Few people speak of Anne Arundel County's visual arts with greater authority than Cynthia McBride, whose gallery on Main Street is among the city's most prestigious.
A dedicated arts promoter, McBride has championed the Annapolis Gallery Association since it started with 10 members in 1980. It has since grown to 20 member galleries.
"Annapolis art galleries are thriving with the support of art collectors from Annapolis and beyond, including international visitors, many who come regularly to Annapolis," says McBride. "Artists are painting all year, providing galleries and collectors with new work. In our gallery, we show the work of over 60 artists and most of the Annapolis galleries show 40 or more regional and national name artists. The number is impressive in this small town."
According to AmericanStyle Magazine, Annapolis is one of the top 25 small-town art destinations.
In August, the Annapolis Gallery Association sponsors an Art Walk - this year on Aug. 16, when at least 20 galleries will participate. Art Walk provides an ideal opportunity to explore participating galleries' diverse offerings while watching artists at work as visitors enjoy music, entertainment and refreshments.
In addition to galleries at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, Quiet Waters Park, and St. John's College's Mitchell Gallery, several facilities in historical downtown Annapolis offer a range of art for viewing:
ARTFX Gallery at 45 West St. showcases artwork from 70 mostly local artists in pottery, paintings, collage, sculpture, jewelry, wood and stained glass. Information: 410-990-4540.
The Annapolis Marine Art Gallery at 110 Dock St. This is one of the few galleries in the country devoting its entire presentation to marine art by living artists. Information 410-263-4100.
A little distance from City Dock is Main Street Gallery, a two-story building that includes original oils, watercolors, photography, bronze and metal sculpture and one-of-a-kind furniture. Information: 410-280-2787.
Wynn Bone Casa Nova Gallery at 161 Main St. has a diverse group of artists who express both beautiful and grotesque aspects of our environment and explore concepts of balance and the passage of time. Information: www.wynnbonegallery.com or at 410-280-8840.
American Craftworks Collection at 189B Main St. specializes in traditional fine art and craft work by Maryland artists in wood, glass, pottery, jewelry and scrimshaw. Information: amcraftworks@aol.com or 410-626- 1583.
Gallery 1683 at 151 Main St. offers contemporary art. Dances with Light, a solo exhibit by Caroline Jasper, will be featured from May 25 to June 22. Information: www.gallery1683.com or at 410-280-2140.
McBride Gallery at 215 Main St. is the largest in historic Annapolis. McBride's represents some of the area's finest artists, working in a range of styles and in a variety of media. Information: 410- 267-7077 or www.mcbridegallery. com.
Easy Street Gallery, off Main at 8 Francis St., is a family-owned gallery founded in 1979 by Marsha and Terry Moore; they were joined by daughter Megan in 1995. Easy Street exhibits the work of more than 300 artists. Information: www.easystreetgal lery.com or 410-263-5558.
Annapolis Pottery at 40 State Circle is a spacious studio-shop featuring ceramic pieces by local and national artists. Information: 410-268-6153 or www.annapolis pottery.com.
The Maryland Federation of Art's Circle Gallery at 18 State Circle opened in 1968 as a nonprofit venture. MFA Circle Gallery contains two exhibition spaces: the Main Gallery and Holley Gallery. Information: www.medfedart.org or 410-268-4566.
Ann Munro Wood Studio at 14 State Circle specializes in portraits of pets, landscapes and murals. Information: 410-268-9555.
Aurora Gallery at 67 Maryland Ave. showcases the work of American artists working in clay, glass, painted silk and handmade jewelry. Information: 410-263-9150 or www.auroragallery.net.
Dawson Gallery at 44 Maryland Ave. specializes in fine 19th- and early 20th-century painting. Information: 410-269-1299.
La Petite Galerie at 39 Maryland Ave. is founded and owned by Malou Kopicki, who offers paintings from international artists. Information: www.art-lpg.com or at 410-268-2425.
Maria's Picture Place at 45 Maryland Ave. has local and national art with the largest selection of Annapolis scenes available anywhere in town. Information: 410-263-8282.
DMG Artwork at 47 Maryland Ave. has exhibit and studio space for artists. The gallery provides prints at reasonable prices. Information: 410-269-6161.
Whitehall Gallery at 57 West St. features antique maps, etchings and original paintings from contemporary watercolors by local artists to Mandarin Chinese. Information: 410-269-6161.
For further information on this year's Art Walk and to take a virtual tour of many of the participating galleries, visit www.artin annapolis.com.
Also participating in this year's Art Walk are galleries not in downtown historic Annapolis.
Participants include Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts. Maryland Hall's Chaney Gallery is showing Land Adapted until May 25. The exhibit features artists' interpretations of modern landscapes.
Maryland Hall galleries are generally open to the public and have year-round exhibits. Information: 410-269-1087.
Another Art Walk participant is Mitchell Gallery of St. John's College. Its mission is to establish a connection between visual and liberal arts and promote exhibits of historical and regional interest. Mitchell Gallery presents exhibits during the academic year that generally open with a reception hosted by faculty experts and featuring the exhibiting artists where possible. Information: 410-626-2556.
Regular participants in the annual Annapolis Artwalk, the galleries at Quiet Waters Park offer exhibits throughout the year in their Willow and Garden galleries. Spokeswoman Gail Olmstead said that each exhibition lasts for six weeks, and artists are chosen from many applicants, with groups being allowed to exhibit only every three years. Coming exhibits at Willow and Garden galleries include: May 10 to June 17, the Maryland Photographic Alliance will exhibit; May 8 to June 15, Sandi Ritchie Miller will offer a mixed-media exhibit; June 19-July 27, Annapolis Watercolor Club will exhibit; and June 21-July 27, mixed-media artists Laura Deane, Sandy Gimbelstod and Bobbie Greer will be featured. For more information, call the park office at 410-222-1777.
From February to March 25, Quiet Waters held an exhibit by a group known as Artists Between the Creeks, Annapolis-based artists who pride themselves on their individuality.
Spokeswoman and Art Between the Creeks founder Cindy Fletcher-Holden, who works on giant canvases and murals, has recently completed a strikingly large mural on a building facade facing the B&A; Trail to commemorate the Severna Park centennial this year. Information: www.artbetweenthecreeks.us.
Art exhibits are held through the school year at Cade Fine Arts Center Gallery at Anne Arundel Community College. Planned exhibits include a retrospective by artist Richard Niewerth from Aug. 29-Sept. 21. Exploring Environments in Space and Place is scheduled from Oct. 1-17, and Space and Place, a photo documentary, will run from Oct. 22-Nov. 2. Information: www.aacc.edu/cadegallery or 410-777-7028.
Exhibits also are held at Anne Arundel Community College's Pascal Center for the Performing Arts to publicize the availability of AACC art courses. In January, Pascal's exhibit space featured a fascinating collection of student glass works.
An established art trend here in Anne Arundel County is the focus on local Impressionist painters. Begun by groups such as Mid-Atlantic Plein Air Painters, an influential gathering of American Impressionists has established firm roots in Annapolis.
A local force in Impressionism is Lee Boynton, who views Impressionism as a way of seeing, instructing his students to express the effect of light. Boynton is a dynamic teacher and author who teaches students of varying ages to capture nature's palette in outdoor workshops throughout the area.
Boynton has scheduled outdoor watercolor workshops this summer to include: "Color Basics" and "Painting the Impressionist Landscape on Maryland's Eastern Shore." For information: www.leeboynton.com/worksh.
Each September, the Mid-Atlantic Plein Air Painters Association hosts Paint Annapolis, which draws a large group of artists. The durability of the event was proved when, on Sept. 20, 2004, a group of 27 painters gathered two days after Tropical Storm Isabel had swamped shops and buildings along Main Street. The event takes place this year from Sept. 20-23.
Another unique Annapolis event that occurs during the summer months is West Street's First Sunday Arts Festival in the first block of West Street from Church Circle to Calvert Street. The festival combines crafts, vendors, artists, live music and street performers. Information: Pamela Stevens at 410-990-4540.
Plans are under way to arrange exhibits in 2008 to mark the 300th anniversary of the Annapolis City Charter. For information on the status of this major event, visit Cynthia McBride at her gallery on Main Street or call her at 410-267-7077.