HoCo Artists, Venues, Organizations To Receive CARES Act Funding

ELLICOTT CITY, MD — Close to $750,000 in grants will be available for Howard County live venues and arts community impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. The HoCo RISE Live Theatre and Artist Relief Funds, supported through the CARES Act, will help Howard County establishments including Merriweather Post Pavilion, Toby’s Dinner Theatre and the Drama Learning Center in addition to individual artists and non-profit organizations.

“The Howard County arts community is one of the most creative, prolific and diverse throughout our region and nation. We have a deep history and culture of supporting the arts in our community,” said Howard County Executive Ball in a statement. “While COVID-19 has disrupted so many facets of our daily lives – it has hit our arts and creative community especially hard. A season of empty seats, hollow halls, and quiet studios has caused lasting economic damage. We want these grants to provide a bridge of support, to get this community through this moment, and come back stronger than before.”

The Live Theatre Fund will help stabilize and support the Howard County arts community that has lost income from performances, workshops, classes, touring and more. Venues that pay admissions and amusement tax and are not open to the public have been severely impacted in particular. The fund includes more than $530,000 for Merriweather Post Pavilion, $75,000 for Toby’s Dinner Theatre and $36,000 for the Drama Learning Center and Red Branch Theatre.

Additionally, Ball allocated $100,000 to the Artist Relief Fund to support individual artists and non-profit arts organizations that have been adversely affected by the pandemic. Individual artists will share a portion of $50,000 of the fund, up to $1,000 per person. Many artists who rely partially or fully on income from gigs, contracts and freelance lost work during the initial shut-down and from the continued mitigation measures in place. The other $50,000 will be used to support non-profit arts organizations that are current recipients of the Arts Council Community Arts Development Grant program. The Howard County Arts Council will administer the grant application and review process.

“The arts have the power to unite, heal and soothe. During this crisis, people all over the world are increasingly turning to the arts to connect with one another and add perspective to their lives,” said Coleen West, executive director of the Howard County Arts Council. “Like other sectors, the pandemic is having a staggering effect on the arts, which is historically one of the hardest sectors hit and the last to recover. Despite the loss of contracts and gig work, unemployment insurance hurdles, and the pandemic, local artists remain optimistic and continue to respond and create, but they need support. The Arts Council is thrilled that County Executive Calvin Ball has designated CARES Act funding to the arts through the HoCo RISE initiative. It comes at a critical time and will help the arts sector rise above this pandemic.”