Baltimore, MD – November 6, 2017 – Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation (MAAF) has announced the inaugural round of the Alan Cooper Leadership in the Arts Award. Named after MAAF’s Executive Director from 1994 through April 2017, the Award honors an arts leader who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in the arts sector within the mid-Atlantic region. Exceptional candidates will have demonstrated impactful leadership through the development of innovative programming or funding models and reproducible outcomes for audiences, artists, or arts organizations while exemplifying a consistent dedication to the value of diverse artistic expression. Though not requisite, MAAF is particularly interested in recognizing an arts leader who has made significant advances in the areas of public-private partnerships and international cultural exchange.

In announcing the Award, MAAF’s Board Chair Scott Johnson said “The Alan Cooper Leadership in the Arts Award will be awarded annually to celebrate exceptional leadership in the arts. Through this Award, Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation seeks to recognize the contributions that arts leaders make every day to improve access, quality, and diversity in the arts in our region and beyond.”

“We are very lucky to have such a rich and diverse arts sector in the mid-Atlantic region that is led by creative, innovative leaders devoted to creating opportunities for artists and audiences to engage. By providing meaningful arts experiences, they are enriching individual lives and enhancing communities. The Alan Cooper Leadership in the Arts Award is a way to acknowledge and celebrate those leaders who have excelled in their field,” added MAAF’s Executive Director, Theresa Colvin.

Nominations will be accepted through December 15, 2017. Nominees will have demonstrated impactful leadership in the arts in one or more of MAAF’s nine partner jurisdictions of Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Virginia, and West Virginia. For more information, please click here for the guidelines and the application form.

The first awardee will be selected in spring 2018 and be recognized at the May 2018 MAAF board meeting. In addition to the acknowledgement event, the awardee will receive a cash honorarium of $2,500.

About Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation
Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation develops partnerships and programs that reinforce artists’ capacity to create and present work and advance access to and participation in the arts. The Foundation was created in 1979 and is a private non-profit organization that is closely allied with the region’s state arts councils and the National Endowment for the Arts. It combines funding from state and federal resources with private support from corporations, foundations, and individuals to address needs in the arts from a regional, national, and international perspective. To learn more about MAAF, its programs and services, visit our website at www.midatlanticarts.org.

Contact:
Karen Newell
Director, External Affairs
Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation
karen@midatlanticarts.org
410.539.6656 x104