Baltimore, MD (October 26, 2018) – The Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) will host the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA) Assembly 2018 conference, November 1-3. The conference attracts more than 350 delegates from the nation's 56 state and jurisdictional arts agencies. Participants will explore Baltimore and share new research and best practices for using the arts to strengthen communities.
"We are excited to host NASAA Assembly 2018 in Baltimore," says Ken Skrzesz, MSAC executive director. "This is a singular opportunity to showcase our state's cultural assets to influential policy leaders and arts funders on a national stage. The arts give Maryland a distinctive culture as well as a great quality of life and a growing economy."
According to a Maryland Department of Commerce report, the arts are a significant economic generator in Maryland. MSAC grantees draw audiences in excess of eight million people annually and return more than $56 million in revenues to state and county governments. NASAA's Creative Economy State Profiles, drawing on research from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, show Maryland's creative industries provide more than 81,000 jobs and add $10.9 billion in value to the state's economy.
During NASAA Assembly 2018, attendees will learn more about Maryland’s creative economy, visiting Baltimore's state-designated Arts & Entertainment Districts: The Bromo, Highlandtown and Station North. The iconic American Visionary Art Museum will host an opening reception, and the Assembly will feature appearances by Maryland arts leaders, including Christopher Bedford, Dorothy Wagner Wallis director of the Baltimore Museum of Art. Performers include many Marylanders, including the Bachelor Boys, Todd Marcus, Cris Jacobs, and Akua Allrich.
Founded in 1967, MSAC is an agency of the 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.
Founded in 1968 and celebrating 50 years of service in 2018, the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies is the nonpartisan membership organization that serves the nation's state and jurisdictional arts agencies. NASAA helps state arts agencies fulfill their many citizen service roles by providing knowledge services, representation and leadership programs that strengthen the state arts agency community. NASAA also serves as a clearinghouse for data and research about public funding and the arts. To learn more about NASAA and state arts agencies, visit www.nasaa-arts.org or https://www.facebook.com/NASAA.Arts.
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