Common Ground on The Hill – Traditions Weeks

I tend to think of myself as less of an artist because I don’t come from an art background. I didn’t go to art school….I didn’t even finish college! I sort of stumbled into my artsy side a bit later in life after having my children! So I was excited to find out about a program that is offered for two weeks in the summer at McDaniel College in Westminster.

It’s called Traditions Weeks and it’s put on by Common Ground on The Hill . Their vision is: “Common Ground on the Hill was founded on the premise that there is a common human thread unifying all people expressed in our various artistic traditions. Our mission is to make this thread a path towards human understanding, tolerance, fulfillment, and

The embodiment of this path will be a music and arts community where master musicians, artists, craftspeople, and creative thinkers will provide a quality learning experience for an audience which we will endeavor to increase in size, diversity, and influence. It is essential to the success of this mission that the artists, teachers, and students, reflect local, national, and international communities.”

Their goals are: “To provide the opportunity to teach and to study various musical instruments and art forms representing various ethnic and cultural traditions. To sponsor a series of musical and artistic events from cultural and ethnic groups who are marginalized in our society or who are in conflict with each other and listen to their voices, e.g., Indigenous People, African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, Asian-Americans, Euro-Americans etc. To encourage and facilitate dialogue, by way of the arts among different cultural traditions, in order to discover that this artistic common ground unites us, and that, as a result, the world might become a more human place.

I am sure this is going to be like nothing I have ever experienced before and I am so excited I can hardly stand it! I am taking two classes: Anyone Can Draw and Jewelry – Cold forging, Riveting and Piercing There are a lot of other classes to sign up for, dance, music, photography, basket weaving, pottery…the list goes on! There are still openings just go to www.commongroundonthehill.org for more details. Who knows…maybe we’ll end up in the same class learning to draw together!!!

Post written by Erica.