$5.7 Million Awarded To MOCO Arts Council In 2022 County Budget

SILVER SPRING, MD — When artists need some financial assistance in Montgomery County, they can turn to the Arts and Humanities Council, whether it's an individual performer or an organization. The council receives money from the county, which it allocates to art causes in the community — this year the council will receive $5.7 million.

The council saw a 12 percent increase in demand during the pandemic when it was able to disperse money from the American Rescue Plan— meaning 12 percent more people and organizations applied for monetary help. Council CEO Suzan Jenkins said that could be because artists hadn't known about the council before or didn't need the money in the past. The increase in applications in turn increased the art council's workload.

The arts council is allocating $641,082 to administrative costs, an increase of $84,347 since last year. The money is being used to hire a new administrative support person to help with the increased number of applications, Jenkins told Patch.

The total allocation to the Arts and Humanities Council, approved unanimously by the county council, is a 1.5 percent increase over last year's budget.

The largest chunk of that money — $5.1 million — will go to general operating support, which gives arts organizations money it needs in order to run, from utilities costs to staff salaries. The Public Arts Trust will receive $408,000.

“From direct funding to innovative integration, the creative sector must be given an equitable opportunity to recuperate and meet our community needs,” said Jenkins in a news release. “As Montgomery County Government considers strong economic rebound strategies for the hospitality, restaurant, and hotel industries, it is critical that they also include the creative sector in those discussions."

Although the council's allocation helps, Jenkins says the arts scene will need more money in order to recovery.

"We know it's not enough," she told Patch. "Our sector was devastated by the pandemic. We were some of the first to close — theaters, concert venues, galleries — and some of the last to open."

Jenkins has been at the council since Sept. 3, 2008. She said she's seen the arts try to recover during the Great Recession, and now a pandemic. This year she's seen that people have come to recognize the power of the arts, and said that many now understand its healing power and think of it as a necessary component in their lives.

To remind people of that power, the arts council launched #ArtHappensHere, a public art mural project that calls on artists to submit work to be displayed throughout the county. The council hopes it will encourage people to venture back out onto the arts scene.

"We don't want to be sidelined," said Jenkins. "This is an essential piece of who we are."