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Maryland Citizens for the Arts and arts organizations across the state of Maryland are stepping up to support state employees being affected by budget revenue shortfalls which have caused statewide furlough orders from Governor Martin O'Malley.

Confronted with dramatically reduced revenues, Governor O’Malley announced that state employees will be required to take from two to five unpaid days through June 30. This difficult measure will enable the state to move toward balancing its budget, which is mandated by law. However, it affects over 67,000 state employees and their families in already tough economic times. When words of furloughs were announced, arts organizations began to consider how they could get involved. Douglas R. Mann, Maryland Citizens for the Arts (MCA) chair, explained: “Arts leaders felt immediate empathy with the sacrifices being made by state employees and their families, especially during this holiday season. I received phone calls from several arts organizations across the state asking: ‘What can we do to help?’ MCA, which convenes and advocates for arts organizations throughout Maryland, seemed to be the natural choice to lead this initiative. We’re thrilled with the outcome, which we hope will offer state employees opportunities to enjoy the arts.”

MCA conceived of “The Arts Step Up Program” as a way for the arts community to express its gratitude to the governor and the General Assembly for their generous past support through the Maryland State Arts Council, and to the state’s employees, who serve all Marylanders. MCA is coordinating arts organizations across the state for this program to offer free and discounted tickets for state employees during the furlough period. Other special promotions, such as family events, two-for-one offers, gift shop and café discounts, and give-aways will be added during the furlough period by theaters, choirs, symphonies, museums, and multidisciplinary organizations.

“In the midst of a national recession, it can be easy to overlook the positive impact that the arts can have on our lives particularly in difficult times,” said Governor O’Malley. “I want to thank the arts community for this thoughtful gesture. Our state workforce—the best team of public servants in the nation—certainly appreciates it and looks forward to taking advantage of the opportunity.”

To find out about arts opportunities for state employees, go to the Maryland Citizens for the Arts’ website (www.mdarts.org) and click on the “The Arts Step Up” icon to enter a portal to the websites of participating arts organizations.