Meet the Makers - February 2021

 
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Welcome to our “Monthly Mini Feature”! We are highlighting different local artisans and crafters who have been busy imagining, creating, dreaming, and doing. During this particularly difficult time please remember our artists and small businesses who support them as they have been and always will be valuable contributors to our quality of life, our economy, and one of the many important of facets of our community.

Our Featured Artist for the month of February 2021 is Robin Ogline!

Robin created “SmashedCereal”, featuring handmade body care products to create a fun, colorful, and natural bath escape. Robin’s business was founded in 2014 by “a mom on a mission to find a safer, fun way to bathe her children”. Every bath bomb, soap, scrub and much more is handcrafted with high quality ingredients – and super cute too!

Robin’s creativity is boundless when it comes to incorporating bathing-suit clad yellow rubber duckies, mystical mermaids, friendly frogs and a wide variety of other treats-to-keep into bath bombs and soap bars. Also of mention are the wonderful whipped soap scrubs and body butters in an array of scents and styles, we must try them all!

Visit www.smashedcereal.com to see the full catalog of goodies, find her on Facebook and Instagram or visit Shepherd’s Old Field Market (www.shepherdsoldfield.com) in Leonardtown, MD to shop in person!

 

Meet the Makers - July 2020

Welcome to our new “Monthly Mini Feature”! We are highlighting different local artisans and crafters who have been busy imagining, creating, dreaming, and doing. During this particularly difficult time please remember our artists and small businesses who support them as they have been and always will be valuable contributors to our quality of life, our economy, and one of the many important of facets of our community.

 Our Featured Artist for the month of July is Allen Dulaney! Allen enjoys creating digital artwork with one-of-a-kind images from all over the world. He retired from an extended military career and is now able to find time to enjoy endeavors such as photography and traveling. He is very much inspired by the simple beauty found in nature including landscapes, historical sites, animals, flora, and more.

 View Allen’s work at: www.society6.com/allendulaney and also visit his Facebook page (@DulaneyDigitalArt) to see his beautiful photographs! Allen is often on the go on picture-taking adventures and frequently adds new images to his portfolio.

With the galleries closed and events canceled, now more than ever are our local artists appreciative of any and all purchases, special orders placed, or just a simple “hello” from their fans and followers. Thank you for supporting our community, check back soon to see who will be featured next!

 
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Christie Blewett Receives Kay Daugherty Arts Educator Award!

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St. Mary’s County Arts Council is proud to announce that Christie Blewett from Chopticon High School has been selected to receive the Kay Daugherty Arts Educator of the Year Award!

Through peer recommendation and a reviewing committee from the Arts Council, Ms. Blewett was chosen to be the recipient of this award as well as $500 in appreciation of her dedication and above-and-beyond contributions as an arts educator in our community.

The St. Mary’s County Arts Council received this nomination from Tammi Grant, a theatre parent and CHS Booster Club member. Christie Blewett was highly recommended both by Tammi and the many other supporters who wrote glowing letters of recommendation.

Christie’s desires and dreams were born from a very early age of performing, directing, and teaching. Her formal education includes a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre (with a minor in Music Education) and a Master of Fine Arts with several related credentials and continuing education completed in her field.

During Christie’s past five years at Chopticon High School, she has inspired many of her students to pursue their educational goals and careers in the Theatre Arts, related fields, and beyond. Ms. Blewett created a brand new “Show Troupe” class as she identified a strong need for a curriculum that incorporated a triad of dance, singing, and acting.

She has developed customized assignments specific for all her Academy of Visual Arts theatre students and has worked tirelessly to find visiting artists to engage with students with interesting and relative subject materials.

This award is granted in memory and recognition of Kay Daugherty (1921-2006) who was well known for her love of art in a wide variety of different forms. Kay was one of the founding members of the St. Mary’s Arts Alliance at St. Mary’s College of Maryland and came to know, befriend, and mentor many of the established and emerging artists of her time. Kay’s home was creatively adorned with many pieces purchased from local artists including an infinite rainbow of paintings, prints, etchings, stained glass panels, collages, weavings, and sculptures.

Realizing that the youth of our community hold the keys to the future, Kay held a deep admiration not only for the student artists also but for their instructors as well. In 2019, a new award was created in honor of Kay Daugherty in recognition of an outstanding arts educator currently teaching at the St. Mary’s County, Maryland public school system.

Christie Blewett has established strong professional and positive relationships with students, parents, and her instructors. She has been consistently supportive and dedicated to the many different branches of the Chopticon High Theatre Arts Program and we are honored to recognize her as this year’s award recipient.

Visit here to learn more about the Theatre Arts program at Chopticon High School!