Arts Access Grants
Subsidized funding to bring arts programs into schools and centers
Arts Access Grants
Through a variety of grant opportunities, schools and early childhood centers can make arts learning possible. These grants cover a portion of program costs, making it easier to bring Arts for Learning teaching artists into classrooms, preschools, and community spaces across Maryland.
Access for All
All Maryland Counties
Access for All grants help cover the costs of bringing teaching artists to your school or early childhood center. These grants subsidize between 50% and 80% of the total expenses for residencies, workshops, assemblies, and professional development for students aged birth to grade 12. Schools are responsible for the remaining costs.
Eligibility: All Maryland public schools serving PreK-12 students + early childhood sites
MSAC Grants
All Maryland Counties
MSAC provides Arts in Education (AiE) grants to support arts programs such as assemblies and residencies. These grants subsidize the full cost of an Arts for Learning program with an MSAC-approved artist, including supplies and travel costs, up to $6,000.
Our staff and teaching artists will work collaboratively with you to identify the type of program that best meets the specific needs of your school.
Eligibility: All Maryland schools, libraries, community centers, detention centers + other government entities
County-Specific Grants
Anne Arundel
Anne Arundel Arts Council Arts in Education Grants
These grants are used to fund artistically-driven educational programs. Public and private schools can apply for one residency and one auditorium grant per school year.
Baltimore County
Education Foundation of Baltimore County Public Schools 21st Century Initiative Grants
These grants are based on the project's anticipated contribution to essential knowledge and skills students must have to be successful in life and employment in the 21st century. Projects should address instructional focused 21st century themes such as Arts & Culture, Environmental Literacy, Global Awareness, or Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).
Calvert
Arts Council of Calvert County Arts in Education Grants
These grants are to support artistic presentations that further the cultural arts development of students in state-chartered public and private schools.
Carroll
Carroll County Arts Council Arts in Education Grants
The purpose of these grants is to support bringing Maryland artists and performers into the public schools for residencies, workshops, assembly performances, Master Classes, etc.
Cecil
Cecil County Arts Council Arts in Education Grants
These grants are designed to promote, strengthen, and enhance the arts and arts education in Cecil County's elementary and secondary schools and other community settings.
Charles
Charles County Arts Alliance Arts in Education Grants
These grants are designed to promote, strengthen, and enhance the arts and arts education in Charles County's elementary and secondary schools.
Frederick
Frederick Arts Council Arts in Education Grants
These grants are designed to help teachers enhance their arts curricula by drawing upon the talents of artists and arts organizations in our community. Schools can submit up to two grants each school year and must be matched one-to-one.
Garrett
Garrett County Arts Council Grants
Grants are awarded to local organizations and schools for the presentation of arts activities in the community.
Harford
Harford County Cultural Arts Board Arts in Education Grants
These grants assist schools in booking artists (performing, literary, and visual artists) throughout the state who would bring new and additional arts programming into the schools.
Howard
Howard County Arts Center Arts in Education Grants
These grants place professional artists in residence at private and public K-12 schools to help students foster creative exploration.
Kent
Kent County Arts Council Grants
Grants are awarded for individual projects or events.
Montgomery
Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County Arts Integration Residency Grants
These grants support individual teaching artists trained in curriculum-based arts integration techniques who collaborate with a classroom teacher to develop an arts-integrated program for students during the school day.
Prince George's
Prince George's Arts and Humanities Council Grants
Grants are awarded for a variety of arts education projects, including school-based projects, community-based projects, artist-in-residence projects, and professional development projects.
St. Mary's
St. Mary's County Arts Council Grants
Grants are awarded annually to local organizations and schools for the presentation of arts activities in the community.
Talbot
Talbot County Arts Council Arts in Education Grants
These grants are for visiting performers and artist-in-residence programs in public and private elementary and secondary schools.
Talbot County Arts Council Mini-Grants
These grants are awarded to both nonprofit organizations and schools for special arts-related purposes and programs. They may be requested at any time.
Wicomico
Salisbury Wicomico Arts Council Arts Enhanced Education Grants
These grants are awarded to individual teachers or a "team" of one arts discipline teacher (music, theatre, or visual) and one core discipline teacher (math, science, reading, social studies, etc.). This option has been made available to encourage teachers to work together to develop new, creative project ideas using the arts as a tool to teach their curricula.
Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore Education Awards Program Grants
The Community Foundation's Education Awards Grant Program provides support for classroom-based programs in public and private schools (Pre-K through grade 12) on the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland (specifically Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester County). For additional eligibility detail, please visit the MSDE nonpublic school website. Eligible private schools must be on the MSDE nonpublic schools list. The Foundation funds up to $5,000 for a project.
Local Management Board / Wicomico Partnership Funding
All funding opportunities for local nonprofits focused on afterschool programming are posted online as they become available. All Requests for Proposals are posted on the Wicomico County Government Bid Board. Afterschool grants are typically released during July of each year for funding beginning in September to coincide with the start of the school year (as funding is available).
Other Resources
TitleIArts.org
This site provides resources for school leaders who wish to embrace arts programming among their strategies for achieving Title I goals.
Assistance for Arts Education Development and Dissemination Grants Program
The U.S. Department Of Education awards grants for innovative, cohesive models that have demonstrated their effectiveness in integrating arts into the elementary and middle school curriculum; strengthening arts instruction in these grades; and improving academic performance, including skills in creating, performing, and responding to the arts.
Crayola Grant Program
This program provides grants for innovative, creative leadership team building within elementary schools.
National Education Association Foundation
Provides professional development arts grants for teachers and support personnel to improve student learning.
Professional Development for Arts Educators
These U.S. Department of Education grants support professional development programs for dance, music, theatre, and visual arts educators and other instructional staff of K-12 students in high-poverty schools. The purpose of this program is to: strengthen standards-based arts-in-education programs; ensure all students meet state academic content and achievement standards in the arts; and integrate arts instruction with other core academic-area content.
Title I Officers: Under NCLB, Title I, Part A funds can be used by local education agencies to improve the educational achievement of disadvantaged students through the arts.
Title II Officers: Portions of Title II funds can support partnerships that include nonprofit, cultural-arts organizations.
Your PTA: Many PTAs are willing to raise money or already have money allocated to support arts enrichment activities.
Local Foundations: Many local grant makers (i.e., The Baltimore Community Foundation) make grants to organizations that serve children and families through the arts.
Businesses: Corporations such as Target, Bank of America, Starbucks, and Wal-mart offer grants to schools. Visit their community relations/corporate responsibility page on their website or stop by a local branch/store to ask how to apply for a grant.