MPT 50th Anniversary Traveling Exhibit visits HoCo Library

Maryland Public Television (MPT) is displaying its MPT 50th Anniversary Traveling Exhibit at the Howard County Library System (HCLS) Central Branch in October. The exhibit is being presented at libraries and other public venues across the state in celebration of the statewide public broadcasting network’s 50 years of service to the citizens of Maryland.

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. Maryland’s public TV network first went on the air October 5, 1969.

The exhibit features 10 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.

The HCLS Central Branch is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. It is located at 10375 Little Patuxent Parkway.

MPT produced two sets of the traveling exhibit to expand the display’s accessibility to communities across the state. This month, the second set appeared at MPT’s second annual Eatin’ The Chesapeake Feast on October 12 in Easton and will be on display at the MPT booth during the Power of Age Expo on October 30 at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Lutherville-Timonium. The schedule, to date, of traveling exhibit appearances is available at mpt.org/about/50th_exhibit/.

In addition to the traveling exhibit, MPT’s 50th anniversary commemorations include the two-hour documentary Made Possible By Viewers Like You: 50 Years of Maryland Public Television and an 82-page history book “Made Possible By Viewers Like You: The History of Maryland Public Television, 1969-2019.” The documentary is currently being offered as a pledge gift and the history book is available for sale at the MPT Online Store: https://bit.ly/339fyai.

MPT also recently unveiled a museum-quality exhibition on display at the University of Maryland’s Hornbake Library in College Park. To watch a short preview of the exhibition produced by MPT’s State Circle public affairs program, play the video below or

visit https://youtu.be/4vDXPjjGuxk. The segment includes visuals of the exhibition’s many artifacts as well as an interview with its curator, Laura Schnitker, Ph.D.

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.