Maryland Arts Day
What is Maryland Arts Day?
Maryland Arts Day is the largest annual gathering of arts professionals in Maryland. With more than 500 participants, representing every county in the state and Baltimore City, this statewide arts advocacy event connects artists, educators, administrators, volunteers and trustees with lawmakers from every legislative district in Maryland. Maryland Arts Day needs your participation to show strong support for the arts in Maryland and its impact on the economic and cultural vitality of the state.
Where is Maryland Arts Day?
Maryland Arts Day will return in person to St. John’s College in the Francis Scott Key Auditorium, located at 60 College Drive, Annapolis, MD 21401.
What do I do at Maryland Arts Day?
At Maryland Arts Day, you spend the day networking with colleagues from around the state, all while learning about the arts advocacy process. After a networking breakfast, participants will gather for the morning session which includes greetings from lawmakers, presentation of the Sue Hess Legacy Arts Advocate of the Year Award, a keynote speech, and a state budget overview. After all of this great information, we will prep you with talking points and best practices for meetings with your legislators.
During the next portion of the day, you will be meeting with YOUR legislators and their staff in their offices in the council. Guided by county arts council directors representing your district, you will have an opportunity to tell legislators about the importance of the arts in Maryland and specific impacts the arts have in your community.
What are three things that I can expect to get from Maryland Arts Day if I attend?
- Networking, networking, networking! Network with your fellow arts advocates and legislators from across the state.
- Learn lots of facts about the impact of the arts in our state and about this year’s state budget for the arts.
- Strategize and plan with experienced arts advocates about making a strong case in support of funding for the arts in Maryland.
You can find information from last year’s event below. This page will be updated in December for the upcoming event.
Registration is now closed!
Keynote Speaker - Sue Malone
Susan Malone is the Executive Director of Wide Angle Youth Media, a Baltimore-based nonprofit that uses media arts education to amplify youth voices and enable young people to tell their stories—on their own terms. Since assuming leadership in 2010 (after joining WAYM’s staff in 2003), Malone has guided the organization through significant transformation and growth.
Under her direction, WAYM has expanded from modest after-school offerings into a thriving creative hub: today the organization serves hundreds of young people annually (ages 10–26) and more than 8,200 since 2000, providing free access to video, photography, animation, graphic design, acting, and other media arts programs.
Malone oversaw the launch of Wide Angle Productions, WAYM’s full-service production studio, which creates professional media for community organizations and businesses while offering paid apprenticeships and workforce training to youth.
Most recently she has led the charge to build WAYM’s new facility, Wide Angle Studios at the Service Center — a state-of-the-art community center, gallery, production space and learning lab designed to expand creative programming, deepen community engagement, and offer emerging media artists a permanent home.
Through these efforts, Malone has positioned Wide Angle at the intersection of art, social justice, and youth development — advancing a vision in which media arts become tools not just for personal creativity, but for civic engagement, community storytelling, and equitable representation.
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Sue Hess Awardee - Maria Broom
The Sue Hess Legacy Arts Advocate of the Year Award is named in honor of our first Chair of the Board of Trustees. This award recognizes an individual whose advocacy efforts have significantly increased support for and public recognition of the arts in Maryland. To learn more about this award, visit the Sue Hess Legacy Arts Advocate of the Year Award page.
Although nationally known as an actress for her recurring roles in HBO’s “The Wire” and “The Corner”, Maria is also a storyteller and dancer with over forty years of performing and teaching in the US and globally. She is a Fulbright scholar and former news reporter for the ABC affiliates in Miami and Baltimore. She is on the theater faculty at the Baltimore School for the Arts. A native of Baltimore, Maria has received many awards and honors including the Eubie Blake Award, the Sarah’s Circle Award and the 2004 Governor’s Arts Award for Individual Artist. In 2007, she was named, Artist of the Year by Young Audiences of Maryland, Inc. In addition to her work as performer and educator, Maria is much requested as a speaker and presenter. With a background in yoga, meditation, Homa therapy and dance therapy, she conducts staff retreats, workshops and weekly classes that help people to release stress and feel at peace. Formerly, the diversity coordinator for the Park School in Baltimore, she has been a consultant since 2006 for Maryland Public Television’s Campaign for Love and Forgiveness, sponsored by Fetzer Institute. As a recipient of an Open Society Institute community fellowship grant, Maria established a unique mentoring program in the inner city schools, and beyond, called the Dance Girls of Baltimore. Through this vehicle, she passes on the values of self-discipline and thoughtful behavior. In 2007, Maria worked in Poland and Czechoslovakia co-directing the independent film “Soul Immortal” to be released in 2010.Want to be the first to know?
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Agenda
8:00AM Check In and Networking Breakfast
9:00AM Opening & Welcome
9:10AM Greetings from Elected Officials
9:30AM Sue Hess Arts Advocate of the Year Award Presentation
9:45AM Keynote Address – Sue Malone
10:10AM Brief Budget Overview by Nicholas Cohen, MCA
10:30AM Dismissal for legislative office visits
11:00AM-12:30PM Legislative Office Visits
12:00PM-2:00PM Lunch Pick-up at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts
Talking Points
Talking points for the FY27 Maryland State Budget:
- Please support fully funding the Maryland State Arts Council at the mandated level of $31.8
- Please support fully funding the Arts and Culture Capital Grant Program at $3million
- Vote YES on Senate Bill 41 and House Bill 387 – a bill to strengthen Public Artist rights
- Vote YES on Senate Bill 289 and House Bill 352 – a bill to extend arts education anti-poverty grants
Logistics
Click HERE for Maryland Arts Day 2026 Logistics Document!
Below are details as outlined in the pdf linked above:
- Parking
- Registration – Check in
- Talking Points
- Riding the Bus
- Photo ID**
- Weather Policy & Refund Policy
Parking
MCA has arranged for you to park for FREE at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts.
If you use Google Maps or a GPS system, a good search address is 801 Chase Street, Annapolis, MD 21401
Please DO NOT PARK in the following locations.:
- Bates Middle School Lot: this is a school day and faculty and staff for the school park there. Please be respectful and do not disrupt their day by taking up parking spaces that are not for us.
- There are two small parking lots adjacent to the townhomes on Carraway Lane; the townhomes enforce towing in those lots for non-resident cars.
Below are alternatives for parking if spots fill up at Maryland Hall. Maryland Citizens for the Arts will NOT be covering fees to park in garages.
- Park Place Garage at the Westin Annapolis- One Park Place, Annapolis, MD 21401
- West Garrett Parking Garage- 4 Amos Garrett Boulevard, Annapolis, MD 21401
- Neighborhood parking- there is parking in the nearby neighborhood. Please read posted signs carefully and be respectful of the people who live in the community. These spots are not guaranteed.
- Navy-Marine Corps Stadium- Parking lot, 511 Taylor Ave, Annapolis, MD 21401.
For more information about alternative parking use this link.
Maryland Citizens for the Arts is not responsible for any towing fees or parking tickets
We encourage carpooling whenever possible. Also, please check with your local county arts council to see if there is a bus available. Please note that not all counties have this option. Any associated costs with transportation to Annapolis are subject to the county arts council providing that transportation.
Check-In
Check-in will begin at 8:00 am and will run until 8:50 am. During this time, attendees will be provided with a continental breakfast and have the opportunity to network with one another.
Opening remarks will begin promptly at 9:00 am inside the auditorium.
Talking Points
We are asking lawmakers to:
- Please support fully funding the Maryland State Arts Council at the mandated level of $31.8
- Please support fully funding the Arts and Culture Capital Grant Program at $3million
- Vote YES on Senate Bill 41 and House Bill 387 – a bill to strengthen Public Artist rights
- Vote YES on Senate Bill 289 & House Bill 352 – a bill to extend arts education anti-poverty grants
Riding the Bus
Transportation to and from Maryland Hall is free to attendees who catch the designated buses from Maryland Hall.
*Please note that Annapolis City Public Transportation is also available. However, Maryland Citizens for the Arts does not cover the cost if attendees choose to use this transportation.
The buses will begin running from Maryland Hall to St. John’s College at 7:40 am and will continue to run to St. John’s College until 2:00 pm.
Free transportation will be provided only via the designated Woodlawn Motor Coach buses.
Photo ID
Remember to bring your photo ID. A photo ID is required to enter the Lowe House Office Building and the Miller Senate Office Building.
Inclement Weather Policy & Refund Policy
Maryland Arts Day will take place unless State Government offices close for the day. If the event needs to be canceled, please watch our website and check your email for updates.
Unfortunately, no refunds will be given if Maryland Arts Day is canceled.
Partners
Arts Education in Maryland Schools (AEMS)
- As Maryland’s statewide arts education advocacy organization, AEMS is committed to ensuring that all Maryland public school students have access to high quality arts education by mobilizing power to communities through professional development, leadership development, advocacy programs, and resource building and sharing.
County Arts Agencies of Maryland(CAAM)
- CAAM is a non-profit statewide assembly of Arts Councils established to: foster, promote, and develop skills and articulate the needs of the arts communities in Maryland. CAAM works in cooperation with the MSAC and MCA for increased artistic opportunities for all Maryland artists, arts organizations, and citizens.
Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance (GBCA)
- GBCA exists as a catalyst to create a cohesive cultural community that strengthens the livability and economic vitality of the Greater Baltimore region. Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance serves arts organizations, coalitions and individual artists by: being a unifying voice and bridge builder; acting as a convener; providing information and services.
- MANO works to promote a thriving and effective nonprofit sector. Through their nationally acclaimed Standards for Excellence program, education, resources, and consulting, they help build strong organizations at every stage of the lifecycle, from start-up to growth to peak performance and renewal. MANO leads public policy advocacy, raising the collective voice for needed investments, governmental transparency, and community empowerment.
Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC)
- MSAC is an agency of the State of Maryland, under the authority of the Department of Commerce, Division of Tourism, Film and the Arts. Since it was established in 1967, the purpose of the Council has been “to create a nurturing climate for the arts in the State” as stated in its founding legislation. To carry out its mission, MSAC awards grants to not-for-profit, tax-exempt organizations for ongoing arts programming and arts projects. MSAC awards grants to individual artists, and provides technical and advisory assistance to individuals and groups. The Council also carries out programs of its own to enhance the cultural life of the residents of Maryland.
Maryland Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts (MDVLA)
- MDVLA is a nonprofit service organization dedicated to protecting Maryland artists’ legal rights through low cost and pro bono legal referrals and education to artists and nonprofit arts organizations. Their lawyers take on cases for artists as they would for any client. They strive to help artists and organizations overcome legal barriers that limit their ability to create, distribute, or profit from their creativity. MDVLA, along with PNC Bank, team up with MCA to bring free workshops on legal and financial literacy for artists throughout the state, such as the Mind Your Business workshop.