June 24th, 2016 by WCBC Radio

First Lady Yumi Hogan today announced that she will serve as an honorary co-chair of the 85^th Anniversary Gala of the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts (WCMFA) in Hagerstown, Maryland, on Saturday, October 8, 2016.

Recognized as one of the finest small museums in the United States, the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts first opened its doors on September 16, 1931, after Anna Brugh Singer and William Singer Jr. gifted the building and over 100 works of art from their private collection to the county. Their collection included primarily 19^th- and early-20^th-century European art, French and Dutch paintings, Rodin bronzes, American early-20^th-century paintings, and Asian decorative arts.

“I am delighted to serve as an honorary co-chair of a gala that will celebrate 85 years of instilling a love of art in the residents of Western Maryland and beyond,” said First Lady Hogan, an accomplished artist and adjunct professor at Maryland Institute College of Art. “It is my hope that the museum furthers its commitment to arts education and the support of regional artists through studio art courses, art historical lectures, concerts, and exhibitions from its permanent collection and traveling exhibitions.”

“We are honored to announce that First Lady of Maryland Yumi Hogan will serve as an honorary co-chair of the museum’s 85th anniversary year,” said WCMFA Director Rebecca Massie Lane. “Mrs. Hogan and her co-chair, First Vice President of the Board of Trustees Howard S. Kaylor, will take part in important commemorative activities, including the celebratory gala on October 8.”

First Lady Hogan’s artwork, created on traditional Hanji paper with Sumi ink and mixed media, has been featured in art shows and museums in Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia, and Seoul, Korea. In 2010, she won the Caruso Award at the International Juried Exhibition Circle Gallery in Annapolis.