Controversial mural to be unveiled Friday
A mural depicting a black man breaking the chains of bondage, which County Executive John R. Leopold rejected for display outside Anne Arundel government headquarters, will be unveiled Friday at its new home on a state government building.
"Community Rising," featuring art by Lassie Belt and children from the Stanton Community Center, has been hung on the Attman-Glazer Building, better known as the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation, at 45 Calvert St.
The montage, designed by Sally Wern Comport, was planned as the fifth installation in the Artwalk exhibition of public art around downtown Annapolis to mark the 300th anniversary of the city's royal charter.
Leopold called the artwork "busy and inappropriate" and said that allowing it on the exterior of a county building would set an unwanted precedent. Instead, he invited Belt, a city artist, and the children to show their artwork inside, rather than on the exterior, of the Arundel Center.
His decision angered some prominent local African-Americans and the state conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. County schools Superintendent Kevin M. Maxwell offered to display the mural on the outside of a school or a system administrative building.
Artwalk organizers, of whom Comport is a curator, chose the state building, which is at the entrance to the city's historic -- and historically black -- Clay Street community.
The unveiling will be held at 3 p.m. at the Stanton Center gymnasium, 92 W. Washington St. Parking is available in the Whitmore Garage through the entrance at 67 Clay St.
To RSVP, call 410-268-2791 or e-mail artwalk@consensusllc.com.
State Farm funds money literacy
State Farm has donated $50,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Annapolis & Anne Arundel County in support of its national financial literacy program, Money Matters.
This is the second year in a row State Farm has chosen to support this Boys & Girls Club national program.
Money Matters promotes financial responsibility and independence among club members ages 13 to 18 by building their basic money management skills. Participants learn how to manage a checking account, budget, save and invest. They also learn about starting small businesses and paying for college.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Annapolis & Anne Arundel County serves more than 7,000 youths annually.
For more information, visit www.bgcaa.com.
Grant aids program for at-risk youth
The Comcast Foundation has awarded an $11,000 grant to an Annapolis-based nonprofit organization to support the expansion of its summer program for disadvantaged youth.
Box of Rain, established in 2003 for Annapolis-area at-risk youths ages 8 to 14, uses water-oriented activities to teach participants life-building skills. It honors the memory of Lee Griffin, a well-known member of the Annapolis sailing community who was the victim of a carjacking and homicide in 2002.
The Comcast Foundation grant will enable Box of Rain to accept a greater number of participants than in previous years. The grant also will assist the organization in building a marine trade skills curriculum into the summer agenda, enabling older participants to develop skills that will help them to join the local work force, which offers an array of maritime industry job opportunities.
"We've been proud to watch so many of our older participants as they've grown through the program, gaining self-esteem, focusing on their education, preparing for their futures and ultimately resisting the wrong path," said Anne Harrington, director of development and fundraising for Box of Rain.
Comcast has also partnered with Box of Rain to sponsor two presentations on March 8 by Capt. Bill Pinkney, who will detail his adventures and experiences as the first black man to sail solo around the world.
The first presentation will be held at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Annapolis & Anne Arundel County from 10 a.m. to noon. It will be open to Box of Rain program participants and their families, members of the Boys & Girls Clubs and their parents as well as members and friends of the Stanton Community Center.
A second presentation for the general public will take place from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Banneker-Douglass Museum, 84 Franklin St. in Annapolis. Admission is free, but reservations are requested at 443-254-0024 or kelsamclaughlin@yahoo.com.
Mulch sale helps St. Mary's lacrosse
Boys' lacrosse players at St. Mary's High School in Annapolis have started their annual mulch fundraiser with a goal to sell more than 16,000 bags of mulch before the end of March. Proceeds will help the team pay for equipment and tournament expenses this spring.
Residents, community associations and businesses can purchase 40-pound bags of hardwood mulch for $5. Any order of 25 bags or more includes free curbside delivery to the Annapolis area.
Smaller orders can be picked up at St. John Neumann Church on Bestgate Road in Annapolis on March 28 and 29 from 9 a.m. to noon.
For further information, call Jenn Anderson Ingle at 240-687-3247.