Independent Artist Awards

Live painting at an event in Berlin A&E District. (Worcester County) Independent Artist Awards The Independent Artist Awards (IAA) program will not be offered in fiscal year 2026. The IAA program will remain paused in FY24 as staff and councilors continue to evaluate staffing capacity and how the program aligns with MSAC’s mission. In FY23,  MSAC staff worked to revise the IAA program to ensure that it meets the current needs of the arts sector continues to  align with MSAC goals. The surveys, listening sessions, staff and council input, and a publicly-led program revision that were part of this work resulted in minimal recommended changes to the program. The decision to pause considers limited staff capacity, owing to significant growth in other programs - including Creativity Grants, the Professional Development Opportunity Grant, and Grants for Organizations - in recent years. In September 2023, the Council approved reallocating funding previously budgeted for FY24 IAA grants to the FY24 Grants for Artists (GFA) program, which supports working and living expenses for Maryland independent artists. Click here for more information about the GFA program, expected to open in winter for FY24 applications. Artists seeking a full list of MSAC opportunities can click here . Each program page contains PDF downloads of grant guidelines, as well as contact information for relevant staff.