Thank you Mayor O’Malley and thanks to all the partners in this metropolitan commitment to culture and the arts in the Baltimore Region. As the citizens, businesses, and government of Baltimore County work together to continue the renaissance of our communities we understand two fundamental truths:
First, that the quality of life we enjoy in Baltimore County is about more than paved roads, bricks, and mortar. It is also about opportunity, the opportunity to learn and grow throughout our lives and to inspire and be inspired, which is what the Baltimore Museum of Art and the Walters Art Gallery are making possible with today’s announcement.
And second, we know that creating this opportunity announced today requires the commitment of all of us in the Baltimore Metropolitan region and that when we act together as one Region wonderful things can happen. The cultural access we are announcing today belongs to no one jurisdiction. The BMA and Walters are assets of the entire metropolitan area in fact of the entire state of Maryland.
The people of Baltimore County have a long history of supporting and encouraging artists and the arts at every level. Last night, I attended an ice cream social and art exhibition at Pine Grove Elementary School in northeast Baltimore County. All of the halls were filled with fantastic displays of paintings and sculptures and other imaginative, beautiful artistic works created by every child in the school, from kindergarten through fifth grade under the guidance of a marvelous art teacher, Randi Heilman.
That entire school students, families, and staff were excited and engaged. The art programs in Baltimore County Public Schools have been nationally and internationally recognized and you will experience this talent in just a few minutes with the internationally acclaimed student artists of Towson’s Carver Center for the Arts who will be introduced by Principal Joe Freed.
Baltimore County understands and appreciates the value the artistic community brings to the larger community. Art inspires us and it challenges us. Art can spark debate and it can be the foundation for relationships that bridge different cultures and different generations. We join with others who understand that great art should be accessible to everyone. One never knows when a painting or a sculpture or the story of an artist’s life will inspire a child to work harder, learn more, and accomplish things they never thought possible. We want all our children to have that opportunity and with this new investment in the BMA and the Walters more will have that opportunity.
I want to thank Mayor Martin O’Malley and County Executive Janet Owens for combining with Baltimore County to help initiate this universal access to the arts. I also want to thank Bill Patternote and Suzzanne Cohen the Board Chairs for the Walters and the BMA, respectively, for working so hard to not only build quality collections and bring great exhibits to Baltimore, but also to make great art more accessible to more people. This is a wonderful day for all of us.
Courthouse 