Although close to the arts centers of Washington, D.C., Maryland has its own cultural attractions. Baltimore, a major theatrical center in the 1800s, still has many legitimate theaters. Center Stage in Baltimore is the designated state theater of Maryland, and the Olney Theatre in Montgomery County is the official state summer theater. Arts organizations are aided by the 11-member Maryland Arts Council.
The state's leading orchestra is the Baltimore Symphony. Baltimore is also the home of the Baltimore Opera Company, and its jazz clubs were the launching pads for such musical notables as Eubie Blake, Ella Fitzgerald, and Cab Calloway. Annapolis hosts a symphony, an opera company, and the Ballet Theatre of Maryland. The National Ballet (est. 1948) is the oldest professional ballet company in the state. One of the newest additions to the arts community is the Maryland Symphony Orchestra in Hagerstown, established in 1982. The Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore is one of the nation's most distinguished music schools. Both the Maryland Ballet Company and Maryland Dance Theater are nationally known.
In 2003, the Maryland State Arts Council (est. 1967) and other arts organizations received grants totaling $2,404,700 from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The Maryland Humanities Council (MHC) was founded in 1974. Ongoing programs of the MHC include Family Matters, a family-oriented reading and discussion group, and History Matters!, which promotes heritage tourism. In 2000, the state received 12 grants, totaling $2,855,540, from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The state makes arts education available to nearly 170,000 schoolchildren. There are about 1,000 state and 25 local arts associations in Maryland.