Examples and best practices for Covid policies from the arts industry 

• Maryland State Arts Council - Communication Recommendations for Arts Organizations: Positive Covid-19 test at your arts organization 
• Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance - Compilation of Local Arts & Culture Organizational COVID Policies 
• Centers for Disease Control - Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Facility Every Day and When Someone is Sick 

• American Alliance of Museums - COVID-19 Resources & Information for the Museum Field 
• National Independent Venue Association and Event Safety Alliance - Safe in Sound: Reopening Checklist for the Live Entertainment Industry 
• American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) at Harvard University - Roadmap for Recovery and Resilience for Theater 
• Dance USA - Return to Dancing and Training Considerations Due to-COVID-19 

Funding Options for Career and Workforce Training - RELIEF Funds Now Available for Students​

Harford Community College was recently awarded $407,130 as part of the Recovery Now Fund for Community Colleges from the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) as part of the RELIEF Act, 2021. This fund allows Harford Community College to expand existing programs and develop new, in-demand workforce development programming to assist those who have been impacted by Coronavirus, are recently unemployed, or want to improve their job skills to re-enter the workforce. For questions about RELIEF funded programs, contact Danielle Anderson.
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Currently, there is funding available for the following certification programs:
CompTIA A+ [begins APR 12]   |   CompTIA Network+ begins MAY 24    |   Red Cross Lifeguard and Pool Operator  [dates TBD]  |  Microsoft Office Specialist: Associate [MS Word begins MAY 4, MS Excel begins MAY 25, MS PowerPoint begins JUN 15]   |   
Certified Customer Service Professional (CCSP®)  begins APR 26  |   90-hr. Maryland Childcare Provider [begins APR 22]

Maryland State Arts Council

MSAC COVID-19 State of Emergency Statement & Resources
​The COVID-19 state of emergency has resulted in lost income across the creative sector. MSAC has responded immediately by convening constituents to assess the most urgent needs, passing measures to ease the burden on organizations and artists during this challenging time, and compiling lists of state and national resources below. 

The Future of Maryland's Arts Sector: Strategies for Stability and Sustainability for Arts Leadership​

The Future of Maryland's Arts Sector: Best Practices for Digital Arts Engagement ​

Arts Relief Funding -- In June 2022, the Council and Secretary of Commerce, Mike Gill, approved a plan to distribute Arts Relief funding equitably across Maryland’s arts sector with the aim of providing economic stability as we continue to navigate the effects of the COVID pandemic. The plan includes a mix of increased general operating support for organizations, additional project funding to be distributed through MSAC’s existing grant programs, and funds to pilot a new grant program that will support working and living expenses of Maryland artists. 
MSAC staff and council members held a special Coffee with the Council session  on July 19th where they reviewed the different components of the plan, answered questions about accessing Arts Relief funding, and engaged in discussion about what the sector is facing in the coming year. To view the presentation, click here.
Arts Relief funding comes on top of record funding for MSAC of $28.9 million, for a total of $68.9 million in State support for the arts! We are excited to see what an investment of this magnitude can do for the arts in Maryland, and we encourage you to take advantage of every opportunity offered in the coming year.

To stay updated on specific program updates, click here. Please also check our newsletters, eblasts, and social media for additional announcements over the next year about available funding.

WARMLine - Mental Health Resources

Maryland Department of Labor

​BEACON ONE-STOP APPLICATION
BEACON One-Stop allows claimants to file claims for ALL unemployment insurance (UI) benefit programs through a single application, including the most recent federally-enacted unemployment programs, Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC).

Frequently Asked Questions About COVID-19 and Maryland’s Unemployment Insurance Benefits Administration 

"What Information do I need to file for Unemployment Insurance?"

Division of Unemployment Insurance Home Page
​Updates about BEACON, schedules for filing, video tutorials, employer and claimant information, expansion of Unemployment Insurance benefits under the new CARES Act, Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC), 

COVID-19 Layoff Aversion Fund

Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation

Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, with support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and in collaboration with the five other U.S. Regional Arts Organizations —  Arts Midwest, Mid-America Arts Alliance, New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA), South Arts, and Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) —  announces the Mid Atlantic Arts Regional Resilience Fund, part of The United States Regional Resilience Fund, in response to the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Mid Atlantic Arts Regional Resilience grants will support mid-Atlantic nonprofit arts and cultural organizations with pre-COVID19 budgets of $250,000 – $10 million as they build resilience and look to the future with programming, planning and reimagining their work. The program is designed for organizations with visionary leadership and whose work is critical to the region, primarily supporting those making a statewide, regional and/or national impact. 
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Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation acknowledges that long-standing systems and practices within the arts sector have upheld significant barriers to equitable access and investment for historically marginalized communities in the U.S. In alignment with MAAF’s strategic vision to implement equitable practices through intentional and sustained focus and accountability, the fund will prioritize organizations led by and/or predominantly serving individuals including, but not limited to those that identify as: Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Persons of Color, LGBTQIA+, Persons with Disabilities, communities whose primary language is not English, and/or rural and remote communities. 

Global Biorisk Advisory Council® (GBAC), a division of ISSA

If you need to reopen your business or facility with confidence following the pandemic, learn more about the new GBAC STAR™ Facility Accreditation, a program with the right protocols and best practices for biohazard response. 

Clean Start Back to Work Tax Credit

GBAC Fundamentals Online Course: Cleaning & Disinfection Principles

Personal Protective Equipment Best Practices

Cleaning and Disinfecting Equipment in Workplace Environments

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

COVID-19 County Check

​Frequently Asked Questions

Maryland Business Relief Wizard

Find the Right COVID-19 Support Resources for Your BusinessThere are numerous local and national programs for businesses in need of emergency support, but understanding which options are relevant for your organization can be a challenge.
The Maryland Business Relief Wizard is a tool that helps connect businesses with the resources and programming for which they’re eligible, streamlining the process of finding support.

​The DeVos Institute of Arts Management at the University of Maryland 

​The DeVos Institute of Arts Management at the University of Maryland is offering pro bono consultations to any U.S.-based non-profit arts or culture organization between March and June 2020, as a response to the mounting effects of the Coronavirus pandemic.