Maryland State Arts Council

What Maryland State Arts Council does

Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) is a state government arts agency established in 1967 and operating under the Maryland Department of Commerce. Headquartered in Baltimore, the agency functions as the official conduit for state and federal arts funding in Maryland, distributing grants to nonprofit arts organizations, independent artists, schools and educational institutions, and 24 county arts agencies. MSAC is governed by an appointed body of 17 citizens (13 named by the governor to 3-year terms) and led by Executive Director Steven Skerritt-Davis, with a small staff of 11-50 employees. Its mission is to ensure broad, equitable access to the arts across all Maryland communities, framed around commitments to equity, diversity, accessibility, and inclusion.

MSAC's portfolio comprises approximately 14 distinct grant and program categories — including Arts Capital, Arts in Education, County Arts Development, Creativity Grants, Grants for Artists, Grants for Organizations, Maryland Traditions, Poet Laureate, Poetry Out Loud, Presenting and Touring, Professional Development, and Public Art — alongside three online platforms: the Maryland Arts Directory (a searchable directory of artists and organizations), the Arts Calendar (statewide events listing), and the Resource Bulletin (opportunities aggregation maintained with Maryland Art Place). Grant applications and management are handled through the third-party Smart Simple platform. Marketing and stakeholder communications run through the msac.org website, a monthly 'Council Connect' newsletter distributed via Constant Contact, and organic social media presence on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The agency's business model is grantmaking rather than commercial: it receives annual appropriations from the State of Maryland, federal pass-through funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, and may accept private contributions. It generates no fee-based revenue and provides grants rather than sells products. According to MSAC, the nonprofit arts organizations it funds collectively generate an annual economic impact of $1.2 billion in Maryland. In 2025, the legislatively-mandated Arts Incubator Workgroup, composed of 13 appointed members representing diverse artistic communities, local arts councils, and arts organizations, completed its work with a final report submitted in December 2025 following a preliminary December 2024 report, focused on how arts institutions can better support individual artists.

Name

Maryland State Arts Council

Legal name

Maryland State Arts Council

Website

https://msac.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) is the official state arts agency, distributing grants and program support to nonprofit arts organizations, independent artists, schools, and 24 county arts agencies across Maryland, funded by state appropriations and National Endowment for the Arts pass-throughs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Arts Funding and Grant Administration

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Art, Arts Councils & Grantmaking Programs (BPAGAHAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cultural Centers & Community Cultural Organizations (BPAGAHAD), Arts Education Instruction (Visual/Performing) (EDAJAFAK)

Keywords

• State arts funding
• Arts grant programs
• Arts education services
• Public art initiatives
• Nonprofit arts support

Headquarters

HQ city

Baltimore

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. State of Maryland Funding: Annual appropriation from the State of Maryland providing core operational and grant-making funding for the agency.
2. National Endowment for the Arts Grants: Federal funding through NEA grants to support arts programming and initiatives in Maryland.
3. Private Contributions: The Council may receive contributions from private, non-governmental sources to support arts initiatives.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Maryland State Arts Council is a state government arts agency that administers multiple grant programs and provides technical assistance to nonprofit arts organizations, individual artists, schools, and county arts agencies across Maryland. It distributes funding from state appropriations and National Endowment for the Arts grants, and operates supporting online platforms including the Maryland Arts Directory, Arts Calendar, and Resource Bulletin.

Product overview

The Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) is a state government arts agency that operates as a unified portfolio of grant programs and online platforms rather than a commercial product company. The organization offers approximately 14 distinct grant and program categories including Arts Capital, Arts in Education, County Arts Development, Creativity Grants, Grants for Artists, Grants for Organizations, Maryland Traditions, Poet Laureate, Poetry Out Loud, Presenting and Touring, Professional Development, and Public Art programs. Additionally, MSAC operates three online platforms: the Maryland Arts Directory (a searchable directory of artists and arts organizations), the Arts Calendar (events listing), and the Resource Bulletin (opportunities aggregation). These programs are delivered through the Smart Simple grant management system and are funded through state appropriations and National Endowment for the Arts grants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Grants for Organizations Grant funding for tax-exempt nonprofit arts organizations in Maryland that provide ongoing arts programming and projects. Recipients receive operational and project-specific funding.
• Grants for Artists Funding opportunities for individual artists in Maryland, including professional development and technical assistance for career growth.
• Arts in Education Program Program connecting teaching artists with public and private schools, early childhood centers, and educational institutions for arts education, including Teaching Artist Roster and artist residencies.
• County Arts Development Program Funding program supporting 24 local arts councils and arts development in Maryland counties, including general operating grants and arts programming support.
• Arts Capital Program Capital funding program providing grants to arts organizations and facilities for infrastructure and capital improvements.
• Public Art Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Nonprofit arts organizations funded by MSAC support an annual economic impact of $1.2 billion

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• State of Maryland (Department of Commerce)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1967MSAC is an agency of the State of Maryland under the authority of the Department of Commerce. The organization receives annual state appropriations and operates as part of the state's arts funding infrastructure. Governor Wes Moore and Secretary of Commerce Harry Coker Jr. provide oversight.
• National Endowment for the ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMSAC receives federal funding through NEA grants to support arts programming and initiatives in Maryland. Organizations receiving MSAC funding that is subgranted from NEA may be subject to investigation by the NEA Office of Civil Rights.
• Maryland Art PlaceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaryland Art Place maintains the MSAC online Resource Bulletin, which includes local, regional, and national opportunities, calls for artists, grants, and vendor opportunities. Updated weekly and categorized by deadline date.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Illinois Arts Council: Illinois state agency supporting the arts through grant programs, education initiatives, and folk/traditional arts programs. Functionally comparable to MSAC as a state arts grantmaker with similar program categories.
• Florida Division of Arts and Culture: State arts grantmaking division housed within Florida's Department of State. Comparable to MSAC as a state-level public grantmaker supporting nonprofit arts organizations, individual artists, and arts education.
• Pennsylvania Council on the Arts: Pennsylvania's state arts agency providing grants and services to artists, organizations, and communities. Direct functional peer to MSAC with a similar multi-program structure and statewide distribution model.
• Ohio Arts Council: Ohio's state arts agency distributing grants to nonprofit organizations, schools, and individual artists. Direct peer to MSAC in role, funding model, and core program mix.
• California Arts Council: California's state arts agency awarding grants to organizations, individual artists, and folk/traditional arts practitioners. Direct functional peer to MSAC in grantmaking role, program structure, and state-government positioning.
• New York State Council on the Arts: Official state arts council for New York, providing grants to nonprofit arts organizations and individual artists. Operates the same basic model as MSAC: state government agency distributing public funds to the arts ecosystem.
• Massachusetts Cultural Council: Massachusetts state arts and culture agency funding individuals, schools, and nonprofit organizations. Direct peer to MSAC, with a slightly broader cultural mandate but identical grantmaking and program delivery structure.
• Texas Commission on the Arts: Texas state arts agency awarding grants, providing technical assistance, and supporting arts education. Comparable to MSAC in core grantmaking mission and structure, though serving a much larger and more geographically dispersed state.

Others

• Americans for the Arts: National nonprofit that advocates for the arts and provides research, training, and policy resources to state and local arts agencies including MSAC. Adjacent to MSAC as an enabling/thematically related organization rather than a direct grantmaking competitor.

Broad incumbents

• National Endowment for the Arts: Federal arts funding agency that channels block grants to MSAC and other state arts agencies. Highly comparable as a public-sector arts grantmaker, but operates at the national level and funds MSAC rather than competing with it.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mdartscouncil
• Facebookfacebook.com/mdartscouncil
• Instagraminstagram.com/mdartscouncil/?hl=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maryland-state-arts-council

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Maryland State Arts Council