Category Archives: Uncategorized

The Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts announces the finalists for the $25,000 Janet & Walter Sondheim Artscape Prize:

Miguel Braceli
Hoesy Corona
Phylicia Ghee
Muriel Hasbun
LaToya M. Hobbs
strikeWare (Mollye Bendell, Jeffrey Gangwisch
& Christopher Kojzar)

See the artist bios here: http://promotionandarts.org/arts-council/janet-walter-sondheim-artscape-prize

Created by the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts, the competition awards a $25,000 fellowship to assist in furthering the career of a visual artist or visual artist collaborators living and working in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area.

Each remaining finalist is presented with the M&T Bank Finalist Award of $2,500. Semifinalists are awarded a $500 honorarium, also partially financed by a gift from M&T Bank this year.

The 2020 Jurors are Gary Carrion-Murayari, Nona Faustine, and Diya Vij.

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Public Art Listening Sessions: Purchasing Artwork for State Buildings

Monday July 6, 4-5 PM and Monday, July 13, 4-5 PM

Maryland’s percent for public art program, the Maryland Public Art Initiative would like to begin a program to purchase existing works from Maryland artists to be on permanent display in State owned buildings. This listening session is for gathering feedback for a proposed artwork purchasing program and how it may benefit painters, photographers, mixed media, sculptors, etc. interested in selling work through this program. Register at marylandartscouncil.eventbrite.com.

More information and additional programming from the Maryland State Arts Council’s Envision Series is available here.

Baltimore Summer Arts Passport

Project Overview: Organized by Arts Every Day, the Baltimore Arts Passport is a printed booklet exploring Baltimore-based arts organizations through a variety of visuals, prompts and activities to keep students reading, writing, and creating all summer long. Students will ‘travel’ to arts organizations, experience a glimpse of each institution, reflect on and creatively respond through writing, drawing, making, dancing or acting. The booklets will be accompanied by an art supply kit. While the booklet is not dependent upon internet access, there will be a webpage for families to access that will expand the student’s experience and offer new opportunities of engagement. Evaluation of this project will be led by the Johns Hopkins University Arts + Mind Lab. This project is being piloted as a collaborative effort with hopes of replicating in the future. 

Components: 

• Booklet: 24 page booklet containing do-at-home projects, engaging activities and creative reflections to support social and emotional learning. Text will be written at a 3rd grade reading level and we are working on organizing volunteers to provide translation into Spanish.
• Art Supply Kit: colored pencils, watercolor, sketchbook, scissors, glue
• Baltimore Arts Passport Virtual Classroom: Each organization will contribute virtual experiences and content to a collaborative webpage as an extension of the booklet.

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Baltimore Conversations: Arts & Culture Pivot

Tune in for a conversation on how Baltimore’s Arts & Culture organizations have been affected by the pandemic, responded to social unrest, and how each has adapted during such unprecedented times. Hosted by Baltimore Homecoming.

Thursday, July 9, 2020 – 3:00 PM

Pennsylvania Avenue Black Arts District (B.A.D.) – Lady Brion, Director
Arena Players, Inc. – Joshua Dixon
Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts– Donna Drew Sawyer, CEO
Baltimore Center Stage – Stephanie Ybarra, Artistic Director
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra

Webinar Registration

On the last Friday of every month at 5pm Rasheem, Education Director at Creative Alliance, engages with the imagination, insights, and unique perspectives of creatives. The show gives particular attention to creatives that are community-focused and actively engaged in leveraging their creativity to make a difference. The show explores the utility and effectiveness of ART as an instrument of social change. If you are a creative or are interested in finding meaningful ways to connect, collaborate, and or learn from other creatives about how to leverage your creativity to do more good, then this show is for you. Join the conversation LIVE from Creative Alliance’s facebook page.

June 26th Episode 1 – ARTivisim: Art as activism. Rasheem talks with artists who leverage their creativity to bring attention to social issues.

JUN 26 | 5pm | Facebook Live | Free

Share ideas with Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) Executive Director Ken Skrzesz for current and future income diversification to sustain arts organizations!

Tuesday, July 7, 2020

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM EDT

Free! Register at: creativethinkingaboutmoney.eventbrite.com

Last June, the BOPA team joined the procession of the Baltimore Pride Parade in celebration of our LGBTQ+ community. Baltimore’s parade is one of the oldest in the nation, taking place for more than 40 years, and it was inspiring to see everyone gathered in colorful celebration.

We know that parades are canceled this year, but if this time of social distancing has taught us anything it’s how to be creative and innovative in the ways we interact while apart. There are still so many ways to celebrate Pride virtually and at home: Look to Baltimore’s community of LGBTQ+ artists, authors, musicians and creatives. Amplify their voices and art across social media. Donate to organizations that support the community. Hang a flag outside your door. Call out injustices and be an ally. Keep this momentum going even after Pride is over.

This momentum is important: just last week, at the midpoint of Pride, we saw a historic decision from the Supreme Court. The court’s ruling protects LGBTQ+ workers against discrimination and is long overdue. This a reason for celebration, but there is always more work to do. The Stonewall Riots of 1969 and the protests across our country today are reminders that our Pride celebrations must include the Black Lives Matter movement.

We are proud of Baltimore’s diverse, creative and vibrant LGBTQ+ community. We hope that by this time next year we can gather once again, all of us celebrating together on the parade route. In the interim, we should all commit to keeping the spirit that celebrates our diversity alive and well.

Donna Drew Sawyer
CEO, Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts