Mayor Brandon Scott has created a centralized office to oversee art, entertainment, nightlife and film activities in Baltimore.
As part of his State of the City address this week, Scott announced that he has formed the Mayor’s Office of Art, Culture and Entertainment (MOACE) to support local artists and entertainers and better coordinate what they do in Baltimore.
“Baltimore has serious momentum right now. And more and more people are seeing it for themselves. We had over 28 million tourist visits to our city last year. We’re also home to incredible outdoor events – including Artscape, AFRAM and Charm City Live,” Scott said in his address on Monday. “With that said, I’m excited to announce a new Office of Art, Culture and Entertainment, which will organize these events and others – and serve as a resource for local artists and creators.”
MOACE is envisioned as an office that “will shape the future of Baltimore’s live events, cultural workforce, creative economy, nightlife and film industry — positioning the arts as a core driver of the city’s growth and identity,” according to a follow-up announcement on Wednesday from the Mayor’s Office.
“Baltimore has long been powered by world-class festivals, vibrant nightlife and a rich artistic community,” the Mayor’s Office said. “However, these efforts have historically been siloed across different agencies. Cities like Atlanta, Chicago, and Austin have centralized these functions — improving coordination, growing cultural infrastructure, and driving strategic outcomes. MOACE positions Baltimore to do the same.”
MOACE will be directed by Linzy Jackson III, Director of External Partnerships in the Mayor’s Office. He will work “with the continued guidance” of the mayor’s Senior Advisor on Arts and Culture, Tonya Miller Hall.
According to the Mayor’s Office, MOACE’s goal is “to build an inclusive economy where talent is nurtured, opportunity is accessible, and the arts are central to Baltimore’s long-term economic growth and identity.”
Its charge is to:
- Unify arts, events, nightlife, and film activities under one strategy
- Boost operational efficiency and in-house capacity
- Support grassroots artists and neighborhood-based cultural groups
- Expand revenue through sponsorship and grant leverage
- Align Baltimore with national best practices in cultural governance
- Strengthen cultural infrastructure and creative workforce pathways
“MOACE isn’t just a new office — it’s a new way of connecting Baltimore and showing who we are. It’s where murals meet music, festivals meet film, and community voices take center stage,” Jackson said in a statement. “We’re building something that connects city services to culture/nightlife, government to grassroots, and vision to opportunity. We’re making sure Baltimore’s artists, creatives, and cultural workers aren’t an afterthought — they’re part of the blueprint.”
“We are deeply grateful for Mayor Scott’s confidence in my leadership and vision,” Miller Hall said in a statement. “This office represents a bold step forward in elevating Baltimore’s creative economy and celebrating the cultural richness that defines our city,” Miller Hall said in a statement. “Through strategic investment in festivals, film, public art, and nightlife, MOACE will serve as a catalyst for economic growth, creative innovation, and civic pride.”
Sounds good, but will this be mostly about pop music and pop culture?
For the past 25 yrs NPR claims to report on the arts. In their mind all art fits into three categories – Pop music, Movies and TV.