Artists Equity Association’s Maryland Chapter (AEA)

During my 2-year presidency (1984-’86) of AEA, my goal was to form a consortium of Maryland’s arts organizations. Positive changes for artists, within the Baltimore community, could only happen if we banded together.

Artscape 1985

I began by leading a small team of AEA members to meet with the director of the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Arts and Culture.  We lobbied for an Arts Resource Tent, at Baltimore’s next Artscape, so art organizations (visual, performing, and literary) could distribute their literature to the public.  We were told, “We think it a good idea, BUT we do not have enough staff to organize such a huge undertaking and there is no funding for another large tent.”

I was prepared for this response…I had made a schedule showing how we could rotate 30+ organizations during the Artscape weekend and assured the director there were enough AEA members who had already volunteered to execute the project.
The positive feedback was gratifying and the Arts Resource tent was incorporated into Artscape’s budget for 1986 and many years to come. A satisfying job done by all.

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 Maryland Artists Equity Foundation (MAEF)

MAEF, an outgrowth of AEA, is a nonprofit foundation, incorporated in 1984  to award tuition scholarships to gifted high-school art students and encourage them to seek higher education and careers in the visual arts. Ina Helrich, a past AEA president, founded MAEF’s concept and also designed the annual scholarship competition and awards ceremony for this new 501c3 organization.

Held from 1984 to 2008, 5 jurors, from the art community, picked 25 finalists from over 100 applicants each year. A second set of 5 jurors ranked the finalists’ artwork for our exhibition and decided who should receive the top scholarships and the rest of the monetary awards. MAEF members and jurors volunteered their time and expertise to make all aspects of the program a success.
I was asked to help write MAEF’s charter and by-laws. Eventually, I became president of MAEF for 16 years.

During my 16 years as MAEF’s President, and then President Emeritus, I initiated new ideas and chaired many programs; such as Tribute Scholarship Funds*, providing art supplies for Baltimore inner city schools, Baltimore City Pre-college scholarships, MAEF’s website, and the Winner’s Circle.

*The Tribute Scholarship Funds provide a venue for family and friends to perpetuate the legacy of their loved ones.

Winners’ Circle Exhibitions

The Winner’s Circle program affords our past finalists an opportunity to show their artwork in a prestigious setting, such as the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore Museum of Art, and Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). It is most gratifying to continue our connection with our finalists and to learn that so many are engaged in successful art-oriented careers. Their goals, as well as ours, have been realized…a truly satisfying partnership.

MAEF has now merged with MICA to continue its scholarship program and remain a viable part of the community.

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Other Volunteering

• Baltimore Sculptors: originally Sculptors Inc, 1993:
  • charter board member | helped draft the by-laws
  • current Treasurer, 2018-present
• Maryland Lawyers for the Arts:
  • helped draft the by-laws; 1984
  • testified at the MD State legislature, in Annapolis, on an art-related bill to benefit artists, 1984
• Creative Arts Centre Advisory Committee, at Essex Community College, MD | board member for three years
• Art classes for seniors with various degrees of cognitive impairment:
  • Catonsville Commons in Baltimore MD (Alzheimer’s Art Program).
  • Hebrew Home of Greater Washington in Rockville, MD
• Fundraising organizations for Cancer research; 1962-1980.
  • Dorothy Friedman Caplan Guild | long-time member, vice-president for two years
  • Mildred Mindell Foundation | long-time member

        Married since 1962, Nannette has three daughters and sons-in-laws; plus six grandchildren who keep her young at heart.