The Arts & Entertainment (A&E) District designation offers Maryland counties and municipalities tax incentives and other tools to encourage activity and investment in specific geographic areas where the arts are part of an economic development strategy.
Donor Name: Maryland State Arts Council
State: Maryland
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 09/02/2025
Size of the Grant: Not Available
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
The purpose of the Arts and Entertainment District program is to support the designation of Arts and Entertainment (A&E) Districts in Maryland by overseeing the designation, reporting, and redesignation processes. The program also provides management entities of active A&E Districts across the state ongoing with technical support, resources, and access to an annual operating grant. These guidelines specifically outline the process for designating a Maryland A&E District, detailing eligibility requirements, the selection and approval process, and the associated benefits.
The State’s goal for the A&E Districts program is to develop, promote, and support diverse artistic and cultural centers in communities throughout Maryland that preserve a sense of place, provide unique local experiences, attract tourism, and spur economic revitalization and neighborhood pride. Strategies supported by the program include but are not limited to:
- Creating accessible and unique arts destinations
- Leveraging the State’s regional identities, natural resources, and heritage
- Facilitating opportunities for dynamic arts experiences that actively engage community members and attract visitors
- Enabling artists of all disciplines to live, work, and create an economically prosperous future; and
- Investing in the power of place.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must:
- be a county or municipal government in Maryland,
- select a geographic area with a significant level of arts activity, entertainment venues, and/or arts business, and
- include arts and entertainment in the area’s economic development strategy.
For more information, visit MSAC.
