"An Evening with the Stars" Oscars Night, Sunday, February 26th!

Join us for "An Evening with the Stars" Oscars® Night Sunday, February 26 at 7:00 PM at the Civic Building at One Veteran's Plaza in Silver Spring, MD.

Hosting this year's event is Pamela Brown of ABC7/WJLA-TV and NewsChannel 8

Silver Spring Town Center and the National Center for Children & Families (NCCF) are bringing Hollywood's biggest night to downtown Silver Spring!

We are pleased to have Pamela Brown of ABC7/WJLA-TV and NewsChannel 8 hosting this year's event. Mix and mingle on the Red Carpet, savor cuisine from around the globe, win exciting prizes and watch the Academy Awards® Live on the big screen!

Come as you are or dress as your favorite star! Perhaps your attire will be inspired by one of the stars or characters on the Big Screen this past year...come in 50's attire from The Help, or dress Hawaiian beach casual like George Clooney in The Descendents. Feel like a simple pair of jeans and fun Hollywood costume jewelry - there will be plenty of that too! Everyone will have fun posing for a photo on the Red Carpet with their favorite "stars" on hand that night!

There will also be an array of raffle prizes to bid on as well as swag bags filled with entertainment passes, gift certificates and other goodies to take home.

Tickets are $25 in advance if purchased online by Saturday, February 24th! After the 24th, tickets will be $35 per person at the door. Admission includes an array of beverages and heavy hors d'oeuvres, featuring cuisine from around the globe. Don't worry, we will have plenty of popcorn and Milk Duds on site as well!

Order online here: An Evening with the Stars To order by mail, please send checks made payable to "NCCF" for $25 per person with the names of attendees on the "memo" line and postmarked by February 20th. Send to:

Silver Spring Town Center Inc.
Silver Spring Civic Building
One Veterans Plaza
Silver Spring, MD 20910

For any questions regarding this event, contact lisa@silverspringtowncenter.com.

All proceeds benefit The National Center for Children and Families, as well as Silver Spring Town Center, Inc.

We hope to see you for "An Evening with the Stars" in our "community living room" on Oscars® Night!

Expanding Community Access at the Silver Spring Civic Building - Statement of Alan Bowser, President, Silver Spring Town Center, January 12, 2011

Statement of Alan Bowser
Silver Spring Town Center, Inc.
County Executive’s Budget Forum
Silver Spring Civic Building
January 12, 2012

Thank you for the opportunity to present our testimony this evening on the County’s FY13 budget.

My name is Alan Bowser. I am President of the Silver Spring Town Center, Inc., a community-based 501c3 non-profit organization that was created to facilitate community access and provide arts & entertainment programming in this building and on Veterans Plaza. I am proud to represent our distinguished Board of Directors who has been working hard for years to promote Silver Spring, our local cultures, and grow this important community resource. I am very pleased to present to you tonight our new Executive Director, Lisa Martin, who manages SSTCi’s day-to-day operations.

2011 was a great year for the Silver Spring and the Silver Spring Town Center, Inc. In addition to producing our 3rd Annual Silver Spring Blues Festival and a very successful Veterans Tribute Concert (which benefited two important Montgomery County non-profit organizations), we inaugurated the popular Plaza Performances series with over 7o acts, started a monthly SSTCi Arts Salon, and expanded our cooperation with the local businesses, the Fenton Street Market, the Office of Community Engagement, the Montgomery County Commission on Veterans Affairs, and the Office of Community Use of Public Facilities. Importantly, we also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Montgomery County to help provide exciting community-based programming for the Silver Spring Civic Building and Veterans Plaza.

When SSTCi was created, its founders had a vision of the new Silver Spring Civic Building and Veterans Plaza being the community’s new “living room,” following the demolition of the historic Armory.

The founders envisioned a public space that would be used everyday by our neighbors for community meetings, performances, ceremonies, and other purposes. SSTCi is working hard to make their vision a reality.

We hope that, in your new budget, you will do several things to benefit our Silver Spring neighbors, and the Silver Spring Civic Building and Veterans Plaza

First, we ask that the community’s access to the Building be expanded. We would like to see the Building stay open longer in the evenings—it currently closes at 6 pm. Expanding the hours of operation would allow more community groups to use their public space. And, presently, many members of the community who work during the day cannot take advantage of this beautiful facility in the evenings without paying special fees to Montgomery County.

Similarly, we believe that the facility should be more accessible to the community on weekends. Community groups and people who work should be able to take advantage of this public building—its gallery, atrium and meeting rooms—on Saturdays and Sundays, without paying special fees. We also believe that there should be access to the restrooms for visitors to the Plaza on weekends.

Second, we would like for Montgomery County to consider lowering the rental fees, generally, and eliminating the ancillary fees that residents need to pay to use space in the evening hours. If the building was regularly open during the evenings to 9 pm on weekdays, there would be no need to charge special fees for security and housekeeping. We’ve received comments that these fees are cost-prohibitive to some smaller community organizations who would like to meet in the Civic Building in the evening.

Third, we would like to see a substantial increase in the County’s target for community programming at the Silver Spring Civic Building. Currently, at twenty percent, we would like to see a much higher target for community use.

Finally, a few years ago, the Executive’s office recommended that SSTCi be supported through a significant one-year grant that would help us with staffing, programming and development work. While that grant, at that time, was not supported by County Council staff and not made, we hope that you would consider a similar budget request for the upcoming fiscal year. At a minimum, we hope that you will include some funds in the budget that will help the Silver Spring Town Center, Inc. to continue to provide community-based arts & entertainment on Veterans Plaza and in the Civic Building. We have important work to do and we request this promised support from the County.

All of these things would help us to realize the promises made to the Silver Spring community during this period of revitalization.

Thank you for the opportunity to present our views about the FY13 Montgomery County Budget.

Eric Maring at the Silver Spring Town Center Arts Salon, January 19, Noon to 1 pm.

Guest Artist: Eric Maring
Topic: Keeping it Fresh

How do you keep your art fresh?

GUEST ARTIST: Eric Maring is a music teacher, a performing songwriter, a dance caller, and an early childhood music specialist. He has also spent a large part of his time in India where he learned to play tabla (Indian percussion). He currently teaches in three pre-schools - at Kids Are Us in Anacostia, D.C. for Levine School of Music's outreach program, at the University of Maryland’s Center for Young Children, and at the National Archives pre-school. He also performs in festivals and elementary schools, teaches guitar and piano to young musicians, calls school and community dances, and holds weekly early childhood music classes for children and parents through the College Park Arts Exchange. Most importantly, he’s the proud father of 7-year-old Leo and 2-year old Julian.

Who’s invited: Fine artists, filmmakers, writers, musicians, photographers, graphic designers, playwrights, poets, and anyone interested in the creative process.

What to bring: Ideas, questions, stories, business cards for networking, and a brown bag lunch and/or drink, if desired.

Where to show up: Silver Spring Civic Building; Silver Spring, MD 20910. We’ll meet in the Colesville Room, 2nd floor. The Civic Building is the new building across from the Majestic Movie Theater, on Ellsworth between Fenton and Cedar. Most meters on the street are one hour only; To mapquest, I suggest you use the address for the Town Square Garage (Garage 61) 801 Ellsworth Dr, Silver Spring, MD 20910, which is right across the Street.

What is a salon: An Italian invention of the 16th century, a salon is a gathering of people who are invited by a host to enjoy the exchange of creative energy. The goal of The SSTC Arts Salon is to encourage the cross-pollination of ideas and inspiration among artists of all disciplines, to promote networking, and to alleviate artistic isolation.

How to RSPV and/or receive notices about upcoming salons: Please join the FB page and reply to the event at: http://www.facebook.com/groups/111769958927685/ OR email rsvp to info@maryamato.com.

Each salon will have a different topic and will feature a guest artist who will begin the conversation.

HOST: Mary Amato (Host) is an author, poet, songwriter, musician, and playwright. info@maryamato.com; http://www.maryamato.com/

Silver Spring nonprofit director brings international experience - Gazette

Silver Spring nonprofit director brings international experience

Published: Tuesday, January 3, 2012

by Kristi Tousignant, Staff Writer

Silver Spring Town Center, Inc.’s new executive director has helped organize festivals in Estonia and Ireland, international experiences she hopes to draw on for Silver Spring.

Lisa Martin, 44, became the first executive director for Silver Spring Town Center, Inc., a nonprofit organization that coordinates events on Silver Spring’s Veterans Plaza, including the popular Blues Festival.

“This was like a dream job for me,” she said. “I love creating memories and experiences in people’s lives through the arts.”

Martin became executive director Nov. 22 and since has started reaching out to the Silver Spring community.

“[Martin’s] a tremendous optimist and, for her, the glass is always half full and she sees the sunny side and she brings out the best in people,” said Alan Bowser, president of Silver Spring Town Center, Inc.

Since its creation in 2004, Silver Spring Town Center, Inc. has been run by a board, Bowser said. Board members divide the duties of organizing plaza events, communications, and fundraising. While most of the organization’s revenue comes from fundraising, Bowser declined to provide details about the organization’s budget or revenue.

The nonprofit sprang up during the redevelopment of Silver Spring as a way to ensure Veterans Plaza would be a community-focused space, Bowser said.

“Having a full-time executive director will let us act more as a governing board and bring a focus to fundraising activities as well as community outreach,” Bowser said.

The group organizes weekly performances and hosts monthly arts discussions and annual events like the Silver Spring Blues Festival and the Veterans Tribute Concert.

Martin has worked on many festivals, she said, an activity she finds more gratifying than any other job.“These types of events end up standing out in people’s memories,” she said.

She has worked on the International VSA Festival at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., which hosts visual and performing arts by people with disabilities. She has also worked on the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C.

“We think Lisa has a great sensitivity to the different cultures that make up our Silver Spring community,” Bowser said. “We are excited about the festival experience she brings to Silver Spring Town Center.”

Originally from San Diego, Martin attended San Diego State University, achieving bachelor’s degrees in cultural anthropology and journalism. Bowser declined to say what Martin will be paid.

Afterward, she got a job working at the San Diego Opera in the public relations and marketing department.

A few years later, Martin joined the Peace Corps and travelled to Estonia, where she taught English from 1996 to 1998. During the summer, she helped organize the Pärnu International Documentary and Anthropology Film Festival.

In 1999, Martin moved to the Washington, D.C., region and worked as a researcher for a museum consulting firm.

She went on to get her master’s degree in performing arts management from American University, writing her thesis on an art festival in Ireland, living there in 2000 to research the paper.

A few years ago, Martin started her own business, researching and evaluating events and festivals. With the struggling economy, the business was not doing that well, Martin said. While keeping an eye out for new jobs, she stumbled across the ad for the opening at Silver Spring Town Center, Inc.
Martin said she hopes to showcase performers from all around world. One of her main goals is to increase communication between the nonprofit and the surrounding community and businesses.

“Even just locally, we have such a diverse array of people in the community,” Martin said. “We are kind of building everything from the ground up.”
ktousignant@gazette.net

© 2012 Post-Newsweek Media, Inc./Gazette.Net

Give the Gift That Warms the Heart, Stirs the Creative Spirit & Brings Our Community Closer Together

Happy Holidays from Silver Spring Town Center Inc.

Dear Friend of SSTCi:

This holiday season, we hope you will give the gift that warms the heart, stirs the creative spirit, and brings our community together.

You may have enjoyed one of the over 70 diverse arts and cultural events the Silver Spring Town Center, Inc. presented this past year, including the Silver Spring Blues Festival, Plaza Performances and the "Tribute To America's Veterans" Concert. We were pleased to showcase many community groups like the Greater U Street Jazz Collective, Strings4Joy, Contradiction Dance, and the Titanes Salseros, the champion salsa dance ensemble from Albert Einstein High School. It is our goal in 2012 to continue engaging members of our community in making the Civic Building and Veterans Plaza our "community living room" and community performance space. While we have presented hundreds of visual and performing artists from our community and beyond, we aim to do even more as we continue to grow.


Your tax-deductible contribution today directly helps to support our mission to provide a vibrant, inclusive and engaging community gathering place that enriches the lives of residents throughout the Greater Silver Spring area. In fact, 100% of your donation goes directly towards showcasing local and international talent from a variety of creative disciplines, while at the same time building community and celebrating our diversity in the heart of Downtown Silver Spring!

Please click here to visit our fundraising page on Razoo, and make a small donation of $10 or more to ensure a successful 2012.

DONATE NOW!

Please help us reach our $10,000 goal by the end of the year so that we may continue to provide a vibrant, inclusive and engaging community gathering place-a "community living room"-- that enriches the lives of residents throughout the Greater Silver Spring area. Click here to donate online

DONATE BY CHECK

Alternatively you may mail your contribution to Silver Spring Town Center, Silver Spring Civic Building, One Veterans Plaza, Silver Spring, MD 20910 with checks payable to "SSTCi."

We thank you in advance for supporting SSTCi and our vision of a creative and vibrant community for all.

Warmest Regards,

LISA MARTIN
Executive Director
Silver Spring Town Center, Inc.
lisa@silverspringtowncenter.com
www.silverspringtowncenter.com

Emmett Overstreet, Earl Williams & Paul Young on Silver Spring's Veterans Plaza - Silver Spring Town Center Video Clip of the Day!

Here's Comes the Sun - Silver Spring Town Center Video Clip of the Day!

Dimensionz of Bluz has been playing together for a year and live up to their name. Each of the members brings his own style of blues to synthesize a unique sound. Mike Baytop has a long history in the Washington area as a Piedmont or country blues musician. Tim Nolte comes from the Midwest and brings a Chicago / rock style of blues. Willie Leebel has long been a student of the delta style of blues. And Marcus Childs-Moore has a strong background in jazz providing an additional element to the group. Plan to hear some blues standards performed in an inimitable way. Here, Tim Nolte plays "Here Comes The Sun."

Poet Laura Shovan presents at the December Silver Spring Arts Salon, Thursday, December 15 at noon. Free

Topic: The Mask

Join poet Laura Shovan in a conversation about how artist of all disciplines use personae in their work. How can taking on “the mask” of a character or voice help us express deeper truths in our art?

Who’s invited: Fine artists, filmmakers, writers, musicians, photographers, graphic designers, playwrights, poets, and anyone interested in the creative process.

What to bring: Ideas, questions, stories, business cards for networking, and a brown bag lunch and/or drink, if desired.

Where to show up: Silver Spring Civic Center Building; One Veterans Plaza, Silver Spring, MD 20910 (We’ll meet in the Colesville Room, 2nd floor. The Civic Building is the new building across from the Majestic Movie Theater, near Ellsworth and Fenton.)

Guest Artist: Laura Shovan is editor of the art and literary journal Little Patuxent Review. Her chapbook, Mountain, Log, Salt and Stone, won the inaugural Harriss Poetry Prize in 2010. She is the editor of Life in Me Like Grass on Fire: Love Poems (MWA Books), featuring 50 Maryland poets. Laura is currently co-editing Voices Fly: An Anthology of Exercises and Poems from the MSAC Artist-in-Residence Program for the Maryland State Arts Council, to be published in 2012.

http://www.facebook.com/events/302833086413712/

This program is a production of the Silver Spring Town Center, Inc.

Visit our blog at www.silverspringtowncenter.blogspot.com, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/sstowncenter or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/groups/8305814081/

The Rights of Butterflies

On Monday, December 5, Ghandi Brigade presented the new documentary film "The Rights of Butterflies" which tells the story of an undocumented college student named Katya in Montgomery County and her struggle to fund and continue her college education due to her legal status.

In the documentary, we learn about Katya’s personal sacrifices in coming to the United States, her transition into the Silver Spring Area, where she constructs a sense of home, and her perseverance to achieve her goals and dreams for a better life. The title of the film ponders a world where people could have the same rights as butterflies moving freely across borders with no need for legal status or documentation of any kind.

Over 200 attendees gathered in the Great Hall of the Civic Building for a public screening and post-film discussion. The subject of the film Katya was present along with filmmaker Laura Goya, who is a student of Montgomery College,

This event was co-sponsored by the Gilchrist Center and the Silver Spring Regional Center.

To learn more about the film and event, please call Gandhi Brigade at 301.588.1399 or visit their website at www.gandhibrigade.org/content/rights-butterflies

Strings for Joy! perform on Silver Spring's Veterans Plaza - Video Clip of the Day

The performers are Alexandre Paintsil, Jepthalyne Senas, Kevin Gopala-Rao, Stephanie Birmingham, Aniza Moore, Breanna Roth, Evonne Baasch, violins and Dr. Ekatrina DiPinto, cello.