May 18, 2021
For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Sandra L. Gibson
sandra@mdfilmfest.com, 410-752-8083
The SNF Parkway Theatre, Home of the Maryland Film Festival, to Receive $50,000 Our Town Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts
Baltimore, MD—The SNF Parkway Theatre, home of the Maryland Film Festival, has been approved for a $50,000 Our Town grant to support Baltimore Living Archives. This is one of 63 grants nationwide that the agency has approved in this category to support projects that integrate arts, culture, and design activities into efforts that strengthen communities by advancing local economic, physical, and/or social outcomes; ultimately laying the groundwork for sustainable systems change.
“As the country and the arts sector begin to work towards a post-pandemic world, the National Endowment for the Arts is proud to announce this Our Town funding. These awards will support cross-sector partnerships such as the one lead by the SNF Parkway Theatre, home of the Maryland Film Festival, that demonstrates the power of the arts to help communities create a better future for themselves.” said NEA Acting Chairman Ann Eilers.
“We are truly honored and excited that the Acting Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts has approved the Maryland Film Festival for a significant grant and program planned in partnership with Enoch Pratt Free Public Library, the City of Baltimore and so many of our community and neighborhood partners. For the first time we have invited two, critically acclaimed Baltimore artists to be in residence with us for 18 months. We look forward to working with the Arts Endowment and greatly appreciate the agency’s support of this new initiative.” said the organization’s Executive Director Sandra L Gibson.
To support denizens and filmmakers in becoming active storytellers and archivists, the SNF Parkway theatre will launch the “Baltimore Living Archives,” a collective impact and place keeping project that builds community and civic engagement, centered around the sharing of stories and perspectives through film and media, through spurring economic activity, power sharing, resource sharing, and place-keeping.
Baltimore Living Archives is designed to empower denizens to craft and showcase media-based stories, and host Baltimore artists with archiving practices, Shan Lo Wallace and Lawrence Burney as artists-in-residence to develop their own work with community; share and participate in Baltimore’s vibrant arts community, and promote the cross-pollination of ideas, skill sharing, and stories among denizens and artists.
The SNF Parkway will work in partnership with the Enoch Pratt Free Library and community partners, to support story-tellers at every stage of development with digitization services, mentorship, workshops, screenings, and more. Baltimore Living Archives brings together a landmark civic, non-profit, and community partnership to create a unique extended, 18-month artist-residencies in Baltimore City
For more information on the projects included in the Arts Endowment grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news.