HANCOCK ARTS COUNCIL

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Chairman: Sinclair Hamilton

Vice-Chair: Suzanne Edwards

Steering Committee: Dan and Debbie Murphy; Michael and Carolyn Kligerman; Phil Edwards: Susan Lothers; Charlie and Emily Hollins;

Dave and Vickie Hott; Ann Knox; Karen Randlev; Tracy Wolford; Ralph Salvagno; and Marian Golden

The steering committee meets monthly and our next big project is the creation of a performing arts center in the Hancock Community

Center which will be used for concerts, dances, plays and other activities.

Mission Statement: Our mission is to enrich the cultural life of Hancock and the surrounding area with art in its many forms. We

want to involve the community, old and young, as viewers and as participants. We want to exhibit and cultivate the talents of local

artists as well as bringing in artists from other areas. The arts council also believes very strongly in education and we hope to offer

workshops and classes in the performing arts, crafts and fine arts for students, teachers and the general public. Our aim is to provide

affordable opportunities for all.

History: The Hancock Arts Council has been active since November 2001. We sponsor many events such as the Winter Festival

& Snow Sculpture Contest. We have had art shows in the Washington County Public Library and sponsored concerts and dances.

We brought the Trinity Chamber Orchestra from Washington DC to perform four times at the Hancock Middle Senior High School.

We co-sponsor the Hancock "Our Town" photo contest and have awarded an art camp scholarship for the Bauen Camp in Wyoming

to a local junior high school student.

Why The Arts are Important: Culturally the arts are important because these are the ways we express our creativity, values, beliefs

and ideals. Culture is a kind of glue that can hold a community together. The arts are a way of preserving and appreciating what is

important and meaningful to us as a society. The arts are a vital part of a mix of actions that will help to bring about the rejuvenation

of downtown Hancock. The Maryland State ARts Council has stated "The arts play an important role in the quality of life Maryland

offers its citizens. This is as true for citizens living in small towns and rural areas as it is for those who live in our major metropolitan

areas. Since the arts make our cities and communities better places to live and work, they are often an important factor used by

businesses in their decision to locate in Maryland".

"SUMMER ARTS CAMP SCHOLARSHIP"

Photo courtesy Sinclair Hamilton and Hancock News

The Hancock ARTS Council announced the winner of its scholarship to a summer arts camp in Parkman, Wyoming. Winner, Christine Knable of Berkeley Springs met with the Arts Council president Sinclair Hamilton on 16 June to receive the honor.

In keeping with its goals of fostering educational opportunities in the arts, the Hancock Arts Council sought a young artist, ages 13-18, from the Hancock, Southern Fulton County and Berkeley Springs areas to apply for the scholarship through the arts council.

Located in the foothills of the Bighorn Mountains, the Bauen Camp has three sessions with activities focused on writing, visual arts and performance arts. Knable 15, likes music and drama and is looking forward to the camp. Her flight to Wyoming will be her first airline trip.