[TheForge] seeking LETTERS OF SUPPORT for Wally Yater's nomination for the 2013 MD Achievement in Living Traditions and Arts Award

[Allen Dyer]

hello members of the blacksmithing community,

last month the Blacksmith Guild of Central Maryland voted to nominate wallace "wally" yater for the Maryland Arts Council 2013 Award for Achievement in Living Traditions and Arts.  see below:
  ABOUT THE MARYLAND TRADITIONS ALTA AWARD 

  The ALTA Award, which stands for Achievement in Living Traditions and Arts, was created by Maryland Traditions in 2007 to recognize outstanding stewardship of Maryland's living traditions. The award is named in honor of folklorist and community leader Dr. Alta Schrock (1911-2001). Dr. Schrock, a native of Garrett County, taught biology at Frostburg State University and also founded publications, events and lasting institutions designed to share and safeguard her region's traditional art forms. Her achievements in cultural conservation include the creation of The Spruce Forest Artisan Village, Penn Alps, the Journal of the Alleghenies and the Springs Festival. 

  Each year, three awards are made in the categories of people, place, and tradition. PEOPLE are selected based on their demonstration of the highest standards of excellence in such areas as research, documentation, presentation, entrepreneurship, artistry, stewardship and community impact; ....

i volunteered to chair the wally nomination committee and, friday, i was able to get the nomination submitted to the maryland arts council.  

in addition to the nomination, we can also submit "letters of support" from the traditional crafts community until next friday.  

many of you are in an excellent position to comment on wally's abilities as a fellow traditional craftsman and his stewardship of the traditional crafts.  accordingly, i respectfully ask those what know wally yater to provide a letter of support for wally's nomination.  

feel free to say anything you think appropriate in your letter of support, but, i do encourage each of you to qualify your "letter of support" by giving a short statement of your role in the traditional crafts.  i believe the awards committee would be quite impressed to see the wide range of blacksmithing and traditional arts skill levels represented by those who have come to know wally yater.  of particular import are letters of support from those blacksmiths that have used the wally yater set of two swage blocks.  please see: http://www.swageblocks.com/yater_blocks.htm

if you (or anyone you know that could provide a letter of support for wally) have an email of support, or a scanned letter of support, just send it to aldyer at lawlab.com.  on the other hand, if you (or anyone you know) has a hard copy letter of support for wally, please send it via u.s. mail -- no later than this tuesday -- to:

    allen dyer
    13340 hunt ridge
    ellicott city, maryland 21042

i'm out of town until thursday nite, but, i plan on gathering all letters of support and sending them in on friday (the deadline). 

don't hesitate to pass this information on to people you know that have had the opportunity to "experience wally yater."

thank you for your help,

allen dyer
a friend of wally's