In recognition of the overall economic health of a city, the Foundation seeks funding opportunities to strengthen existing cultural arts organizations and to support emerging arts groups that are providing programming in underserved neighborhoods. The Foundation looks for initiatives that help keep artists working and living in the metropolitan area; increase

organizations' capacity to expand their audiences; attract more cultural visitors; and stabilize and revitalize neighborhoods.

The Foundation also supports pilot projects that seek to determine the outcomes of cultural arts curricula on overall student academic achievement while at the same time reinforces the State's mandate to integrate the cultural arts into the K-12 educational programming.
Areas of interest include:

• emerging neighborhood programs
• initiatives serving as a stimulus for neigborhood revitalization
• outreach and after-school programs
• initiatives to attract new and diverse audiences

Learn more about the arts and culture initiatives funded by The Abell Foundation by visiting Publications/Research. More information is also available in our Highlights below.

Arts & Culture Highlights

Baltimore Clayworks
In fulfilling their vision to site, develop and sustain an artist-centered space in an inner-city location and to become an integral part of the neighborhood offering affordable hands-on arts programming to those who traditionally lacked access to cultural opportunities, Baltimore Clayworks opened its first satellite studio at the Mondawmin Mall in West Baltimore in July 2003. With storefront space donated by the mall management, Baltimore Clayworks’ committed team of artists and staff transformed an empty commercial space into a center of creativity where professional artists provided ceramic activity to nearly 500 young people, numerous community based organizations and dozens of senior adults. Building on the success of this cultural hub in the middle of a commercial market place, Baltimore Clayworks relocated to a temporary space at the Forest Park Senior Center, not only to benefit senior citizens but also to continue to serve neighborhood youth and their families. Since then, Baltimore Clayworks has expanded their studio satellite locations to three other inner-city neighborhoods: the Newborn Ministries Jubillee Arts Center in Sandtown-Winchester, Tuerk House and Zeta House, each offering diverse programming to inspire young and old to find their creative voices in new positive ways.

Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts / Baltimore Book Festival
Attracting more than 55,000 festival goers, the annual Book Festival held in September has become a premier literary experience in the region. The festival features over 200 hundred author appearances, book signings, book sales, non-stop readings on eight stages, cooking demonstrations by celebrity chefs, poetry readings and workshops, panel discussions, storytellers and hands-on projects for children. A strong emphasis is being placed on youth programming to include reviews of student work, resources for young writers, writing workshops for young authors, lessons in blogging, creation of "zines", and a competition for young writers.

Downtown Partnership of Baltimore/Art Exposure
Created to improve the appearance of downtown Baltimore, Art Exposure is providing an opportunity for local arts to display and sell artworks exhibited in vacant storefronts along the major thoroughfares in Baltimore City. Regularly changing exhibits in these public spaces have expanded along Charles Street, to Mid-town and South Baltimore not only enliven streetscapes while also enhance the role of local artists in the community.

EMP Collective

Arriving on the Baltimore scene through an opportunity made available by the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore's Operation Storefront in an effort to revitalize downtown, EMP has transformed the first floor of a formerly vacant warehouse on 306 Redwood Street on the west side into a mutli-use art venue. Now EMP plans to use part of the 5,000 square-foot space for a rotating art gallery for developing artists. When not used for art exhibits, the space becomes a rehearsal and performance space for theatrical and musical events, experimental collaborations, writing workshops and film screenings. When the venue is fully equipped with sound and lighting for better production quality, EMP, for a nominal fee, will rent out the venue to others artists and performing groups to produce and showcase their work.

High Zero Foundation

Now in its 14th hear of staging a 4-day annual festival of experimental improvised music held in September, High Zero Foundation, an all-volunteer effort, now has become internationally known for its world-class avant-garde music event. The programming consists of 20 large-scale concert sets, free improvisation workshops, numerous street and site-specific performances, private recording sessions and special collaborations, all dcumented on archives. Eleven local performers were joined by eleven musicians from other parts of the United States and Europe.

When not organizing for the festival, the foundation hosts weekly series at The Red Room in Waverly, attracting regional musicians to evenings of improvisations. These efforts promote the avant-garde that ultimately enriches the musical range of experience for talented musicians and audiences alike.

Museum of Ceramic Art
The goal of the Museum of Ceramic Art is to provide a meaningful ceramic art experience in the classroom and at after-school clubs. Now being offered in 37 Baltimore City public middle schools, the program supports teacher training workshops, classroom assistance, curriculum modules that meet Maryland content standards, materials, equipment and facilitates monthly group teacher meetings, organizes the annual Arts Celebration, showcasing selected student and teacher artwork at Poly Western High School. For mo of the students, this introduction to clay techniques builds self-confidence, improves classroom behavior and team interaction. During the summer, when funds become available, the Museum supports a five-week summer school, engaging 20-25 students in each of the four middle schools to cobrntinue to explore the joys of creating their own artwork and learning new skills.

Visit the Grantmaking section to learn about the steps involved in making a grant application and to see other recently funded grants.