1950
Young Musicians Series, Inc. Founded by Nina Collier
1950 Initially named “Young Musicians Series,” Young Audiences evolved out of Nina Collier’s concern that young people were completing school and living their lives without ever having heard a live performance by a professional musician.
1951
A Defender of Youth is Scoring with Bach
1951 1952
Young Audiences, Inc.
1952 In New York City, Mrs. Edgar Leventritt and Mrs. Lionello Perera (Mrs. Collier’s mother) immediately saw the possibilities in Mr. Menuhin’s experience. It confirmed that direct contact with the best professional artists could awaken and stimulate a strong sense of beauty and creativity in children. Both women also recognized the urgent need to give the best artists of the day employment. By bringing artists together with children in an educational setting, both could be enriched.
1953
49 Baltimore Students Submit Impressions of Concerts
1953 “This year, the Young Musicians Series has sponsored 53 concerts in schools of this city—a gain of 21 programs over the previous year.”
1955
50 Concerts Presented in Baltimore City Schools
1955 1960
90 Programs Presented in Baltimore City Schools
1960 1961
Essay Contest: Name Change!
1961 Schoolchildren weighed in on whether the Young Musicians Series should change its name to Young Audiences through an essay contest! The renaming of the Maryland affiliate would conform with that of the national organization.
1963
Young Audiences of Maryland
1963 1968
Baltimore Young Audiences, Inc.
1968 Young Audiences of Maryland is incorporated as Baltimore Young Audiences, Inc.
1970
Young Audiences, Inc. to Present Special Concerts during Special Week
1970 The Mayor of Baltimore proclaimed “Young Audiences Week” as the organization celebrated its first 20 years, presenting free street concerts throughout the city.
1971
National Young Audiences Week
1971 1971
Salzburg Puppets to Perform
1971 1972
First Executive Director Hired
1972 1973
The Dance Theater of Harlem
1973 In 1973, the organization received a grant from Morris Mechanic Theater through WBAL-FM and the Dance Theater of Harlem came to Baltimore for a one-week Young Audiences residency.
1975
Awarded First Grant from Baltimore City
1975 1976
Expanded Programming to Six Maryland Counties.
1976 1978
Ella Fitzgerald at the Lyric
1978 In 1978 Ella Fitzgerald performed a benefit concert for Young Audiences of Maryland with the Billy Taylor Trio at the Lyric Theatre!
1980
Artist Roster Expanded to Include Visual Artists!
1980 1981
Young Audiences Programs Reach 16 Counties and Baltimore City
1981 1982
First Maryland State Arts Council Artists-in-Education Grant Received.
1982 Young Audiences programs reached 18 counties and Baltimore City.
1983
Young Audiences of Maryland, Inc.
1983 Baltimore Young Audiences changed its name to Young Audiences of Maryland, Inc. to reflect its statewide constituency. 702 programs were presented in 19 counties and Baltimore City.
1985
Statewide Reach
1985 Programs reached every Maryland county and Baltimore City for the first time in 1985 with 1,060 programs presented!
1994
927 N. Calvert Street
1994 1994
Received the National Medal of Arts
1994 Young Audiences of Maryland joined the national Young Audiences network at the White House to receive the National Medal of Arts from President Bill Clinton.
1994
Arts Medal Goes to Young Audiences
1994 1996
A Capital Campaign Increased Visibility
1996 In 1996, YAMD began a capital campaign. Contributions included an emergency bond from Baltimore City for funds to stabilize the facade of 927 North Calvert Street. Additional donations from foundations, corporations, individuals, and the award of a $150,000 State Bond Bill greatly increased political awareness of Young Audiences and its educational services. At the time, approximately $200,000 was still needed to complete the renovations.
2004
New Executive Director Hired
2004 Stacie Sanders Evans is hired to serve as Young Audiences of Maryland’s second executive director in November 2004.
2006
Young Audiences/Arts for Learning
2006 2006
Teaching Artist Institute
2006 A unique partnership between Young Audiences, the Arts Education in Maryland Schools Alliance (AEMS), and the Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) was built in the creation of the Teaching Artist Institute (TAI). The program expertly pairs classroom teachers with teaching artists and builds the artists’ capacity to contribute to student learning in and through the arts.
2010
Rural Access for All
2010 2012
Maryland Wolf Trap
2012 After piloting residencies for 3-5-year-olds in Baltimore City, Young Audiences launched its early learning initiative, becoming the Maryland Wolf Trap affiliate.
2012
SMART Program
2012 Young Audiences partnered with Harford County Public Schools to develop its first-ever district partnership that provides professional development to every Title-1 school to improve academic performance through the arts—the first partnership of its kind in the nation.
2015
Race Equity Work Begins
2015 Young Audiences of Maryland’s executive director and grants manager, plus a board member and artist participate in a seven-month DEI training program.
2016
Summer Arts & Learning Academy (SALA)
2016 2017
Bloomberg Arts Internship
2017 2018
Two Resident Teaching Artists Are Hired
2018 2019
Baby ArtsPlay!™ Starts
2019 The adoption of Baby ArtsPlay!™ marks the organization’s expansion into the infant + toddler space.
2019
SALA Data Shows Large Academic Gains in Students
2019 Research from Baltimore City Public Schools and evaluation firm WolfBrown showed that the infusion of the arts into traditional learning content transformed the classroom experience, resulting in academic gains for SALA students. Baltimore City Public Schools analyzes student performance on the i-Ready math assessment, taken at the end and beginning of each school year to gauge summer learning loss. Results showed that SALA attendees had significantly less summer learning loss in i-Ready math compared to BCPSS students who did not attend the program. The district evaluation also highlighted YA as the most cost-efficient elementary program with the highest rates of enrollment and attendance.
2020
Arts & Learning Kids
2020 When the COVID-19 pandemic sent the world into isolation and left families & school districts scrambling to support students with virtual learning content and resources, Young Audiences saw a way to help and jumped into action. Working together, our innovative and talented teaching artists created 50 (50!) original episodes of “Arts & Learning Kids”–a series featuring arts-integrated content for students of all ages. This provided teachers and parents with reliable, substantial, high-quality content for students (FREE when it was streamed live) and created a paid work opportunity for our contracted artists while in-person residencies, assemblies, and workshops were put on hold.
2020
Superheroes Unite!
2020 A teaching artist emergency fund is created to help offset the loss of income because of school shutdowns and a nationwide switch to remote learning. An evening of virtual performances–featuring dancers, beatboxers, drummers, storytellers, and more–called Superheroes Unite! is broadcast to benefit Young Audiences of Maryland Artists. This is Young Audiences’ first virtual fundraiser.
2020
Arts & Learning Snacks
2020 Young Audiences and community partners hand out project-based arts kits called Arts & Learning Snacks at meal sites across Baltimore City. The take-home art kits–designed by YA teaching artists–include all the supplies needed for children and caregivers to take a break from the screen for hands-on creating and learning.
2020
After School Arts for Learning Academy (ASALA)
2020 2020
NSLA 2020 New York Life Excellence in Summer Learning Award
2020 2021
Blacktastic! A Virtual Celebration of Maryland Black History & Culture Begins
2021 2021
Principal Fellowship Launches
2021 2021
Young Audiences Arts for Learning Maryland Changes Name to Arts for Learning Maryland
2021 2021
Bloomberg Arts Internship Is Extended into the School Year
2021 2022
Move into Odell’s
2022 Our move from Howard Street to Odell’s–the historic nightclub on North Avenue known for bringing Baltimoreans together time and time again to share in the joy of living creatively–means more space for classrooms and community engagement and for our growing organization to work and dream together under one roof. For decades, Young Audiences has been welcomed into school and community buildings across the state. Now, for the first time in our 70-year history, students and their families and caregivers can come to our new home and explore their creativity, express themselves, and discover the arts’ power to enhance learning, to enrich communities, and to change lives.
2022
$3.9 Million Grant from the U.S. Department of Education Received
2022 2023
Month of the Young Child
2023 2024
Four Resident Teaching Artists Join Arts for Learning Maryland
2024 2024
U.S. Department of Education Honors A4L with the Engage Every Student Award
2024 2024
Stacie Sanders Evans’s 20th Anniversary
2024 2025
Staff Grows to 60 Employees
2025
75th Anniversary of Arts for Learning
2025