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I have exciting news. The Council and the Department of Commerce have approved a new strategic plan for MSAC! The plan, developed with AMS Research and Planning, with input from hundreds of Maryland artists, arts professionals, and residents, aligns with Governor Wes Moore’s priorities and is grounded in goals that pursue equity and justice, arts sector health, and community connection and vitality. The staff is hard at work on creating an implementation plan with specific actions that organize our work around five pillars and goals:
Awareness: Amplify the stories of Maryland’s arts sector and the value of public support
Access: Bolster access to arts experiences and resources
Connection: Foster networks within and beyond the arts sector
Equity: Cultivate a thriving arts ecosystem centered in equity
Leadership: Commit to a culture of care and innovation
The plan gives us a strategic direction for the next several years—a north star for how we will serve, strengthen, and support Maryland’s arts sector. It is also a requirement for continuing our decades-long partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the largest funder of the arts and arts education in communities nationwide. This federal agency dedicates 40 percent of its budget to support state arts agencies, and MSAC currently receives close to $1 million annually. We communicate our plans to the NEA, and its support is crucial to helping us deliver grants and resources to keep Maryland’s arts sector vital. In turn, our partnership with county arts agencies—the 24 nonprofits and government agencies at the county level and Baltimore City—is modeled on our relationship with the NEA.
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