Adventures in Annapolis - Advocating for the Arts 2025!
Have you heard of Maryland Arts Day? Why spend the day in Annapolis? What do we do there? Why is this such a big deal?
What it comes down to is funding and decision making.
St. Mary’s County Arts Council receives the majority of our support through a block grant from the Maryland State Arts Council. These funds are then redistributed to our community in the from of grants, sponsorships, and scholarships.
This funding is now under threat. If it is eliminated, St. Mary’s County Arts Council (and the many programs that we support) will suffer greatly.
Every year major decisions are made in regards to arts funding and policies. It is essential that we make the trip to Annapolis in support of our community!
Importance of the Arts Stabilization Act.
Maryland’s art sector has been traditionally well funded due to the Arts Stabilization Act (ASA).
Governor Moore’s FY2026 Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act (BRFA) proposal includes a recommendation to completely eliminate the Arts Stabilization Act (ASA), a 30-year-old funding formula that has safeguarded public arts funding and made Maryland a national leader in arts investment.
The ASA provides a solid foundation for Maryland’s arts sector, supporting nearly $13 billion in annual economic impact, over 80,000 jobs, and $7.3 billion in arts-worker compensation.
~Source: Maryland citizens for the arts
Adventures in Annapolis!
Following a 6:30 AM morning meeting at a local parking lot, the carpool club (a.k.a. our director’s minivan!) left St. Mary’s County. After one bathroom stop and much coffee consumed, we parked at Maryland Hall and caught the school bus shuttle to the Key Auditorium at St. John’s University.
A record number of over 500 arts leaders and community advocates from across the state of Maryland attended! Following a networking breakfast, we joined the morning session which included greetings from lawmakers, presentation of the Sue Hess Legacy Arts Advocate of the Year Award, a keynote speech, and a state budget overview.
A short “Budget Realities + Legislative Talking Points” presentation prepared us with talking points for meeting with the legislators. Armed with a folder including a Tip Sheet, map, and schedule, we headed out to meet our legislators at their office buildings.
After waiting in line and security checks at the buildings, we met with our legislators and their staff to make our causes known! Every year the talking points change based on the proposed policies and bills.
How does our presence really matter?
At Maryland Arts Day we have an amazing opportunity to speak directly with the legislators representing our community.
The four main points for the 2025 Maryland General Assembly Session this year included (find details at the MCA website):
Reject the proposed elimination of the funding formula for the Maryland State Arts Council found in the 2025 Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act.
Support fully funding MSAC at the mandated level of $31 million.
Support fully funding the Arts and Culture Capital Grant Program at $3 million.
Vote ‘yes’ on House Bill 961 (Senate Bill 1006) – protecting the rights of public artists.
Wrapping it up!
After many office visits, we enjoyed a delicious box lunch (complete with a heart sugar cookie!) provided with our registration fee. We utilized a last chance to network with peers and drove back to our beautiful county. Despite experiencing a long and exhausting day, we accomplished our goal of meeting one-on-one with our legislators.
Thank you to Delegates Brian Crosby, Matt B. Morgan, Todd Morgan, and Senator Jack Bailey and their staff for meeting with us.
St. Mary’s County Arts Council always advocates for our community!
Links of interest:
Maryland citizens for the arts - website
Maryland citizens for the arts - call for action
Photo gallery - Maryland Arts Day 2025!
