Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Maryland Center for the Arts?
The Maryland Center for the Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization with the mission to establish an arts center in Harford County, that will be accessible to all, and will nurture art, artists, and the community by providing space for meetings, presentations and classes in dance, music, theatre, and the visual, traditional, and literary arts. At Center for the Arts, we believe that learning through the arts is essential for personal growth and connection -- making for a better world. Creating an inclusive, engaging, and supportive arts community is central to everything we do.
Where will the Maryland Center for the Arts be located?
The Center will be located across the road from Emmorton Elementary School on South Tollgate Road, between Route 24 and South Tollgate Road and Wheel Road. Look for large purple signs surrounding the future site.
When will the Center be built? Is there a deadline by which the building must begin?
Construction on the initial parking lot and walking trails has begun on the South Tollgate Road entrance to the site. The goal is to begin building the performance amphitheater before 2018.
How large a facility will it be?
Forty-one acres of land for the cultural arts center was donated as a generous bequest from the estate of Emily Bayless Graham. There will be three building phases that will occur within the next five years. The first building phase will be a 500-seat amphitheater that will hold a variety of performances and film screenings. The second building phase will be a building that will house a 300-seat studio theater, an art gallery, two visual arts studios, a dance studio, and a variety of music practice rooms. The third building phase will house a 1,200-seat performance hall, a large art gallery, and a large, medium, and small multi-purpose room to hold a variety of classes and meetings. The first phase of the project will cost approximately @4 million.
Who will manage the Center once it is built?
Harford County will own the land and handle the upkeep of the grounds. The Maryland Center for the Arts will operate and manage the programing and specific arts related items pertaining to the facilities.
How are the funds used?
The funds have been used to hire architects and a strategic planning consultant, pay for a plan, and fund an organizational staff who have been busy in the last year helping to revise the building concept and business plan, fund raise, coordinate events, and develop organizational infrastructure.
How much has been raised to date to build Phase 1?
To date, $600,000 in restricted capital funds have been raised to cover the costs of the building project.
How can donations be made to the Maryland Center of the Arts?
Online donations can be made to the Maryland Center for the Arts on our homepage at the top of the screen (Click "Make a Donation"), or by writing a check made payable to the Maryland Center for the Arts and sending it to the Maryland Center for the Arts at P.O. Box 687 Bel Air, MD 21014.
Are volunteers needed?
Volunteers are needed to assist in the office and with the events. For more information about volunteer opportunities, email or call Amanda Pugh, Manager-Marketing and Development at Center for the Arts at 443-457-5216 or apugh@mdcfa.org .
Whom do I contact at CFA to learn more/ask a specific question?
Email the Maryland Center for the Arts CEO, Michael Jessup at mjessup@mdcfa.org or call 443-567-5216.
The Maryland Center for the Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization with the mission to establish an arts center in Harford County, that will be accessible to all, and will nurture art, artists, and the community by providing space for meetings, presentations and classes in dance, music, theatre, and the visual, traditional, and literary arts. At Center for the Arts, we believe that learning through the arts is essential for personal growth and connection -- making for a better world. Creating an inclusive, engaging, and supportive arts community is central to everything we do.
Where will the Maryland Center for the Arts be located?
The Center will be located across the road from Emmorton Elementary School on South Tollgate Road, between Route 24 and South Tollgate Road and Wheel Road. Look for large purple signs surrounding the future site.
When will the Center be built? Is there a deadline by which the building must begin?
Construction on the initial parking lot and walking trails has begun on the South Tollgate Road entrance to the site. The goal is to begin building the performance amphitheater before 2018.
How large a facility will it be?
Forty-one acres of land for the cultural arts center was donated as a generous bequest from the estate of Emily Bayless Graham. There will be three building phases that will occur within the next five years. The first building phase will be a 500-seat amphitheater that will hold a variety of performances and film screenings. The second building phase will be a building that will house a 300-seat studio theater, an art gallery, two visual arts studios, a dance studio, and a variety of music practice rooms. The third building phase will house a 1,200-seat performance hall, a large art gallery, and a large, medium, and small multi-purpose room to hold a variety of classes and meetings. The first phase of the project will cost approximately @4 million.
Who will manage the Center once it is built?
Harford County will own the land and handle the upkeep of the grounds. The Maryland Center for the Arts will operate and manage the programing and specific arts related items pertaining to the facilities.
How are the funds used?
The funds have been used to hire architects and a strategic planning consultant, pay for a plan, and fund an organizational staff who have been busy in the last year helping to revise the building concept and business plan, fund raise, coordinate events, and develop organizational infrastructure.
How much has been raised to date to build Phase 1?
To date, $600,000 in restricted capital funds have been raised to cover the costs of the building project.
How can donations be made to the Maryland Center of the Arts?
Online donations can be made to the Maryland Center for the Arts on our homepage at the top of the screen (Click "Make a Donation"), or by writing a check made payable to the Maryland Center for the Arts and sending it to the Maryland Center for the Arts at P.O. Box 687 Bel Air, MD 21014.
Are volunteers needed?
Volunteers are needed to assist in the office and with the events. For more information about volunteer opportunities, email or call Amanda Pugh, Manager-Marketing and Development at Center for the Arts at 443-457-5216 or apugh@mdcfa.org .
Whom do I contact at CFA to learn more/ask a specific question?
Email the Maryland Center for the Arts CEO, Michael Jessup at mjessup@mdcfa.org or call 443-567-5216.
