The staff and councilors of the Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) are charged with responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars through a commitment to equitable funding practices. During October and November, MSAC staff collects and reports data to strengthen the message of arts impact beyond the positive influence of the arts on the lives of Marylanders. MSAC's
Annual Report
, released today, details how more than $19 million was disbursed through our programs, resulting in:
- Operating support for 289 organizations
- 5 Maryland Traditions projects and 10 artist-in-training awards
- 22 Public Art projects
- 105 Individual Artist Awards
- 73 Creativity Grant projects in 21 counties
- 25 presentations of Maryland artists in 12 counties
- 401 Arts in Education performances & workshops serving over 85,000 students in 389 schools
In addition, Maryland's Arts and Entertainment Districts were supported with small general operating grants for the first time, and Maryland's 24 County Arts Councils received a total of $3.3M to encourage their work as a powerful network of community arts support.
The Maryland State Arts Council is grateful for the strong support from
Governor Larry Hogan, First Lady Yumi Hogan
and the General Assembly. The staff and councilors continue to refine current programs and develop new initiatives to expand our reach and impact.
Ken Skrzesz, Executive Director, Maryland State Arts Council
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The MSAC Online Resource Bulletin, maintained by Maryland Art Place, includes regional, national, and international exhibition opportunities, grants, fellowships, residencies, and information on available studio spaces in the area. The Resource Bulletin is updated on a weekly basis and maintains hundreds of listings of arts opportunities, organized by subject and deadline date. Check out the
MSAC Resource Bulletin
today! To post your call for entry,
email Caitlin, the Registry Coordinator, at
caitlin@mdartplace.org
.
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Please consider inviting MSAC Staff and Board Members to any public event that may include donor recognition as part of the programming. Public acknowledgement of MSAC funding, particularly when a staff, board member, or local legislator is present, allows arts audiences to understand the connection between the vote they cast for local officials, the local official’s support of MSAC funding, and how that funding returns to the communities of arts-connected constituents. Please send all invitations to
msac.commerce@maryland.gov
.
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PUBLIC ART PROJECT DEDICATIONS ACROSS MARYLAND
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The Maryland Public Art Initiative dedicated its fourth project titled INFLIGHT by artist Volkan Alkanoglu on October 12 at UMBC’s new Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Building (ILSB). The artist was selected through a national call to artists by an artist selection panel
representing the UMBC community and Maryland Public Art Commission. To develop the artwork concept design, Alkanoglu worked closely with the architecture team as well as with faculty, staff and students of many departments, and was inspired by current research taking place in biology, biochemical and engineering labs, as well as the dance lab. The resulting artwork illustrates that ILSB’s work is constantly evolving, shifting and moving - as if on a journey moving through time. The artist utilized three-dimensional design software and worked closely with Demiurge - a public art fabricator to cut, shape and paint the aluminum pieces that form the installation across three separate walls. The building is open to the public and the artwork is viewable on the first floor's student commons space.
Three Public Art Across Maryland awarded projects were dedicated in October. The Town of Easton and the Talbot County Arts Council celebrated
Play in Color
by Shelton Hawkins, with collaborating high-school student Catherine Blizzard, and community members who helped colorfully paint two basketball courts in Idlewild and Moton Parks.
In nearby Denton on October 19, two public art projects debuted in the Arts & Entertainment District.
Caroline County Arts Council Executive Director Jennifer Hodge,
MSAC Public Art Program Director Liesel Fenner, community members and the project artists started with a tour of public art throughout Denton that culminated with ribbon cuttings. Artist Parran Collery spoke about the flora and fauna of the Chesapeake for her inspiration in creating the tile mosaic
The
Heron’s Eye.
The artwork was
created in collaboration with the community, hand-building ceramic flowers at CCAC workshops
.
The second artwork dedication celebrated
Clearly Loved Waterways
by artist Dawn Malosh. Inspired from her previous work restoring marsh grasses in Chesapeake riverways, the central art component was a tall piece of driftwood painted and preserved. In her remarks, Malosh emphasized the love necessary to care for our environment as represented in the many clay hearts made by schoolchildren in local workshops led by the artist.
Communities and artists interested in creating public art are encouraged to apply for a Public Art Across Maryland grant - the FY20 Guidelines are posted on our
website
.
INFLIGHT by Volkan Alkanoglu, UMBC (2019), credit: Patrick Siebert
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MARYLAND MICRO-CREDENTIALS
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Register for free professional development!
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MSAC has a new look! As we introduce our new logo, colors, and fonts, you’ll begin to see changes in our print materials, website, and social media. Grantees, please see our
recognizing our grants page
for logo downloads and requirements.
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ARTIST IN EDUCATION RESIDENCE GRANTS AWARDED
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MSAC is pleased to fund 78 residencies taking place in schools throughout Maryland in 2019 and 2020 through our Arts in Education - Artist in Residence program. We look forward to supporting more residencies in the upcoming year! We accept applications from schools on a rolling basis and review applications quarterly. See the Funding Deadlines section below for more information, and see the awarded residencies
here
.
Image Credit: Native American mural created during Kristin Helberg’s residency at Resurrection - St. Paul School
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FY20 INDEPENDENT ARTIST AWARDS - APPLICATIONS FOR PERFORMING ARTIST AWARDS DUE 11/15/19
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MSAC’s
Independent Artist Awards
(IAAs) recognize achievement by Maryland artists making work independent of an institution or organization. The awards are accompanied by grants that encourage artistic growth and sustained practice.
New this year!
Applicants will be eligible for three levels of award - $2,000 and $10,000 Regional Awards and an additional $15,000 State Award. Also, artistic categories have been updated to three primary categories: Performing, Visual/Media, and Literary arts. These artistic categories will rotate in a three-year cycle. Applicants self-select the category which they feel best represents their work. Applicants submitting work for the FY20 awards should be primarily based in the performing art category, even if the components of the work are interdisciplinary. (Visual/Media is the category for FY21, Literary Arts is the category for FY22.) Collaborative work will be accepted.
The deadline for FY20 applications is
Friday, November 15, 2019 at 5 p.m.
The application is open now in
Smart Simple
. For more information and updates about the application's availability,
click here
or connect with Program Directors, Laura Weiss and Emily Sollenberger.
2017 IAA Recipient Adriane Fang in
Grains,
Photo by Zachary Handler
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THE BALTIMORE MUSEUM OF ART RECEIVES GIFT OF ART FROM NOTED COLLECTORS AND PHILANTHROPISTS PAMELA J. JOYNER AND ALFRED J. GIUFFRIDA
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The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) announced that noted collectors and philanthropists Pamela J. Joyner and Alfred J. Giuffrida have gifted the museum a group of seven works by artists Radcliffe Bailey, Zander Blom, Moshekwa Langa, Clifford Owens, Adam Pendleton, and Purvis Young. "The gift coincides with the September 29 opening of
Generations:
A History of Black Abstract Art
, which draws on the extensive Joyner/Giuffrida collection as well as the BMA’s own holdings to examine the significant contributions that black artists have made to the development of abstraction from the 1940s to the present." These works support the BMA’s ongoing vision to deepen its collection of contemporary art of Africa and the African diaspora.
Moshekwa Langa. Tshamahandze. 2013. The Baltimore Museum of Art: The Joyner/Giuffrida Collection
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ANNOUNCING IMPORTANT CHANGES TO
MID ATLANTIC ARTS FOUNDATION'S
ArtsCONNECT PROGRAM
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What is ArtsCONNECT?
ArtsCONNECT
supports projects developed collaboratively by a consortium of presenters within the Mid Atlantic region, jointly booking a touring artist. Each presenter in a consortium may request funding of up to 50% of the negotiated artist fee for the project, not to exceed $10,000.
What are the changes?
In the past 12 months, Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation conducted a full program evaluation to see how ArtsCONNECT can better serve presenters in our region. Here are the key changes we are implementing this year:
- A new set of review criteria: ArtsCONNECT will focus on mission impact, artistry, community benefit, and outreach as the core measures to evaluate its projects
- A tiered funding structure for presenters of all sizes: ArtsCONNECT projects will be supported in three funding tiers - Projects with artist fees of $5,000 or below; Projects with artist fees between $5,001 and $15,000; And projects with artist fees of $15,001 or above.
- A listing that will include all projects in development: The Projects In Development listing supports ArtsCONNECT’s partner-seeking process and connects presenters across the Mid Atlantic region with each other. Submission to the listing is required.
- And other changes as well!
How do I find out more?
- Read the brand new program guidelines
- Register to an application webinar
Deadlines for 2020-2021 projects:
Projects in Development Listing Submission Deadline: February 21, 2020
Final Application Deadline: March 13, 2020
Questions?
ArtsCONNECT is made possible through the support of the National Endowment for the Arts' Regional Touring Program.
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Artist Highlight: Jennifer Becker
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Jennifer Becker
is an artist who lives and works in Baltimore City. She graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA and then went on to earn her MFA in sculpture at the University of Maryland, College Park. She has exhibited her sculpture in and around the Baltimore area since moving here in 1986. Her work is about using traditional craft materials in an untraditional, personal and idiosyncratic way. Jennifer expains her most recent series of embroidered self-portraits that she began in November 2016. "This series was created to document my reaction towards the election in a very systematic way. Starting the week after the election I began the ritual of creating a self-portrait every three weeks, by taking a photo of myself, I then translated the photo into a drawing on canvass and embroidered the portrait. As soon as I was finished I repeated the process over again" Becker said. She has taught art for a variety of different programs over the past 25 years. Most recently she has enjoyed working with Baltimore City School students as a high school art teacher. In 2018, she received an Individual Artist Award from the Maryland State Arts Council for her embroidery portraits.
Artwork: "Up Close" by Jennifer Becker
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MSAC Councilor Highlights
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Arthur C. Brown III has been a part of the MSAC staff since September 2018. He currently serves as the Deputy Assistant, providing support to the Arts & Entertainment Districts and Community Arts Development Programs. Before venturing to MSAC, Mr. Brown worked collectively with fellow artists, community organizers, neighbors, and business owners throughout the Station North Arts District, Pennsylvania Avenue, Belair-Edison, and Hamilton neighborhoods, to provide inclusive spaces, learning opportunities, and arts-related events for those communities. He is an alumnus of Coppin State University's Urban Art Program, and a past 2016 Urban Arts Leadership Program Fellow. Arthur is also a visual artist, specializing in mixed-media portraiture, a photographer, blogger, nature lover, long distance runner, martial artist, and proud blerd. He currently lives in his hometown of Baltimore, MD, with his wife and a beautiful baby girl.
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Keyonna Penick is a recent graduate of Morgan State University where she earned a BFA degree in Screenwriting. She joins the Maryland State Arts Council from the Department of Labor where she served as the Panel Specialist for over 10 years with the Maryland Home Improvement Commission while also contributing her expertise to several other boards along the way. She hopes to be a valuable asset to MSAC.
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Zoë Charlton received her MFA degree from the University of Texas at Austin. Her work has been included in national and international exhibitions including the Harvey B. Gantt Center (Charlotte, NC, 2015), Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art (Bentonville, AR, 2014), Studio Museum of Harlem (NYC, NY, 2012), Contemporary Art Museum (Houston, TX, 2000), the Zacheta National Gallery of Art (Warsaw, Poland 2006), and Haas & Fischer Gallery (Zurich, Switzerland, 2006). She is a recipient of a Pollock-Krasner grant (2012) and Rubys grant (2014). Zoë lives in Baltimore, MD and is an Associate Professor of Art at American University in Washington, DC.
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Shelley Morhaim was appointed to the Maryland State Arts Council in July 2013. She is a writer and filmmaker. Among her credits are the award-winning documentary The Next Industrial Revolution and the Arts Education in Maryland Schools (AEMS) film Hard Fun: Transforming American Education Through the Arts. Morhaim has served on the boards of the Baltimore Jewish Council, the Women’s Institute of Notre Dame and the Democratic Party State Central Committee. She earned her BA degree from Antioch College and JD from Boston University. Morhaim is a therapeutic music practitioner for hospice and hospital patients.
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Independent Artist Awards:
MSAC’s
Independent Artist Awards (IAAs)
recognize achievement by Maryland artists making work independent of an institution or organization. The awards are accompanied by grants that encourage artistic growth and sustained practice. In FY20, MSAC is accepting applications from artists and collaborative groups based primarily in the Performing arts. The deadline for FY20 applications is
November 15, 2019 at 5 p.m.
in the new grant portal,
Smart Simple
. For more information and updates about the application's availability,
click here
.
Public Art Across Maryland (PAAM):
The program offers two types of funding: Planning Grants of $2500 support administrative time for the planning and community visioning process - including support for artist proposal honorariums. Implementation Grants of up to $10,000 support projects that are designed and ready for fabrication. Maryland 501c3 non-profit organizations or local government agencies may apply. FY20 deadlines: November 15, 2019, February 12, 2020, May 12, 2020. Guidelines are now
available
and the application is on
Smart Simple
.
Heritage Award:
Nominations are open through December 6, 2019.
Heritage Awards
are $5,000 each and recognize long-term achievement in folklife, or community-based living cultural traditions handed down by example or word of mouth. Awards are given through the Maryland Traditions state folklife program and annually recognize one recipient in each of three categories: Person/People, Place, and Tradition.
FY21 Grants for Organization:
The Grants for Organizations (GFO) program provides annual operating grants to organizations that produce or present the arts to the general public through public programs or services. Full Applications and Request for Funding (RFF) Applications are now available to eligible organizations! Applications are available via Smart Simple. Full Applications are due on November 15, 2019 and RFF Applications are due on December 15, 2019. Questions about eligibility? Contact Program Directors
Emily Sollenberger
or
Laura Weiss
for more information about the Grants for Organizations program.
Creativity Grant Program:
The purpose of the Creativity Grant Program is to strengthen the vitality and sustainability of artists and small organizations, in order to maintain a strong arts infrastructure in the state. The Creativity Grant also provides opportunities to serve the growing needs of relevant arts projects and collaborations within Maryland communities. Guidelines for the FY20 Program can be found
here.
and applications can be accessed in
Smart Simple
.
All applicants will need to register for a new account. These grants are accepted on a rolling basis and are reviewed monthly.
Artist in Residence Program:
The MSAC's
Artist in Residence (AiR) Program
provides grants to Maryland schools that cover half the cost of a teaching artist residency. Guidelines for the FY20 Program can be found
here
and applications can be accessed in
eGrant
.
Questions about Artists in Residence Program? Contact Arts in Education Program Director
Precious Blake
for more information.
Presenting and Touring Program:
The Maryland Touring Grant assists eligible nonprofit organizations by, subsidizing the presentation of any performer on the Maryland Performing Artist Touring Roster. Guidelines for the FY20 Program can be found
here
and applications can be accessed in
Smart Simple
. All applicants will need to register for a new account. These grant applications are accepted on a rolling basis and are reviewed on a quarterly.
Arts & Entertainment Districts:
Arts & Entertainment Districts Technical Assistance Grants support organizational development and marketing efforts for designated management entities of Maryland's 28 Arts & Entertainment Districts. Guidelines for the FY20 Program can be found
here
and applications can be accessed in
Smart Simple
. All applicants will need to register for a new account. These grant applications are accepted on a rolling basis and are reviewed as they are submitted.
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