Arts Council asks Centerville for modest town support as annex renovation and children's programs expand

Allison Moffitt, executive director of the Queen Anne's County Arts Council, briefed the Centerville Town Council on April 2 about the council's programs and funding needs, asking the town to consider modest support and coordination as the nonprofit expands youth programming and prepares to renovate an annex building.

"My name is Allison Moffitt. I am the executive director of the Queen Anne's County Arts Council," Moffitt told the council, and described a roster of activities the nonprofit runs from the Centerville building: a free public art gallery, workshops and classes for children and seniors, a START program that places a professional artist in each of four county middle schools, scholarship awards "about $10,000" each year for graduating seniors pursuing arts studies, and outdoor events (Rock on the Porch and Thursdays in the Park) that draw several hundred attendees.

Moffitt said the arts council received an annex building from the county in 2019 and has completed initial structural stabilization. Next steps include ADA-compliant entrances, accessible bathrooms and HVAC — work the council was told will require additional fundraising. One participant referenced a contractor's walk-through and suggested power and renovation costs could be high (a figure of roughly $250,000 was mentioned as an order-of-magnitude estimate during discussion).

Council members asked about outreach, membership tracking and partnerships; Moffitt said the council uses a sign-in and mailing list but needs funds to update an outdated database (GiftWorks) and broaden digital outreach. She also noted the arts council coordinates with town staff on event logistics and public-safety messaging.

What happens next: staff indicated they will include donation requests and organization funding in the budget process; the council flagged other grant opportunities (facade grants, FEMA-administered nonprofit-security grants through MEMA) for eligible projects and asked staff to follow up on potential matching resources.