Author Archives: Lou

RASH FIELD CAFÉ – MURAL PROJECT

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

Art Project Opportunity:
The Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts (BOPA) in collaboration with Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore (WPOB) seek to commission professional visual artist to produce unique, original mural artwork designs for implementation in the new Rash Field Café at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. This commission of requires that sketch, mockup and final design digital image submissions of artwork for fabrication are original artworks that meet the design criteria of BOPA.

Eligibility
This opportunity is open to emerging and professional artists residing in the City of Baltimore. Employees of BOPA and WPOB are not eligible to apply.
Scope of Work for painted interior wall artwork:
BOPA will solicit art design proposals from qualified artists for the Rash Filed Café Mural Project. A panel of project stakeholders will select an artist finalist to prepare a final art design for implementation in the Café interior.
· Applicants submit art design concept proposals that meet the design criteria set forth in this RFP.
· Commissioned artists participate in multiple rounds of design development to provide revisions to the project stakeholders before final artwork is approved. Sketch, mockup and final design digital image submissions of art works for fabrication meet the design criteria of BOPA and WPOB.
· Commissioned artists are required to provide the final, approved artwork designs in a digital format that meets the technical specifications of BOPA and WPOB.
· Commissioned artists design and implement an interior wall painted mural at Rash Field Café.

Project Goals:
The purpose of the Art Projects is to improve the appearance of an area, raise the profile and awareness of the Rash Field Cafe. The commissioned artwork should include and reflect the following elements/themes:
· Beauty of surrounding landscape (Inner Harbor)
· Maryland/Baltimore pride and culture
· The brightness and potential of our hometown
The inclusion of artwork in public places increases quality of life in Baltimore’s dynamic communities celebrates local artists and promotes accessibility to the arts.

Budget
The selected artist / artist team will receive a commission of $17,000.00 The funding is inclusive of all artist fees including assistants, material supplies costs, equipment rentals, installation and site work expenses, digital file formatting services, and taxes. Artist payments will be administered in phases as deliverables are met.

Art Design Guidelines
• Artists are encouraged to develop designs that highlight the beauty and unique features of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, celebrate community pride and/or feature highlights of iconic or important local Baltimore histories. Additionally, designs may be considered that highlight the park’s features, especially that of the of Adventure play, Nature play, vitsa, and skateboarding area
• Art designs must be clear, simple, affirming, identifiable, or recognizable forms that generally evoke positivity and are universally understood by both youth and adults.
• Imagery must avoid violence, criminal or sexual activity, racist or religious symbolism. Imagery of suffering or death should be excluded.
• Artists should consider the limited timeframe and project budget. The artwork must be of a nature that can be displayed by a public entity for the enjoyment of a diverse, family-type audience.

Application Requirements:
Please to the application link at (link), each application must include the following:
· Artist Contact information (Name, Address, Email, Telephone)
· A color image or images of the proposed artwork with a description of the piece, materials and installation method
· A short description of why the proposed artwork meets the goals of this Call to Art (100 words or less)
· CV or Current Resume, including name, address, phone number, email address and website for all members of the team
· Description of previous mural installations, including color digital images of previous relevant work with annotated image descriptions. JPEG format preferred for previous artwork samples (Please label: Last name, First name, Maximum 5 work Samples)
· All digital works must be in jpg, png or pdf format. Digital work should be sent in a file no less than 300 dpi.

Overview of the Rash Field Cafe:
Rash Field Café, developed by the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore, is sited on Rash Field at 300 Key Highway, Baltimore, MD 21202. The Café is the centerpiece of the southwest inner harbor promenade and serves as a visitor center for tourists and residents. The park was developed with much input from surrounding neighborhoods and aims to be a play destination for Baltimoreans of all-ages.

Production Timeline
September – October
· Call to Artists opens September 17, 2021
· Deadline for Submissions – October 11, 2021
· Selection and notification to artists – October 15, 2021
October – November
· Art Design Development – late October
· Equipment & Supplies Procurement – early November
· Art Implementation – starting November 15, 2021
· Deadline for completed artwork – November 30, 2021

Project Budget
Commission Award to Selected Artist for Procurement of Material Supplies, Installation Costs and Artist Fees: $17,000.00

Selection Criteria
Applications will be reviewed based on the following criteria:
-Quality of proposal
-Visual and technical sophistication
-Proven experience completing projects on time and on budget
-Experience producing artwork for a highly visible public environment
-Art concept design proposal meets RFP design criteria

Notification
All applicants will be notified of the Artist Selection Panels decision by October 15, 2021. The Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts and the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore reserve the right not to select any of the applicants.

All applications must be received by 5:00 pm, October 11, 2021

We are happy to help to answer any questions about the application process. For any inquires related to the call or artist selection process please contact:
Lou Joseph, Project Manager
Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts
ljoseph@promotionandarts.org

For technical assistance with logging into or navigating Submittable.com please see: https://submittable.help/

TO APPLY, begin by setting up your free Submittable account, and click here to start your application: https://bopaartscouncil.submittable.com/submit/756c0711-e5d2-4102-be64-4e7d976ed7af/rash-field-cafe-mural-project-rfp

Please use this budget form for the 2021 Municipal Arts Society Artist Travel Prize, and save as a PDF to upload on Submittable.

Application is available at: https://bopaartscouncil.submittable.com/submit/21fcf9ae-c8bd-4056-b9f4-780d2caf6034/2021-municipal-art-society-artist-travel-prize

Loyola faculty have teamed up to offer consulting assistance to any business and nonprofit seeking advice and navigation of federal and state offerings.  “Loyola Crisis Navigators” can add a capacity boost for any Baltimore small business, nonprofit, or startup where you can pick a volunteer “navigator” who is an experienced business advisor.  View bios and schedule a consultation at: https://bit.ly/CrisisNavigators

(From https://news.artnet.com/art-world/anonymous-woman-emergency-grants-1819134)

The Anonymous Was a Woman awards have supported women artists over 40 since 1996, distributing more than $6 million in grants to a population that has historically and systematically been overlooked when it comes to major accolades and support. Now, for the first time ever, the organization is doubling its annual offering with an additional $250,000 of emergency relief grants in response to the ongoing health crisis that has shuttered museums, galleries, and other businesses around the world.

The grants—up to $2,500 apiece—aim to assist artists who are experiencing financial hardship due to lost income or opportunity as a result of COVID-19 and the subsequent economic shock. As with AWAW’s annual grants, the emergency funds, administered in partnership with the New York Foundation for the Arts, are unrestricted and available only to women-identifying visual artists over the age of 40 in the United States.

Read More →

Resources from the Maryland State Arts Council: COVID-19 Business Relief Programs Announced by Governor Hogan – March 23, 2020

Governor Hogan announced new COVID-19 business relief programs on March 23. These resources are available through the Department of Commerce and the Department of Labor.

In addition, the entire state of Maryland has received designation for SBA assistance. Small businesses can apply here for federal funding.

Maryland COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund Programs for BusinessesMaryland has authorized $130 million in loan and grant funding for small businesses and manufacturers that have been negatively impacted by the Coronavirus (COVID-19). This emergency assistance provides interim relief and proceeds that can be used to pay cash operating expenses including payroll, suppliers, rent, fixed debt payments and other mission critical cash operating costs.If you are a Maryland-based business impacted by the Coronavirus with under 50 full- and part-time employees, or a Maryland manufacturer, check out the programs below to see if you qualify for assistance.

• Maryland Small Business COVID-19 Emergency Relief Loan Fund – This $75 million loan fund (for for-profit businesses only) offers no interest or principal payments due for the first 12 months, then converts to a 36-month term loan of principal and interest payments, with an interest rate at 2% per annum. Learn more.

•  Maryland Small Business COVID-19 Emergency Relief Grant Fund – This $50 million grant program for businesses and non-profits offers grant amounts up to $10,000, not to exceed 3 months of demonstrated cash operating expenses for the first quarter of 2020. Learn more.

• Maryland COVID-19 Emergency Relief Manufacturing Fund – This $5 million incentive program helps Maryland manufacturers to produce personal protective equipment (PPE) that is urgently needed by hospitals and health-care workers across the country. More details are expected to be announced by Friday, March 27, 2020.

COVID-19 Layoff Aversion Fund – Workforce Development and Adult LearningGovernor Larry Hogan and the Maryland Department of Labor have launched the new COVID-19 Layoff Aversion Fund, which is designed to support businesses undergoing economic stresses due to the pandemic by preventing or minimizing the duration of unemployment resulting from layoffs. The award (up to $50,000 per applicant), will be a quick deployable benefit and customizable to the specific needs of your business to minimize the need for layoffs.Labor is accepting grant applications from small businesses for awards from now through 30 days after the State of Emergency ends (subject to funding availability).
How can it help me?

• Providing funds to cover the cost of purchasing remote access (ex. computers, printers, etc.) equipment to allow employees to work remotely from home versus being laid off;
• Providing funds to cover the cost of purchasing software or programs that an employee would need to use from home;
• Supporting businesses that take advantage of the Unemployment Insurance Work Sharing Program by supplementing the employee’s income and benefits;
• Providing funds to cover the costs of cleaning/sanitation services so that small businesses are able to keep employees at work on site, but only if a frequent deep cleaning to prevent exposure occurred;
• Paying for liability insurance for restaurants that convert to delivery while under emergency circumstances;
• Providing funds for training or professional development opportunities for employees to avoid layoffs; and
• Adopting other creative approaches and strategies to reduce or eliminate the need for layoffs in the small business community.

Examples of how a business may demonstrate the need for layoff aversion funds:

• I run a call center where employees usually work in an office setting. To support social distancing, I’d like my employees to work remotely, which will require equipment such as reliable headphones and laptops for each employee. If they do not have this equipment, I will need to layoff my staff.
• I could ask employees to use their personal phones and work remotely, but I do not have the funds to support the cell phone packages. If provided funds to reimburse employees for the increased data usage, my business could avoid layoffs.
• My employees could work remotely if they had a specific software or computer application, but I cannot afford to purchase. Without this software, I will need to layoff my workforce until we can go back to the office.
• I need my 8 employees to continue to work on site, but I am concerned about their potential exposure to COVID-19 and cannot afford frequent deep cleaning to help limit potential exposure. If I had funds to support the deep cleaning, it would allow my workers to continue to work and would foster a safer work environment.
• Due to the impacts of COVID-19, my employees have more down time than usual. If I were able to offer the opportunity for them to take project management training online during this down time, they will increase their skillsets, making them a valuable asset to our company and less likely a candidate for layoff.

Get Started Now!✔ View the One Pager✔ COVID-19 Layoff Aversion Fund Policy✔ COVID-19 Layoff Aversion Fund Application (Excel)Submit your completed application to: LaborCOVID19.layoffaversion@maryland.govLabor staff will process applications within two business days of receipt. Upon approval and receipt of signed contract, payment will be expedited.
For More Information…Contact the Division of Workforce Development and Adult Learning.