The Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County will be adding to the Montgomery County Contemporary Works On Paper Collection thanks to a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts’ Art Works Grant Program.

The collection is part of the county’s public art collection, which currently includes more than 550 prints, drawings and watercolors from regional artists.

THE NEA awarded AHCMC a $25,000 Art Works grant that “will purchase and frame two-dimensional artworks on paper acquired from regional artists and galleries through a juried call-for-art process opening this spring,” according to the AHCMC announcement.

“In 1975, the Montgomery County Works on Paper Collection began with the intent to encourage and support local visual artists,” Suzan Jenkins, the AHCMC’s CEO said in the release. “We are grateful for the continued support of the NEA to promote, support, and expand the visibility of Montgomery County visual artists who reflect the unique and diverse character of the county.”

In 2018, the County Council approved $50,000 to reactivate the Contemporary Works on Paper program. Prior to this, artworks had not been acquired for the collection since 2001, the council said.

Announcements about the upcoming call for art will be available on the AHCMC’s website. Artworks selected through the call will be exhibited in public buildings in the county, including libraries, recreation centers and administrative buildings.

Left, “Blur Flower II” by Susan J. Goldman and right is “Split Level” by Kevin MacDonald. Graphic courtesy AHCMC.