MPT 50th Anniversary Traveling Exhibit visits Arbutus in July

OWINGS MILLS, MD – Maryland Public Television (MPT) is displaying its MPT 50th Anniversary Traveling Exhibit at public venues across the state in celebration of the public broadcasting network’s 50 years of service to Marylanders. The Arbutus Branch of the Baltimore County Public Library is hosting the traveling exhibit throughout July.

The MPT 50th Anniversary Traveling Exhibit explores the network’s origins, signature programs, familiar faces, and evolution – all fulfilling MPT’s mission to enrich lives and strengthen communities through the power of media. It features seven 10-foot-tall display panels guiding visitors chronologically through MPT’s five decades of service and includes a station where viewers of all ages can color their favorite PBS characters or submit a note of congratulations to be displayed later this year on MPT’s virtual Birthday Wish Wall at mpt.org/50th. Maryland’s public TV network first went on the air October 5, 1969.

MPT produced two sets of the traveling exhibit to expand the display’s accessibility to communities across the state. The schedule, to date, of 2019 traveling exhibit appearances is available at mpt.org/about/50thexhibit/.

The Arbutus Branch of the Baltimore County Public Library is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., on Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and on Sundays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. It is located at 855 Sulphur Spring Road in Arbutus.

In addition to the traveling exhibit, MPT’s 50th anniversary commemorations include the 82-page history book “Made Possible By Viewers Like You: The History of Maryland Public Television, 1969-2019” and two-hour documentary Made Possible By Viewers Like You: 50 Years of Maryland Public Television. The history book is currently available for sale at the MPT Online Store and the documentary will premiere on MPT-HD on Mon., Aug. 19. In the fall, MPT will also unveil a yearlong museum exhibit at the University of Maryland’s Hornbake Library on the College Park campus.

More information about MPT’s 50th anniversary activities and observances may be found at mpt.org/50th.

The MPT 50th Anniversary Traveling Exhibit is made possible in part by the City of Hagerstown, the Hagerstown-Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau, Leaders of Tomorrow Youth Center, the Maryland State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

About MPT

Launched in 1969 and headquartered in Owings Mills, MD, Maryland Public Television is a nonprofit, state-licensed public television network and member of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). MPT’s six transmitters cover Maryland plus portions of contiguous states and the District of Columbia. Frequent winner of regional Emmy® awards, MPT creates local, regional, and national television shows. Beyond broadcast, MPT’s commitment to professional educators, parents, caregivers, and learners of all ages is delivered through year-round instructional events and the super-website Thinkport, which garners in excess of five million page views annually. MPT’s community engagement connects viewers with local resources on significant health, education, and public interest topics through year-round outreach events, viewer forums, program screenings, and phone bank call-in opportunities. For more information visit mpt.org.