Baltimore Arts and Culture Take Center Stage with MOACE Launch

posted by ARTCENTRON

During the inauguration of Baltimore City Mayor Brandon M. Scott, he made several promises, including improving Baltimore arts and culture. Photo: Photo by Patrick Siebert, Maryland Office of the Governor, Via Wikimedia CCA 2.0

A Bold Leap Forward in Baltimore’s Cultural and Creative Economy

MOACE is redefining Baltimore arts and culture — from festivals to film, it’s the city’s blueprint for inclusive cultural growth.

BY ARTCENTRON NEWS

BALTIMORE, MD– The City of Baltimore has entered a transformative era with the launch of the Mayor’s Office of Arts, Culture, and Entertainment (MOACE). Announced by Mayor Brandon M. Scott during his State of the City address, this strategic initiative consolidates the city’s diverse artistic and cultural sectors into a centralized powerhouse designed to stimulate economic growth, strengthen community identity, and position the arts at the forefront of urban development.

This move places Baltimore in league with major U.S. cities like Atlanta, Chicago, and Austin, which have already reaped the benefits of unified cultural governance. Through MOACE, Baltimore is poised to unlock unprecedented opportunities in live events, creative workforce development, the nightlife economy, public arts, and the film industry.

The Vision Behind MOACE: A Unified Cultural Strategy

The creation of MOACE marks a deliberate shift from fragmented programming toward cohesive leadership in arts and entertainment. Previously, cultural initiatives were scattered across various departments, leading to inefficiencies and missed opportunities. MOACE remedies this by:

Unifying city-run events and artistic initiatives under one office
Streamlining operations to maximize impact and reduce redundancy
Amplifying grassroots voices in the cultural conversation
Leveraging grants and sponsorships for sustainable revenue
Fostering collaborations across public, private, and nonprofit sectors

Director Linzy Jackson III and Senior Advisor Tonya Miller Hall are at the helm, leading this bold new office with a clear mandate: make the arts a driving force in Baltimore’s future.

Empowering Baltimore Arts and Culture Creative Workforce

MOACE is more than an administrative body — it’s a strategic hub that nurtures the city’s creative economy, focusing on equity, access, and opportunity. By aligning with national best practices and emphasizing inclusive growth, MOACE will:

Create career pathways for emerging artists
Support neighborhood-based cultural organizations
Develop workforce training in creative and technical arts
Enhance visibility for local talent on regional and national stages

This investment in creative capital not only elevates individual careers but also injects life into Baltimore’s neighborhoods, catalyzing broader economic development.

Live Events and Nightlife as Economic Engines

Mayor Scott highlighted Baltimore’s growing stature as a destination for world-class outdoor events, referencing signature gatherings such as Artscape, AFRAM, and Charm City Live. With over 28 million tourist visits in the past year, these events represent more than entertainment — they are vital contributors to the city’s hospitality, tourism, and retail sectors.

MOACE will:

Curate and manage marquee festivals and city celebrations
Streamline permitting and coordination across agencies
Support venue operators, promoters, and nightlife entrepreneurs
Foster innovation in event planning and audience engagement

By making Baltimore synonymous with vibrant cultural experiences, MOACE will keep residents engaged and attract new visitors and investment.

Strengthening Baltimore Arts and Culture Infrastructure

Baltimore’s identity has always been shaped by its murals, music, theater, and street festivals. Yet without coordinated leadership, the city’s cultural infrastructure has faced challenges. MOACE will address this head-on through:

Capital improvements to cultural venues and public art spaces
Investment in digital platforms to promote events and talent
Support for film production infrastructure and creative spaces
Data collection and metrics to track economic and community impact

This renewed focus ensures that Baltimore’s cultural ecosystem remains resilient, responsive, and ready for future growth.

Public-Private Partnerships and Philanthropic Engagement

The success of MOACE will be reinforced by strategic alliances across sectors. Baltimore’s philanthropic community, corporate sponsors, and national foundations have already shown strong support for arts initiatives — MOACE is a catalyst for deeper collaboration by:

Creating new funding channels for artists and events
Attracting national grants and institutional partnerships
Facilitating cross-sector incubators and residencies
Offering fiscal sponsorship and administrative support for emerging projects

With these tools, the office ensures that creativity is not only celebrated but also sustainably financed and professionally executed.

Representation and Cultural Equity at the Core

One of MOACE’s foundational principles is equity in cultural governance. Baltimore’s rich history of Black, Indigenous, and immigrant art forms will be preserved and promoted through:

Inclusive programming that reflects the city’s diversity
Advisory councils to ensure broad representation
Investment in underserved communities and emerging creators
Support for intergenerational and community-based arts practices

By centering equity, MOACE fosters a more authentic and inclusive cultural narrative for Baltimore arts and culture.

Film, Media, and Digital Innovation

The office positions Baltimore as a competitive player in the national film and media production landscape. From independent documentaries to blockbuster shoots, the city offers unique locations, talent, and resources. MOACE will:

Streamline film permitting and location management
Promote Baltimore as a destination for national and international filmmakers
Support local production crews, editors, and content creators
Develop film festivals, screenings, and industry panels

Digital storytelling will also be key, with MOACE integrating AR/VR, podcasting, and streaming into its long-term strategy for creative engagement.

Baltimore’s Blueprint for Cultural Leadership

As Director Linzy Jackson III puts it succinctly. “MOACE isn’t just a new office — it’s a new way of connecting Baltimore and showing who we are,” she said. With community at its core, the office is already bridging the gap between government and grassroots, vision and execution, and past legacies and future possibilities.

Under the leadership of Jackson and Hall, MOACE is redefining how cities invest in the arts — not as a luxury, but as a fundamental pillar of identity, community, and prosperity.