Arts in Education Grant

Be any of the following:

• A 501(c)3 with tax exempt status from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and is incorporated in Maryland

• A unit of Government based in Maryland

• A college or university based in Maryland

And, have one completed and documented fiscal year at the date of application submission with ongoing arts activities.

Before applying to the AiE grant, prospective applicants must:

1. Select a Teaching Artist 

All applications must specify an artist currently on MSAC's Teaching Artist Roster. To find roster artists, click here to visit the Maryland Arts Directory and use the Filter to search for artists and companies with Arts in Education Funding Available.

2. Identify a Site Coordinator 

Applicants must identify a Site Coordinator (an individual employed by the site organization) who submits the application in collaboration with their selected Teaching Artist. Applications may not be submitted by board members, trustees, Parent Teacher Associations, volunteers, or other entities not employed directly by the site organization.

3. Confirm Teaching Artist

Before submitting an application, all applicants must contact and confirm their selected Teaching Artist’ availability, educational engagements, and negotiated budget.

4. Review the MSAC Glossary

Please refer to the MSAC Glossary for any words or terms used in the guidelines and/or relevant documents (i.e. educational engagement types.)

All activities described in project-based application submissions to any funding program at MSAC must demonstrate alignment with the Maryland Strong: Roadmap to Recovery plan to be considered eligible.

If multiple applications receive the same score but budget restrictions prevent all applications with that score from being funded, final selections will be based on which applications most closely align with the published strategic goals of the MSAC, in the determination of the MSAC staff: Increase Participation, Provide Intentional Support, Build Capacity, Leverage Connections, Bolster Maryland Arts

Matching Waiver

Applicants may request a waiver from the dollar for dollar match by submitting a Match Waiver Request Form with their application’s budget. Match waivers, including the entirety of the AiE Grant Application, will be reviewed by the AiE Grants Panel based on scoring rubrics.

Arts in Education Equitable Funding Formula

MSAC is dedicated to serving students, youth, and constituents across the state and supporting a variety of arts education needs. In our commitment to Equity, MSAC has budgeted a maximum funding allotment per county according to the AiE Equitable Funding Formula. This formula will guide funding decisions for educational engagements based in school (public or private) settings only. Populations or Communities outside of a school setting do not have an equitable funding formula. 

AiE Grant funding for youth audiences (aged 21 and under) will be determined for each county based on the following formula: 

• 20% of the council approved budget base, distributed evenly across 24 counties. 
• 80% of the remaining budget by the county’s percentage of students receiving Free and Reduced Meals
• 20% of the remaining budget by student population percentage, comparative to the state

MSAC acknowledges that as new reporting and equity measures are created across the state and nation-wide, this formula may need to be updated in the future. This formula is based on currently available information and considers three different equity factors: 

20% of the council approved budget base, distributed evenly across 24 counties: Every Maryland county should have designated funding to host at least two arts education engagements per year (long form such as a residency or other arts program and short forms such as a visiting performance or workshop.)

80% of the remaining budget by county’s percentage of students receiving Free and Reduced Meals: Free and Reduced Meals (FARM) is the most consistent statewide measure of education barriers including family income, household size, foster, migrant, runaway, and/or homeless children, Food Supplement Programs, and Temporary Cash Assistance.

20% of the remaining budget by student population percentage, comparative to the state: The quantity of resources needed in a particular county is partially determined by the number of students enrolled in school (public and private.)

Applicants must select only one MSAC Teaching Artist per application. The applicant may identify multiple educational engagements with their selected Teaching Artist. If an applicant wishes to receive funding for different Teaching Artists in one fiscal year, they must submit a separate application. Up to two grant requests per applicant may be awarded in any fiscal year (July 1 - June 30).

• Note: If an applicant wants to request funds for a Field Trip and Professional Development, they must identify a related Educational Engagement Type in their application.
• Note: Either you or the Teaching Artist must begin the application and instruct MSAC Staff to invite the appropriate parties to collaboratively edit and submit.

AiE Grant applications will be reviewed monthly and notifications about grant status will be sent by the end of the month in which it was reviewed. 

Please contact the MSAC staff for technical assistance. Funding recommendations are subject to the review of the AiE Grant Panel and MSAC staff.

See the Grant Guidelines for detailed information.

Upon execution of the grant agreement, payment will be processed for receipt in 6-8 weeks. Grantees are required to submit a final report at the completion of the funded project. 

Reporting Requirements

Grantees are required to submit a brief report detailing the use of funds at the end of each fiscal year. 

Note About Teaching Artists Roster and AiE Grants

The relationship between the Teaching Artist Roster and the AiE Grant is unique. In order to streamline the payment process for independent artists and organizations, MSAC acts as the financial intermediary for the AiE Grant. The site organization (applicant) pays MSAC the amount they normally would pay out of pocket towards artist fees. MSAC then pays the total cost of the site organization’s approved budget for MSAC funding (up to $5,000) directly to the Teaching Artist. With this model, Teaching Artists are the sole recipients of grant monies.

See the Grant Guidelines for detailed information.

All MSAC grants are paid on the same timeline. To learn more, click here.

The inaugural year for the Arts in Education Grant was FY 2021. Grants awarded during that year are below. Grants awarded in earlier years through previous AiE programs also are listed.

FY 2021 Arts in Education Grant

FY 2020 Visiting Performer Grant

FY 2020 Artist in Residence Grant
FY 2019 Artist in Residence Grant
FY 2017 Artist in Residence Grant