Maryland announces development of new arts plan, first update in decades
Published in News & Features
BALTIMORE — Howard County is revamping its arts and culture plan after more than two decades without a major update, officials announced at an event last week.
The Howard County Arts and Culture Plan will be developed during a nearly two-year process involving a steering committee of leaders from local organizations, consultants from the Ohio-based firm Designing Local and community input. The plan is expected to be presented to the County Council next year with policy recommendations.
“This plan is about more than programs and policies. It’s about people,” Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said at the event Jan. 23. “It’s about empowering artists and supporting cultural organizations and creating spaces where every voice is heard, every story is celebrated, and every person has a sense of belonging.”
The previous arts plan, a 10-year plan made in 1991, was last updated in 2003, said Coleen West, executive director of the Howard County Arts Council. At the time, she wasn’t able to raise enough money to conduct a full research analysis and other steps, so the organization made smaller updates looking at changes and additional work that would be required to meet the initial goals.
The timing for a new plan is right, West said, as the county has evolved since the early 2000s and the plan can coincide with HoCo By Design, the county’s general plan for growth and development signed in 2023. The new arts plan will take stock of current arts and culture assets, find methods for growing and engaging creative resources, navigate investments and tackle the ever-changing needs of the arts community, the Howard County Arts Council website said.
“Arts and culture are essential to the history, vibrancy and cohesion of Howard County, and planning for the arts is key to developing a robust and inclusive arts and cultural ecosystem here,” West said. “A well-conceived plan helps identify opportunities, strengths and gaps in arts and cultural resources and provide strategies to leverage the power of the arts and culture to uplift communities, boost economic development, enhance social ties and improve our quality of life.”
With $150,000 committed, there’s also now enough funding for the arts plan to undergo a major update, West said. The money came from the National Endowment for the Arts and the American Rescue Plan Act through the Maryland State Arts Council. The county provided a match.
Phase one has begun with a steering committee meeting, preliminary research, analysis and generally “mobilizing” the project, according to Jasmine Metcalf, an urban planner with Designing Local. The first phase will run until April when the second phase, centered around community engagement and conversation, will begin. The third phase will use community feedback and analysis to find strategies that will work in the county. The plan will then be compiled in one document for approval.
“We really are seeking to develop opportunities for different plans, to communicate with the plans that you’re already implementing and working through, so that that arts and culture feels like something that is interwoven into everything that you’re doing,” said Amanda Golden, co-founder and managing principal of Designing Local.
As a longtime supporter of the arts and music, County Council Vice Chair Opel Jones, of District 2, said he is happy to support the plan and doesn’t foresee much opposition from the council. He started playing the violin when he was 4 years old, realizing the importance of reading music and the camaraderie of playing instruments together as he went on to play the saxophone throughout high school. He noted how he’s seen the life-changing impact of the arts, watching his children pick up music and creative activities as generations pass down arts and storytelling.
“Howard County is an amazing place for all of the people that are involved in arts, whether it’s music or painting or sculpture or theater or whatever. It’s just a great place for us, and I’m glad we have funding for it,” Jones said.
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