Prince George's County Black Township Exhibit
A new exhibit is poised to open celebrating African-American communities and life in Prince George's County. On Jan 14, The Prince George's African American Museum and Cultural center in North Brentwood, Md. will unveil A SPACE OF THEIR OWN: A Celebration of Prince George's County's Historic African American Townships.
"A Space of Their Own" depicts the four original majority African-American municipalities incorporated in Prince George's County, Maryland. The townships are North Brentwood, Fairmount Heights, Eagle Harbor and Glenarden.
University of Maryland Dance Professor Wins Lifetime Achievement Award
Professor Alvin Mayes received the 2011 Pola Nirenska Memorial Award for Lifetime Achievement in Dance. The presentation happened last month at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, during a Maryland Dance Ensemble concert featuring one of his works.
A celebrated teacher and choreographer, Mayes has served on The University of Maryland (UMD) School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies faculty since 1978 when he also began performing and choreography with Maryland Dance Theatre. Mayes received the "2003 Distinguished Scholar – Teacher" Award of the Center for Teaching Excellence at UMD.
Outside of the university, he is well known for his choreography and his contributions as an educator with the Maryland Youth Ballet and the Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington. He also works with the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, a multicultural, multigenerational volunteer theater group.
"I am honored to receive this award, and to follow in the footsteps of such dance luminaries as Meriam Rosen and Erika Thimey, who gave dance in education a vivid voice," said Mayes. "My work spans many age groups and disciplines, crosses the boundaries of ballet and modern dance, and includes dance activism to create change in the professional dance arena."
Mayes is also a recipient of grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Prince George's Arts Council.
Esquire Magazine Dubbed Hon. Donna Edwards (D-MD) One of the Best
Congresswoman Donna F. Edwards (D-MD) has another feather in her cap. Edwards is one of the ten best Members of Congress according to Esquire Magazine. The rankings and a piece on Congresswoman Edwards entitled, "What I've Learned," appeared in the October issue of the magazine. Congresswoman Edwards was the only woman and African-American to be named as one of the ten best Members of Congress by Esquire.
Tasting Room Wine Bars Opens in National Harbor
There's a new restaurant in National Harbor for wine connoisseurs. Owners tout the Tasting Room bar and retail shop as a concept in wine-tasting. Operated by John Kent Cooke's Boxwood Estate Winery, The Tasting Room is located in four locations throughout the Washington D.C. metro area: National Harbor, Chevy Chase, Reston, and Middleburg. Boxwood Winery's premium, Middleburg, Virginia, estate-bottled red wines are offered alongside an ever-changing selection of imported and domestic red and white wines. Table service is provided both inside and on heated patios or tastings can also be self-served from state-of-the-art Enomatic wine tasting machines.
There is live music weekly and light fare menu selections are available to accompany the wine tastings.