Jane Alexander, chairwoman of the National Endowment for the Arts, will appear at the Maryland Arts Day rally for the arts Jan. 26 at St. John's College in Annapolis.
The bi-annual arts advocacy day, sponsored by Maryland Citizens for the Arts, promotes increasing public education and recognition for the arts. Maryland Citizens for the Arts is a statewide arts advocacy organization, which has helped increase annual state arts funding from $400,000 in 1977 to its present $7.8 million.
This year's program includes a luncheon with state legislators and arts workshops with panel discussions on the role of arts in technology, social services and education. Arts consultant and author Thomas Wolf will present the keynote address.
More than 700 Maryland artists, educators and arts administrators are expected to participate in the day's activities. The public is also invited. For registration and details, call (410) 244-3279.
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Literary critic and poet John T. Irwin, chairman of the Writing Seminars of Johns Hopkins University, has won the 1994 Christian Gauss Award for literary criticism from the Phi Beta Kappa Society.
Dr. Irwin won the prestigious award, which carries a prize of $2,500, for his book "The Mystery to a Solution: Poe, Borges and the Analytic Detective Story."
In addition, the book won the second annual Aldo and Jeanne Scaglione Prize for comparative literary studies from the Modern Language Association of America. That award carries a prize of $1,000.
"The Mystery to a Solution" is Dr. Irwin's third book of literary criticism. Dr. Irwin, 54, became chairman of the Writing Seminars in 1977. He also edits the Poetry and Fiction series of the Johns Hopkins University Press.
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A benefit performance of the musical "Once on This Island" is scheduled at 8 p.m. Dec. 30 at the Arena Playhouse, 801 McCulloh St. This event will support the theater's efforts to mount the play as an entry in the 1995 National Black Theatre Festival in Winston-Salem, N.C. The bi-annual event will showcase 22 companies, including representatives from London, Senegal and the Caribbean. Tickets are $100, $50 and $25. For details, call (410) 728-6501 or (410) 523-0885.
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The Dundalk Chorus of Sweet Adelines International will offer four free ensemble vocal lessons on Thursday evenings beginning at 7:30 Jan. 5 at the North Point Government Center Auditorium at Wise Avenue and Merritt Boulevard. Vocal teacher Fred Kind will teach four-part a cappella harmony. For details, call (410) 377-1995.
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The Maryland Institute, College of Art has received accreditation for its undergraduate interior architecture and design program from the Foundation for Interior Design and Architecture. The program includes the fine arts as well as the philosophy and history of architecture and design.
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Melissa Sweeney and Lauren DeVries, students at Villa Julie College, have won an award from the Maryland chapter of the International Television Association for their video "The Water Dance."
The video about the underwater life of dolphins at the Baltimore Aquarium won first place in the student category of the competition. Ms. Sweeney and Ms. DeVries are students in the video division of Villa Julie's communication arts department.
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The Maryland Stage Company, in residence at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, will hold auditions for the two leading male roles in its spring production of "The Duchess of Malfi." Both actors should be aged 30 to 45. To schedule an appointment and for details, call director Xerxes Mehta at (410) 455-2917 or (410) 433-7672 on evenings and weekends.