Chesapeake Arts Center and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility

CAC condemns racism, discrimination, systemic oppression, and white supremacy in all forms. Our goal is to create structural and systemic changes within CAC and by extension, our community, to ensure equal representation and inclusion by marginalized, underrepresented, and oppressed groups or individuals, specifically Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). Through the initial actions outlined below, and those yet to be uncovered, we will listen, learn, and act.   

• CAC’s programming choices will aim to amplify the work of BIPOC artists in exhibitions, educational programming, performances, and other mission-focused activities.  We can use art to help imagine and deliver a world of equality and equity.

•  We will develop relationships with BIPOC artists and BIPOC-led organizations and businesses to tell their stories through art and history. 

• We will partner with organizations who uphold anti-racist values and that are committed to diversity and inclusion.

• We will offer and require training for our Board, staff, instructors, and volunteers about anti-racism, white privilege, and dismantle anti-equity policies that currently exist at CAC.  

• We will evaluate and change our hiring practices to mitigate bias in our search processes to build a diverse staff across all aspects of our organization, including leadership positions.   

• We will not tolerate blatant or latent discrimination by Board, staff, instructors, volunteers, partners, artists, patrons, or other individuals or entities who are affiliated with CAC.

• We will engage our Board and its Governance Committee to ensure our Board and its leadership reflects the diversity of the community CAC represents. 

• We will not tolerate complacency in any work we undertake – and commit to ongoing efforts to establish an organization and community that is just and inclusive.

All of these initiatives are integrated in CAC’s 2023-2026 strategic plan.

Land Acknowledgement Statement

We acknowledge the lands and waters now known as Maryland are the home of its first peoples: the Accohannock Indian Tribe, Assateague People’s Tribe, Cedarville Band of Piscataway Indians, Choptico Band of Indians, Lenape Tribe, Nanticoke Tribe, Nause-Waiwash Band of Indians, Piscataway Conoy Tribe, Piscataway Indian Nation, Pocomoke Indian Nation, Susquehannock Indians, Youghiogheny River Band of Shawnee, and tribes in the Chesapeake watershed who have seemingly vanished since the coming of colonialism. We acknowledge that this land is now home to other tribal peoples living here in diaspora. We acknowledge the forced removal of many from the lands and waterways that nurtured them as kin. We acknowledge the degradation that continues to be wrought on the land and waters in pursuit of resources. We acknowledge the right of the land and waterways to heal so that they can continue to provide food and medicine for all. We acknowledge that it is our collective obligation to pursue policies and practices that respect the land and waters so that our reciprocal relationship with them can be fully restored.

2023 DEIA CONFERENCE: August 15, 2024 | 8 am - 4 pm

8 am Breakfast/ Check-In | 9 am Conference Starts

at the Chesapeake Arts Center I in the Hammonds Lane Theatre

In January 2022, CAC partnered with the Arts Council of Anne Arundel County and The AngelWing Project to create a series of conversations around DEIA. The goal was to educate the arts community around our collective work to advance DEIA in arts programming, outreach, and operations. Together, we created a series of virtual one-hour programs to give arts leaders the tools to help strengthen organizations’ DEIA efforts. The Spring 2022 series was capped off by a full-day DEIA in the Arts in Anne Arundel County Conference on August 18, 2022 at Chesapeake Arts Center. This partnership and program continued in 2023 with additional seminars in spring 2023 and a second DEIA Conference that took place on August 17, 2023 at Chesapeake Arts Center. CAC is excited to be the site and co-presenter once again of the 2024 DEIA Conference on August 15, 2024.

For up to date information regarding current DEIA in the Arts seminars and conference, Please view our upcoming events page for more information.

2023 Let’s Continue Talking About DEIA In The Arts Series

2022 Let’s Continue Talking About DEIA In The Arts Series