SALISBURY, Md. - July 1st will see a change in the relationship between the Salisbury Arts and Entertainment District and the City of Salisbury.
According to a press release from the Mayor’s Office, The City of Salisbury has provided funding to the Salisbury Arts and Entertainment District for seven years to contract an executive director to oversee event planning and execution in Downtown Salisbury. Examples of these events include 3rd Fridays, the Friday Night Live Concert Series, and the New Year’s Eve Ball Drop.
The contract that establishes that relationship, however, is nearing expiration.
In 2022, The City of Salisbury formed the Arts, Business, and Culture Department (ABCD) to oversee production of the City’s large-scale events, such as the Maryland Folk Festival. Now, the City says ABCD has grown enough in the past year to handle more. The Salisbury Arts and Entertainment District and the City of Salisbury have therefore reached a mutual agreement to shift event operations to the City.
Funding that has previously gone to the Salisbury Arts and Entertainment District will be used to hire a new events coordinator, a position that was first offered to Salisbury Arts and Entertainment District Executive Director Jamie Heater.
“The Salisbury Arts & Entertainment District has always had a great relationship with the City of Salisbury,” Heater said. “We have the common goals of bringing arts and entertainment to this community, and I know we will continue to work together on these efforts.”
The Salisbury Arts and Entertainment District will remain a separate entity, but the City’s ABCD will assume duties relating to the Arts and Entertainment District designation.
“We are grateful for the many years of collaboration with the Salisbury Arts & Entertainment District and look forward to supporting their future initiatives,” said Mayor Jack Heath. “The City will continue to produce these staple events to the high standard our community expects, and there will be no change to the great programming we know and love.”