Welcome to our Submittable Page!
The mission of the Arts Council of Anne Arundel County is to provide leadership, funding, and support that promotes artistic expression and historic preservation and to advocate for resources and education that expand arts opportunities for all, helping to create an enriched and healthy community. We envision Anne Arundel County as a place where artists are inspired, and creativity thrives, where arts and culture bring people of all backgrounds together to enrich, bind, and celebrate our community.
Funding for our grantmaking is generously provided through Anne Arundel County, the Maryland State Arts Council, and the City of Annapolis, as well as a number of corporations, foundations, and private donors.
This page lists current submission opportunities. To get started, click "Apply" and create your profile in Submittable.
Current Opportunities:
Teaching Artist Directory
Applications opened on August 1 and will be accepted throughout the year on a rolling basis. There is no longer a fee to apply for the Directory! See the program guidelines HERE
FY25 Strategic Impact Grant
Applications period May 1 - 15, 2025. See the program guidelines HERE.
2025 Arts Angels Scholarship
Applications period May 1 - June 15, 2025. See program guidelines HERE.
2025 Fall Mini Grant
Applications period May 1 - 31, 2025. See program guidelines HERE.
Resources:
FY26 Community Arts Grant Guidelines, click HERE
FY26 CAG FAQs, click HERE
FY26 Community Arts Grant Important Dates, click HERE
The Arts Council of Anne Arundel County and AND Creative are looking for local artists to profile in our marketing for this year's Anne Arundel Arts Month, and to begin to create a database of county artists. We hope to find a variety of creatives and performers who would like to share their stories with our audience on social media, in eblasts, and on the Arts Month website.
In the application, you'll need to complete a brief narrative section. First is a brief (500 words or less) biography or artist statement. Then there are three questions about you and your work in Anne Arundel County. We will also have you upload photos and/or video footage of you and your work to accompany your profile. Here are guidelines for your uploads:
- High-resolution color photos should be in .jpg or .png formats.
- Other acceptable file types include: mp3, mov, mp4, tiff, pdf, and gifs
- These do not have to be professionally filmed/edited. High-quality cell phone video is also welcome.
- Short snippets of footage (up to 10 seconds) are ideal.
- Do not use text overlays or watermarked video/photos.
If you have any questions about this submission, please contact Tricia Sanborn at tricia@acaac.org or 410-353-0216.
The Arts Council of Anne Arundel County has allocated $150,000 to provide funding for limited number of one-time Strategic Impact Grants (SIG) that will provide for substantive transformation that will elevate a local arts organization’s operations, performance, and/or programming to the next level.
This opportunity is available to non-profit county arts organizations that have previously received general operating support from the Arts Council through a Community Arts or Founding Grant. Requests should range from $5,000 - $50,000 and no matching funds are required. Organizations may partner and submit a joint application. Partnership applications are highly encouraged.
Think big! Examples of potentially fundable requests could include, but are not limited to, capital projects, collection acquisitions, software investment, or other capacity building expenses. Grant funds may not be used to fund additional staff positions. If you would like to discuss application ideas prior to applying for grant, please reach out to ACAAC Grants Manager Susan Baum at susan.baum@acaac.org.
Program Overview
The Arts Angels Scholarship was established to open doors for children, youth, and teens, who have the passion, but not the means, to develop their artistic talent. Students who are eligible for these scholarships will be identified directly through arts organizations, which will apply for scholarships on their behalf. Scholarships will be offered for camps and programs in visual art, drama, music, dance and filmmaking at locations throughout Anne Arundel County.
The Arts Council of Anne Arundel County’s Mini Grant program is designed to support innovative, well-defined arts-related projects that are directed to a new or broader audience, preferably within underserved communities. Grants are awarded to eligible organizations and programs on a dollar-to-dollar (1:1) matching basis and may not exceed $2,500. In an effort to engage more local residents in cultural and artistic activities, new partnerships with other arts or community organizations are encouraged. ACAAC is available to provide assistance with outreach and marketing to potential partners and audiences within Anne Arundel County. Organizations may not apply for more than one Mini Grant per fiscal year.
The Arts Council of Anne Arundel County has adopted new goals directed towards increasing the diversity of artists and arts organizations supported by its grant programs. This includes prioritizing artistic activities that promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice, and are accessible to all. Mini Grant applications for projects that reflect these goals, including partnerships among grantees for these purposes, are definitely encouraged.
To view the full program guidelines, click here.
If you need assistance with a technical issue on the Submittable platform, go to: https://www.submittable.com/help/submitter/. If you need any other assistance, please contact Grants Manager Susan Baum at susan.baum@acaac.org
A painting is not a picture of an experience; it is an experience… I'm not an abstractionist. I'm not interested in the relationship of color or form or anything else. I'm interested only in expressing basic human emotions: tragedy, ecstasy, doom, etc. - Mark Rothko
The Colors of Emotions is an exhibition inspired by Abstract Expressionists that explores the connections between color and human emotions. Artists are invited to translate feelings—joy, sorrow, anger, love, peace, and everything in between—into vibrant and evocative visual works in which color is the primary language of emotional expression.
The Colors of Emotions invites viewers to explore the narrative and emotions that color can provoke—to be moved by the emotional impact of color and how it shapes their perceptions of the world. Each hue, tone, and shade tell its own story and reflect human experience's complexities. Whether bold and dramatic or soft and subtle, the colors within the artworks communicate emotions. This exhibition encourages artists to push the boundaries of their palettes, using color as a powerful medium to convey the spectrum of emotions that define the human condition.
Full Prospectus of The Colors of Emotion Exhibition
___________________________________________________________________
The Arts Council of Anne Arundel County invites all Anne Arundel County residents (ages 18 and older) to enter the “The Colors of Emotions” Exhibition. The jurors will consider any two-dimensional work following the guidelines below. Works selected will be displayed at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport between concourses C & D (pre-security) departures from July 21 – November 10, 2025.
JURORS—The Arts Council Exhibition Committee is pleased to judge The Colors of Emotions. Members include executive director of The Nonprofit Center Jennifer Purcell, PHD, artist Greta Chapin McGill, art enthusiast Carole Alexander, and sculptor and AACC professor Wilfredo Valladares-Lara.
ENTRY
Size Limitations: Without exception, outside dimensions may not exceed 40” high by 72” wide and be a minimum of 6” high by 6” wide. Weight cannot exceed 60 pounds.
Entries: A maximum of 3 original works may be entered.
Entry Fees: $10 for each entry. Entry fees are non-refundable. Submit one image for each piece entered. Artwork should not have been exhibited with the Arts Council for the last three years.
Eligible Artwork
Amateur and professional artists are welcome to apply. Any two-dimensional work can be submitted for consideration.
No clip frames or taped edges are accepted. The work must be presented in a manner appropriate to the artwork and able to accommodate a locking device. Works shall NOT BE WIRED for hanging.
**Frames must be a MINIMUM of one-half inch (½’’) wide in order to accommodate the locking device**
Read the full prospectus for complete details and rules.
Technical Support:
- If you need assistance with a technical issue on the Submittable platform, go to https://www.submittable.com/help/submitter/.
- If you need any other assistance, please get in touch with Cassandra Kapsos at cassandra.kapsos@acaac.org
The Arts Council of Anne Arundel County’s Teaching Artist Directory is designed to put the world of the arts at the fingertips of program directors as they apply for their school's or organizations Residency and Auditorium Grants. This directory is a great resource for all schools throughout Anne Arundel County to see the variety of vibrant teaching artists from the visual, performing, historic, and literary arts, as well as community groups looking for quality arts programming. If you would like to be included in our Teaching Artist Directory, please review the guidelines HERE before submitting an application.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
2025 Nina De Angelo Artists without Limits
Featuring differently abled Anne Arundel County artists
July 24 - August 15, 2025, at the Michael E. Busch Annapolis Library
August 18 - September 16, 2025 at the Arundel Center
Submission Deadline:
Monday, June 6, 2025, at midnight
Differently abled artists of all ages are encouraged to apply.
The Anne Arundel County Commission on Disability Issues and The Arts Council of Anne Arundel County invite County Residents with Disabilities to submit entries to the Artists without Limits 2024 Art Exhibit.
READ FULL ENTRY RULES AND REGULATIONS HERE
2025 Artists Release Form
We invite Anne Arundel County residents (ages 18 and older) to submit their work for consideration for a solo exhibit at the Arundel Center between September 2025 and August 2026. Artists who have had a solo exhibit at the Arundel Center in the last three years are not eligible to apply.
Exhibit Dates
We will select three to four artists during the year for a solo show during FY 2026. Exhibit dates, which are subject to change, will be roughly:
- mid-September to mid-December
- mid-December to mid-March
- mid-March to mid-July
Eligible Artwork
Amateur and professional artists are welcome to apply. Any two-dimensional work can be submitted for consideration. The application asks for a work sample of ten pieces of artwork to submit. Artwork should be framed and wired for framing by hook.
Please note that the artwork is not secured. While security personnel monitor the area, ACAAC and Arundel Center cannot be held liable for artwork that is lost or damaged during the show.
Selection Criteria
Finalists will be selected based on the artistic merit of the samples submitted. A jury of ACAAC Board of Directors members will select six artists to hold shows from 2025 to 2026. They will be notified by email, and their exhibit will be tentatively scheduled for a specific period. Artists can defer their exhibit or turn down the offered time frame for any reason.
Technical Support:
- If you need assistance with a technical issue on the Submittable platform, go to https://www.submittable.com/help/submitter/.
- If you need assistance, please contact Cassandra Kapsos, Marketing and Exhibit Manager, at cassandra.kapsos@acaac.org