Maryland’s Arts Legacy Needs Your Support
Mural by artist Betsy Casañas featuring a Black mother and child painted on a row house wall in Baltimore's Station North neighborhood for Open Walls Baltimore II in 2014.
What is Maryland Arts Day? Why is it so important?
The short answer to both: it is an event put together by Maryland-based advocacy organization, Maryland Citizens for the Arts. It is dedicated to defending Maryland’s art spending, which is currently in potential jeopardy. But now, we have to ask ourselves, how did we get here?
The journey to Maryland Arts Day started thirty-one years ago when the 1994 Arts Stabilization Act was passed into law. It was the first state-mandated law requiring public funding for the arts in Maryland. It has also served as a provider for many art organizations within the state. For example, the formula this created formed a strong base for the Maryland State Arts Council, which is a primary funder of Maryland’s creative industry.
Ever since the 1994 ASA was first inked, it has helped generate $1.3 billion annually and sustain thousands of jobs. It has seen bipartisan celebration and invigoration in a community that has boosted creative growth and cultural understanding. It has linked the budget of the MSAC to the state’s overall fund so that funding grows each year in conjunction. And, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, funding and spending reached an all-time high in 2022, marking a 4.8% increase from 2021. This contributed as much as 4.3% to the U.S. GDP, amounting to a staggering $1.10 trillion!
However, recently, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has signaled potentially cutting back on Maryland’s art spending and removing the ASA. Should this occur, this will be carried out via a $67.3 billion plan primarily in the form of the Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act. Now, this bill is intended to save costs and grow Maryland’s economy, strengthen the state’s labor force, modernize state government, and repair what is considered broken within the tax system. But it should be said that this could come at a great expense of Maryland’s art spending, which has proved to be an integral moneymaker.
The BRFA could slash or eliminate funding dedicated to the 1994 ASA and dismantle it. Economically, this can lead to job losses due to the elimination of arts funding. This can also result in fewer cultural programs for Marylanders and blunt or reduce tourism revenue. From a symbolic standpoint, the bipartisan support the 1994 ASA has received over the decades is a testament not just to what it has done for Maryland, but to what it means to Marylanders. From its leaders to its regular, everyday citizens on both sides of the aisle. It shows what it means to come together to create something that can truly work for everyone. And, ironically, the BRFA bill has brought that out more than ever.
To counter the administration’s changes, MCA has taken a stand to defend the 1994 ASA by gathering the community last Wednesday on Maryland Arts Day to call on Maryland’s leadership to say no to the BRFA. With over 450 participants representing every county in the state, they have come together to advocate for Maryland’s art spending, connect people from different walks of life, and engage lawmakers. Many organizations have partnered with MCA to make this happen, with some of the key points being to reject the BRFA, support the MSAC at the mandated $31 million funding, and support House Bill 961, among other programs.
At the end of the day, Maryland Arts Day is not just an advocacy event. It is a celebration—a celebration of the arts and the accomplishments of Maryland’s art spending made possible by the 1994 ASA. It is a call to action for those passionate enough to build a strong case for defending arts funding and ensuring that it continues to serve Maryland’s cultural vibrancy.
Editor’s Note: You can make your voice heard by registering to provide written or in-person testimony at upcoming hearings or by emailing your legislators. Instructions on how to take action are here.