For immediate release:
May 18, 2009

Contact:
Bridget Forney
Profiles, Inc.
(410) 243-3790
BALTIMORE’S REALIST REBELLION TURNS 50
Golden Anniversary to commemorate school founders

(Baltimore) May 18, 2009- In 1950’s Baltimore, Hans and Ann Schuler established an art school that embraced classical realist tradition, and whose students would later become the radicals of the art world. This year, that same school, the Schuler School of Fine Arts, will celebrate its 50th anniversary from June 7-12 with free art demonstrations throughout the week and an alumni reunion.

Ann Schuler, now 91, still teaches at the school and three generations of family run it. Known primarily as a portraitist, Ann’s most prominent subjects include Dr. Milton Eisenhower, former president of Johns Hopkins University and brother of President Dwight Eisenhower. Co-founder of the School, Hans Schuler, is the artist of the sculpture of Martin Luther that stands at the Mt. Royal Terrace entrance of Druid Hill Park.

Today, the Schuler School of Fine Arts alumni show in some of the most prestigious fine arts galleries in the nation, and they regularly win national arts competitions. Notable alumni include: international award-winning artist, Will Wilson; Anthony J. Waichulis, known for his Trompe L’Oeil oil paintings; and award-winning landscapist Barbara Nuss.

What began as a rebellion to the idea of abstract expressionism has now become home to Baltimore’s most innovative realist artists.

The Schuler School of Fine Arts, located on Lafayette Street in the heart of Baltimore City, came into being as a direct result of the life work of two prolific artists: Hans Schuler, Sr. (1874 – 1951) and Jacques Maroger (1884 – 1962). The goal of the Schuler School has been, and continues to be, to assure that future generations of artists receive the wisdom of the past while acquiring the creative freedom that only the mastery of traditional skills can provide. This four year non-accredited atelier school trains the artist in the perfection of their craft while teaching them the interrelationships of various fine art disciplines. For more information, visit www.SchulerSchool.com. <http://www.SchulerSchoolofFineArts.com>

To interview Ann Schuler regarding the Schuler School of Fine Arts’ 50th Anniversary, please contact Bridget Forney at bridget@profilespr.com or 410-243-3790.

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In honor of the School’s anniversary, the following series of free art demonstrations given by Schuler School students will take place throughout the week of June 7:

Tuesday, June 9:
9:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m. Landscape in oil by David Buckley Good
1:00 – 4:00 p.m. Landscape in Watercolor by Frederic Schuler Briggs

Wednesday, June 10:
9:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m. Cast Drawing by Hans Guerin
1:00 – 4:00 p.m. Still-Life in Oil by Andrew Schuler Guerin

Thursday, June 11:
9:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m Figure Drawing by Hans Guerin
1:00 – 4:00 p.m. Portrait in Oil by Andrew Schuler Guerin and Sculpture Portrait Bust by Francesca Schuler Guerin

Friday, June 12:
9:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m. Portfolio Reviews by various Schuler School instructors and lecture on Art Supplies by Hans Guerin
1:00 – 4:00 p.m. Scratchboard by Beth de Loiselle

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:
Amy Burke, Profiles, Inc.
aburke@profilespr.com
410-243-3790

National Aquarium Announces New Board President and Members
Bill Roberts named Chair of National Aquarium Institute and National Aquarium, Baltimore Board

(Baltimore) – May 11, 2009 - The National Aquarium announces the appointment of several new members and a slate of new officers to its Boards.

National Aquarium, Baltimore
William “Bill” Roberts was appointed Chair of the Board of the National Aquarium in Baltimore. In this role he also chairs the National Aquarium Institute Board that includes members of the Boards of the National Aquarium Foundation, the Center for Aquatic Life and Conservation (CALC), and the National Aquarium, Washington, DC.

Mr. Roberts was named Region President for Verizon Maryland and the District of Columbia in December 2007. Roberts began his career with The Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Company (DC), now Verizon Washington DC, in 1980 as a business office manager. He has held positions in operations, human resources, marketing, public affairs, and government relations.

Mr. Roberts serves as Chair of the Board of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and is on the Boards of the Greater Baltimore Committee, Greater Washington Board of Trade, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Maryland Chapter of Commerce, and MedStar Health. He also serves on the Morgan State University Board of Regents.

Born and raised in Talbot County, Mr. Roberts graduated from Morgan State University and attended graduate school at Harvard University and Eastern Michigan University. He has two honorary doctorate degrees — a Doctorate of Humane Letters from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and a Doctorate of Public Service from the University of Maryland University College.

Mr. Roberts is a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma International Honor Society and has completed executive and leadership development programs at the University of Richmond (Va.)-Robins School of Business; the Institute for Public Service in Washington, D.C.; and the Center for Creative Leadership in Greensboro, N.C.

New members to the National Aquarium, Baltimore Board are:

• Charles A. Phillips, Jr., Senior Vice President of KCI Technologies, Inc
• K. Lee Riley, Jr., Attorney-at-Law with Shapiro Sher Guinot & Sandler
• W. Charles Rogers, III, Attorney with Rogers, Moore & Rogers LLP
• Rhoda Washington, Senior Regional Manager, State and Local Government Relations for Wal-Mart

National Aquarium, Washington, DC
Bill Perry retains the position of Chair of the Board of the National Aquarium, Washington, DC. The Board is pleased to welcome new members, including:

• Dr. Carole C. Baldwin, Curator of Fishes, Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History
• Mrs. Jane W. I. Droppa
• Ms. Marianela Peralta, Shareholder, Littler Mendelson, PC
• Mr. Mark Rovner, Principal, Sea Change Strategies
• Mr. Steven W. Smith, Director, Citicorp North America, Inc.
• Ms. C. Elizabeth Wagner, Senior Advisor to the Commissioner, Internal Revenue Service

The National Aquarium is a world-class aquatic institution dedicated to environmental education and stewardship with the mission to provide transforming experiences that inspire people to enjoy, respect and protect the aquatic world. Its living collection, at venues in Baltimore and Washington, DC, includes more than 16,000 animals from more than 600 species of fish, birds, amphibians, reptiles and marine mammals that live in award-winning, naturalistic habitats.
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Baltimore City press release

Baltimore, MD (April 20, 2009) – Mayor Sheila Dixon and Rep. Elijah E. Cummings joined members of the Druid Heights community to celebrate as the Druid Heights Community Development Corporation (DHCDC) officially launched the Baker’s View and Gateway Housing Development Projects.
These projects will bring 31 new affordable townhomes into the community and revitalize at least 15 properties. Financing for the projects is part of a $9.7 million loan from the State Farm Insurance Company. The Baltimore City Department of Housing and Community Development also provided $3.1 million funding for the Baker’s View and Gateway development.
“Thinking about the many families who will live in a comfortable and stable environment places a smile on my face,” said Mayor Dixon. “Great seeds of change have been planted in this community.”
Land is slated to be cleared in May 2009 for construction to begin on the Baker’s View development and demolition for the Gateway Construction has already begun.
“I also want to acknowledge State Farm for stepping up to the plate and becoming a real partner to this community,” Mayor Dixon added. “Baltimore is truly blessed to have so many good corporate citizens that not only serve our residents but also lift them up.”
Druid Heights Community Development Corporation is a nonprofit community-based development organization whose mission is to cause, promote and encourage community self-empowerment, employment, economic development opportunities, and affordable housing. The organization’s goal is to create a stable, safe and economically sound community while utilizing a holistic approach to community revitalization. For more information please visit druidheights.com.

Baltimore Sun

The ACLU and its Maryland chapter said today they have written a letter to academy leaders on behalf of a group of students urging an end to a practice in which chaplains say grace before mandatory lunch for the academy’s 4,200 midshipmen.

“The government should not be in the business of compelling religious observance, particularly in military academies, where students can feel coerced by senior students and officials and risk the loss of leadership opportunities for following their conscience,” Deborah A. Jeon, legal director for the ACLU of Maryland, wrote in the letter, sent May 2 to Vice Adm. Jeffrey L. Fowler, the academy’s superintendent.

A spokesman for the academy said prayer or devotional thought has taken place at meals for midshipmen since the academy’s founding in 1845 and that there are no plans to end the practice. Prayers are nondenominational and have been rotated among representatives of different faiths.

[...]

The Naval Academy is the only military academy with mealtime prayer at mandatory meals, according to the ACLU.

Jeon said the ACLU was approached this winter by nine midshipmen who opposed the practice, which involves students who stand at “parade rest,” then bow their heads and fold their hands while chaplains recite a prayer. Midshipmen are not required to bow their heads, she said, but those who refuse to do so stand out and risk feeling ostracized, she said.

The academy has not responded to the ACLU’s letter, she said. “The only option that’s left is to file a lawsuit, and we are considering this,” Jeon said.

Complete ACLU release:

ACLU Calls For End To Mandatory Prayer At U.S. Naval Academy
Practice Violates Religious Freedom Of Academy’s Midshipmen

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 25, 2008

CONTACT: Will Matthews, ACLU, (212) 549-2582 or 2666; media@aclu.org
Meredith Curtis, ACLU of Maryland, (410) 889-8555; media@aclu-md.org

BALTIMORE – The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Maryland are urging the U.S. Naval Academy to stop forcing midshipmen to participate in the Academy’s compulsory “noon meal prayers.”

In a letter sent May 2 to Vice Admiral Jeffrey L. Fowler on behalf of a group of midshipmen who object to the prayers, Deborah A. Jeon, Legal Director for the ACLU of Maryland, asked that the Academy discontinue its requirement that all midshipmen stand in attendance at the daily “noon meal prayer,” a practice that violates their religious freedom and rights of conscience.

In the letter, Jeon makes clear that the ACLU opposes compulsory religious services mandated by the government, not voluntary religious exercises by Academy midshipmen.

“Members of the military have a right to pray or not pray as they personally see fit, and that right is protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution. It is one of the fundamental rights they put their lives on the line to defend in service to their country,” said Jeon. “But the government should not be in the business of compelling religious observance, particularly in military academies, where students can feel coerced by senior students and officials and risk the loss of leadership opportunities for following their conscience.”

In its letter, the ACLU documents how first-year midshipmen find themselves in a difficult position if their conscience dictates that they do not join in prayer, because they are expected to adhere as strictly as possible to official practices and not “stand apart” as nonconformists.

“Members of the armed services should never be coerced to engage in religious exercises in violation of their conscience,” said Col. Mike Pheneger, U.S. Army (ret.), a member of the ACLU’s Board of Directors. “The Academy should ensure that midshipmen understand the requirements, expectations and core values of officers, but it should not prescribe or even recommend that religion is the medium for achieving them.”

For First Classmen, being forced to participate in compulsory prayers can be particularly problematic. One midshipman told the ACLU that a squad leader who objects to the prayers is put in an unacceptable position of either violating his or her conscience or standing apart and setting a discordant example for subordinates.

“The military should be protecting rights of conscience, and not abusing those rights,” Pheneger said.

In response to complaints filed by several midshipmen, the Naval Academy earlier this year issued a document entitled, “FAQs about the USNA Noon Meal Prayer” that ignores the constitutional standards identified in a 2003 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, which struck down as unconstitutional “supper prayers” at Virginia Military Institute (VMI). The Navy’s FAQs do not attempt to explain any legally significant difference between the Naval Academy’s noon meal prayer and VMI’s supper prayer. As the court’s decision made clear, “While the First Amendment does not in any way prohibit [cadets or midshipmen] from praying before, during, or after [meals], the Establishment Clause prohibits [military academies] from sponsoring such a religious activity.”

“The ACLU respects the important place religious faith holds among many in the military, and we have defended the fundamental right of religious communities, families, and individuals – including those in the armed services – to practice their faith freely and openly and without compulsion,” said Daniel Mach, Director of Litigation for the ACLU Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief.

A copy of the ACLU’s letter to the Naval Academy can be found online at: www.aclu.org/religion/gen/35756res20080502.html

Today’s New York Times story about the Naval Academy issue can be found online at: www.nytimes.com/2008/06/25/us/25academies.html?scp=1&sq=neela&st=nyt

Additional information about the ACLU Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief can be found at: www.aclu.org/religion/index.html

Additional information about the ACLU of Maryland can be found online at: www.aclu-md.org

Related:
ACLU letter (PDF)

Other stories:
NY Times

Other blogging:
Targuman