Since 1979, the Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts has been a uniquely valuable community resource — as an arts education center for all ages, as a performing arts space for many genres, and as a home for the resident artists and arts companies that contribute so much to the life of Annapolis.
So it is shocking to see that Maryland Hall is the only non-profit community resource in the state whose allocation in the capital budget was singled out for veto by Gov. Larry Hogan ("Hogan can't make spending switch without Assembly OK," May 19).
This is money that was intended for the continuing renovations needed at Maryland Hall to make it more accessible and a 21st-century educational and performing arts venue. The campaign to renovate Maryland Hall has been in the works for years and has gathered significant community support from those who recognize its unique value.
The Annapolis Opera Company, a resident at Maryland Hall since its opening in 1979, is proud to have 100 percent of its board of trustee members contribute to the improvements begun at Maryland Hall. We are appalled that the next round of renovations, which would have been funded by the state's $2 million allocation, has now been put on hold.
The power of the arts as a transformative force in the lives of children has been well-documented. Letting community arts resources such as Maryland Hall fall victim to political games of tit-for-tat should be intolerable for a civilized community.
Lee Finney, Annapolis
The writer is president of the Annapolis Opera Company.