What’s happening at the Carroll Arts Center?

What’s happening at the Carroll Arts Center?

January 5, 2009

On Stage
Jan. 10, 2009
Common Ground on the Hill presents Folk Blues Legend, Chris Smither
8pm
Tickets, $19/17 CCAC members, Senior 65+ and Students

Winter Classes
January 8 – March 26, 2009
Open Studio with Model: Winter Session
7:00 – 10:00pm
$120/100 CCAC Members, One time Drop-In $20

Art Lecture Series
January 8,2009
Mary Cassatt: American Impressionist
Noon and 7:00pm
$10 Drop-In fee

Accessibility Notice: The Americans with Disabilities Act applies to the Carroll County Government and its programs, services, activities and facilities. If you have questions, suggestions, or complaints, please contact Jolene Sullivan, the Carroll County government Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator, at 410/386-3600,888/302-8978 or TT#410/848-9747. The mailing address is: 10 Distillery Drive, First Floor, Suite 101, Westminster, MD 21157

20090105 What is Happening at the Carroll Arts Center

20070107 Kelsey Volkmann previews Martin Luther King events at CAC

Kelsey Volkmann previews Martin Luther King events at CAC

January 7^th, 2007

Kelsey Volkmann, writing for the Baltimore Examiner, has penned two previews of Martin Luther King Legacy Day events at the Carroll Arts Center. The two articles were published in the January 4^th and 5^th, 2007 editions of the paper.

Westminster theater with segregated past to honor King

And

Professor credits NAACP’s influence on war movies as aiding future gains

In “Westminster theater with segregated past to honor King” she describes the efforts of a local community leader, John Lewis – and the Baltimore Colts to desegregate the movie theatre in the mid-1960s.

For more information on the history of the Carroll Theatre, go here, or here.

Kelsey Volkmann, The Examiner, Read more by Kelsey Volkmann

Jan 4, 2007 3:00 AM

kvolkmann@baltimoreexaminer.com

Westminster - An art-deco theater in Westminster with a segregated past has planned a day of events honoring the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

“About eight to 10 of us held the first demonstration for integration outside the Carroll theater in the early 1960s,” said John Lewis, a civil rights activist and Carroll County native. “People were surprised that somebody had the audacity to demonstrate, but we didn’t disturb the peace. We simply picketed and went home.”

Read the rest of this article here.

Professor credits NAACP’s influence on war movies as aiding future gains

Kelsey Volkmann, The Examiner
Read more by Kelsey Volkmann
Jan 5, 2007 3:00 AM
kvolkmann@baltimoreexaminer.com

BALTIMORE - The NAACP’s influence on World War II movies laid the groundwork for the civil rights movement, a local historian said.

With the U.S. government repeating the words “unity,” “tolerance” and “brotherhood” to build support for the war, blacks encouraged Hollywood to include black heroes in movies of that time, said Thomas Cripps, a retired history professor at Morgan State University in Baltimore City.

Using film clips from “Sahara,” “Crash Drive” and “In This Our Life,” Cripps will give a lecture titled “Movies, Race and World War II” as part of the Carroll Arts Center’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Read the rest of this article here.

20041124 Happy Thanksgiving WA

Happy Thanksgiving WA

Westminster Advocate

“Happy Thanksgiving”

November 24th, 2004 by Westminster Mayor Kevin Dayhoff (528 words)

Happy Thanksgiving. Happy Birthday Carroll Arts Center. The 850 seat, air conditioned, art deco “Carroll Theatre”, ancestor of the Carroll Arts Center, opened Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 1937 near “The Forks”.

Admission to the Carroll Theatre in 1937 was 25 cents for adults and fifteen cents for children. The 10,500 sq. ft Carroll Arts Center is a great example of the adaptive re-use of one of only two existing examples of art deco architecture in Carroll County. Groundbreaking to renovate the old Carroll Theatre was held on a cold February 11th, 2002. The Carroll Arts Center opened April 4th, 2003.

Thanks to Jay Graybeal, I am able to explain more about “The Forks”. Graybeal explained in a 1999 Carroll County Times article, that after the Civil War, Westminster was “divided” into three distinct settlements known as “Dead End,” “The Forks,” and “Irishtown.”

The east end of town was referred to as “Dead End”. “Dead End”, the original Westminster [was formed by combining five villages: “Town of Winchester” laid out in 1764, New London, Winter’s Addition to Westminster, Bedford and Logsdon’s Tavern. In 1768 the Maryland General Assembly changed the name to Westminster. Westminster was in Frederick County until Carroll County was formed in 1837.]

On the west end, “The Forks” was formed near Pigman’s Addition by the road built to Chambersburg, Pa. and another road built to Taneytown.

Graybeal wrote that “[t]he extreme west end of Westminster received the name of “Irishtown” because prior to the Civil War three brothers, Dennis, James, and Terence Boylan, who came here from Ireland and helped build the Western Maryland Railroad from near Glyndon to Westminster, built themselves modest homes on the then sparsely settled part of what is now Pennsylvania Avenue.”

In addition to being thankful to the leaders that founded our community; we are also quite thankful for the artistic and cultural soul of our community centered at the Carroll Arts Center. The vibrancy of the arts and culture is often an important factor used by businesses in their decision to locate in Carroll County.

The power of art to strengthen our community is beyond measure. For not only does a strong and vibrant arts and cultural presence strengthen Westminster spiritually and philosophically – it also strengthens us financially and economically.

We are thankful for the vision and leadership provided by the Westminster City Council and staff, Carroll County Government, Maryland State Government, the Carroll County Arts Council, the private-public partnerships and many individual dream keepers and visionary community leaders who have brought forward this vital economic and cultural contribution to our community.

In addition to our families and our health, we have so many things to be thankful. As we begin the holidays, let our Thanksgiving also be revealed in the compassionate support our community renders to citizens who are less fortunate.

Let us reach out with care to those in need of food, shelter, and words of hope. May we remember our men and women in uniform, who are in harm’s way, defending our freedoms. As we gather with our families over a Thanksgiving meal, may we ask for patience, resolve, and wisdom in all that is to come.

© Kevin Dayhoff

19371126 Carroll Theater Opened

Carroll Theater Opened

November 26, 1937

The 850 seat, air conditioned, art deco “Carroll Theatre”, ancestor of the Carroll Arts Center, opened Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 1937. Admission to the Carroll Theatre in 1937 was 25 cents for adults and fifteen cents for children.

The 10,500 sq. ft Carroll Arts Center is a great example of the adaptive re-use of one of only two existing examples of art deco architecture in Carroll County. Groundbreaking to renovate the old Carroll Theatre was held on a cold February 11th, 2002. The Carroll Arts Center opened April 4th, 2003.

“Carroll Theater Opened in 1937”

Carroll County Times Article for 29 July 2001

by Jay A. Graybeal

The Carroll County Arts Council’s redevelopment of the former Carroll Theatre on W. Main St. in Westminster opens a new chapter in the history of the building. The Art Deco style movie theater opened on Thanksgiving Day 1937; a highly detailed description of the building appeared in the November 26th issue of the Democratic Advocate newspaper:

“The modern Carroll Theatre opened to the public on Thanksgiving Day. This theatre is in all respects the most completely modern building in this city. The exterior presents an imposing picture in itself and the first story front is finished in black cerrara glass, and the second story in yellow tile brick. The ticket booth is also done in cerrara glass. There will be a store room on either side of the foyer, and each will be 17 feet wide, 25 feet long, with a four foot show window. The spacious lobby has a composition floor of terrazzo. An interesting feature of the lobby is a friese, on about a foot slant from the walk to the ceiling. This friese has a varicolored modernistic design and the design itself was originated by the architect, Oliver B. Wright. Another feature of the foyer is electrical signs which will be used to show the coming attractions. These signs will have a cardinal velvet backing, and a soft, indirect lighting effect.

The auditorium is spacious and artistic. The walls are completely finished in a rose off-shade with highly-glossed deeper rose at the bottoms. There is a deep rose panel at the top of the wall near the ceiling. A two-tone combination of baby and powder blue makes a striking effect, with a thin cream design. The leathered upholstered seats will be of mulberry color, and leather composition. There will be 850 seats. There is a large stage with a modernistic panel with the color effects around it. An especially made curtain and cyclorama will be used to diffuse the lighting effects, and apparently change the color of the curtain. A mix of brown design of harmonious colors will be placed. There will be lavatories and a ladies’ dressing room, fully furnished, also on the first floor.

The walls of the building will be fireproof. The second floor has five offices, eleven by twenty feet, all facing on Main street. These offices may be used as suites or separately. There are also lavatories on the second floor. The projection room is interesting. There are two large projection machines. An experienced operator will be in charge. Everything, even the door of the room, is fireproof. Next to the projection room is the managers’ office. This has an outlet into the theatre, so that at all times, he may inspect the pictures which are being shown. This theatre will be the only one in Westminster to have afternoon performances. These matinees will begin at 2 o’clock and the shows will run continuously. A fine array of pictures have been booked. The manager of the theatre will be Alvin Dohme, who is now residing on the Shriver property at Union Mills.”

The titles of the earliest films shown at the Carroll Theatre can be found in period newspaper advertisements. A December 3, 1937 ad in the Advocate announced the weekly schedule which included, Double or Nothing starring Bing Crosby and Martha Raye; The Life of the Party starring Joe Penner and others and The Lives of a Bengal Tiger starring Gary Cooper. Each showing also included shorts such as Charlie McCarthy in At the Races and newsreels. Admission to matinees was fifteen cents for adults and ten cents for children. Night showings cost adults a quarter; children still got in for a dime.

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