By Samuel Wenck
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
Six years ago, Ilene Harris was in the process of moving to Maryland with her family and was exploring the rural Hereford area 25 miles north of Baltimore. While looking around, she came across an old gristmill.
Harris didn’t know what to expect when she entered the more than 250-year-old structure. But what she found inside intrigued her: An art gallery featuring the works of Maryland residents, a live-music venue, gift store, and a workshop where people can develop their own artistic talents.
Now years later, she has made herself a regular at the mill and has been experimenting with her craft there.
“I’ve taken 15 different classes in the past year,” Harris said. “This place has given me so much joy.”
Recounting her classes from sourdough making, weaving for birding, jewelry and other crafts, she said, “I’m not an artist, I’m a maker.”
“It’s a magical place,” Harris added. “It just touched my soul.”
Bought in 2019 by Angelo Otterbein, the Manor Mill in Monkton Maryland, is a restored pre-revolutionary grist mill that is now home to a creative community featuring a plethora of interests.
The mill has a fine arts gallery, a venue for musical performances, ceramics, yoga classes and workshops where customers can learn everything from basket weaving to painting to woodworking.
“I didn’t know what I wanted the place to be,” said Otterbein, who didn’t need long to fall in love with the location and building in rural Baltimore County. “I spent all my days at a computer, and I saw the place and got it.”
At the time, the Manor Mill was still an abandoned property. “When I got it, the walls were covered with mold, windows all rotted, very dirty,” Otterbein said.
Otterbein received help from multiple people in the community during the restoration, which took place from 2019 to 2021. Otterbein is still working on new projects for the place.
“The location speaks to the mood here.” said Dinah Datsko, the program director and retail manager at the mill, who was also looking at the property around the same time as Otterbein.
After the initial launch of the mill in 2021, Otterbein and his team still didn’t know what they really wanted the place to be. “I just wanted this place to have all the things I’m interested in,” Otterbein said.
“We knew we wanted to focus on supporting local artists, then it evolved from there.” Datsko said.
Angelo and his team expanded on this idea by creating the mill with a concept of diversity.
“The whole concept of the mill is that there’s enough variety to get people here,” said Otterbein. “We’ll have one night where it’s country music and Trump supporters are there. Then another night we have a drag show with the LGBTQ community.”
The mill’s rapid growth in popularity within the creative scene has resulted in the attraction of lots of artistic talent.
“I feel like there’s an invigorating aspect here for artists,” Datsko said. “They feel reborn in their craft.”
The Manor Mill has hosted a multitude of highly talented artists, some of whom have taught classes at the mill and exhibited their work. It has allowed the mill to build a reputation that pulls in talent and quality art.
“People once they come, bring more people,” Datsko said. “The impact has been palpable. Anyone who comes through the door is excited.”
Having a location in a rural area made it difficult to attract talent. But over time the mill has garnered its own reputation as a premier fine arts gallery by attracting artists from all over the area.
“It has been my goal since coming on board to only host the best artists in the region,” said Brad Blair, the gallery curator and director. “Once I set that bar high from day one, there was no going back. Over time, people then know and expect every exhibit to be of very high quality.”
“This then makes artists interested in such an exhibition venue,” Blair added.
One artist who fell for the mills charm is Gigi Chen, a New York City-based painter, who hosted a workshop there last September.
“Brad contacted me about a year ago. I feel like he was really sincere,” said Chen, referring to Blair. “As artists, we get invited to shows a lot. In order for me to accept a gallery I need to know they care about the artists.”
Chen was unsure and is skeptical of a lot of galleries that reach out to her. Being an artist for so long, she’s seen the side of the gallery world that uses artists for unethical means.
“I don’t say yes to most things now,” she said. “I don’t want to give to someone who isn’t sincere.”
But the Manor Mill is a place that is capable of shattering expectations. Hers were no exception to this.
“It was honestly one of the best experiences I’ve had as an artist,” Chen said. “I’ve never worked with such a big talented group of people. There’s a lot to love there.”
Describing how impressed she was with the mill and the entire scene, Chen added: “It’s a really special gallery with a beautiful history. This place is taking chances, taking chances on the art.”
“If you look around the level of art on display here is incredible,” said Eileen O’Donnell, a clay artist who recently hosted her own exhibit in the cellar of the mill. “It’s an honor to show my art at this place.”
It goes without saying that the level of art is there, but what brings even more people to the mill is the diverse nature of it.
“Yeah, there are times when it can be jarring, but I can always come back the next day,” said Harris, referring to the eclectic scene there.
“Not one thing is driving the revenue, it’s a little from a lot of things,” Otterbein said.
“Our apparent success comes from our ability to truly offer something creative for everyone,” Blair said.
“The vast array of classes, events, and fine art is the exact reason why we can relate to such variety of audiences,” he added. “If our focus was more narrow, then our audience would be as well.”
Running the Manor Mill comes with passion and care from the people at its core.
“I plan on making this place the rest of my life’s work,” Otterbein said. He said he plans to continue working on the mill by expanding a section behind the building with its concert venue called “The Loft” and even rebuilding the gristmill’s water wheel.
“The day I’m not excited about what’s going on at the mill is the day I’m gone,” Otterbein said.