Mary K. Bowman Fund for Historical and Fine Arts Awards More than $60,000

The Mary K. Bowman Fund for Historical and Fine Arts, a fund of the Community Foundation, presented its 2016 grants yesterday at the Washington County Free Library’s main branch in downtown Hagerstown. The Mary K. Bowman Fund provides financial support for current charitable and educational initiatives that preserve and maintain historical and cultural properties in Washington County. It also promotes the fine arts, history and historic preservation while encouraging the interest in and study of such matters. This year’s fund granted $63,133 to 16 local nonprofit organizations.The award recipients for this year are as follows:

• Allied Airmens Preservation Society-Mid Atlantic District: $2,170 for a WWII Weekend in October in Williamsport.
• Barbara Ingram School for the Arts Foundation, Inc.: $850 for the artists and supplies for the Summer Arts Academy that provides students with a creative and supportive environment.
• Boys & Girls Club of Washington County: $3,100 for an Arts Youth Program for its Club members.
• Fort Ritchie Community Center: $3,600 for the Summer Arts & History Initiative with children ages 6-13.
• Hagerstown Aviation Museum: $2,760 to upgrade displays, photos, signage, etc. in the museum.
• Hagerstown Community Concert Association: $1,500 for additional educational outreach sessions for WCPS students.
• Hagerstown Day Nursery: $4,000 for the children at the center to attend Kinder Konzerts.
• Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum: $6,500 for upgrades to the “Trains of Christmas” display.
• Maryland Symphony Orchestra: $7,500 to support the 2016-2017 Kinder Konzert series.
• Potomac Highlands WWII Roundtable: $3,100 to match a challenge that will build their endowment at the Community Foundation.
• Washington County Arts Council: $1,000 for the Art Educators of Washington County 2017 Exhibit.
• Washington County Free Library: $10,700 for the Historic Newspaper Indexing Project.
• Washington County Historical Society: $2,210 to refine the storage of valuable rare books, artifacts and archives.
• Washington County Museum of Fine Arts: $11,543 to support three youth art education programs during 2016-17.
• Western Heights Middle School: $800 for a Slam Poetry workshop for all seventh grade students at the school.
• Women’s Club: $1,800 to restore the wrought iron railing on the front porch of the Club’s historical building.