Baltimore, MD (February 16, 2016) - Demonstrating his continued commitment to the arts in Maryland, Governor Larry Hogan has proposed a record-setting $20.3 million FY 2017 budget for the Maryland State Arts Council, an agency within the Maryland Department of Commerce that works to encourage investment in the arts for all Marylanders. The governor included a $700,000 increase for the council in his FY 2017 budget and will also introduce a measure to permanently transfer $2 million from the special fund for the Preservation of Cultural Arts to the Arts Council’s annual appropriation.
“The arts are not only an important economic generator in Maryland, they are also essential to educating our children, spurring creativity and innovation, and maintaining our overall quality of life,” said Governor Hogan. “The First Lady and I have a deep connection to the arts and believe an investment in the arts is an investment in Maryland’s future.”
The proposed additional funds would have a significant impact by providing a boost in operating support to hundreds of Maryland arts organizations and programs, community development grants to local arts councils in all 24 jurisdictions, and expanded arts education programming for Maryland students, along with other program priorities.
“The arts in Maryland represent hundreds of nonprofit organizations operating as small businesses that build and add vibrancy to their community. As publicly funded arts organizations, we take seriously our responsibility to serve the communities we represent,” said April Nyman, executive director of the Arts Council of Anne Arundel County. “Maryland has a long history of support for the nonprofit arts sector. I applaud Governor Hogan for raising the bar with this extraordinary investment and, in turn, creating new opportunities to better serve the citizens of Maryland.”
Tomorrow, more than 400 arts advocates will meet in Annapolis for Maryland Arts Day 2016. Presented by the Maryland Citizens for the Arts, the group will highlight the contributions of the arts to Maryland’s economy and meet with members of the General Assembly to encourage support for the governor’s budget. First Lady Yumi Hogan will be among the speakers, along with members of the General Assembly, Maryland Commerce Secretary Mike Gill, and leaders in the arts community.
An economic impact study released by the Arts Council in November 2015 shows that Maryland arts organizations generated $646 million in direct spending and had a total economic impact of $1.03 billion in FY 2014. In addition, the organizations created 12,155 full-time equivalent jobs and generated $48.3 million in state and local taxes.
