Celebrate a love for the water, art and life while helping local students and artists pursue their talents in the arts at a tropical Friday evening affair at CalvART Gallery in Prince Frederick.
The CalvART Gallery and Arts Council of Calvert County invite everyone to “Palm Trees, Martinis and Blue Water,” a fundraising event to be held on Friday, July 10, from 6 to 9 p.m. at CalvART Gallery. The event’s tropical festive theme reflects the spirit of local artist Mary Beth Harry, a founding artist of the gallery who died of pancreatic cancer in 2010. A classically trained artist and graduate from the Maryland Institute College of Art, Mary Beth enjoyed the beach and combing the water’s edge for “treasures,” which washed up with the Chesapeake Bay’s tide. She lived her artist life at Cove Point painting numerous natural beach and water scenes as well as whimsical pieces created from her playful imagination. Guests will be able to bid on some of her original paintings in a silent auction and prints of her work will also be available for purchase with proceeds going toward supporting arts education and a scholarship in her name.
Each year since 2012, the Mary Beth Harry Memorial Scholarship has recognized a high school student who demonstrated a love and talent for art in any media and awarded the students funds for further arts education. This year’s scholarship recipient is Claire Caine, a recent Northern High School graduate.
“Mary Beth enjoyed sharing herself through art with children. Although her grandchildren and her sisters’ grandchildren were young when she passed, she influenced them and gave them a love for painting and drawing,” said her sister Kathy Strine. Mary Beth also volunteered with young artists and painted a mural at Mount Harmony Elementary School depicting the students and their activities. A student gallery d l isp aying l l oca student art was named for Mary Beth at CalvART Gallery and dedicated in June 2012. At that time, arts council Vice President Eleanor Nelson said in The Calvert Recorder, “I think all of us who knew Mary Beth will agree with me that she was the easiest person to love.”
The evening aspires to reflect the festive spirit of Mary Beth, with light refreshments, martinis, wine and beer, music, creative people, art and lots of fun. There will be a $20 event cost, which includes an entry into a drawing for a door prize valued at $100. Other silent auction items include restaurant gift certificates, wine baskets, small original paintings and more.
“Palm Trees, Martinis and Blue Water” will be held on Friday, July 10, from 6 to 9 p.m. The CalvART Gallery is located in the Prince Frederick Shopping Center at the intersection of routes 4 and 231 nestled between the Sakura Restaurant and Dreamweaver Cafe. Open Wednesday through Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information, go to www.calvartgallery.org, or call 410‐535‐9252. The CalvART Gallery is a program of the Arts Council of Calvert County