In a recent letter for
the Governor’s Arts Awards at ArtSalute, the Governor wrote,
“I have made [the arts] a priority for Maryland with funding
for the 8/9/10%Plus initiative to stabilize the arts statewide.
I hope that one of the things my Administration will be remembered
for is our strong support of the arts and culture.” They have
certainly been a passion of Maryland’s First Lady, Frances
Hughes Glendening, who has worked incredibly hard to bring the arts
to the forefront of our state.
Overall, the Glendening
Administration’s commitment to the arts has succeeded in building
statewide momentum--encompassing institutions and communities of
all sizes. Because of this support the groundwork now exists for
lasting connections to grow among the arts, education, and revitalization.
Professional and Personal Leadership-
Increasing the visibility of the arts
Early in his term as
Governor of the State of Maryland, Parris N. Glendening asked Frances
Hughes Glendening, Maryland’s First Lady, to be the Administration’s
voice for arts, education, and issues related to young people. Committed
and articulate, Mrs. Glendening has been the ideal advocate for
the arts, both in Maryland and in national arenas as well. Most
recently, she called on the nation’s First Ladies to explore
the value of the arts to effect education and propel America’s
children to greater accomplishments.
The Governor and the
First Lady continually use the arts as a vehicle to frame important
events of the Administration. One of Mrs. Glendeding's first actions
was to establish Celebration of the Arts, an ongoing, year-round
program that positions Government House, Maryland’s official
state mansion, as a showcase for the arts. Hundreds of receptions,
performances, exhibitions, and lectures have been held since its
inception. Rotating exhibitions of sculpture surround the mansion,
the walls are hung with the work of Maryland’s artists and
collections from the state museums, and the holidays feature hand-made
ornaments and concerts by Maryland school children.
The Glendenings’
leadership has played a key role outside the capital as well. In
1995, the 20,000 piece collection of 19th century art collector
George A. Lucas, left to the citizens of Baltimore and Maryland
Institute, College of Art (MICA) upon his death, was endanger of
being sold in order to fund a critically needed endowment for the
college. The Governor, who stated that he considered the collection
to be a tremendous asset to the state, worked with a number of private
and public parties to keep the whole collection in Maryland. After
a year of negotiations, an agreement was reached in the summer of
1996 that preserved the collection in its entirety, a conclusion
reflecting the importance that the Governor and Frances Hughes Glendening
place on the arts. (Source: Office of the Governor. Press Release,
June 5, 1996)
Impact on Arts Education
With a goal of 100%
participation, Dr. Nancy Grasmick, State Superintendent of Schools
under the Glendening Administration, set content and achievement
standards for Maryland students, k-12, in dance, music, theater
and visual arts that rival anything being done anywhere in the country.
To that end- in a wonderful example of collaboration between the
State Department of Education, the State Arts Council, the organization
Arts Education for Maryland Schools, and leaders from the higher
education community- strategies were developed to implement arts
education instructional programs for all schools.
The Governor has steadily
increased funds to support MSDE's new fine art standards. Among
the $2.7 million requested, $200,000 has been included to support
a ground-breaking dance instruction project developed at Towson
University. Though successfully funded by the National Endowment
for the Arts, the program was still at risk for lack of funds until
Frances Hughes Glendening introduced the program through her arts
initiatives.
Arts in Education Funding Figures 1998-2001
(Source Arts Education in Maryland Schools, AEMS, reports)
FY 1998: $274,000 to MD State Dept. of Education
to begin work on arts standards
FY 1999: $934,000 to MSDE to begin work on arts standards
FY 2000: $1.9 million to set initial $20,000 plus $.75/student formula
to MSDE
$600,000 increase to the MSDE to increase funding formula to each
local school system to $20,000 plus $1.50/student to meet State
goal
FY 2001: $200,000 for the dance initiative linked to Moving America
project at Towson University, a national model for dance instruction
k-8, funded, in part, by the NEA
Expanding the Role for the Arts
A critical department
within the Administration, the Maryland Department of Business and
Economic Development (DEBED) - led by Richard Lewin until September
2000, now led by David Iannucci- testifies annually on the impact
of the non-profit arts industry for the Legislative committees that
vote on the Governor’s budget.
And they have
plenty to testify about. In a l997 DBED economic impact study of
the arts in Maryland, the arts industry paid $24 million in taxes
on roughly $8 million in MSAC grants, a 3:1 return on each MSAC
grant dollar invested. In 2000's updated report, the amount of taxes
generated rose to $27million, while the grant base remained static,
reflecting the growth in the industry.
Beyond direct
economic benefits, DEBED and former Secretary Lewin have focused
attention on using the arts to leverage long-term economic objectives
of the state, whether in redevelopment, in attracting investment
dollars and business to the state or developing the benefits of
cultural tourism. The partnership of the arts and the Department
has been a good one and the results for Maryland are increasingly
apparent.
Achieving Advancement for the Arts
At a time when
funding is stalled at the federal level, state art agencies rely
on a reported 90% of their funding from state legislative appropriations
(Source: NASAA, March 2000). And the Glendening administration has
stepped up to the challenge by showing extraordinary support for
8//9/10% Plus For the Arts- a plan that ensures the financial future
of the arts and at the same time rewards excellence in the arts
community.
Working in partnership
with the Maryland State Arts Council and Maryland Citizens for the
Arts, 8//9/10% Plus For the Arts has produced a historic result.
Two years into the program, the MSAC’s budget has been increased
by $3.9 million, bringing it to $13.3 million. The strongest arts
organizations currently can receive up to 9% of their budget requests-up
from 7.2% just two years ago. In reporting on the increase for the
first year alone, the National Association of State Arts Agencies
(NASAA) called the increase “exceptional.”
And indeed it
has been. Grounding 8/9/10%Plus in the recommendation by a blue-ribbon
committee of business-leaders from across Maryland during the mid-1990s,
the State adopted the goal of 10% of an organization’s grant
request for the strongest arts institutions in the State. About
1/3 of Maryland’s organizations qualify. (Source MSAC) The
initiative was expanded to address the funding needs for the 24
arts councils in every county and in Baltimore City (each was raised
by about $25,000 by FY2001) and MSAC’s important arts-in-education
programs in over 600 schools in every district in the State.
In a dramatically
short time, 8/9/10%Plus has already had a transforming effect. Organizations
are able to increase internal capacity to deliver services, update
technical skills and equipment, increase salaries and develop benefit
packages for key employees-many for the first time. Programmatically,
there are important changes too, with organizations describing initiatives
that could not have been accomplished two years ago.
Moreover, with
Maryland’s arts stabilization bill (HB594) developed by MD
Citizens in 1994, it ensures that the gains will not dissipate when
the Glendening Administration leaves office. The achievements of
the Glendening Administration will serve as part of its legacy of
service to the public.
Arts Funding Figures, 1995-2000
National Ranking
(Source: NASAA, March 2000)
#10 among the 50 states in FY2000, up 23.8% from FY1999
1 of 9 agencies to report “exceptional growth, with appropriations
of more than 20%
Operating Funding:
Between FY 1995 to FY2000 General Fund Appropriation increased a
total of $4.8 million, or 61%
1999: Governor requested increase of 24%, or $2.1 M, for FY2000,
the first year of the 8/9/10%Plus
MD General Assembly passed a 23% increase, or $1.9M (Source: MSAC)
2000: Governor’s 2nd requested increase raises the MSAC budget
to $13.3 million, the highest point in history; the two increases
together total $3.9 million
Capital Funding:
A state-wide investment of $150 million since Glendening was elected
in l995(Source: MSAC)
A partial list of capital funding projects from FY1999 and FY2000
(Source: Report of Maryland General Assembly)
African American Museum (multi-year) $1.1M
Baltimore Children’s Museum, $1.5M
Banneker-Douglass Museum, $3.8M
Bethesda Academy of Performing Arts, $1.5M
Black Rock Center for the Arts (multi-year)
Bowie Civic Auditorium, $2M
Brooklyn Park Cultural and Senior Center (Chesapeake
Center for the Creative Arts) $2 M
BSO Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, $1M
Maryland Watermen’s Monument, $85,000 Chesapeake Bay Maritime
Museum
Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of MD,
College Park, with 1,000 seat theatre and full support spaces
(multi-year capital project) (pre-1999)
Delaplaine Visual Arts Education Center, $75,000
Glen Echo Park Restoration (art park), $2M
Great Blacks in Wax, $750,000
Hippodrome Performing Arts Center$1.8 million
(multi-year)
Kunta Kinte Alex Haley Memorial, $300,000
Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, $300,000
Lucas Art Collection, (multi-year) $850,000
Lyric Opera, $500,000
Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, $500,000
Maryland Historical Society, (multi-year) $1M
Maryland Institute, College of Art, $2.9M
Morgan State University, Fine Arts Center, $5.1M (1999)
National Philippine Cultural Center, $250,000
Olney Theater, $1.5M
Patterson Cultural Center (Balto City), $100,000
Penn Place-Garrett Park, $500,000
Port Tobacco Players Theater, $400,000
Pullen Performing Arts Center, $500,000
Pyramid Atlantic-site for electronic media (multi-year) $250,000
Quiet Waters Park Amphitheater, $200,000
Rocky Gap Amphitheater, Cumberland, MD, $1.4M
Sandy Spring Slave Museum, $50,000
Schooner Sultuna Project, $100,000
Star Spangled Flag House
and 1812 Museum, $100,000
Strathmore Hall, (multi-year), 2000-seat performance space, $1.7
M (1998)
Towson University Fine Arts Renovation/Addition, $3.0M
U.S.S. Constellation, $475,000
Walters Art Gallery, $1M (multi-year renovation
Weinberg Center for the Arts, $200,000
Western Maryland Scenic Railroad, $175,000
World War II Memorial, $250,000
