By JENNIFER RIDGWAY

The arts community calls on the Maryland General Assembly to reject Gov. Wes Moore’s proposed fiscal year 2026 budget, which eliminates a critical budget formula, threatening vital support for our state’s arts.

In 2017, a $5 billion local, state and national investment in the arts generated an impressive $27.5 billion in government revenue. In Maryland alone, the arts contribute nearly $13 billion to our economy, supporting over 80,000 jobs and generating $7.3 billion in wages. Beyond economics, the arts enrich cultural identity and cohesion, enhance learning, promote social engagement, inspire innovation and more.

At the heart of our communities are teaching artists — established artists trained in making arts learning accessible across all ages, from babies to elders. In 2024, the Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) allocated $900,000 to support over 200 programs led by teaching artists. Operating at the intersection of art, education and community,  these artists contribute to diverse sectors, including education, health, justice, business and the environment. Historically undervalued and unrecognized, teaching artists face exploitation and inadequate compensation without benefits like health care and job security. They are even overlooked by the U.S. Department of Labor’s classification system of nearly 900 occupations. They need support.

As a proud third-generation resident of Prince George’s County, I am committed to strengthening my community using my 30 years of experience as a theatre artist. In December 2024, the Maryland Department of Transportation recognized Yard Dramas, a company I founded in April 2020 in response to the pandemic, as a certified minority business enterprise. Throughout my journey, MSAC has supported my programs in Hyattsville and the surrounding area. Programs that I developed independently and in partnership with local nonprofits and government agencies in the last year include the following:

  • a residency at Capitol Heights Elementary, where first graders made puppets, exploring the vital role of pollinators, while second graders staged a farm-to-table restaurant inspired by Georgia Gilmore’s legacy, enhancing learning, fostering collaboration and nurturing social-emotional well-being;
  • collaborations with the Takoma Park Maryland Library at Crossroads Farmers Market and with Espirales Montessori, a home day care based in Hyattsville’s Ward 3, brought community drama programs to nontraditional outdoor locations, increasing literacy, fostering creativity, communication and collaboration, and nurturing the stewardship of our environment;
  • a partnership with Hyattsville Aging in Place united residents aged 65 to 85 from all of Hyattsville’s five wards to devise a performance showcasing their shared experiences. Through the work, participants bridged the divides created by economic, racial, gender and age-related issues, dispelling myths about identity and community. This program cultivated friendships among students who might not interact otherwise, creating enriching and healing connections. 

 

Transformative programs like these, led by teaching artists and partly supported by MSAC, play a vital role in our communities, often at no cost to participants. Funding increases the opportunity for artists to achieve a living wage that covers benefits and supports our operating expenses as small business owners. Now more than ever, visionaries and champions are needed to safeguard this important work that is key to the vibrancy of our community. 

Moore’s proposal undermines the sustainability of Maryland’s creative contributors. With the dismantling of a 30-year budget formula, critical funding from MSAC for teaching artists and their programs could disappear, as we’ve seen happen in Florida. 

Is this the future we want for Maryland? 

Connect with local teaching artists, support their businesses, and reject the BRFA [Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act] of 2025 to uphold Maryland arts, including teaching artists. 

The State House Appropriations Committee’s budget hearing is set for Feb. 27, and the State Senate Budget and Taxation Committee’s hearing is on Feb. 28. Budget decisions won’t be finalized until March 31, so call committee members and complete this action alert from the Maryland Citizens for the Arts to protect Maryland arts and ensure the arts remain accessible to all Marylanders.

 

Jennifer Ridgway is a theatre teaching artist based in Hyattsville and a co-founder of Teaching Artists of the Mid-Atlantic, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting, empowering and advocating for teaching artists.