Howard County Arts Council Receives FY2020 Funding From The Maryland State Arts Council

The Howard County Arts Council has been awarded a $149,970 County Arts Development grant for fiscal year 2019-20 from the Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC), an agency of the State of Maryland under the authority of the Department of Commerce, Division of Tourism, Film and the Arts.

The FY20 funding will be used to support the Howard County Arts Council's local grant initiatives and educational programs at the 27,000 square foot, multi-purpose Howard County Center for the Arts in Ellicott City. At the Center, the Arts Council offers year-round activities in the arts, including classes, visual arts exhibits, and performances in the community black box theatre. The Center also provides affordable studio space for 14 visual artists; office space for three resident arts groups; meeting space for six all-volunteer-run arts groups; and low-cost rehearsal and performance space for more than 30 dance, music, and theatre groups. Over 35,000 people visit the Center each year - whether they are attending workshops, enjoying a performance, or working in their studio, the Arts Council provides rewarding experiences for citizens of all ages.

MSAC's County Arts Development program provides funds and technical assistance to the local arts councils of the 23 counties of Maryland and Baltimore City in order to better serve artists, arts organizations, and audiences throughout the State and to encourage local decision-making, arts activity and funding for the arts at the local level.

In addition to its grant to the Howard County Arts Council, MSAC provided a total of $180,078 in grants to the following arts organizations in Howard County:

Candlelight Concert Society, $17,655
Columbia Center for Theatrical Arts, $39,112
Columbia Festival of the Arts, $31,988
Columbia Orchestra, $20,639
Columbia Pro Cantare, $9,453
Howard Community College Educational Foundation for Rep Stage, $29,574
Howard County Poetry and Literature Society, $5,026

Inner Arbor Trust, $8,968Kinetics Dance Theatre, $17,663

According to the Economic Impact of the Arts in Maryland: FY2017 Report released by MSAC, Maryland's nonprofit arts sector has a $1.4 billion impact on the state's economy and supports more than 17,688 jobs. The report details how spending by the MSAC's grantees, which include the county arts councils, and their audiences ripples through Maryland's economy, creating and retaining jobs and generating revenues for businesses, families, and state and local governments. To review the complete report, visit www.msac.org/publications. For more information about MSAC call (410) 767-6555 or TDD/TTY (410) 333-4519 or visit the MSAC web site at www.msac.org.