What Arts Education in Maryland Schools does

Arts Education in Maryland Schools (AEMS), legally Arts Education in Maryland Schools Alliance, is a 501(c)(3) Maryland nonprofit (EIN 52-2056349) founded in 1992 and incorporated in July 1997. Headquartered at 1505 Eutaw Pl., Ste 204, Baltimore, the organization operates with a "small but mighty" staff of approximately three full-time employees (Executive Director Rachel McGrain, Director of Operations Peter Dayton, Communications Manager Alissa Gittens) governed by a volunteer board of nine-plus members. AEMS exists to ensure that all students in Maryland's 24 public school systems have access to high-quality arts education across dance, media arts, music, theatre, and visual arts. Maryland COMAR regulations require arts education as a civil right, and AEMS positions itself as the expert statewide organization interpreting and advocating for enforcement of those requirements.

AEMS delivers three intersecting program lines: advocacy (state-level legislative testimony, Blueprint for Maryland's Future implementation, coalition organizing through the Maryland Education Coalition and other alliances), resource building and sharing (the Arts Advocacy 101 video series, family-facing and administrator-facing resource libraries, Arts Educator Feedback surveys, and the Maryland Arts Education Data Project built in partnership with Quadrant Research), and professional development (A-REALL anti-racism learning community co-created with MSDE, the Maryland Center for Creative Classrooms [MC3], Arts Educator & Artist Campaign School, the H.E.A.T. Force linking K-12 and higher education, and the Arts Education Symposium on Anti-Racism). It also serves as fiscal sponsor for the Maryland Public High School Dance Showcase and operates an "Arts in Our Schools Month" advocacy campaign now officially proclaimed by the State of Maryland.

Revenue is generated from three streams: individual and corporate donations across tiers from Grassroots ($1-99) to Founder's Circle ($1,000+); institutional grants from state agencies (MSDE, MSAC, Baltimore Children and Youth Fund) and private foundations (Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Foundation, Ed Trust, Abell Foundation, Lockhart Vaughan Foundation, Patricia and Mark Joseph Foundation, Clayton Baker Trust); and merchandise sales via an on-demand Printful storefront of branded apparel. There is no public revenue disclosure. AEMS is the only statewide organization solely focused on arts education advocacy in Maryland's K-12 public schools, working through deep partnerships with state agencies and discipline-specific professional associations (MAEA, MDEA, MMEA, MTEA) as well as national networks including the Arts Education Partnership.

Name

Arts Education in Maryland Schools

Legal name

Arts Education in Maryland Schools Alliance

Website

https://aems-edu.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Arts Education in Maryland Schools (AEMS) is a Baltimore-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that advocates for high-quality arts education access across all 24 Maryland public school systems, delivering policy advocacy, educator professional development, and statewide arts education data infrastructure.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts Education Advocacy

NAICS

Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Arts Education Instruction (Visual/Performing) (EDAJAFAK)

Keywords

• Arts education advocacy
• Education policy
• Nonprofit advocacy
• Professional development
• Arts curriculum

Headquarters

HQ city

Baltimore

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual and Corporate Donations: AEMS receives donations from individuals and institutional donors at various levels including Founder's Circle ($1,000+), Supporters ($200-499), Sustainers ($500-999), and Grassroots donors ($1-99). They accept one-time and recurring gifts, donor advised fund contributions, and mailed checks.
2. Merchandise Sales: AEMS sells branded merchandise including Power of the Arts sweatshirts ($44.99), t-shirts ($19.99-$28.99) through their e-commerce shop. Products are fulfilled on-demand through Printful.
3. Institutional Grants: AEMS receives funding from institutional donors including Baltimore Children and Youth Fund, Maryland State Department of Education, Maryland State Arts Council, and private foundations including Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Foundation, Ed Trust, Abell Foundation, and others.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Arts Education in Maryland Schools (AEMS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that advocates for high-quality arts education in Maryland's public schools. It operates three strategic pillars: (1) advocacy (state and local policy influence, legislative testimony, and community mobilization), (2) resource building and sharing (toolkits, the Maryland Arts Education Data Project dashboards, and advocacy guides), and (3) professional development (programs such as A-REALL, MC3, Campaign School, and the Arts Education Symposium on Anti-Racism). It also operates a merchandise shop that raises funds for its advocacy programs.

Product overview

AEMS is a 501(c)(3) Maryland non-profit organization that serves as both an advocacy coalition and a provider of professional development and educational resources for arts education in Maryland's public schools. The organization operates across three strategic pillars: advocacy (policy influence, legislative work, and community mobilization), resource building and sharing (providing toolkits, data dashboards, and educational materials), and professional development (offering programs such as A-REALL, MC3, and the Campaign School). AEMS also manages the Maryland Arts Education Data Project in partnership with Quadrant Research, facilitates the Maryland Public High School Dance Showcase, and operates a merchandise shop (Power of the Arts collection) through Printful. The organization coordinates with state agencies including MSDE and MSAC, and maintains collaborative relationships with arts education professional associations across dance, music, theatre, and visual arts disciplines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• A-REALL: A professional learning community for arts educators, teaching artists, and arts integration classroom teachers committed to anti-racism in learning spaces. Co-created by AEMS and MSDE Fine Arts.
• Maryland Center for Creative Classrooms (MC3)

Products and services

• A-REALL (Arts Educators Anti-Racist Learning & Leading) A professional learning community for arts educators, teaching artists, and arts integration classroom teachers committed to anti-racism in learning spaces. Co-created by AEMS and MSDE Fine Arts.
• Maryland Centers for Creative Classrooms (MC3) A research-based, professional development series designed to support arts educators in developing skills, knowledge, and dispositions needed to lead quality arts-based instruction. Administered by AEMS and supported by MSDE and MSAC.
• Arts Educator Feedback Surveys Community listening sessions and surveys for arts educators and the arts education ecosystem to gather information and discover advocacy efforts statewide.
• Maryland Arts Education Data Project A data project that gathers data from the Maryland State Department of Education to display arts education specific statistics on public dashboards. Developed in partnership with Quadrant Research and accessible at artseddata.org.
• Maryland Public High School Dance Showcase An annual showcase highlighting dance education in public schools with a collective fine arts dance concert, master classes, All-State dancers adjudications and award ceremony. AEMS serves as fiscal sponsor.
• Arts Education Symposium on Anti-Racism A symposium series presented as satellite sessions at annual arts educator professional association conferences, featuring anti-racism content experts in dance, music, theatre, and visual arts disciplines.
• Arts Educator & Artist Campaign School A multi-year program for Maryland public school arts educators to learn how to organize and run a campaign for elected office. Developed in collaboration with Maryland Citizens for the Arts and inspired by Fractured Atlas' Artist Campaign School program.
• Arts Advocacy 101 Video Series Tutorials led by experts in the arts education ecosystem covering advocacy topics such as navigating local school boards, advocacy through testimony, navigating Annapolis, and rallying parents to causes.
• Power of the Arts Merchandise Shop An e-commerce shop featuring the 'Power of the Arts' merchandise collection including sweatshirts, t-shirts, and children's apparel. Products are fulfilled on-demand through Printful. Proceeds support AEMS advocacy programs.
• Higher Education in the Arts Task Force (H.E.A.T. Force) A task force consisting of arts education faculty from higher education throughout Maryland that meets quarterly via Zoom to identify gaps in arts education and bridge the divide between primary and tertiary education.
• Baltimore Arts Education Initiative (BAEI) A partnership between Baltimore City Public Schools and Arts Every Day to address the decline of arts education access and develop a comprehensive Arts Education Strategic Plan.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Maryland State Department of Education Office of Fine ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAEMS works with MSDE's Office of Fine Arts to develop standards, policy, and advocacy for arts education pre-K through high school. AEMS helped ensure arts were included in Blueprint for Maryland's Future implementation plans.
• Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMSAC provides grants and funding support for arts programming statewide. AEMS and MSAC co-develop programs including MC3 (Maryland Center for Creative Classrooms) and support arts educators through joint initiatives.
• Arts Education Partnership (AEP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational network of more than 100 organizations dedicated to advancing arts education. AEMS participates in AEP initiatives and receives access to national research, resources, and advocacy support.
• Maryland Education Coalition (MEC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition representing parents, civil rights, and special student population groups advocating for adequate, equitable resources for Maryland's 900,000 public school students.
• Coalition for the Blueprint for Maryland's FuturemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLarge coalition of education advocates that worked to pass and fund the Blueprint for Maryland's Future (HB1300/SB1000), a landmark education reform bill.
• Baltimore Arts Education Initiative (BAEI)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership between Baltimore City Public Schools and Arts Every Day to address decline of arts education access and develop comprehensive Arts Education Strategic Plan.
• Maryland Center for Creative Classrooms (MC3)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAEMS administers MC3, a research-based professional development series supporting arts educators in developing skills for quality arts-based instruction. Co-developed with MSDE and MSAC.
• A-REALL (Arts Educators Anti-Racist Learning & Leading)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional learning community for arts educators and teaching artists committed to anti-racism. Co-created by AEMS and MSDE Fine Arts office.
• Maryland Art Education Association (MAEA)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorState affiliate supporting visual arts education in Maryland schools. Collaborates on advocacy, professional development, and policy initiatives.
• Maryland Dance Education Association (MDEA)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorState affiliate advancing dance education. Collaborates on advocacy, professional development, and policy initiatives including the Maryland Public High School Dance Showcase.
• Maryland Music Educators Association (MMEA)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProfessional association for music educators. Collaborates on advocacy, professional development, and policy initiatives.
• Maryland Theatre Education Association (MTEA)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOrganization connecting, supporting, and empowering theatre educators through fellowship, professional development, and advocacy.
• Artbae (Founded by Cary Michael Robinson)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtbae is an arts, entertainment and education-based lifestyle brand. Founder Cary Michael Robinson serves on AEMS Board. AEMS hosts Artbae Virtual Auction fundraiser.
• Maryland Citizens for the Arts (MCA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide arts advocacy organization working to highlight arts' role in economic vitality and quality of life. Collaborates on Arts Educator & Artist Campaign School program.
• Teaching Artists of the Mid-Atlantic (TAMA)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional network encouraging communication and collaboration among Teaching Artists to establish an equitable and vibrant arts ecosystem.
• Council of Educational, Administrative and Supervisory Organizations of Maryland (CEASOM)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCoalition promoting continuous improvement of education through collaboration of member organizations.
• Quadrant ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAEMS partnered with Quadrant Research to initiate the Maryland Arts Education Data Project, providing public dashboards of arts education statistics statewide.
• Baltimore CorpsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBaltimore-based organization connecting talent to career-building opportunities. Previously hosted Rachel McGrain; collaborated on 2021 Symposium on Anti-Racism.
• Arts Every DaymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBaltimore-based organization strengthening learning through arts education and cultural experiences in City Schools. Led Baltimore Arts Education Initiative.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Education Trust: National nonprofit advancing educational equity and justice; a disclosed funder of AEMS. Comparable as a peer education equity and policy advocacy organization with overlapping donor relationships and policy goals.

Broad incumbents

• Maryland State Education Association (MSEA): Statewide teachers' union and advocacy organization in Maryland. Comparable as a peer statewide education advocacy organization with overlapping stakeholder relationships with Maryland public schools and policymakers.
• Americans for the Arts: National nonprofit advocating for the arts and arts education across the U.S. Directly comparable to AEMS as a peer advocacy organization, though operating at a broader national scale rather than the state focus AEMS emphasizes.
• Young Audiences Arts for Learning: National nonprofit providing arts education programming and advocacy. Comparable to AEMS as a peer arts education organization, though it focuses more on direct programming and residencies while AEMS focuses on policy and advocacy.
• NAfME (National Association for Music Education): National organization supporting music education, with state affiliates including MMEA that AEMS partners with. Comparable as a peer arts education advocacy organization focused on music and broader arts disciplines in K-12 schools.

Direct peers

• Maryland Citizens for the Arts (MCA): Statewide arts advocacy organization in Maryland that co-develops programs with AEMS, including the Arts Educator & Artist Campaign School. Closely comparable as a peer state-level arts advocacy organization operating in the same geography and with overlapping stakeholder relationships.
• Arts Education Partnership (AEP): A national network of more than 100 organizations, including AEMS, dedicated to advancing arts education. Directly comparable as a coalition-based advocacy infrastructure for arts education that AEMS both participates in and helps drive.
• Arts Every Day: Baltimore-based organization that led the Baltimore Arts Education Initiative with AEMS and Baltimore City Public Schools. Directly comparable as a peer arts education advocacy organization focused on school-system access in Maryland.
• Maryland Education Coalition (MEC): Coalition representing parents, civil rights, and student advocacy groups in Maryland that AEMS is part of. Comparable as a peer state-level education advocacy coalition, focused on adequate and equitable resources for Maryland public schools.

Others

• Grantmakers for Education: National network of funders supporting education. Comparable as an adjacent ecosystem organization that connects AEMS to potential foundation funders and supports the broader education advocacy funding landscape.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/artsedmaryland
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/theaemsalliance
• Facebookfacebook.com/artsedmaryland
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/artseducationinmarylandschoolsalliance
• Instagraminstagram.com/artsedmaryland
• TikToktiktok.com/@artsedmaryland

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Arts Education in Maryland Schools