Published on: Wednesday, February 16, 2011

By Mimi Kapiloff

Last Wednesday marked the 13th Annual Maryland Arts Day in Annapolis.

As the most important arts advocacy event in Maryland,  each year this event brings the artistic community together in support of statewide funding for the arts with the Maryland State Arts Council.

 More than 500 art professionals, board members and volunteers were present to network and discuss issues specific to the arts. Citizens were provided an opportunity to meet with state legislators and elected officials on the value of the arts for the community.

The program was organized by the nonprofit Maryland Citizens for the Arts. This organization has more than 200 arts organizations and 24 county arts councils as members. The group provides training and educational programs to enhance the public awareness of the arts as well as implementation to build a strong financial base for the arts in the state of Maryland.

Among the speakers were a number of elected officials including Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown, Sen. Edward Kasemeyer and Christian Johansson, secretary of business and economic development. Eliot Pfanstiehl, CEO of the Strathmore Hall Foundation , was also there to speak on budget realities and advocacy strategy and training. The editiorial cartoonist from The Economist magazine, KAL Kallaugher joined in with the art of satire. Gary Vikan, the director of the Walters Art Gallery, discussed connecting cultural organizations with the 21st century skills movement.

Round Table discussions were presented on all the arts — dance, music, theater, visual arts, literary arts and folk and traditional arts. Here, participants were able to talk about particular issues involved with potential growth within each discipline.

The event also recognized and honored E. Scott Johnson with the Sue Hess Maryland Arts Advocate of the Year Award. Johnson is not only a principal in the law frim of Ober/ Kaler in Baltimore but has served on numerous charitable boards for the arts including the Creative Alliance, the Maryland Film Industry Coalition, the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, the Washington Area Music Association and was a prominent force in the resurgence and growth of Maryland Lawyers for the Arts.   

The goal for the day was to ask the General Assembly to support Gov. O’Malley’s proposal for level funding in the FY 2012 and receive the same appropriation it received in FY 2011 of $13.3 million. This arts council funding is distributed to hundreds of arts organizations and individual artists that provide services in all 23 Maryland counties and Baltimore City.

The arts supply more than 12,000 jobs in the state of Maryland. They also assist in a creative workforce for the future in a new and innovative economy. They drive direct and indirect consumer spending related to cultural events. More than $41.4 million in state and local taxes were generated from the arts last year with $1.14 billion in total economic impact. The arts also enhance the quality of life for all Marylanders. Nearly 9 million people attend art events in Maryland. Nine out of 10 Marylanders attend art events, many which are provided at affordable prices or are free.

The arts also support education. Teachers utilize the arts to teach primary subjects in a way students can grasp as well as positively impact the developmental growth, attendance and graduation rate for every child. 

To learn more about what you can do for your community and supporting arts advocacy contact the Community Arts Alliance of Maryland or the Maryland State Arts Council.