Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County

12/29/2024

Hope, Strength, and Vision in 2025 ✨ AHCMC CEO Suzan Jenkins shares a message of hope and resilience as we enter the new year. 💙

In her latest blog, "We’ve Done It Before and We’ll Do It Again," Suzan reflects on the challenges facing our creative sector and celebrates the enduring strength of our community to overcome.

Let's meet these challenges head on, turn ideas into action, and create a stronger, more connected community in 2025. Blog 🔗 in the comments.

12/23/2024

ATTN Directors + Playwrights! 🎭 Silver Spring Stage seeks exciting, socially relevant, and compelling new show proposals for their upcoming 2025-2026 season. Bring your creative vision to life—submit by January 31, 2025! Details in the comments.

12/20/2024

🎉 Congrats to all the Hatza SHINE grantees!! Special cheers to Montgomery County-based recipients: Docs In Progress, Boulanger Initiative, Sugarland Ethno History Project, Inc, The Civic Circle, Bethesda Historical Society, Action Youth Media, Nepal Education and Cultural Center - NECC, and EducArte!! 🥂

🎉 Congratulations to our latest Hatza SHINE Grantees! 🎉

We’re thrilled to have awarded 90 general operating grants throughout Maryland. Grantees this year cover all but 2 of Maryland’s counties (including Baltimore City.)

✨ See the grantees in the comments.

✨ Learn more: bit.ly/2Zlb3a0

Thank you to the State of Maryland via the Maryland Historical Trust for funding the SHINE Grants.

12/19/2024

We're hiring! 📣

AHCMC seeks a full-time Grants Manager to oversee our grantmaking program. If you're interested in the world of philanthropy, passionate about the arts + humanities, and thrive in dynamic, community-focused roles, we want to hear from you!

📄 See the full job description + apply today. ✨ (link in comments)

12/18/2024

Why do creatives need tech skills? 🤔

✅ Reach wider audiences
✅ Increase funding
✅ Create digital experiences
✅ Meet employer demands
✅ Stay competitive and more!

Apply for a FREE Google Career Certificate scholarship with AHCMC + Google! (details in the comments)

12/17/2024

Snapshots of Creativity + Culture! 📸 This quarter, AHCMC's staff was out and about experiencing the incredible work of our grantees across Montgomery County! Here’s a recap in our first-ever photo roundup! 🌟

Featuring:
🔹 ClancyWorks Dance Company
🔹 Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture
🔹 Hope Garden Children's Ballet Theatre
🔹 Imagination Stage
🔹 Glen Echo Photoworks
🔹 Wheaton Film Festival
🔹 Adventure Theatre MTC
🔹 Maryland Youth Ballet

12/13/2024

This year's staff holiday celebration took our team on an adventure through the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden and the exceptional OSGEMEOS: Endless Story exhibition! ✨🎄

After soaking in the creativity, we enjoyed a delightful dinner filled with laughter, gratitude and camaraderie. 💙 We're grateful for such wonderful year together supporting the arts and humanities in Montgomery County.

🖼️ OSGEMEOS: Endless Story

🎨 Work by identical twin brothers Gustavo and Otavio Pandolfo (b. São Paulo, Brazil, 1974), known globally as OSGEMEOS—Portuguese for “the twins.”

📍 Hirshhorn Museum

12/12/2024

2 wins for Maryland Arts! 🥳 Our incredible state ranks 3rd in the U.S. for public support of the arts and is the 5th most arts-vibrant state in the country!

AHCMC is grateful to Montgomery County, MD Government and the Maryland State Arts Council for their unwavering support that enables our local creative sector to thrive. Together, we're investing in the amazing arts + humanities professionals that make Montgomery County a dynamic hub of creativity + culture!

Maryland ranks third in the nation in public support of the arts, and fifth overall, on the list of the most arts-vibrant states in 2024, according to research by SMU DataArts! Rankings were determined based on levels of supply, demand, and government support for arts and culture across the country.

MSAC is proud to be part of Maryland’s arts ecosystem and wishes to recognize the many artists and organizations that make our state an outstanding place to live and work. Thank you for keeping our state vibrant!

12/11/2024

CALLING ALL LOCAL WRITERS 🖋️ Have a poem, essay, or short story to share? Submit it to Bethesda Urban Partnership’s Local Writer's Showcase for a chance to be published and win a cash prize! 💵 Details in the comments.

12/09/2024

OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS! The Maryland State Arts Council is accepting applications for their Grants for Artists program. 💸 This funding can help cover living or working expenses, giving you more freedom to focus on your artistic journey. 📅 Applications due: January 17.

12/06/2024

Step into history this weekend at Christmas on the Farm! 🚜✨ Experience the charm of 1900s farm life and celebrate the holiday season with festive crafts, live music, and winter-themed games at Derwood’s Agricultural History Farm Park. 👩‍🌾

Celebrate Christmas on the Farm in Derwood Dec. 7-8 with crafts, music, hay rides, and free treats. Fun for the whole family.

12/03/2024

JOB OPP! The National Endowment for the Arts seeks a Budget Analyst to join their staff. This position won’t stay open long—apply while you can! 💼 Details in the comments.

Join the NEA team! We're hiring for the following position:

Budget Analyst:
https://www.usajobs.gov/job/821332300

Application Period: 12/2/24-12/10/24. Visit USAJOBS for details and to apply.

11/29/2024

Support local creativity + culture this ! ✨ When you shop, gift, share, like, and promote local, you invest in our community's creative entrepreneurs. 💙

💡 Small Business. Huge Impact! Let's come together this to support the artists, makers and cultural organizations that make our community unique.✨

Shop, gift, share, like, promote and celebrate our creative community this weekend. 💕

11/28/2024

News & Views: November 2024 🗞️ We're closing out the month with our latest roundup of arts + culture news from Montgomery County, the DMV, and the greater creative sector. Check it out! 👇

This month's stories spotlight:

🔵 Suzan’s Note: Lighting the Path Forward

🔵 Community Input Requested on Glen Echo Park's Future

🔵 A New Bookstore Coming to Bethesda

🔵 The Unveiling of a New Marion Barry Mural

🔵 5 Festive Performances for the Holiday Season

🔵 The Inaugural Indigenous Puppetry Institute

And More!

✨ Link to full stories in the comments! 📖

11/27/2024

🎬 Local filmmakers! Bethesda Urban Partnership is accepting short documentary submissions for their 2025 Bethesda Film Festival. 🎞️ Don't miss this opportunity to showcase your creativity and connect with live audiences!

Deadline to submit: January 10, 2025. Details in the comments.

11/25/2024

🌟 New Findings on Arts Participation and Social Connection! 🎭 A recent study by the National Endowment for the Arts highlights the powerful role of arts participation in fostering social connectedness. Here are 2 key findings:

📘 Adults who attend arts events are 2x more likely to actively participate in other social clubs, groups or organizations.

📘 Arts practitioners and creators also reported higher levels of social engagement compared to non-creators.

Why is this research important? It reinforces how arts and culture aren't just about creativity—they're also about building strong, connected communities and improving overall well-being.

📖 Want to dive deeper? Check out the full report in the comments.

🚨Today, the NEA released a new research brief that examines recent patterns of arts engagement among U.S. adults! Using data from U.S. Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey (April–July 2024), the report highlights how arts engagement links to social connectedness.

More: bit.ly/3C8BJ6L

11/22/2024

📣 Teaching Artists Wanted! Arena Stage seeks passionate teaching artists to join their Voices of Now program. If you’re all about sparking imagination, inspiring creativity, and fostering community dialogue among students, they'd love to hear from you! 🔗 in comments for more details.