MICA weekend, a celebration of alumni, families, students, and friends took place last Friday through Sunday. I was fortunate to be invited to speak as part of the Nonprofit Arts Organizations and the Future of Baltimore panel moderated by Sandra Gibson, Executive Director of the MD Film Festival. The panel included these amazing leaders: Jackie Copeland, Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture; Heidi Daniel, Enoch Pratt Free Library; Samuel Hoy, MICA; and Stephanie Ybarra, Baltimore Center Stage. It was exciting to talk about how GBCA’s work in the area of equity and inclusion has evolved and to hear more about the exciting and inspiring work of the other panelists.

Have you been hearing about the Kirwin Commission and wondering what it’s all about? More formally known as Maryland’s Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education, the Kirwin Commission was charged with recommending policies and funding that would help Maryland deliver the best possible public education to all young people across the state. Arts Education in Maryland Schools (AEMS) is working hard to generate support for the Commission’s school reform and specifically its inclusion of arts education in the recommendations. AEMS urges the commission to include language in its foundation (base) funding formula that specifies funding for arts education in Maryland’s public schools and explicitly list “music and the arts” in all places where core subjects are enumerated.

How can you get involved?

• Send a message to the members of the Kirwan Commission, stating your support for the arts in this important education reform. Click here to generate a prepopulated email through your email system for you to sign and send.
• Attend your local Blueprint for Maryland's Future Kirwan Community Forum, and ask if and how arts education is included in the report! Find the full schedule of Community Forums here.
• Attend the final workgroup meetings in Annapolis! Find the schedule of the remaining workgroup meetings here.
• Share information about the Kirwan Commission from AEMS's Kirwan Page, where you can read AEMS's letter to the Commission.

Time is of the essence, so get involved today tand make sure that Maryland's children get the arts education they deserve in their schools!

Speaking of education, October 22 from 4:00 to 6:00 pm, the Reginald F. Lewis Museum is having an open house specifically for teachers. Tour the special exhibition Elizabeth Catlett: Artist as Activist with exhibition curator, Jackie Copeland. Learn about their spring exhibition, Freedom Bound: Runaways of the Chesapeake (on view April 11, 2020 to February 28, 2021), sample exhibition-related activities, learn about available teacher resources, and book a museum tour!

Click here to RSVP to the open house.

All the best,

Jeannie