#Cinderblocks4:The Walking Gallery Gathers is a patient led medical conference held in the beautiful mountains of rural Western Maryland. This is a destination event and the spirit of the conference is Burning Man meets healthcare.
Now some of you may not know why I use the hashtag #Cinderblocks4, so I thought a refresher might be in order...
That year our fifth grade class had a field trip.
We left the school as a class and walked to the lumberyard. Some of us grabbed the 2x4's and some of us grabbed cinderblocks. We walked all the way back to school and up three flights of stairs. Then we assembled those shelves and placed the books upon them. We stood back and looked proudly at our work. I cannot believe there was a class anywhere else in the entire nation who cherished their bookshelves as much as we did ours. We loved those shelves because we overcame adversity and made that which we needed. It wasn't pretty, it wasn’t perfect, but it was ours."
So the really cool thing about this event, is that it isn't in the grand ballroom of a some four-star hotel. We meet at a resturant that was an inn on our nation's first highway. We meet by a bridge that was built over 200 years ago, and like that bridge we are connecting people that are separated by economic class, geographic distance, and cultural divide.
We are patient and provider as partners.
You can become a sponsor for the event through our crowdfund here:
You can register to attend here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cinderblocks4the-walking-gallery-gathers-tickets-30699789898
How will you get to Grantsville, MD?
By Car:
The location is about 1 ½ hours by car from Pittsburg or 2 ½ hours from DC/Baltimore.
By Train:
The Amtrak train from DC has a daily stop in nearby Cumberland, which is about 20 minutes away.
Where do we stay?
Meshach Browning's Cabins on the River. These cabins are right next to Penn Alps and come in variety of styles and sizes that allow for 2-6 guests.
The Casselman Inn This hotel is in the heart of town and in walking distance to most of our activities. It is a historic drover's hotel and has more space in a motel addition.
The Comfort Inn This hotel is right off 68 and is about three minutes away from town center by car.
Please let Regina Holliday know if you would rather be placed with a local host family. We also have a few rooms available in Salt & Pepper Studios.
Who will be there?
We expect to see a very diverse crowd at this event. There will be people who work in the government, healthcare, crowdfunding and technology. We expect to see patients, patient advocates, activists and caregivers. Artists, performers and dancers will be attending as well as local individuals very interested in the intersection of art, policy and health.
What is the agenda?
Pre-conference: Wednesday, May 17, 2017
PechaKucha Accident Visits Grantsville! 7-9pm, The Cornucopia Café
Pechakucha is a fun & concise presentation style. PechaKucha nights have 8-12 speakers who follow a 20 slides 20 seconds pattern.
Conference Day 1: Thursday, May 18, 2017
We will meet at 8:00 am at Penn Alps Restaurant for breakfast and our general sessions. Then we will do breakout sessions until lunch. The afternoon will also be filled with breakout sessions. The formal sessions will end at 5:00pm. 6:00pm to 8:00pm Salt and Pepper Studios: Home of the Walking Gallery
On Thursday, May 18th at 6:00pm Conference attendees are invited to come to 189 Main Street in Grantsville and see the art center that Regina Holliday has created. Refreshments will be provided and the event is free and open to the public.
Conference Day 2: Friday, May 19, 2017
Another conference day begins! At 8:00 am meet at Penn Alps Restaurant and Meeting Center for breakfast and our general session. Then we will do breakout sessions until lunch. At Lunch time we will have a field trip to High Country Creamery and watch cheese being made.. The afternoon will also be filled with breakout sessions at Penn Alps.
The Big Tent in field in the Little Crossings Field by the Cornucopia Cafe
3:00-4:00 Facilitated Art Project by the Lilly Clinical Innovation team
4:00-5:00 Additional educational presentations.
3:00-4:00 Facilitated Art Project by the Lilly Clinical Innovation team
4:00-5:00 Additional educational presentations.
The Walking Gallery Gathers 6:00-10:00pm
At 6:00 pm we will gather at the Casselman River Bridge for a group shot of The Walking Gallery and the conference attendees. We will then walk across the historic bridge to the Little Crossings field by Spruce Artisan Village.
There we will have our evening event under the big tent; this portion of the conference event is open to the public and does not require tickets. Local musicians will play as well as performers from around the country.
Conference Day 3: Saturday, May 20, 8:00-12:00
June 6th at 8:00 am meet at Penn Alps Restaurant and Meeting Center for breakfast and our general session. This day we will break into small groups to work on mentoring and individual coaching sessions. General Conference close at noon. Little Crossings will also host juried artists and local food venders for an Artisan and Epicurean Faire on this day. Shuttle service will be available from town to the Penn Alps Campus.