From Another Mother Improv Festival
Takes the Stage This Weekend
From Friday, June 17–Saturday, June 18, Black and POC improvisers,
comedians, and performers will converge on Baltimore for a weekend of
laughs. This is F.A.M. Fest! In addition to performances, there are also
workshops if you want to hone your own skills.
For complete festival information including tickets, the full schedule, and lineup, click the event link below.
The University of Maryland, Baltimore hopes to engage an experienced artist to create a public mural that celebrates the local history of West Baltimore where the campus is located.
Between 1997 and 2011 the University acquired three properties located between 114 – 116 N. Greene Street. The buildings were not in good condition and continued to deteriorate. They were subsequently demolished in 2018. As part of a Memorandum of Agreement with the Maryland Historical Trust, the University agreed to design and install a mural at the site to “celebrate the history of the neighborhood.”
There is a designated location for the mural on the north façade of 108 N. Greene Street (see attached Site Plan). The mural will be located in a dense urban setting so it must be durable, easily maintained and not create public safety issues. The mural should utilize enduring materials that can withstand a downtown environment with pedestrian traffic, and exposure to vehicular pollution. Night lighting of the mural wall area has been installed and is unlikely to be further expanded in the future, so please account for this in your design. Finally, the mural will be a place intended for meeting, hanging out and/or studying, and used for selfies or as a backdrop for graduation photographs.
All professional artists or artist teams residing in the State of Maryland may apply. Special consideration will be given to applicants that reside in the Baltimore region. If artists are applying as a team, the team should be declared on the Application Form, specifying a team leader to receive notifications. Artists currently enrolled in any university or college degree program are not eligible to apply. Staff, faculty, or employees of UMB are not eligible to apply.
Up to four semi-finalist artists or artist teams will be selected to develop a proposal. Each semi-finalist team will receive a $500 stipend towards preparing a site-specific mural design for presentation towards UMB’s selection of a finalist. There will be no additional funds or compensation to each semi-finalist for this effort.
The artwork project budget is $23,000 and is inclusive of all costs associated with the project, including but not limited to: artist coordination and expenses (sub-consultants, travel/lodging, printing, overhead, etc.), artwork fabrication details and specifications, artwork materials and fabrication, storage, transportation and installation, related permits, licenses, and insurance. Any expenses that exceed the contracted amount will be the artist’s responsibility. The artist will be responsible for submitting an artwork maintenance manual upon completion.
The RFQ application deadline is Monday, November 15, 2021.
Please see the PDF below for full details on the project, including photos of the site, timelines, and evaluation criteria.
RASH FIELD CAFÉ – MURAL PROJECT
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
Calling all high school songwriters! The National Endowment for the Arts and the American Theatre Wing are accepting submissions to the 2021 Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge. This national contest is for high school students with a passion for writing songs that could be part of a musical theater production and the wide range of musical styles represented in contemporary musicals. The goal of the program is to engage professionals in the musical theater field in nurturing the next generation of songwriters.
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WORDS ON THE WINDS OF CHANGE
CityLit Project presents: the 18th annual CityLit Festival, Reimagined!
A Virtual Celebration of Literature with featured events throughout March 2021, and a daylong event Saturday, March 20, 2021.
Download the program for a complete list of featured guest speakers and a schedule of events.
And follow CityLit Project on social media to stay connected and learn more about this year’s program: Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
CityLit Project nurtures the culture of literature in Baltimore and throughout Maryland. Learn more at www.citylitproject.org!
The Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) has opened up $5 million in Emergency Grant funding for artists and arts organizations!
Application Deadline: Thursday, April 1, 2021. Learn more on MSAC’s website.
BOPA, in collaboration with the Baltimore City Department of Planning, has commissioned Baltimore artist LaToya D. Peoples for the Edgecombe Wayfinding Project.
For this project, Peoples will create new and unique wayfinding path markers along Pall Mall Road, an important connector between Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School and Edgecombe Circle Elementary School in the Park Heights community of Baltimore City. Funding for the Edgecombe Wayfinding Project is provided by Pimlico Local Impact Aid and project management is provided by BOPA.
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