Featured Member Project

Featured Member

The Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC), an agency of the Maryland Department of Business & Economic Development, recently announced Imagine Maryland: 2008–2013, a statewide community collaboration and cultural planning initiative to identify opportunities and ideas that will enhance the roles of the arts in Maryland in order to stimulate economic development, enhance quality of life, attract visitors, and nurture artists and arts organizations.

Over the next few months, MSAC will host six regional meetings and more than ten issue forums throughout the state. The general public, community and elected officials, artists, and representatives from arts organizations are invited to attend the meetings. The ten in-depth issue forums will focus on interest areas such as disabilities and the arts, arts education, seniors and the arts, individual artists, and emerging art forms and include statewide leaders in these fields.

MSAC Chair Scott Johnson strongly endorsed Maryland’s strategic planning efforts saying, “Our future success depends not only on our ability to support established arts organizations, but our commitment to include the creative energy of emerging artists and initiatives such as public art and Maryland’s arts and entertainment districts that are using the arts to revitalize communities statewide.”