The Montgomery County Council approved a special appropriation of $334,500 for additional arts and humanities emergency relief funding on Oct. 27. Led by councilmembers Craig Rice and Evan Glass, the council unanimously agreed to provide more funding towards the Arts & Humanities COVID-19 Relief Fund.
The council approved a special appropriation to create the Arts & Humanities COVID-19 Relief Fund in July. “We passed a resolution providing critical grant funding for our arts community in response to the devastating financial losses suffered as a result of this pandemic on this important economic sector of our county,” said Rice. “The increase in [the] number of folks who applied for these grants underscores the tremendous need out there, and we have to ensure that equitable funding is available to help them with their most urgent financial needs.”
The relief fund gives $3 million to eligible arts and humanities organizations, and $250,000 to eligible artists and scholars. “From the BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown to the Black Box Theater in Silver Spring and to all artists and venues in between, our once vibrant arts scene has been hit the hardest during this pandemic,” Glass said. “To ensure that the arts and humanities sector will one day be able to raise their curtains, we need to continue providing support.”
The total amount of emergency assistance funding appropriated for the arts sector now stands at $3,584,500. For more information, visit here.
