Cultural Arts Study Story Map

The Prince George’s County Cultural Arts Study was led by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Prince George’s County Planning Department, the Department of Parks and Recreation, Prince George’s County, Prince George’s Arts and Humanities Council, with a focus on providing strategies and recommendations for integrating cultural arts activities into the County’s economic development and land use planning initiatives. The purpose of the study is to set forth a vision and outline recommendations on how the County and its partners can build upon, strengthen, and invest in the people, places, communities, and ideas that define arts and culture within Prince George’s County. The goals of the Cultural Arts Study are:

To structure the key components of the study with a specific focus on utilizing cultural arts as an economic driver for the county.

To explore how the art, culture, and entertainment can play a role in shaping the lives of Prince George’s County residents and the communities in which they live.

Identify policy changes that need to occur to ensure that cultural arts are included across all sectors.

To ensure Art and Culture is included throughout the County’s infrastructure as ways to advance cultural goals and creative placemaking.

To increase opportunities for public art, community art projects, and infrastructure support for artists.

Identify opportunities for diverse and intergenerational residents to take an active role in arts and culture programs and recreational activities

To utilize art as a game changer, urban revitalization strategy that will assist in changing the quality of life in our communities across the County.

This study provides opportunities to serve County objectives by creating jobs, attracting businesses, drawing additional visitation, and spending from people who live outside of the County, raising land values, and increasing the County’s tax base. The creation of a cultural arts study increases the potential for tangible and actionable opportunities to build capacity through creative collaboration.

Integrated marketing, broader funding options, private/public partnerships, and shared service opportunities are just a few of the economic reasons for developing alliances across organizations and sectors.

The study seeks to harness the power of arts and culture for the benefit of all in Prince George’s County. Prince George's County is unique. This study recognizes the need to: 

Leverage Prince George’s County’s network of cultural institutions and partners to connect communities.

Amplify the creative vitality of the County.

Support culture as an engine for a creative economy, attracting and retaining diverse residents, and public-private partnerships.

Promote Lifelong Learning.

Position culture as an integral part of Prince George’s County’s overall municipal initiatives.

• Consolidate key arts-related investments in strategic geographic locations that best align with concurrent County investments and policy initiatives, maximize the opportunity for catalytic economic development impact, and enhance local placemaking efforts.

• Create additional venues for art performances and galleries in locations with strong regional access, an existing arts identity, and a density and surrounding mix of uses that helps generate a catalytic economic impact.

• Create new spaces for arts creation and production in locations that activate vacant spaces and create value for the surrounding land uses.

• Encourage the development of additional housing for all income levels throughout the County and incentivize the creation of artist live/work housing in the Gateway Arts District, Largo, and Suitland.

• Provide support to local economic development nonprofits in arts districts to enhance their placemaking capabilities and strengthen the cultural identity of their districts.

• Develop a coordinated effort to enhance Price George’s County’s identity as a leading place to create art and experience arts and culture via marketing, branding, and other visitor attraction efforts.

• Designate arts and cultural hubs throughout the County, particularly in underserved areas and unincorporated municipalities.​ 

• Enlist artists and cultural groups to tell stories about Prince George’s County through a countywide coordinated branding and marketing campaign​.

• Facilitate greater communication between artists, the cultural community, and County government. 

• Activate the abundance of underused land, vacant property, and existing venues.​ 

• Continue to develop arts-friendly policies and programs to address artist live/work affordability and facilitate space ownership.

• Success in the arts and cultural sector must be coordinated with efforts in other sectors, including education, economic development, and areas of infrastructure such as transportation and Transit Oriented Development (TOD).

• Foster greater collaboration by building upon existing models between and among the arts and culture community. 

• Financial support and advocacy for arts and culture should be reflected in the County budget. 

• Youth should be provided maximum opportunities for arts education and artistic expression​.

• Provide translation, interpretation, and support for initiatives about the varied cultural heritages represented in the County.

 View and download the Prince George’s County Cultural Arts Study Full Report. 

 Prince George's County, Planning Department, M-NCPPC 

 Prince George's County, Department of Parks and Recreation, M-NCPPC 

 Prince George's Arts and Humanities Council 

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 _{© 2022 Prince George’s Planning Department, M-NCPPC.} 

 _{Data is updated annually.}  

 _{Photos, maps, and associated data are intended to provide general information and are not to be used as a recognized reference or for official purposes.} 

For more information visit the  Cultural Arts Study website.