Press Releases

Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation Launches New and Improved Web Site
Site Boasts Helpful New Features; Serves As Information, Referral Tool for Art Lovers, Artists and General Public

Baltimore, MD – April 15 , 2006 – In an initiative to increase access to the region’s arts resources and works of art, the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation has revamped its Web site, making it easier for art lovers, artists and the general public to search for and obtain information.

Work on the site (www.midatlanticarts.org) was made possible by a $45,000 grant from the Verizon Foundation,  the philanthropic arm of Verizon Communications. In 2005 the Foundation awarded more than $74 million in grants to charitable and nonprofit agencies.

“We are extremely pleased with our new Web site and very grateful to the Verizon Foundation for supporting our commitment to the arts worldwide,” said Alan W. Cooper, executive director of the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation. “This newly designed Web site will help encourage the creation of new works of art, promote new relationships and ideas within the performing arts community, build new audiences, advocate for the arts in education, and connect the arts and artists of the mid-Atlantic region to the rest of the nation and the world.”

The Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation works in partnership with the state art agencies of Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Virginia and West Virginia. The foundation provides funding, professional support and development, and unique program opportunities to artists and communities in the mid-Atlantic region and beyond.

Using an online and e-mail survey, the foundation actively solicited constituents and everyday Web users regarding the design of its new site. The site is now easier to navigate and includes an online searchable database, links to artists and organizational resources, and a toolkit with sample press materials and advice on preparing and submitting work samples for review.

Sections include:

• Funding Programs: Foundation programs, guidelines, deadlines and archives.
• Resources: Toolkit (sample press materials, public relations guide, business plan and information on submitting quality work samples); searchable database (community artists, jazz artists, folk artists and traditional arts practitioners, arts service organizations, and international arts festivals); Americans With Disabilities Act resources; and Art Links – providing Internet links to sites dealing with issues ranging from advocacy to technology.
• Events: State-by-state listing of foundation-funded events in the region.
• News and Publications: Press releases, biennial reports, catalogues and special program-related publications.
• Partners: Information on the foundation’s funding partners.
• About Us: Foundation history, frequently asked questions, annual funding reports, employment/internship opportunities, board and staff information
• Contact Us: Sign-up for foundation’s e-mail newsletter, directions and e-mail contacts.

A portion of Verizon Foundation funding also will be used to add  an online grant application system to the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation Web site in 2007.  Applicants then can apply  for grants, download images and manage grant awards – all online. 

Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation celebrates, promotes, and supports the wealth and diversity of the region's arts resources and works to increase access to the arts and culture of the region and the world.