying in from New York and Los Angeles to perform at the venue.
Martin reminisced about his early days growing up on Bel Pre Road in Silver Spring. He wanted a space to have shows that looked and felt like his neighborhood growing up– one that included a wide array of diverse backgrounds. So far, he feels Room 808 has been a success in not only doing that, but also inspiring a new generation of comedians, which he teaches in his Wednesday comedy class. Amini’s stand-up material touches on what it’s like growing up mixed in America (primarily here in Montgomery County) and coming from an Iranian and Bolivian background. He hopes to be able to share it with everyone in the area through his new venue.
Pike & Rose Updates: URBNmarket Pop-Up Happening Soon, Pike Central Farm Market Returns This Weekend
URBNmarket, a pop-up market featuring local vendors, will be at Pike & Rose from Friday 4/30 through Sunday 5/2. URBNmarket sellers will be offering a selection of handmade and vintage goods.
Over 40 different small businesses will be selling their wares throughout the course of the weekend. Each day of the market will bring a different lineup of these vendors.
Previously, URBNmarket has popped up in Bethesda Row and a few places in Northern Virginia (Reston, Mosaic, and Merrifield). This will be their first time popping up in Pike & Rose.
Check out the full list of vendors below:
You can learn more about URBNmarket here.
After a few months break, Pike Central Farm Market will return to Pike & Rose starting this weekend. You can find them in the REI parking lot every Saturday from 9am-1:30 PM. Their season traditionally goes from late April until December.
Pike Central Farm Market has a rotation of 40 vendors ranging from produce, artisan foods, bakeries, wineries and distilleries, handcrafted goods, seafood, and more.
Besides their Pike & Rose location, Central Farm Market also has year-round locations in Bethesda and Northern VA.
You can learn more about Pike Central Farm Market and see a list of their vendors here.
Featured photos courtesy of Central Farm Market and URBNmarket’s instagrams.
By Michelle Katz @pike.and.rozay
The Annual MCPS Art Show Is Virtual This Year
In years past, MCPS has celebrated and showcased student artwork by hosting displays at Lakeforest Mall and most recently Westfield Montgomery. This year, the MCPS art show is entirely virtual. You’ll find art from elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, special programs, and even a page showcasing work created by art educators around the county.
We spoke with MCPS Fine Arts Content Specialist Sarah Neubold, who shared her thoughts on having a virtual art show. “The purpose of the annual MCPS All-County Art Show is to provide an opportunity to showcase the depth, breadth and rigor of the visual art programs at all MCPS schools…The online platform allows us all to celebrate the accomplishments of students while we are still apart… I am so impressed by the perseverance demonstrated by our students and quality of work they have produced…”
When asked about what she hopes the community sees when they look through the exhibit, Neubold responded that she hopes they see how “visual art classes have played a critical role for our students… Our young artists have demonstrated that creativity and innovative thinking are essential life skills that can be developed (even during a global pandemic). Our outstanding art educators have gone above and beyond this year to create positive learning experiences that promote self-expression and social-emotional support. ”
The MCPS virtual art show website will be available throughout the remainder of this school year.
Below you’ll see a selection of some pieces that caught our eye. You can take a look at the county art show here.
Featured artwork courtesy of the MCPS art show website.
Nardos M., Wheaton High School
Voin S., North Bethesda Middle School
Kendall Y., 2nd grade, Darnestown Elementary School
Jill W., 8th grade, John Poole Middle School
Christopher M., Grade 12, Longview School
Vinita Y., Grade 12, Gaithersburg High School
By: Michelle Katz @pike.and.rozay
Murals on the Capital Crescent Trail Passageway in Bethesda
Murals were recently added to the passageway that connects the Monument Parking garage to the Capital Crescent Trail in Bethesda, just off of Arlington Road.
The six murals depict landmarks and areas in Montgomery County and along the Capital Crescent Trail.
Those depicted are the American Legion Bridge, Arlington Road, Walter Reed, Bethesda Metro Plaza, Bethesda Row, and the Capital Crescent Trail.
By Tom Merritt
New Mural Has Revitalized Bethesda Garage
If you live or work around the Woodmont-Rugby Public Parking Garage in downtown Bethesda, you may have noticed a new mural adorning the formerly plain exterior walls.
This mural is the work of Baltimore-based artist Megan Lewis.
Megan was selected from a deep pool of applicants by the Bethesda Urban Partnership, which seeks to promote and maintain downtown Bethesda. The mural is themed around the idea of transportation, and includes figures walking, riding bicycles, and even a skateboarder!
This puts the number of murals in downtown Bethesda well into the double digits.
To find out more about Megan and her art, you may visit her website or check her out on Instagram @urbanhipsta.
By Daniel Garay
This past Thursday, June 25, Strathmore announced their 2020-2021 event lineup.
The first event will be an outdoor exhibit in October, titled “Monuments: Creative Forces” by artist Craig Walsh. Portraits will be projected onto trees throughout the campus. According to the Strathmore website, the installation “challenges traditional expectations of public monuments” and “pays homage to regional artists who are forces of nature.” The exhibit will run from October 2-25.
Other shows include “Step Afrika! Step Xplosion” on February 28, 2021, Octavia E. Butler’s “Parable of the Sower” on April 1-2, 2021, and Jeff Goldblum & The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra on May 13, 2021.
Presale has already begun for most shows. Tickets will be available to the general public on Friday, July 10 at 10am.
For more information and to buy tickets, head to Strathmore’s website (https://www.strathmore.org/events-and-tickets/2020-2021-strathmore-season).
Photo courtesy of Strathmore’s Facebook page.
By Nyrene Monforte
