Author Archives: Bopa Communications

Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) seeks panelists to review 2021 Heritage Award nominations. The Heritage Awards recognize long-term achievement in traditional arts, or community-based living cultural traditions handed down by example or word of mouth. Awards annually recognize one recipient in each of three categories: Person/People, Place, and Tradition.

Serving as a panelist is a great opportunity to support the traditional arts while also learning about MSAC granting processes. The deadline to apply is Thursday, October 22, at 11:59PM.

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Scale Your Passion: a BCAN Pilot Pre-Accelerator

What if you could create a life for yourself centered around the things that YOU are passionate about? Baltimore’s always been a place for newness, for creativity, and where you can see yourself. Scale Your Passion is here to create a space for you to explore ways to bring your idea to fruition. We believe that you can begin exactly where you are, using your passion to start the ignition. Scale Your Passion (SYP) is a pre-accelerator, imagined and inspired by the Baltimore Creative Community. SYP provides access to content and resources to help guide emerging creative entrepreneurs. SYP workshops will introduce and support entrepreneurs in grappling with the complexities of navigating business “essentials” not traditionally built for creatives. SYP will feature workshops that include topics to help emerging entrepreneurs identify a business model that aligns with their natural talents and that will help them understand how their personal relationship with money can impact their business finances. The two-day program will give participants straightforward tools and resources to support their businesses, develop a business leadership identity, and build a community of peers and mentors to support their journey.

When? Wednesday, Dec 2 | 9 AM – 4 PM; Thursday, Dec 3 | 9 AM – 1 PM

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Webinar: What You Need To Know AboutThe Artist Visa Application (O-1, P-1, & P-3) – Thursday, October 8, 2pm EDT

The Japan Foundation, New York has invited leading experts in the Artist Visas field, who will present a walkthrough of the O-1, P-1, and P-3 visa application process, and also touch upon some of the points to keep in mind when applying. There will also be a Q&A session after their presentation. 

While the visa application seems daunting for everybody, the Japan Foundation, New York hopes that the webinar will provide useful guidance and advice which will make the process less challenging when applying in the future. Japan Foundation, New York encourages performing arts presenters who consider inviting artists from Japan, as well as individual artists, to participate in this webinar.

The event is free, but registration will be required. The link to the event will be provided via Eventbrite upon registration. Register here.

Speakers: Tafiya Khan (Attorney, Associate at CoveyLaw) and Yukako Yamazoe (Program Associate, Japan Society, Inc.)

Join Instagram Live on Tuesday, September 29 at 7PM for Open Mic Live: I’m Creative And I Count, presented by Baltimore Center Stage and the Black Arts District. The performances will be streamed here.

The Open Mic is a double feature with Baltimore poets Mike Evenn and Maren Wright. It will be hosted by spoken word artist and activist Lady Brion.

Join the Open Mic to see how Baltimore’s creatives make their voices count, and then make sure to fill out your 2020 U.S. Census to say: “I’m Creative and I Count.”

Learn more about the 2020 U.S. Census here.

One Book Baltimore is a collaboration between T. Rowe Price, Enoch Pratt Free Library,  Baltimore City Public schools and several local organizations to provide opportunities for Baltimore City 7th and 8th graders, their families, and community members to connect through literature by reading the same book. Discussions and programming will be held across the city this fall to spark conversations focused on peace and how to promote change in our community.

Join us the kick off of the 3rd year of One Book Baltimore! This year’s selection is “We Speak for Ourselves” by Baltimore’s own D. Watkins!  He will be in conversation with WBAL’s Theo Hayes. This event will be livestreamed to the Enoch Pratt Free Library’s Facebook page.

Thursday, October 8, 2020 at 10 AM

The full list of One Book Baltimore programs and events is available here.

The Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts (BOPA) has announced Free Fall Baltimore presented by BGE and Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC),featuring free arts & cultural events from participating venues and organizations throughout Baltimore City. Free Fall Baltimore is held each October, in conjunction with National Arts and Humanities Month, and showcases the importance of the arts with free concerts, dance and theater performances, festivals, lectures, workshops, art exhibitions, and special events. The Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts provides grants, ranging from $250 to $1,500, to cultural organizations with operating budgets under $300,000 to provide free events during the month of October. Due to the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic, Free Fall Baltimore will occur as a hybrid of virtual and small in-person events. The celebration kicks off on Thursday, October 1, 2020 and lasts all month through Saturday, October 31, 2020.

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Close Read is a group exhibition featuring new work by three Baltimore-based photographers: Akea Brionne Brown, SHAN Wallace and Savannah Wood. Each artist has spent time conducting research in the historic AFRO American Newspapers’ archives, and has created new work inspired by their findings. The exhibition is open at Baltimore’s Connect + Collect Gallery, which is sited in the former AFRO headquarters. Join the artists for a virtual artist talk on Wednesday, September 23.

Close Read: Artist Talk with Savannah Wood, Akea Brown, SHAN Wallace, and Angela N. Carroll
Wednesday, September 23, at 5 pm – Virtual
Register Here

This project marks the first time that artists have been explicitly invited to work with the AFRO American Newspapers’ archives. The work produced for this show highlights different artistic approaches to archival inquiry, with Baltimore’s Black communities as a common thread.

The artwork is projected on the windows of Connect + Collect Gallery nightly from sunset to 11pm, allowing for an in-person art experience while maintaining physical-distancing protocols. The work is also screened on the Baltimore Museum of Art’s Screening Room.

Close Read is produced by Savannah Wood and the AFRO American Newspapers. This project is supported by a grant from the Grit Fund, which is an initiative of Baltimore Arts Realty Corporation. Additional funding was provided by the Awesome Foundation and Afro Charities.

Connect + Collect Gallery
2519 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21218

More info available at www.afrocharities.org.