Maryland: Teaching Artist Credentials

Carien Quiroga and Dwight McNair share their artistic responses to a creative process map. Photo by Lillian Jacobson

The Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) is collaborating with the Fine Arts Office at the Maryland State Department of Education to offer a new series of professional development courses designed to strengthen the delivery of community and school based learning experiences for special populations. Course offerings will include older adults (exploring creative aging opportunities for seniors as well as program design strategies to meet the needs of lifelong learners), students with disabilities (offering best practices for facilitating inclusive instruction), social justice (mining the intersections of creative practices and social justice in creative spaces) and veterans (equipping community arts providers and arts educators to provide meaningful programming for veterans, military personnel and their family members). Upon completion of the courses, teaching artists will be eligible for an “MSAC Endorsement” credential certifying that the artist is prepared to offer standards based arts instruction in each area. For more information, contact MSAC Executive Director Ken Skrzesz.