Catonsville has officially been named Baltimore County's first Arts and Entertainment District, making it the 29th designation in the state of Maryland.

The new A&E district will include Catonsville’s business district along Frederick Road and the Lurman Woodland Theater. Managed by the Maryland State Arts Council, an agency of Maryland Commerce, the A&E Districts offer tax-related incentives to help attract artists, arts organizations, and other creative enterprises to these areas and are aimed at developing and promoting community involvement, tourism, and revitalization.

"Our administration is proud to support the revitalization of historic and artistic communities across our state, and 'Music City, Maryland' is a shining success story for Baltimore County,” said Governor Larry Hogan.

“The A&E Districts program bridges a critical connection between the arts and economic development,” said Secretary Schulz. “With a critical mass of arts events, organizations, and businesses as well as independent artists, our network of districts across Maryland are helping to fuel Maryland’s economy and are central to our strong communities. We look forward to working closely with Baltimore County as we welcome the Catonsville district to the program.”

The designation of the Catonsville A&E District in an important piece of Baltimore County’s overall economic development strategy and will help to attract new creative businesses and drive additional tourism to the southwestern part of the county.

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