This year’s Maryland Arts Day, held virtually on February 11, was attended by 475 arts supporters from across the state, including more than 30 representatives from Howard County. We’re grateful to have such strong support for the arts in both the county and state, but there’s still much to be done as our arts sector struggles to recover from the crippling effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Here are the steps you can take now to help the arts in Maryland rebound from this crisis and emerge stronger than ever. Contact your elected representatives in Annapolis and ask them to:
- Support full funding to the State Arts Council at $27.3 million dollars as mandated by the 1994 Arts Stabilization Act.
- Reject Governor Hogan’s proposed $24.4 million recommendation for the State Arts Council, which is a $2.9 million dollar cut to the arts.
- Reject Governor Hogan’s proposed change to the 1994 Arts Stabilization Act funding formula that is included in this year’s Budget Reconciliation & Financing Act (BRFA).
- Support SB323/HB310, the Arts Capital Grant Program, which would provide $3 million in capital funds for small to mid-sized arts organizations (with budgets under $3 million) – this bill is beneficial for small arts organizations as they recover from the pandemic and need critical access to capital investment.
- Support SB256, which expands Artistic Definitions for Arts and Entertainment Districts.
Take action today – visit the Maryland Citizens for the Arts Action Center to get a list of your elected representatives and send them a personalized message with just one click using the Action Center’s online form. Thank you for your support!