July
15,
2009
Maryland Symphony Orchestra Recipient of
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Grant
Hagerstown, MD—Governor Martin O’Malley has
announced that The Maryland Symphony Orchestra (MSO) is one
of 29 Maryland arts organizations that have been awarded
a Maryland Arts Employment Stabilization Program grant by
the Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC). A total of
$306,050 was awarded to the organizations. The MSO
will receive $12,500.
The funds, which were awarded to Maryland from the National
Endowment for the Arts (NEA) through the American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, are being used to help
preserve arts jobs that have been threatened during the economic
downturn.
“The Maryland Employment Stabilization grants will
have an impact on the organizational and artistic effectiveness
of 29 important arts organizations by making it possible
for them to maintain or reinstitute jobs,” says E.
Scott Johnson, Chair of the Maryland State Arts Council. “These
jobs will affect the organizations’ ability to serve
their community thereby adding to the quality of life in
our state.”
The Maryland State Arts Council was awarded funds (by the
NEA) specifically for sub-grants that support the preservation
of jobs in the arts in Maryland. Arts organizations
that received funds in the council’s fiscal year 2009
Grants for Organizations, Community Arts Development and
ARTvantage programs were eligible to apply for the Stabilization
Grants. MSAC convened a panel of experienced arts professionals
to evaluate and rate the proposals. In total, 95 applicants
representing 20 counties requested a total of $1.6 million.
“The recession has hit non-profit arts organizations
particularly hard. We have seen both a decline in ticket
sales and contributed income,” says MSO Executive Director
Andrew Kipe. “The MSO has made a commitment to the
community to not reduce concert offerings or educational
opportunities as we struggle with these new economic realities.”
“This grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will help
the MSO to retain all of its full-time administrative staff, which is key in
ensuring that we can maintain the quality programs that the community has come
to rely upon from the Maryland Symphony,” said Anton Dahbura, president
of the MSO.
The Maryland Symphony Orchestra is the area’s premier
professional orchestra, dedicated to providing musical performances
that educate and entertain, while enhancing the cultural
environment of Western Maryland and the surrounding region.
The Maryland State Arts Council, an agency of the Maryland
Department of Business & Economic Development, Division
of Tourism, Film and the Arts, is dedicated to cultivating
a vibrant cultural community where the arts thrive. In
FY 2008, the Maryland arts industry contributed $1.2 billion
to the State’s economy and provided 15,000 jobs to
Maryland residents.
For more information about the Maryland Symphony Orchestra
visit the MSO web site at www.marylandsymphony.org |
