Panelists sought for Arts in Education, Touring,
and Public Art programs
Baltimore City artist Will Watson’s offering to the Artist Pop-Up Series during “Art in August,” hosted in 2020 by the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts. Photo courtesy of the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts.
MSAC relies on a diverse array of experts from across the state of Maryland to do the important work of evaluating applications. We invite participation through program-specific public calls for panelists, and we select panelists with a focus on diversity of experiences, diversity of location, and expertise in varying artistic disciplines. Panelists must be Maryland residents.

This email includes calls for panelists for three programs: Arts in Education Grant, Touring Grant, and Public Art. These programs are part of MSAC’s new Independent Artist Network (IAN), an artist employment initiative. 

What to Expect as a Panelist
  • Attending a required virtual panelist orientation in July 2021. Panelists are paid $50 for the training. 
  • Attending panelist check-ins as needed and number of applications per review period. Panelists are paid $50 for each check-in.
  • Reviewing applications monthly; panelists rotate so that approximately half of the selected panelists in each program will review applications in any given month. Application reviews are completed on a panelist’s own time during the review period. The time to complete reviews varies by program and number of applications. Panelists are paid $200 per monthly review.
  • In addition to monthly review, public art panelists will also review New Artworks $20,000 public art project grants and Conservation Grant applications in the fall and spring. Panelists will be given 4 weeks to complete Round 1 reviews online before the Round 2 panel review meetings, scheduled Sept. 24, 2021, and March 18, 2022, and running approximately 3-4 hours. Panelists are paid $300 for the fall and $300 for the spring reviews and meetings.
Arts in Education Grant
Panelists review and score Arts in Education Grant applications, making recommendations that support eligible Maryland-based teaching artists to lead educational engagements with nonprofit organizations, government entities, and colleges and universities.

What We’re Looking For
  • 10 panelists for FY 2022 (July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2022).
  • Teachers and educators, teaching artists, artists, arts or school administrators, education enthusiasts, community organizers, and youth interested in serving Maryland’s art sector while gaining experience and insight into MSAC’s panel review process. 
  • A wide geographic and demographic representation of the state of Maryland. 
Maryland Touring Grant
Touring Grant panelists review and score applications with the goal of supporting collaborations between artists and organizations that wish to employ them. 

What We’re Looking For
  • 10 panelists for FY 2022.
  • Independent artists (especially those with Touring experience), arts administrators (especially of presenting organizations/venues - for and non-profit), and individuals with tour management experience. 
  • We are especially looking for individuals with knowledge or background in the performing arts (music, dance, theatre, storytelling) for this program.
Public Art
By reviewing and scoring applications, public art panelists bring expertise to supporting artists and organizations applying for grants for the planning and creation of new public artwork as well as the conservation of existing works. Serving as a Public Art Across Maryland panelist is a great opportunity to learn about public art granting processes

What We’re Looking For
  • 5-10 panelists for FY 2022.
  • Artists, architects, landscape architects, designers, arts administrators, and art conservators with a background in Visual Art and Public Art.
  • A wide geographic representation of the state of Maryland.
How to Apply
  • Click the “Apply Here” button below to log in or create a free account in SmartSimple; be sure to log in as an individual, rather than an organization, as organization-based accounts do not have access to panelist applications. If you do not have an individual account, you may create one for free by registering as an “Independent Artist.”
  • Under Funding Opportunities, select "Public Call."
  • Fill out the information in the "Contact Information" tab.
  • Select the "Narrative" tab.
  • From the dropdown menu labeled "I am applying as a," select "Panelist Call," and click "Save Draft" to populate the application.
  • Select the desired Grant Program—either “Arts in Education,” or “Touring” or “Public Art Across Maryland”—and fill in the remainder of the form.
  • Click “Submit.”
Deadline: 11:59 p.m. EST, July 9, 2021
Questions? Contact our team for assistance. Staff support will be available until 12 p.m. on July 9th.


The Maryland State Arts Council is committed to making sure all Marylanders can access its programs and services. For grant application assistance, please contact the appropriate staff member. Guests with further accessibility questions or who require accommodations may fill out the Accommodations Request Form or contact the Accessibility Coordinator at 410-767-6476 or precious.blake@maryland.gov.