MAP is the first and only Maryland institution to receive a Warhol Initiative grant from the Foundation. “The initiative is tied to a process of professional assessment and technical assistance, as well as a cash award that will meet critical and immediate needs for MAP’s development. MAP is prepared to commit the time and energy to realize the full potential of this opportunity,” says Cathy Byrd, MAP’s Executive Director.
MAP’s Board President Barbie Hart considers the grant a great achievement for the organization. “We are honored that The Warhol Foundation chose to give MAP this endorsement. The professional and financial resources that the initiative offers will strengthen and energize MAP and its mission for years to come,” says Hart.
The Warhol Foundation designed the invitational initiative program to build the organizational capacity of small and mid-sized artist-centered organizations across the country. Historically under-funded, such groups serve as dynamic catalysts for artistic experimentation, professional development and community engagement with art. Over the past ten years, the initiative has provided 61 participants with cash grants of approximately $125,000, professional consulting services, and triennial conferences that bring the groups’ leaders together for networking, workshops, and training sessions with non-profit management consultants.