How Stacie Sanders Evans is shaping the next generation of learning through the arts
Seventy-five years ago, a small group of Baltimore musicians walked into a classroom with instruments in hand and a big idea: every child should experience the magic of live performance. From that modest start, the organization once known as Young Audiences of Maryland has evolved into Arts for Learning Maryland, a statewide powerhouse that reaches more than 150,000 students every year through arts-integrated education programs that combine creativity with academic achievement.
This fall, the organization celebrates its 75th anniversary with a milestone event, “Art & Possibility: 75 Years of Arts for Learning,” taking place on Friday, November 15, 2025, at Baltimore Center Stage. The gala will honor generations of artists, educators, and community partners while raising funds to sustain the organization’s mission of ensuring that every Maryland student has access to the transformative power of the arts. Guests can find ticket and sponsorship information at www.artsforlearningmd.org/75years ArtsForLearning 75th.
“For us, 75 is just the beginning,” says Stacie Sanders Evans, the organization’s President and CEO, who is also celebrating 20 years of leadership this year. “We’re not only honoring our past, we’re investing in a future where every child has access to the arts.”
Reimagining Arts Education
When Evans first joined the organization, Young Audiences primarily presented live music assemblies, memorable but fleeting moments of exposure to the arts. Over time, she and her team began to ask deeper questions. What if students could create alongside the artists? What if art could become a daily part of their academic experience rather than an occasional enrichment?
“In 2021, we changed our name to reflect what had already become true,” Evans explains. “Our students are no longer just audience members, they’re active participants in their education.” Today, Arts for Learning Maryland works in every county across the state, partnering professional teaching artists with classroom educators to make lessons in math, literacy, science, and social-emotional learning more engaging, inclusive, and effective.
When Creativity Drives Achievement
The power of that approach is most evident in the Summer Arts for Learning Academy (SALA), a free, five-week program launched in 2013 that integrates arts instruction with core academic lessons. “Students in our program actually reverse summer learning loss,” Evans says. “We see gains in math and literacy that last well into the school year.”
Now serving more than 2,000 students each summer, the program’s success has led to a after-school model that has significantly reduced chronic absenteeism and boosted academic performance. But beyond test scores, Evans emphasizes something deeper: belonging. “When students create, they connect. They’re seen, they’re celebrated, and they start to understand their own worth.”
Building Pathways for the Next Generation
That philosophy extends to older students through the Bloomberg Arts Internship (BAI) program, which places high schoolers in paid creative roles with arts organizations across Baltimore. The initiative builds not just artistic skill but also leadership, collaboration, and critical thinking.
“Some of our interns will go on to pursue arts-based careers,” Evans says. “Others will use what they’ve learned to lead in completely different fields. But every one of them leaves more confident, more connected, and more invested in their community.”
A New Chapter: Dream Academy Charter School
The organization’s newest venture, the Dream AcademyCharter School, brings decades of proven arts-integration success directly into the public school system. “We’ve seen how powerful our model is in summer and after-school programs,” Evans notes. “Now we’re ready to build that into the fabric of a full school day.”
She envisions the charter as both a laboratory and a model for what public education could look like statewide, creative, inclusive, and rooted in hands-on engagement.
A Celebration with Purpose
The upcoming Art & Possibility gala will not only honor the organization’s history but also raise funds to power its future. Proceeds will support teacher training, expand access to arts-integrated classrooms, and help bring creative learning opportunities to more schools and communities across Maryland. Guests will enjoy performances from teaching artists and students, interactive art experiences, and a look back at 75 years of impact on Maryland’s educational and cultural landscape.
Looking Ahead
As Arts for Learning steps into its next chapter, Evans is mindful of the challenges ahead. “Funding for education and the arts is undergoing significant strain,” she says. “But we’ve been around for 75 years because we adapt, and our vision remains the same: for every student in Maryland to imagine, create, and realize their full potential through the arts.”
Looking to the future, she’s focused on expanding early childhood programs, strengthening career and technical education pathways, and investing in teachers. “When we support educators and help them stay in the field, we ensure that creativity continues to ripple through every classroom.”
After seven and a half decades of inspiring young minds, Arts for Learning Maryland is not slowing down. It is only setting the stage for what comes next.