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Allegany Arts Council requests $35,000; cites downtown investment and county partnership
Summary
Andrea Bell, president of the Allegany Arts Council, told commissioners the council is requesting $35,000 in county support for FY26, down $10,000 from the prior year, and described recent investments in downtown Cumberland and expanded programming including the Levitt AMP series.
Andrea Bell, president of the Allegany Arts Council, thanked the Allegany County Commissioners for prior support and asked for a $35,000 county contribution for FY26, a $10,000 decrease from the previous year.
Bell said the council bought a building at 123 Baltimore Street as part of a downtown Cumberland revitalization projected to attract roughly $1,500,000 in investment. She described expanded programming, including a second-floor 100-seat music venue partnership and the Levitt AMP Cumberland music series, which she said brought nine free outdoor concerts to Canal Place in 2024 and secured national recognition.
Bell said the council leveraged county funding to secure roughly $250,000 in grants and sponsorships that supported local businesses and tourism, and that the council distributed about $45,000 in grants to Allegany County artists and organizations last year. She highlighted arts education work, saying the council reached third-grade students through a local program (transcript figure given as "5 51" third graders) and continues partnerships with Allegany College of Maryland and Frostburg State University for exhibitions and off-site programming.
Bell told commissioners the council is reimagining operations after losing gallery space and will continue collaborating with government, education and healthcare partners to integrate arts into community life. Commissioners thanked Bell; no formal vote was taken.
