BALTIMORE, MD—The Executive Director of Maryland Citizens for the Arts is slamming Governor Wes Moore’s proposed FY 2026 budget cuts.

In a recent blog post, Nicholas Cohen says Governor Moore’s proposals are “unacceptable” and could have “devastating consequences.”

In Governor Moore’s initial Fiscal Year 2026 budget proposal, he recommended keeping level funding for the Maryland State Arts Council and fully funding the arts and culture capital budget at $3 million, bringing the total MSAC budget to $34.2 million.

However, the Governor’s Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act (BRFA) proposes changes to budget laws and mandates.

“His administration has suggested eliminating several funding formulas and mandates to stabilize the state’s financial situation,” Cohen said. “Unfortunately, part of this proposal includes abolishing MSAC’s thirty-year-old funding formula (The 1994 Arts Stabilization Act). This is unacceptable to MCA and could potentially have devastating consequences for the future stability of arts funding in our state.”

The Maryland General Assembly now must determine which priorities to support and what, if any, changes to make to the proposed budget.

Cohen is urging Maryland to register for MCA’s flagship arts advocacy event, Maryland Arts Day, which will be held on Thursday, February 13, 2025 at St. John’s College in Annapolis.

“We need to show up in strong numbers this year to help ensure our investment continues and that lawmakers recognize and appreciate the importance of public funding for the arts,” Cohen concluded.