There is hereby created a Prince George's Arts and Humanities Council, hereinafter referred to as the "Arts Council." The Arts Council is created as a not-for-profit, tax-exempt organization for the purpose of promoting, developing, educating, and otherwise furthering the arts in Prince George's County by actively supporting artists, arts organizations, humanities scholars and organizations and their roles in the civic life of the County. The County government is hereby authorized and encouraged to assist the Prince George's Arts and Humanities Council in its role as the initiator of arts and cultural activities in Prince George's County. The County Executive is further authorized and encouraged to extend financial support to the Prince George's Arts and Humanities Council for future appropriation requests based on funding availability.

The powers and duties of the Arts Council shall be vested in and exercised by a Board of Directors consisting of at least nine (9) and no more than twenty-five (25) members who are residents of the County, appointed pursuant to the by-laws of the Arts Council as follows: Nine (9) board members appointed to consecutive three-year terms consisting of representatives and leaders from arts, education, humanities disciplines, and business and reflecting the geographical, cultural, and social diversity of the County. One board member shall be designated as Chair. At its first meeting, the Board shall elect from its members a Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, and Executive Director who shall form the Executive Committee. The County Executive and County Council may each designate one representative to serve as an ex-officio member of the Arts Council.

The members of the Arts Council shall serve without compensation. Expenses incurred by the members in the performance of their duties shall be paid in accordance with such budgetary and administrative procedures as may be adopted by the Arts Council.

The County Attorney, upon designation of the initial board members, shall prepare and file or cause to be prepared and filed with the appropriate bodies, articles of incorporation and such other documents as may be deemed necessary and appropriate in order that the Arts Council might be constituted a body corporate having perpetual existence. The Arts Council shall have the following powers and duties: To serve the public at large as the arts funding organization for the County; To serve as a recipient and distributor of federal, state, regional, public, private, foundation, and county arts block funding; To provide financial support through competitive grants programs and special funding initiatives for artists, arts organizations, humanities organizations, and humanities scholars; To provide advice and technical assistance for privately-funded arts in public places program in collaboration with the Art in Public Places Program administered by the Office of Central Services; To serve as the advisory body for the development, management, and marketing of Arts and Entertainment Districts in the County; To provide technical assistance and learning opportunities for individual artists and scholars as well as capacity building activities arts and humanities organizations; To build, own, develop, or manage facilities designated and designed for cultural and artistic uses including galleries, museums, theaters, performing arts centers and amphitheaters; and To provide advice and guidance on matters related to the arts, the humanities, and cultural aesthetics to the County Executive, the County Council, as well as the business, education, and civic leadership communities of the County.

The Arts Council shall meet in public session, unless otherwise provided by law, as provided in its bylaws as required to perform its duties and exercise its responsibilities.

The Arts Council shall advise and report annually to the County Executive and County Council its activities during the preceding fiscal year, together with any recommendations or request it deems appropriate to further the public purpose of the public body.