he phrase “the new normal” has been thrown around since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and as America struggles to define—and design—what that is exactly, colleges are paving the way for what it might look like.

After the chaos and uncertainty of 2020, colleges and universities throughout the Baltimore region began to find their groove as they moved into the 2021-2022 school year. Coronavirus safety committees had been erected, new mandates put in place, safety protocols implemented—everything from vaccine requirements to temperature checks to quarantine procedures and wastewater testing that can pinpoint a COVID infection before anyone is symptomatic.

By some counts, colleges may very well be the safest places to live and work.

“Just following simple rules of wearing face masks and social distancing, using wastewater management and testing when we need to, we have, in many ways, been able to return to normal life,” says Goucher College President Kent Devereaux. “Full athletics, student clubs, dining in the dining hall, use of the library—everything that you’d normally have, we’ve been able to return to.”

Despite the challenges and anxieties faced by students, staff, and faculty alike, some unexpected silver linings have emerged.

“It’s just incredible to watch how it’s grown into the vision that we, as a group of students, had.”

The widespread adoption of technology across college campuses has proven to provide more flexibility, efficiency, and innovation—and even accessibility, in some cases. Counseling sessions, for example, began to be conducted remotely during the pandemic and many students found that they preferred it to in-person sessions. Students who cannot, for whatever reason, make it to an in-person class can now study from anywhere.

Challenging times, combined with advances in technology and the general acceptance of it, have also brought more cooperation and collaboration among schools. It’s becoming more common, for example, for schools that offer complementary programs to partner with one another to offer students an educational pathway to continue studies in their chosen areas. That may mean a discounted tuition rate, a transfer of class credits, or an internship through a partner school.

Maybe most importantly though, schools, at their best, foster an environment where students are supported, expand who they are, and connect with like-minded people. At a time when gathering together is not always safe, being in a community has become even more precious, and students have found new ways to connect.

OCA Mocha, a coffeehouse in Arbutus founded by University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) students, is one example of how effective a gathering place can be at a time when people are craving human connection. What started as a class assignment—to design a community center of some sort—has become a gathering place not just for UMBC students and alumni, but the Arbutus community at large.

“We’ve heard a lot of stories from people who are extremely grateful to have this space,” says Michael Berardi, UMBC class of 2019 and co-founder and general manager of OCA Mocha, which stands for Opportunities for Community Alliances. The coffee shop includes a stage, a community room, and an art gallery, employs UMBC students and alumni, and provides internship opportunities for current UMBC students.

“We have local groups and organizations that meet regularly in our community space and are grateful to not have to meet in someone’s living room or church basement,” says Berardi. “We see a lot of connections being made. It’s just incredible to watch how it’s grown into the vision that we, as a group of students, had.”

We checked in with colleges and universities throughout the region to find out what’s new and what campus life and classes look like, two years into the pandemic.

COPPIN STATE UNIVERSITY
A historically Black institution founded in 1900, Coppin State University is situated in the heart of Baltimore City in the Mondawmin neighborhood. Part of the University System of Maryland in Baltimore, the school offers 32 undergraduate and 11 graduate degrees, along with nine certificate programs and one doctorate degree. It’s been rated No. 4 Best HBCU in the Nation (College Consensus), the Top 5 Best Value Online Program (Online School Center), and No. 17 Best Value in the Nation (College Consensus).

In the summer of 2021, CSU announced its Student Debt Relief Initiative, which clears roughly $1 million in student balances and provided a $1,200 credit to every student enrolled in the fall 2021 semester. CSU also created the Freddie Gray Student Success Scholarship, which is available to graduates of Carver Vocational-Technical High School, where Gray was a student.

Coppin also takes esports (competitive video gaming) seriously. In the fall of 2021, Coppin became the first HBCU to open a building on campus exclusively devoted to esports. The Premier Esports Lab opened in September with a guest appearance from Grammy-nominated artist Cordae.

• SIZE OF STUDENT BODY: 2,383 undergraduates, 341 graduates
• STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO: 13:1
• ANNUAL TUITION: $6,809 in-state, $13,334 out-of-state
• ACCEPTANCE RATE: 40%
• POPULAR AREAS OF STUDY: Nursing, Business, Biology, Education, and Criminal Justice, Rehabilitation Counseling

DICKINSON COLLEGE
Founded in 1783, Dickinson College is a liberal arts college in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, with a suburban campus that spans 144 acres. The school offers 41 undergraduate degrees within 17 fields of study.

It’s been rated as one of the best schools in the country for its sustainability efforts, which include an 80-acre, USDA-certified organic farm. Princeton Review rated it No. 2 in the Top 50 Green Colleges, and it was rated No. 2 in Overall Top Performers among baccalaureate institutions in the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s “Sustainable Campus Index” in 2019 and 2020.

• SIZE OF STUDENT BODY: 2,345
• STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO: 9:1
• ANNUAL TUITION: $58,708
• ACCEPTANCE RATE: 52%
• POPULAR AREAS OF STUDY: International Business, Economics, Political Science & Government, International Relations & National Security, General Psychology

GETTYSBURG COLLEGE
Gettysburg College, a private, liberal arts school, sits on 225 acres adjacent to the historical Gettysburg Battlefield in Pennsylvania. Many of the buildings on campus are historically significant, so it’s no wonder that it draws students interested in studying history.

The school offers 65 academic programs, more than 120 campus clubs and organizations, and 800 events on campus each year, plus more than 100 study-abroad opportunities open to students.

Its Majestic Theater serves as a venue for the greater Gettysburg community, hosting national acts as well as performances by the school’s Sunderman Conservatory of Music students.

It’s ranked No. 12 for “students who study the most” by the Princeton Review, which also ranked Gettysburg College’s dining hall No. 9 in the country for best campus food.

• SIZE OF STUDENT BODY: 2,600
• STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO: 10:1
• ANNUAL TUITION: $59,960
• ACCEPTANCE RATE: 56%
• POPULAR AREAS OF STUDY: Political Science, Economics, Health Sciences, Organization and Management Studies, History, Psychology

GOUCHER COLLEGE
A private, liberal arts college in Towson, Goucher College prides itself on its close-knit community.

Goucher was extremely proactive when it came to COVID-19 precautions, being the first in the state to implement wastewater testing, which is able to isolate COVID infections by dorm.

Also of note: The college recently opened two new residence halls as part of the school’s First-Year Village. One hundred percent of Goucher students study abroad, and the school is committed to sustainability.

Most recently, Goucher has begun exciting partnerships with other schools, such as Johns Hopkins University, Loyola University, and more to come, to provide a pathway for students to continue their education beyond Goucher. For instance, their 4+1 MBA Program allows students to earn an advanced business degree through Loyola via a “Fast Track” admission process, and at a 15% discount on tuition.

SIZE OF STUDENT BODY: 1,100
STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO: 9:1
ANNUAL TUITION: $48,000
ACCEPTANCE RATE: 79%
POPULAR AREAS OF STUDY: Psychology, International Relations, Economics, Political Science, Business Administration

JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
Johns Hopkins University (JHU) offers nine academic divisions and hundreds of courses of study, with campuses spread throughout Baltimore, including the Peabody Institute, a music and dance conservatory in Mount Vernon. Its main Homewood campus is located on North Charles Street.

The prestigious, world-renowned university has a strong reputation for its public health and medical studies and has been compared to Ivy League schools.

One of its points of pride is its financial aid program, which covers 100% of calculated need for every admitted student, without loans. This means JHU works with families to calculate what they can afford to contribute toward the total cost of attendance—including meals, books, travel, and other expenses—and JHU covers the rest with grants that don’t need to be repaid.

This school year, JHU added two new minors: Latin American Studies and Writing Seminars.

It also announced new efforts this year to move toward a broader, more flexible undergraduate educational experience that will include a required first-year seminar and the streamlining of major requirements to allow for greater intellectual exploration.

• SIZE OF STUDENT BODY: 6,333 undergraduates, 22,559 graduates
• STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO: 6:1
• ANNUAL TUITION: $56,313 for Peabody Institute, $58,720 for the School of Engineering and the School of Arts and Sciences
• ACCEPTANCE RATE: 9%
• POPULAR AREAS OF STUDY: Computer Science, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Neuroscience, Economics, Public Health Studies, International Studies

LOYOLA UNIVERSITY
This private, Jesuit institution offers undergraduate and graduate programs on a beautiful urban campus in northern Baltimore City. Education at Loyola is based in the Jesuit tradition of scholarship cura personalis, or care for the whole person. Loyola is known for its academic rigor while helping students lead purposeful lives. Seventy percent of students study abroad. It currently ranks fourth in best universities in the North region according to U.S. News & World Report.

• SIZE OF STUDENT BODY: 3,787 undergraduates, 1,353 graduates
• STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO: 12:1
• ANNUAL TUITION: $53,430
• ACCEPTANCE RATE: 80%
• POPULAR AREAS OF STUDY: Business, Management, Marketing, Journalism, Social Sciences, Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Psychology, English Language and Literature, Engineering and Education.

McDANIEL COLLEGE
McDaniel College sits in a bucolic setting near Westminster in Carroll County. The private, four-year liberal arts college offers more than 70 undergraduate programs of study and more than 20 graduate programs. McDaniel’s most recent addition to its curriculum is a National Security Fellows Program that provides students with knowledge, skills, and experience in national security as well as the ability to specialize in an area of interest, such as interstate conflict, intrastate political violence, cybersecurity, ethics, and human rights.

Also new this year, McDaniel appointed an inaugural associate provost for equity and belonging who provides vision and leadership to the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and works in collaboration with the provost to co-lead the college’s diversity, equity, and inclusion administrative committee, and guides the Bias Education Response Support Team.

The school also launched a new STEM Center to serve as a physical hub to support students studying the sciences. It hosts workshops and other events while also supplying online and hybrid support.

• SIZE OF STUDENT BODY: 1,757 undergraduates, 1,324 graduates
• STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO: 13:1
• ANNUAL TUITION: $46,336
• ACCEPTANCE RATE: 81%
• POPULAR AREAS OF STUDY: Kinesiology, Business Administration, Psychology, Biology, Political Science, International Studies

MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
The largest of Maryland’s HBCU’s (Historically Black Colleges and Universities), Morgan is a public institution founded in 1867. It is situated in northeast Baltimore. As a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution, Morgan provides instruction to a multiethnic, multiracial, multinational student body and offers more than 140 academic programs at undergraduate and graduate levels. As Maryland’s Preeminent Public Urban Research University, Morgan fulfills its mission to address the needs and challenges of the modern urban environment through intense community level study and pioneering solutions.

• SIZE OF STUDENT BODY: 6,270 undergraduates, 1,364 graduates
• STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO: 15:1
• ANNUAL TUITION: $8,008 for in-state and $18,480 for out-of-state
• ACCEPTANCE RATE: 73%
• POPULAR AREAS OF STUDY: Civil Engineering, Communications Engineering, Business Administration and Management, Social Work, Biology/Biological Sciences, Architecture, Finance, Psychology, Sociology

NOTRE DAME OF MARYLAND UNIVERSITY
A private, Catholic liberal arts university in northern Baltimore, Notre Dame of Maryland University offers programs from undergraduate through PhD, as well as Maryland’s only women’s college. It recently launched the first master’s of art degree in Art Therapy program in the state.
The beautiful, wooded campus is just steps from the bustling downtown Baltimore culture. With values rooted in Catholicism, the school focuses on service to others and social responsibility.

• SIZE OF STUDENT BODY: 783
• STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO: 7:1
• ANNUAL TUITION: $39,675
• ACCEPTANCE RATE: 88%
• POPULAR AREAS OF STUDY: Nursing, Education, Biology, Art Therapy, Pharmacy

TOWSON UNIVERSITY
One of the largest public universities in the state, Towson University offers more than 60 undergraduate majors and continues to draw students from other states, though it remains part of the University System of Maryland.

Its campus continues to expand, with a huge new dining hall, a 23,000-foot recreation and fitness facility with an indoor swimming pool, and its 5,200-seat arena for sporting events and concerts. In 2021, it opened its new Science Complex, the largest academic building on campus at 320,000 square feet.

In September, Towson opened its StarTUp at the Armory, a space for startups and new businesses to engage with the broader community and larger businesses. It serves as a home to Towson’s entrepreneurship programs, as well as student competitions and events.

While Towson remains the largest supplier of medical professionals and educators in the state, the university has also built a strong reputation for its College of Fine Arts and Communication, as well as its Asian Arts & Culture Center, both of which bring students into the wider community and the Baltimore community to Towson for enriching performing arts, music, and visual art programs.

• SIZE OF STUDENT BODY: 17,907 undergraduates, 2,949 graduates
• STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO: 16:1
• ANNUAL TUITION: $7,100 in-state, $22,152 out-of-state
• POPULAR AREAS OF STUDY: Business Administration, Education, Nursing, Exercise Science, Psychology, Sociology and Anthropology, Biology, Computer Science, Information Technology

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, BALTIMORE
University of Maryland, Baltimore is Maryland’s only public health, law, and human services university. Located in downtown Baltimore, it offers 86 degree and certificate programs through its six nationally ranked professional schools—dentistry, law, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and social work—and an interdisciplinary graduate school.

The school’s 14-acre BioPark is Baltimore’s biggest biotechnology cluster, employing 1,000 people, and remains on the cutting edge of new drugs, treatments, and medical devices.

• SIZE OF STUDENT BODY: 7,244
• ANNUAL TUITION: Varies by school
• POPULAR AREAS OF STUDY: Medicine, Law, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing, Social Work

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, BALTIMORE COUNTY
University of Maryland, Baltimore County educates a campus of more than 10,000 students in programs spanning the arts, engineering, information technology, humanities, sciences, preprofessional studies, and social sciences. Located on the edge of Baltimore County, it allows easy access into the city and all the conveniences of suburban life and housing. It also offers plenty of opportunities for study abroad.

In the fall of 2021, UMBC opened the Center for Well-Being, a new two-story complex that houses Retriever Integrated Health, Student Conduct and Community Standards, and i3b’s Gathering Space for Spiritual Well-Being. UMBC’s already significant NASA partnerships have continued to grow. In October, NASA announced a major award of $72 million over three years for the new Goddard Earth Sciences Technology and Research II center. UMBC is leading the national consortium and will receive over $38 million. The GESTAR II consortium will support over 120 researchers, creating extensive opportunities for breakthroughs in Earth and atmospheric science research, and providing major opportunities for students to conduct research and be mentored by NASA scientists and engineers.

• SIZE OF STUDENT BODY: 13,638
• STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO: 17:1
• ANNUAL TUITION: $12,280 in-state, $28,470 out-of-state
• ACCEPTANCE RATE: 81%
• POPULAR AREAS OF STUDY: Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Social Sciences, Psychology, Visual and Performing Arts

 

Cited tuition costs exclude room and board and books.

It’s nearly midnight, but the party is still going strong. On the front stoop of McDaniel College’s Baker Memorial Chapel, people are gathered in a circle—some seated, some standing—to play old-time traditional music in the sticky July heat, singing and wailing and taking turns leading the improv.

“Key of E, 12-bar, no quick change,” a guy calls out as he starts in on a song. Then a few others, on percussion, bring in a beat. After a few bars, others join in, bit by bit: a guitar, a fiddle, a mountain dulcimer, an upright bass.

Most in the crowd are in their 50s or older, predominately white, middle-class folks, dressed casually in button-downs, T-shirts, and shorts. Occasionally people standing around join in to sing the chorus. Older folks pull up lawn chairs.

These musicians have made the historic Baker Memorial Chapel, with its tall, stately pillars and large cement entranceway, their front porch for some late-night pickin’.

An hour later, the circle is two rows deep. Then it’s leaning toward three rows, as others crowd around to be near the ecstatic, communal energy at its center.

These aren’t McDaniel College students but rather all-ages, lifelong learners from across the globe who have gathered here each summer for the past 25 years for the little-known Traditions Weeks. A three-week summer camp of sorts, the event offers classes in all manner of traditional arts and crafts, from beadwork to basket weaving to wooden spoon carving, as well as a hefty load of music courses—African drumming, Scottish fiddle, tin flute, and countless others.

Traditions Weeks culminates in the Common Ground on the Hill Festival (this year on July 13), a full day of outdoor concerts at the Carroll County Farm Museum that has brought the likes of Pete Seeger and Doc Watson to its stages. Last year, Pete Clark, one of the top fiddlers of Scotland, performed. Acclaimed Baltimore folk singer-songwriter Caleb Stine regularly performs and leads workshops. Another Baltimore treasure, MacArthur Fellowship-winning artist Joyce J. Scott, has also taught classes.

Part of what’s so magical about these loose, late-night jams at the end of each day of camp, before the crowd disperses and people head to the campus dorm rooms for the night, is the general “all are welcome” attitude of everyone involved. Even newcomers say it feels like a family reunion. Young musicians who are taking classes during the day are not only exposed to world-renowned teachers and learning new techniques, they’re also joining in each night, getting a taste of what it’s like to play alongside these legends.

And those who think they are simply watching aren’t really spectators. Everyone’s within earshot. Everyone’s welcome to sing, clap, stomp. There really is no division between audience and performer; even the couples dancing in the grass nearby are playing their parts.

The annual tradition is a bit like the Scottish legend of Brigadoon, a mythical, enchanted village that’s remained unchanged by time for centuries but only becomes visible to outsiders once every 100 years.

“It’s great to come back every year and see familiar faces and just be creative,” Hummel says.

Laurel Hummel, who lives with her family in New Windsor, has been attending the fest almost every summer since its second year. “I heard about it through some friends, and it was a great way to get my kids doing fun stuff when they were little,” she says. “We’d put them in World Village, which is an all-day program for kids.”

Like many others, Hummel often volunteers at the fest to offset the cost of classes, which can otherwise add up (a full-time tuition for one week is roughly $500, with other options for participating in just one, two, or three classes). Over the years, she has gotten to meet a lot of interesting people because of those volunteer hours (one memorable moment was preparing a veggie dish for Arlo Guthrie), and she’s also been able to try her hand at numerous classes—gospel singing, natural dyeing, cast-iron cooking, Native American flute, dance, and, her favorite, wooden spoon carving.

“It’s great to come back every year and see familiar faces and just be creative,” Hummel says. “There’s really nothing else around like it.”

For that, Hummel can thank Walt Michael, the man who founded the festival and continues as its director. Michael, a baby boomer who grew up in Bethesda on Appalachian music, graduated from McDaniel (then called Western Maryland College) in 1968, joined the seminary for a short time, and then joined a band, discovering his true calling. He traveled around the world for more than two decades as a multi-instrumentalist playing in folk bands, and was best known for his skills on the hammered dulcimer. When he returned from touring in 1993, he pitched the idea of starting a festival to Robert Chambers, the president of McDaniel at the time.

“He really understood the vision,” Michael says, telling his story while riding a golf cart across the hilly Westminster campus during Traditions Weeks.

In 1995, Michael held the first Traditions Weeks. A few years in, he grew it to include the Common Ground on the Hill music festival (so named because the McDaniel campus sits atop a hill). But it was always about more than music.

While it’s not written overtly in the festival’s mission statement, if you read between the lines—and certainly if you attend—you’ll notice that what Michael has built is a meeting ground for various cultures to be celebrated and elevated and shared, because he knows intuitively that by learning about different cultures, we gain compassion and understanding of one another, people of all backgrounds. Michael saw the festival as a means for integrating two aspects of himself: the artist and the activist.

“I wanted to create a festival that involved issues of social justice and change, but through the arts,” he says. “I have great faith in traditional arts. I think they speak truth because they’ve withstood the fire of time.”

When the sun is high in the sky again, people lounge in the grass outside the library, read books, nap, work on crafts, and do yoga, while others scurry from one building to the next, carrying musical instruments.

“It’s like a musical Kripalu,” one guest says, referring to the famed yoga retreat in Massachusetts.

Inside Hill Hall, nearly every classroom across three floors is filled—a storytelling lecture, a fiddle class, American singing, Jamaican singing, jazz, blues guitar, beginners guitar, a Celtic jam, an old-time jam, music theory. Rather than focus on one style of music, like a lot of festivals do, Common Ground highlights traditions from cultures as varied as Swedish, Native American, and African.

Across campus, the “wet art” building is buzzing with students working on projects inside.

Robin Tillery leads a small Native American Flute Making class—indeed only two women are there, working on their pieces near a large window, surrounded by assorted piles of seashells, carved pendants, and beads. Tillery also teaches classes on playing the flute that you’ve just crafted with your own hands.

Another popular class is braiding, which has already sold out this year. Its instructor, Carly Miller, brings in models so students can try different styles on them while learning about the history of braiding through various cultures and time periods—from Egyptians to pop culture to African tribes.

“I was an athlete growing up and always braided people’s hair before games. Eventually, I kind of got bored with the normal braids and started experimenting,” Miller says. “What’s fascinating about braids is that they appear in every culture. They transcend time, race, culture, and wealth.”

Like many instructors here, Miller teaches in Carroll County Public Schools. In a partnership with the festival, county teachers are offered continuing education credits by taking courses here, and many also choose to teach.

“They have so many classes—art, dance, music. You can really do anything there and step out of your comfort zone,” Miller says.

It’s true. Nearly every building on campus opens up to another world of classes.

In a large, bright room, Erica Rai Chesnik readies the space for her next yoga class. In the music building, an instructor teaches a prep class to a handful of students interested in learning rock ’n’ roll, all of them wailing on electric guitars at once. “There’s Celtic harp players directly beneath us,” instructor Harry Orlove says with a laugh. In a small auditorium, a dance class practices onstage.

Elsewhere, students gather for the Search for Common Ground class. Two chatty, middle-aged women, waiting for it to begin, practice singing a song they just learned. Michael stands in front of everyone and greets them, saying, “This is our flagship class that we hope creates ripples. We want you to leave this place nurtured and rested but also with tools we can use on the street.” He tells the class, which has filled to capacity, about a recent conversation with his neighbor, who had blurted out that his whole family hates him because he identifies as a conservative. “It was refreshing to hear him be so open, because that’s the kind of conversation that might be our salvation,” Michael says. “But the question is, how do we get to that?”

What starts as a lecture turns into a group dialogue about our country’s current affairs. “I think we need a new narrative about what it means to be an American,” one woman says.

It’s exactly the kind of dialogue Michael wants to foster. “Everyone holds a piece of the truth,” he explains. “If we’re going to survive, we need to talk to each other.”

“I have great faith in traditional arts. I think they speak truth because they’ve withstood the fire of time.”

This year, musicians performing at the fest will come from Mexico, Argentina, Sweden, and across the U.S., including Native Americans from Florida. Among the artists will be Tommy Sands, a singer-songwriter and activist from Northern Ireland whose songs have been recorded by Joan Baez, Kathy Matthea, and Frank Patterson. Paul Dolan, who staged benefit concerts with the likes of John Lennon and Stevie Wonder and went on to become the executive director of ABC News International, will give this year’s keynote.

“Being able to meet these great musicians really shaped my idea of what the music world is,” says Lydia Martin Foy, who started going to the festival in 1996 with her family and now teaches banjo here (her sister, Emily Martin, also teaches). “To see the real African drummers 20 years ago had a huge effect on me. You can never forget that sound. Or to see a real Latin band. Or blues guitar in a room. It’s not enough to consume these things through CDs; you have to experience them in person. And [at Common Ground], it’s not always a concert setting with a big sound system between you and the performers with you sitting in a chair in the audience. They’re right there in the classroom or outside at jams.”

The festival has also expanded in recent years to include year-round Common Ground on the Hill concert series at two locations, the Church of the Redeemer in Baltimore and Carroll Arts Center in Westminster, carrying on traditional music in a more accessible form for those who can’t commit to a full week of classes. These, too, are rooted in Michael’s original vision—that this is about more than the art.

“The name is not just a reference to the literal hill that McDaniel sits on,” Michael says one afternoon, as he takes in the music that’s pouring out of multiple nearby classrooms. “You have to go to that higher place in each other to find that common ground.”

Sometimes, the kitchen tells you when it’s time to remodel. For the Sturgill family, who moved into their Westminster home 15 years ago and raised three kids (who have since flown the nest) there, the kitchen all but screamed  it.

“The floors were worn, the cabinets started breaking,” says Tracie Sturgill. “I said to my husband, ‘When the third thing breaks, we’re redoing the kitchen.’ And then the fourth thing broke,” she recalls with a laugh.

Perched on a stool along the 10-foot-long island that grounds the newly remodeled space, Sturgill says the biggest change—besides aesthetics—has been functionality.

“I just wanted to be able to flow and use the space that we had,” Sturgill says. “We were not using the prior space well.” Before the remodel, a desk area between the front door and the kitchen had become a “dumping ground,” while the too-small dining room adjacent to the kitchen sat unused. Tearing down walls opened up the space for entertaining, and repurposing a 13-by-13-foot section of the attached three-car garage allowed for the addition of a walk-in pantry and a spacious laundry room.

 Since the family was looking for more than a cosmetic update, they turned to professionals to help them maximize the space during each stage of the remodel—from laying out the new floorplan to custom cabinetry and woodworking. With the help of Melissa Clark at Bluehouse Architecture, Tracie and husband Lee—well-known in the area as the owner of 54-year-old accounting firm Sturgill & Associates—transformed three distinct rooms into an open space that flows naturally into the rest of their home. 

Sliding barn doors—custom made with reclaimed materials—give the family the ability to close off the bedrooms and basement from the living area, helping to define the space while hosting guests. “I love the barn doors,” says Sturgill, who picked out the planks of wood used to build them at The Barnyard Boys, a salvage yard in Pennsylvania. “I think they are a piece of art.” 

The kitchen cabinetry—painted matte black with a rub-through for a rustic touch—is the handiwork of Laverne Herr of Elite Wood Classics. “I always knew I was going to use Laverne,” says Sturgill. “I never even considered another option.”

After completing the architectural plans, Sturgill spent the first three months of 2016 meeting with Herr to review the custom details—from paint colors and the rub-through technique to trim work and cabinet layout. “It’s quite the process. He really wants to see you and get to know you,” she recalls. 

Sturgill says the process gave her valuable insight when selecting features—especially when it came to distinguishing gimmicks from good design. “He was good at listening to my ideas, but he did say ‘no’ to a couple of things,” she says. Instead of a mixer lift (an increasingly popular feature that that raises the appliance from within a bottom cabinet to counter height), Herr suggested a countertop utility cabinet, which provides space to store several of the most-used kitchen appliances out of sight without any fancy hardware that tends to wear out. 

Another great tip? Only using the trendy cupped drawer pulls on the top row of drawers, and a more traditional, open handle design on the bottom. “If we had used them on all the drawers, you’d have to go down to reach from below, making it more awkward to pull them open. That was an awesome tip,” Sturgill says. 

Katie Heyman, a designer with Owings Brothers Contracting, brought the many elements of the remodel together into a cohesive design. Painting the surrounding walls in soft gray and beige tones helped balance the darkness of the cabinets. A white ceramic backsplash, a refreshed version of the now-ubiquitous subway tiles with a hand-crafted look and less noticeable grouting, helps to reflect the light—a critical component in a design where one window was removed and another shortened to increase cabinet space. 

With the help of Bill Russell, the on-site project manager for Owings Brothers Contracting, construction was completed in three months over the late summer and early fall of 2016—just in time for the Sturgill family to host Thanksgiving.

“Every holiday this whole [island] just gets loaded up,” says Sturgill, gliding her hand across the countertop. “Before, I was like, ‘We’ll meet you for dinner out.’ But now I actually say, ‘You want to meet at my house?’ It brings pride back to our home, and we feel good about having people come over again.”

Maryland is known for a lot of things. There’s the proverbial “crab cakes and football.” (Thanks, Wedding Crashers!) Or maybe black-eyed Susans and Chesapeake Bay sunsets come to mind. But wine has never been our state’s claim to fame. And, to some, this has always been a little puzzling. 

With its America-in-miniature status and proliferation of microclimates, Maryland’s geography and topography have always seemed suitable for grape-growing. After all, similar East Coast locations have been able to make a go of it. Just to the north, New York’s Finger Lakes region gets a ton of vino visitors, and our neighbor to the south may soon change its slogan to “Virginia is for wine lovers.” 

Somehow though, despite a history of viticulture that dates back to the earliest European settlers, Maryland’s wine industry has, ahem, withered on the vine.

But with an infusion of new vineyards—and technology spurring innovation at older ones—the time finally seems ripe for the state’s wine industry. Could it be true? Is the state’s wine industry finally coming of age.

“There are some wonderful changes happening,” says Kevin Atticks, executive director of the Maryland Wineries Association. “There are the new ones that have come on the scene that have just stormed the gates and they’re great right from the start. And then you’ve got our older wineries, who are completely retooling because of the new guys.”

A recent Daily Meal story ranking 101 of the best wineries in the country put Old Westminster Winery at No. 87, and a Wine Enthusiast article from this past April said “the Maryland wine industry is ready for prime time.” This is evident in not only the improved quality of the wines (Maryland wines are winning golds and double golds in worldwide competitions), but also the quantity of vineyards (now up to 88 and counting from just 14 in 2003).  

“Central Maryland sits along the Catoctin Mountains and a parallel ridge to the east, where the moderate climate and longer growing seasons favor Bordeaux-style red blends,” wrote Wine Enthusiast’s Dave McIntyre. “The other cluster [of growers] is located along the Chesapeake Bay, where the land is flatter and sandier. . . . Here, high-acid red varieties like Barbera do well.”

As Atticks noted, credit for the sudden fruitfulness goes to a new generation of ambitious winemakers who are rethinking what a winery can be. The old way of thinking was that a vineyard was something you inherited, a place you grew up. Maybe, if you were the enterprising sort, you added a tasting room, booked a few cover bands, and threw a wine festival one weekend during harvest season. Now, new spots throughout the region are setting themselves apart by establishing grower co-ops and recruiting winemakers from California and South Africa, a concept that used to be unfathomable.

“The learning curve is gone now,” Atticks says. “You can hire a winemaker that knows exactly what to do and your first vintage can be phenomenal.”

And like a rising tide, these newbies are lifting up some of the older boats. New generations are taking over at established operations and then traveling around the world to do extensive research or literally digging up their old vines and replanting. The focus has become less on events and more on recruiting club members to enjoy high-quality products.

In addition, wineries and vineyards are embracing new technologies and their agricultural applications in pursuit of the perfect pour. For instance, drones can help winemakers map things like airflow and temperature gradation to find that ideal plot of land.

“We’ve gone beyond scratching the surface, and now we’re getting much more into the details,” Atticks says. “New technology can really help map soil specifically and, 10 years ago, not many people were thinking about that.”

All the effort is paying off.

“We’re starting to see a new level of respect from the trade—from restaurants and retailers who up until now weren’t as interested in having local wine,” Atticks says. “And we have certain producers up to the task. They’re not just trying to make the best wine in Maryland. They’re trying to make the best wine in the world.”

But don’t just take his word for it—get out there and swirl and sip for yourself. While it’s impossible to visit all of the wineries in the state in one afternoon (though we gave it our best college try), we’ve narrowed it down to some standouts, both brand new and tried and true, that are helping to put Maryland wine on the map.

Just 40 miles northwest of Baltimore is Old Westminster Winery (1550 Old Westminster Rd., Westminster, 410-881-4656), which has been making major waves in national publications, as well as with local wine connoisseurs. In 2009, the Baker family decided the best way to preserve their farmland off of Route 27 was to start a vineyard. Two years later they planted 7,600 grape vines, including cabernet franc, syrah, chardonnay, and albariño. Now the winery is producing 30,000 bottles of wine a year—with half of those grapes grown at home and the other half from other vineyards around the state. Careful soil studying and sampling has led to some of the best wines in the state. 

Old Westminster’s mission is to revive old European styles of wine and its Petillant Naturel series, including a crisp syrah rosé blend, is a standout. Though much of OWW’s attention is paid to its 1,500-member wine club, there are also events every weekend at its on-site tasting room with live music and food from local favorites such as Ekiben and Well Crafted Pizza. 

Just down the road is Black Ankle Vineyards (14463 Black Ankle Rd., Mount Airy, 301-829-3338), which has taken advantage of its history and geography—sitting at the foot of the Appalachian Mountains with rocky soil and regular breezes—while innovating every step of the way. Every grape is grown on the farm, where composting and solar energy are priorities. Since 2010, the winery has been holding blind tastings against other syrah varietals from around the world, and the practice has kept it on its game. For proof, sip its Bordeaux-style blend, Crumbling Rock, which is soft and rich with dark fruits.

Nearby is one of the granddaddies of the Maryland wine scene, Linganore Winecellars (13601 Glissans Mill Rd., Mount Airy, 301-831-5889), whose grapes were first planted more than 40 years ago. But Linganore is not simply stuck in the past. Second-generation winemaker Anthony Aellen is always innovating and, most recently, his daughter Melissa traveled the world to study winemaking and got her degree in viticulture and enology from Cornell University. Experience the Aellen family expertise with sips of the double gold-winning Reserve Chambourcin, a medium-bodied red with notes of black cherry, spice, and dark chocolate. 

If you’ve drunk a little too much in the area, make a night of it and spend time in historic Mount Airy. Just outside of the center of town, housed in an 1890s brick schoolhouse, is Brick Ridge Restaurant (6212 Ridge Rd., Mount Airy, 301-829-8191) serving Southern-inspired entrees like shrimp and grits with bacon and smoked tomato compote. Catch a few Z’s at the Victorian Bed and Breakfast (103 N. Main St., Mount Airy, 410-259-1272), a turn-of-the-last-century home with Airbnb services, a wraparound porch, and beautiful landscaping. 

A little farther west, past Frederick, is Big Cork Vineyards (4236 Main St., Rohrersville, 301-302-8032), a standout in Maryland wine, which opened its tasting room in early 2015 and boasts quite the view of the winery’s 100 acres of vineyards and farmland. 

Big Cork has become well-respected in the industry thanks in large part to winemaker Dave Collins, who perfected his skills in Virginia. Collins has found that the cabernet franc grape is a great match for the cool, well-drained soil of Washington County. 

A bit closer to Baltimore is the popular Boordy Vineyards (12820 Long Green Pike, Hydes, 410-592-5015), which has been making wine on-site for nearly 40 years. But Boordy’s Deford family isn’t a slave to tradition. Over the past decade, they have overhauled their crop, ripping up nearly every root and branch and then replanting.

The move followed consultation with wine experts who advised the family to update their root stock, plant their vines closer together, and provide better temperature and quality controls during fermentation. The results of the nearly $3 million rebuilding project—which also included a new winemaking house with new fermentation tanks—have been revolutionary for Boordy, earning the label a new level of respect from restaurants and retailers. In fact, Boordy’s 2015 Landmark Series Albariño won Best in Show at the 2016 Maryland Governor’s Cup, and its Cabernet Franc Reserve 2014 won double gold at the 2017 San Francisco Wine Competition.

Visit Boordy on Saturdays in the fall for wine tours and live music, and tack on a dinner date at the nearby McFaul’s IronHorse Tavern (2260 Cromwell Bridge Rd., Parkville, 410-828-1625) or an ice cream nightcap at Prigel Family Creamery (4852 Long Green Rd., Glen Arm, 410-510-7488).

Central Maryland isn’t the only place to find great wine. The northeast region is making a name for itself, too. One example is Chateau Bu-De Winery & Vineyard (237 Bohemia Manor Farm Ln., Chesapeake City, 410-885-2500) in Cecil County. Owner Brenda Dedrick transplanted 14,000 grapevines here from Trappe, added 19,000 more, and just opened a massive tasting room. With help from South African-born winemaker Jacques van der Vyver, Bu-De is becoming known for its dry wines like the estate sauvignon blanc with notes of lychee and tropical fruits.

Just down the street, a newcomer on the scene is Broken Spoke Vineyard & Winery (942 Glebe Rd., Earleville, 302-547-6022), which opened this summer and has already earned a double gold in the Maryland Comptroller’s Cup for its vidal blanc.

If you get hungry (or sleepy), seek shelter and sustenance a half an hour south at Crow Farm (12441 Vansants Corner Rd., Kennedyville, 302-304-0551), a third-generation working farm that now provides wine, grass-fed beef, and a farm-stay bed and breakfast. Having recently brought in winemaker Michael Zollo from California, Crow is getting creative with New World varieties, including a sparkling vidal blanc and its 2016 barbera rosé, which won Best in Class at Maryland Governor’s Cup. But perhaps the best part about a night at Crow is that, along with breakfast in the morning, guests can feed farm animals during their stay.

And while location is key for wine, there are a couple of outliers using innovation and technology to make wine off of the typical trails. Port of Leonardtown Winery (23190 Newtowne Neck Rd., Leonardtown, 301-690-2192) is a grower co-op (purported to be only the second of its kind in the U.S.), which includes 12 vineyards exclusively from Southern Maryland. This is an extreme challenge for winemaker Lauren Zimmerman, who studied in Canada, as she has to work around weather hurdles. But she must be perfecting the science because five of POL’s wines—a port style and four reds—took home awards at this year’s International East Meets West Competition in Santa Rosa, California.

While you’re in Leonardtown, explore the area by visiting Leonardtown Wharf Park (22510 Washington St., Leonardtown 301-475-9791) for kayak rentals. Then fill up at places such as Asian-fusion restaurant Jessie’s Kitchen (22845C Washington St., Leonardtown, 301-997-0888) for ramen and dumplings or The Front Porch (22770 Washington St., Leonardtown, 301-997-1009) for Southern classics like chicken and waffles. Stay the night at the picturesque Olde Breton Inn (21890 Society Hill Rd., Leonardtown, 301-475-2699) with stunning views of St. Clements Bay and the Potomac River.

Right across the bay from Port of Leonardtown is another vintner thinking outside the box—Bordeleau Vineyards & Winery (3155 Noble Farm Rd., Eden, 410-677-3334). Just off of Route 13, its location makes it a good pit stop on the way to the beach, or you can make a weekend of it and drop your bags at The Washington Inn & Tavern (11747 Somerset Ave., Princess Anne, 443-399-3353) in the quaint nearby town of Princess Anne. Stop in at the roadside Beach to Bay Seafood Eatery (12138 Carol Ln., Princess Anne, 410-651-5400) to dine on fried oyster sandwiches, or get a sandwich and fries to-go for a picnic lunch before you head to the winery.

Bordeleau’s Tom Shelton, who has been making wine since 2006, blends reds across different vintages, or years. Some labels have lot numbers, which refer to the total number of wine batches bottled of that variety. That creativity led Bordeleau to become the first Eastern Shore winery to win Maryland Governor’s Cup Best in Show honors back in 2014 with its cabernet sauvignon amarone. One of the few wineries in the U.S. that can be visited by boat, Bordeleau continues to defy all logic and produce award-winning wines from grapes that are grown just eight feet above sea level.

It’s this rule-bending approach that will distinguish Maryland wine in the next several years, Atticks says. While many regions have a “state grape,” this is something that Maryland simply doesn’t plan on doing.

“Let’s not box ourselves in,” he says. “Southern Maryland can grow great things, but it’s not cab sav or chardonnay. I just had a sparkling vignole from Linganore, which would never be a state wine, but it was dreamy. I want to see what we can grow without any limitations.”