
LIVESTREAM ON YOUTUBE
Three select Livestreams of A Day of Belonging will be available on our YouTube Channel on Saturday, August 12th. Our Welcome and Opening event starts at 10 AM ET, followed by Musical Performance with Wytold and Community Showcase at 1 PM ET, and our Closing Performance at 5 PM ET. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel at the button below, and turn on YouTube notifcations so you get alerts when the streams go live! We hope you enjoy the show!!
A DAY OF BELONGING
Community members will also have an opportunity to see themselves reflected in performances and artwork by other Veterans, service members, and caregivers during the event. Workshops will include demonstrations of sample pieces from the artistic discipline, group discussion facilitated by the workshop leader, and time for participants to create and, if desired, share work in a low-pressure, positive feedback environment. The event will conclude with a special musical guest performance by Wytold, a nationally recognized musician with a long history of working with CBAW and the military-affiliated community.
This event is for audience members aged 18 and older.
Registration has closed for the in-person event, but walk-ins are welcome. Three performances will be held as Livestream on YouTube as well.
Community Building Art Works & Strathmore Present
A DAY OF BELONGING
Arts and Writing Workshops, Performances, and more.
A DAY OF BELONGING
Featuring…
Special Guest Opening Speaker
Maryland Poet Laureate, Grace Cavalieri
About Grace Cavalieri
Grace Cavalieri is Maryland’s tenth Poet Laureate. Her new book is The long Game, Poems Selected & New (The Word Works.) She founded and produces “the Poet and the Poem” for public radio, now from the Library of Congress, celebrating 47 years on-air in 2024. Grace was formerly Asst Director for Children’s Programming, Corporate PBS. Among other awards she holds the Allen Ginsberg Award and the CPB Silver Medal. She is an Academy of American Poets Fellow. She has written 26 books of poems and plays produced on American stages.
Musical Guest
Award Winning Cellist, Wytold
About Wytold
Wytold writes original music on the six-string electric cello inspired by outdoor rock climbing trips, world travel, his background studying philosophy of physics, and his experiences leading music workshops in military hospitals and Veteran populations. Using electronic edge alongside acoustic harmonies and double-stop grit, Wytold’s electrified-chamber and ‘In Your Face Cello’ sound energizes rock clubs as much as it inspires reflective audiences in the concert hall.
Wytold has performed his original music live with the National Symphony Orchestra and Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. His music has been featured in live modern dance scores, theater productions, and films including the HBO Documentary Film “We Are Not Done Yet” and the Sundance award-winning “Blood Brother”. Wytold also received the 2018 Montgomery County Executive Award for Artistic Excellence, several grants from Montgomery County, the state of Maryland, and the District of Columbia, and the “Best Six-String Electric Cellist” award from the Washington City Paper’s 2018 Best Of.
Musical Performance by Wytold & Community Showcase
Experience a musical performance by award-winning composer and cellist Wytold followed by an afternoon poetry showcase featuring a diverse group of individuals from across our community. This includes Veterans, including women and non-binary Veterans participating in the More Than One Story program, as well as military family members, and other dedicated CBAW community members.
Closing Performance: “This Is Where I Belong”
Join us as we close out this fabulous day with a collaborative performance by several members of the CBAW community, featuring a live score from our special musical guest, Wytold.
Join us as we close out this fabulous day with a collaborative performance by several members of the CBAW community, featuring a live score from our special musical guest, Wytold.
Activities Include…
Visual Art Experience
The Visual Art Experience will offer a range of artistic activities to engage in on a rolling basis. Create art on paper made from either military uniforms or scrubs, explore the fusion of art and poetry, paint wood carvings, marble paper, and more. Participants will also have the chance to contribute to a collaborative project involving silk hoops. All necessary materials for the planned activities are generously donated by Amazon Military.
Writing with Seema
Our signature offering: a transformative creative writing workshop led by the CEO and Founder of CBAW. This engaging session will demonstrate that anyone can write, as long as they show up and think. During the workshop, participants will explore writing as a powerful tool for communication, self-expression, and finding solace in the act of letting go. It doesn’t matter if you’re a seasoned writer or a complete beginner—no prior experience is necessary!
Our signature offering: a transformative creative writing workshop led by the CEO and Founder of CBAW. This engaging session will demonstrate that anyone can write, as long as they show up and think. During the workshop, participants will explore writing as a powerful tool for communication, self-expression, and finding solace in the act of letting go. It doesn’t matter if you’re a seasoned writer or a complete beginner—no prior experience is necessary!
Improv
Join us for an afternoon of Improv with Comedian, Amelia Bane. Participants will learn simple (but fun!) theater games and exercises that stimulate your imagination and exercise your creativity in a supportive atmosphere. Improv offers an opportunity to practice communication and surprise yourself.
Wood Turning (Limited Spots)
Discover the joy of woodworking through fundamentals of pen turning with the guidance of Stephen McCombs, a skilled Veteran and artist or our friends from Woodcraft of Rockville. Participants will have the opportunity to craft their own personalized pen, gaining hands-on experience and exploring the artistry of the lathe. All materials will be provided.
Spots are limited. Lottery will be held for this experience.
Discover the joy of woodworking through fundamentals of pen turning with the guidance of Stephen McCombs, a skilled Veteran and artist or our friends from Woodcraft of Rockville. Participants will have the opportunity to craft their own personalized pen, gaining hands-on experience and exploring the artistry of the lathe. All materials will be provided.
Spots are limited. Lottery will be held for this experience.
Poetry Salon
Facilitated by Ben Weakley and Laura Van Prooyen, sign up for an intimate opportunity to share and hear new work and experience the joy of live, affirmative creative exchange. Limited spots.
Life Hacks for Tapping into the Wisdom of the Body with Linda Naini of Extend Yoga
“You wander from room to room hunting for the diamond necklace that is already around your neck!” – Rumi
Most of our day-to-day consists of practices that disconnect us from the here and now. It can be helpful to have simple yet powerful practices in our toolbox in order to connect with the wisdom of our body even if it’s for a moment at a time. We will come together to meditate, share, learn, and practice tools that help us reconnect with the wisdom that is always here.
*No prior meditation experience needed*
“You wander from room to room hunting for the diamond necklace that is already around your neck!” – Rumi
Most of our day-to-day consists of practices that disconnect us from the here and now. It can be helpful to have simple yet powerful practices in our toolbox in order to connect with the wisdom of our body even if it’s for a moment at a time. We will come together to meditate, share, learn, and practice tools that help us reconnect with the wisdom that is always here.
*No prior meditation experience needed*
Attending The Event
Click the headings below to view.
Hotel
If you’re traveling in from out of town and interested in staying on our Hotel Block, details are below. There are a limited number of rooms, so please book as soon as possible. A shuttle will be provided to take you to the Strathmore Mansion in the morning, and back to the hotel at the end of the evening.
Marriott Bethesda
5151 Pooks Hill Road
Bethesda, Maryland 20814
Directions: Google Maps | Apple Maps
CBAW Event Room Block
Start Date: Friday, August 11, 2023
End Date: Sunday, August 13, 2023
Special Group Rate for $149 per night
Special registration block is now closed. Contact the hotel directly to check on availability and pricing.
Click here to book your group rate for CBAW Event Room Block
Event Location
The Mansion at the Strathmore
10701 Rockville Pike
Rockville, MD 20852
Directions: Google Maps | Apple Maps
Free Parking
Free parking is available. Please park in the Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro garage off Tuckerman Lane. To access the Strathmore campus from the Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro garage, walk across the glass-enclosed sky bridge located on the 4th level. Head north and cross the parking lot to walk to the Mansion’s front entrance.
Breakfast
Participants will check in from 9 AM to 10 AM and have an opportunity to enjoy breakfast donated by Dog Tag Bakery.
Lunch
Lunch will also be provided from 11:50 AM to 12:50 PM.
Mission Belonging Virtual Exhibit
Submissions are now closed.
Those who submitted artwork will be notified by August 1st if selected for the exhibit.
Thank you for your submissions!
Event Sponsors
Our gratitude to…
Champion Sponsors
Advocate Sponsor
Individual Contributors
Amanda Hite
Martha Pedersen
Special Thanks
Mission Belonging
Art Saves Lives. Your support provides everyday heroes with access to the expressive arts in a safe, welcoming community.