Finding Unity in CommUnity: Implementation of the Hampton Arts Initiative
Creators: name: Cohen, Judy D.
Publisher: name: Maryland Shared Open Access Repository
Year: 2012

description: Items without attached files are embargoed at the request of the author.  To view the items in person please contact Goucher College Special Collections &amp; Archives at archives@goucher.edu or (410) 337-6075 to obtain
description: As one of America’s best preserved estates, Hampton National Historic Site (HNHS) in
Towson, Maryland showcases life in the Mid-Atlantic from before the American Revolution to
after World War II. The 18th century Hampton Mansion, its outbuildings, and farm site that
includes the Farmhouse (or Overseer’s House), the Slave Quarters, the Dairy, and several barns,
all contribute to the stories of American social, cultural, and economic history across three
centuries through the lives of seven generations of the Ridgely family, and their large and diverse
labor force. Operated by the National Park Service (NPS), HNHS now seeks to serve as a
resource for the public, and especially for underserved students in the region.
    Like many historic sites, HNHS relies on typical museum-going audiences. It has
managed with governmental resources and supplemental funding from its friends group -
Historic Hampton, Inc. (HHI) - to keep the site well-maintained and accessible. However, even
with respectable rates of visitation, there continues to be a large segment of the population that
has never visited, or has not visited in many years. In an attempt to gain insight into this, I have
identified a target audience of local students and teachers as potential patrons, and developed a
representative advisory group. I have met with these advisors on several occasions to explore
their personal and professional opinions about Hampton and why they and their associates may
or may not utilize the site and its offerings. I have also sought this group’s advice on ways to
engage the target audience in the development of current and future programming at HNHS.
     With funding from the National Park Foundation (NPF), the board of HHI launched the
Hampton Arts Initiative (HAI) as a means to attract students, teachers, artists, art patrons, and art
enthusiasts to Hampton, to engage them in program development, and to encourage their
stewardship of the site. Based on research I conducted at historic sites with similar programming,
I believe that the HAI will contribute to Hampton’s ongoing sustainability by getting artists and
students onto the grounds and having them assist with a new series of arts-related programming.
This, in turn, will initiate dialogue between working artists and the public, which will help to
strengthen community partnerships and promote stewardship for HNHS through the arts.
     Working in conjunction with the NPS at HNHS, HHI’s Board of Directors, and other
community partners, HHI was awarded an Impact Grant1 for $8,000 from the NPF to help
support the NPS initiative known as A Call to Action2. This program identifies the need to reach
underserved audiences. Through the Impact Grant and its newly established feature known as
Ticket to Ride (TTR)3, HHI began reaching out to artists, students, patrons and art enthusiasts
through a new program which took place on April 20, 2012. This event featured a juried art show
and the launching of a local artist’s book of paintings of culturally significant scenes throughout
Baltimore County. The HAI will also host artist-led workshops during the summer of 2012, and
a student/teacher juried arts showcase on September 15, 2012. In addition, the HAI will make
provisions for transportation so that children in underfunded schools in the Baltimore region can
visit the site and benefit from its vast cultural resources.