Image courtesy Pyramid Atlantic
Sarah’s Mudcloth by Sarah Matthews
.
Black Ink Open House
By PRESS OFFICER
Pyramid Atlantic
HYATTSVILLE, Md. (Feb. 10, 2025)—Now in its second year, Pyramid is pleased to hold BLACK INK. This Black artist-centered open house is FREE and open to everyone. Its purpose is to celebrate and showcase local Black artists and creatives, particularly printmakers.
The event includes art demonstrations in letterpress printing, papermaking, screenprinting and more; a pop-up market curated by Nubian Hueman, open studios, and an exhibition with artist talk.
BLACK INK happens on Saturday, February 22 from 12 –6 p.m. at Pyramid Atlantic (4318 Gallatin Street, Hyattsville, MD). The open house is FREE with RSVP required. Visit bit.ly/blackink2025 to RSVP and see the most up to date agenda. Learn more about Pyramid at https://pyramidatlanticartcenter.org/ or call 301-608-9101.
Schedule
12–6 p.m.
• Pop-Up Market curated by Nubian Hueman
• Tattoo Demonstrations by Gremlins Tattoo Lounge
• Exhibition of prints by Curlee Raven Holton: Finding a Voice Through Printmaking
12–4 p.m.:
• Open Studios and Demonstrations in Letterpress, Relief Printmaking, Monotypes, Bookmaking, Lithography, Screenprinting and Papermaking. Featuring Mosiah Ballard, Jeanette M. Bolden, Michael Booker, IBé Crawley, Ennis Hodgson, Imar Hutchins, Camilla King, Sarah Matthews, Brittany Murray, Korey Richardson, Kimberly Thorpe
3 p.m.:
• Artist Conversation with Curlee Raven Holton and Imar Hutchins
4–6 p.m.:
• Happy Hour Mocktail Social with DJ Aquarian
The 2025 Black Ink is made possible in part by a grant from The City of Hyattsville.
Founded in 1981, Pyramid Atlantic is a nonprofit contemporary art center. Our mission is to sustain and elevate a welcoming arts hub in Hyattsville. MD that champions contemporary printmaking, papermaking, and book arts. We equip, educate, and exhibit while prioritizing artistic integrity, creative growth, and inclusivity. Our vision is to anchor an arts community that recognizes and uplifts the importance of artists, the intrinsic values of working with your hands, and the economy of artist-made work.
https://pyramidatlanticartcenter.org/
TOP OF PAGE
Council Member Watson Applauds County Schools Receiving State Recognition for Gifted Education Programs
By PRESS OFFICER
Office of Council Member Ingrid S. Watson
Council Member Ingrid S. Watson is congratulating two District 4 schools for being recognized for having outstanding gifted and talented education programs: Benjamin Tasker Middle School and Heather Hills Elementary School. The Maryland State Department of Education recognized 14 schools with Excellence in Gifted and Talented Education (EGATE) Awards on Thursday, February 6. Six schools in Prince George’s County received the honor. Benjamin Tasker Middle School was honored for the second time, while Accokeek Academy, Glenarden Woods Elementary, Heather Hills Elementary, Valley View Elementary, and Walker Mill Middle School received their third EGATE Award.
“We are incredibly proud of the teachers, administrators, and staff at Benjamin Tasker Middle School and Heather Hills Elementary School for their hard work and dedication, which has led to receiving this distinguished recognition. We are honored to have them in District 4!” said Council Member Watson. “We also applaud the four other schools in Prince George’s County that earned this same level of exceptional recognition.”
Since 2010, the EGATE program has recognized 133 public schools. To achieve the EGATE designation, school personnel work to document gifted and talented programs over a 15-month period, identifying 21 criteria for excellence under four program objectives: student identification, curriculum and instruction, professional development, and program management and evaluation.
All EGATE schools will be honored Saturday, February 22 during an awards ceremony at Severn Run High School in Severn.
For more information on Gifted and Talented Programs, please visit the MSDE website.
TOP OF PAGE
Distinguished Prince George’s County Resident Pens Memoir
Medical Trailblazer Tells of Many ‘Firsts’ as a Black Anesthesiologist
By ELAINE K. WATKINS
Melville Q. Wyche, Jr., M.D.
BOWIE, Md. (Feb. 12, 2025)—Melville Q. Wyche, Jr., M.D., a Bowie resident and a trailblazer in anesthesiology practice and education, is the author of “They Called Me Super Doc: An Anesthesiologist’s Memoir”. Through vignettes personal and professional, Dr. Wyche recounts his achievements and setbacks during the journey from his roots in segregated Washington, North Carolina, to retirement in the Washington, D.C., area.
Dr. Wyche graduated from Hampton University (Hampton, VA) and Meharry Medical College (Nashville, TN) and cut his teeth in anesthesiology in the U.S. Army (three months on-the-job training), ultimately becoming chief of Anesthesia and Operating Room, United States Army Hospital, Camp Zama, Japan. In 1967, he became the first Black doctor accepted into the Department of Anesthesiology Residency Training Program at the University of Pennsylvania and in 1970, became the first Black faculty member of that department.
Dr. Wyche served as chief of Anesthesia Service and Oxygen Therapy Service, Philadelphia General Hospital in the 1970s, and as director, Department of Anesthesiology, Pennsylvania Hospital (Philadelphia) in the 1980s.
In 1988, Dr. Wyche joined Howard University Hospital as chief of the Anesthesiology Division of Surgery and program director, Anesthesiology Training Program, and a year later, was appointed professor and chairman of the newly established Department of Anesthesiology. In 2000, he was elected president of the medical staff at Howard University Hospital.
On the national level, Dr. Wyche has served as associate examiner for the American Board of Anesthesiology; residency inspector, Residency Review Committee for Anesthesiology; board member of the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research; and as a member of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, among other national accomplishments. He is the first Black physician elected to membership in the Association of University Anesthesiologists.
“My father and mother were both educators, but I took another path, or so I thought. I chose medicine, little knowing that my entire career would be devoted to academics, helping to shape the lives and practices of young men and women,” said Dr. Wyche.
Dr. Wyche served as a member of the Governor’s Task Force for Improvement of Prince George’s County Maryland Hospital System in 2002. He and his wife, Alice Mahan Wyche, own and operate two assisted living facilities in Bowie. He is a former commodore of the Seafarers Yacht
Club, Inc., and a founding director and former board member of the Seafarers Foundation, Inc., in Annapolis, Maryland.
To purchase the memoir, visit They Called Me Super Doc at https://theycalledmesuperdoc.com/
TOP OF PAGE
Council Member Krystal Oriadha Announces 2nd Edition of DMV Green Book
Guide Empowers and Supports Black-Owned Businesses Across the Region
By PRESS OFFICER
Office of Council Member Krystal Oriadha
Council Member Krystal Oriadha (District 7) has just released the 2025 edition of the DMV Green Book, a comprehensive directory dedicated to promoting and supporting Black-owned businesses across Prince George’s County and the greater DC region. This annual publication serves as a vital resource for residents looking to invest in and uplift the Black business community.
Building on the historic legacy of the Green Book, which offered Black Americans safe travel guidance during the era of segregation, the DMV Green Book is now taking the lead in connecting consumers with Black entrepreneurs, professionals, and service providers across a range of industries such as restaurants, retail, construction, and beauty. This initiative seeks to empower Black-owned businesses, especially in light of recent challenges posed by the Trump administration’s policies.
“Economic empowerment is key to building thriving communities,” said Council Member Oriadha. “The DMV Green Book isn’t just a directory—it’s part of a larger movement to ensure Black-owned businesses receive the visibility and support necessary for success. Through targeted investments in local businesses, we are cultivating generational wealth, creating jobs, and advancing economic equity. This effort is especially crucial as we navigate the challenges posed by the Trump administration’s policies, which have impacted communities of color in various ways.”
The 2025 edition of the DMV Green Book will feature an expanded business directory with new categories and listings, a spotlight on nonprofits and DEI supportive corporations making a difference in the region, and influencers and local bands all on an interactive digital platform to make it even easier for consumers to find and support Black culture.
To celebrate the launch, Council Member Oriadha invites the community to tune into her Building Black Wealth Instagram Live Series. This series features conversations with community
leaders, entrepreneurs, and business owners, highlighting economic development, financial literacy, and wealth-building strategies designed by and for African Americans.
TOP OF PAGE
