105 Maryland Artists Selected
The Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) announced today that $246,000 has been awarded to 105 Maryland artists through the 2019 Individual Artist Awards (IAA). This year’s awardees were chosen from a group of 669 applicants and represent some of the state’s leading authors, visual artists, theater performers and digital/electronic and media artists.
Administered in partnership with Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, the 2019 IAAs recognize outstanding artistic achievements of artists from across Maryland.
“As an artist myself, I understand the importance of arts and am proud of our statewide agency, MSAC to recognize the accomplishments of Maryland’s individual artists and support them,” said First Lady Yumi Hogan. “I want to offer my sincere congratulations to all awardees. Their incredible talent and significant contributions are one of the driving forces that flourish our great state of Maryland.”
This year’s awardees represent the fields of Creative Nonfiction/Fiction, Digital/Electronic Arts, Media Arts, Painting, Theater Solo Performance, and Works on Paper. Awardees were chosen, based solely on artistic merit, by an out-of-state jury of discipline-specific experts.
Awardees will be honored during a ceremony on Saturday, June 8, 2019, at the conclusion of the first Maryland Arts Summit, which will be held at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. In addition to the recognition, Individual Artists receive grants of $1,000, $3,000 or $6,000 in support of their continued artistic growth. The full list of 2019 IAA awardees can be found here.
Over the course of the past year, MSAC collected feedback from artists across the state in an effort to update the IAA program. The new Independent Artist Awards (IAA) program will debut in 2020 with a focus on Performing Arts. Applications will be accepted from dancers, musicians, actors and performance artists as well as composers, choreographers and playwrights. Subsequent years will feature awards in Visual Arts (2021) and Literary Arts (2022). Information about the new IAA program will be released in summer 2019, and the application period for 2020 IAAs will open in the fall of 2019.
*Painting by Carolyn Case
###
About MSAC
Founded in 1967, the Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) is an agency of the State of Maryland Department of Commerce, Division of Tourism, Film and the Arts, and encourages and invests in the advancement of the arts for all Marylanders. Its grants and programs support artists and arts organizations in their pursuit of artistic excellence, ensure the accessibility of the arts to all citizens, and promote statewide awareness of arts resources and opportunities. MSAC awards grants to not-for-profit, tax-exempt organizations and individual artists, and provides technical and advisory assistance to individuals and groups. The agency is funded by an annual appropriation from the State of Maryland and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. MSAC may also receive contributions from private, non-governmental sources. For more information, go to msac.org.