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Beyond the Walls: Growing Our Vision, Expanding Our Impact
September always feels like a time of new beginnings at the Art League of Ocean City. As summer winds down, fall art classes begin, and our community settles into a new season, we are already looking ahead—with excitement, gratitude, and a bold vision for the future.
This year, that vision is quite literally Beyond the Walls.
The Art League has grown tremendously. More people are taking classes, visiting exhibitions, participating in outreach programs, attending special events, and discovering the many ways art can enrich their lives. Last year alone, we welcomed more than 18,000 visitors, registered more than 4,500 students, and reached more than 1,100 people through our community outreach programs.
But our greatest challenge is also a sign of our success: we are running out of room.
This summer, approximately 300 children participated in our summer camps—and another 300 were turned away because we simply did not have enough space. Our classrooms, studios, galleries, and community spaces are being used to their fullest capacity, and the demand continues to grow.
That is why we are moving forward with plans for a 1,440-square-foot expansion of the Art League. This new space will allow us to welcome more students, expand our educational programming, provide additional opportunities for artists, and create more ways for our community to come together through art.
We are incredibly grateful to have received an $83,000 Maryland State Arts Council capital grant, which gives us an important foundation for this project. In addition the Town of Ocean City has stepped up with matching funds to what we raise of up to $309,000. Now, through our Beyond the Walls campaign, we are asking our community to help us make this a true public/private partnership, and raise the balance of the funds necessary to make this expansion a reality.
This isn’t simply about adding square footage to a building. It’s about expanding what is possible.
It means more children discovering their creativity. More adults finding connection and inspiration. More artists sharing their work. More opportunities for people to experience art as a tool for healing, self-expression, learning, and community- and more sustainability for generations to come.
The Art League belongs to all of us, and its future will be shaped by all of us.
As we begin this exciting next chapter, I invite you to be part of Beyond the Walls—whether by making a gift, sharing our vision with others, attending an event, taking a class, becoming a member, or simply continuing to believe in the power of art.
Thank you for helping us grow—not just our building, but our impact.
With gratitude,
Rina Thaler
Executive Director
Art League of Ocean City
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