WHAT: Now Be Here #4, DMV (DC/MD/VA)
Female and female-identifying artists are frequently overlooked in the art world—just 30% of artists represented by commercial galleries are women, and women artists only have about 25% of the solo shows at major museums. In partnership with Los Angeles-based artist Kim Schoenstadt, the Now Be Here project comes to the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) in Washington, D.C., for its fourth and final U.S. iteration.

Now Be Here #4, DMV will gather female and female-identifying visual artists for a group photograph of historic proportions. Previous Now Be Here gatherings have taken place in Los Angeles, New York City and Miami where, collectively, more than 2,000 women artists participated. Co-organized by D.C.-based artist Linn Meyers, this version will also feature a cocktail hour and an artist resource fair with representatives from numerous arts organizations in the DMV. In addition, Now Let’s Talk, a dynamic schedule of talks, lectures and panel discussions, will bring museums and organizations across the region together to highlight female artists and discuss issues of women in the arts.

The project website will list the artists in attendance so every artist is identified.

Invitations to local artists will be sent out in September. If you are with the media and interested in covering the event, please contact smeteer@nmwa.org to be added to the press list.

WHEN:
Wed., October 25, 2017, 6:30 p.m.

PRICE:
Free. Pre-registration for artists is required. Invitations will be sent in September.

Now Be Here #4, DMV is a free, event for female and female-identifying artists. If you would like an invitation please e-mail: freshtalk@nmwa.org.

Tectonic Space is accepting submissions for their upcoming show, What May Be, focusing on futuristic visions.

One of the most powerful elements of science fiction and fantasy mediums is their ability to depict worlds that challenge our views and what we are familiar with. They can depict worlds not bound to our norms or expectations. These genres can offer warnings or promises, predicting possible darker or brighter futures, and imagine the societal, environmental, and political impacts of our current actions.

This show is open to all mediums reflecting the above theme.

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The removal of Baltimore’s Confederate monuments has captured the attention of the public and inspired artists and others to propose ideas for what might happen next at the four sites left behind. In response, the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts has created an online portal, “Monumental Sites,” to serve as a central repository for the public’s suggestions and ideas. Take a look at the Monumental Sites section on our Public Art page for more information: http://bit.ly/BOPAPublicArt

     1. Where are you from originally?

Baltimore, Maryland. I’m a local Northeast Baltimorean. I went to college in High Point, North Carolina to follow my passion for Interior Design, but realized it was a little difficult to find employment with local Interior Design firms in my hometown.  I then transferred up here to Baltimore, graduating from Sojourner-Douglass College with a BA in Business Administration and then received my Master’s in Public Administration specializing in nonprofit management from the University of Baltimore.  I’ve been in the nonprofit sector for about 18 + years and have experience in fundraising/revenue development, strategic planning, training/development, budget administration and marketing and relationship management.

 

  1. What are some of the things you’re responsible for as Assistant Development Director?

My role was a newly created position to provide support to the Director of Development as she is out in the field raising funds. I’m responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the Development department. We have a team of seven people, and I’m responsible for making sure the team strategizes in regards to raising funds through foundation, government, and city partners, corporate sponsors and individual donors.  In addition, my role requires me to work closely with our finance department to reconcile cash receipts, pledges and provide accurate reports to close out the month. 

 

  1. Where were you before BOPA?

Before BOPA I served as the Associate Director of Development at House of Ruth Maryland for about two years.  Prior to the House of Ruth Maryland, I worked for the United Way of Central Maryland.  Throughout my nonprofit experience I fundraised for human services, but now I’m fundraising for the arts, which is so much more relaxing and fun!

 

  1. How is that different?

Human services can focus on prevention as well as remediation of problems or specific needs.  During my time at the House of Ruth Maryland I fundraised for women and children who were involved in intimate partner violence. As a survivor I wanted to work closely with an organization that I am very passionate about which allowed me to educate individuals on domestic violence. Prior to that I worked for United Way of Central Maryland and our goal was to fight poverty in central Maryland with programs encouraging self-sufficiency. I guided various state and city agencies in their fundraising efforts for the workplace giving campaigns. We were really trying to engage individuals to give back to the community. That was a good and challenging experience for me because it is hard to get people to give through back especially if they felt underpaid.  Employees had specific nonprofit organizations that they supported, but the good thing about the United Way campaign it allowed an individual to pick up to five charities to give to at the end of the year and have it deducted from their paycheck. Coming to BOPA, because I’m a Baltimore City resident, I really wanted to help beautify the city, through the murals, the art and the cultural programs that we have in the city. I’ve always been a very strong advocate and participant in all of the festivals and events, but I didn’t have a clue as to what took place behind the scenes here at BOPA. Now I have such huge respect and admiration because I didn’t realize all the small, intricate details that took place.

  1. Is this the career path you pictured for yourself?

No, I actually studied interior decorating, but when I transferred back I had to find a job to put me through school so I started working in the undergraduate admissions department at Johns Hopkins University.  I worked there for a total of 8 years at Hopkins, which in my last 4 years I worked in the graduate admissions department enrolling students.  During my time on the campus I decided to help the Black Student Union with one of their events. They needed someone to help them raise money and I found my niche in fundraising.  I had the relationships with local businesses and I knew wealthy individuals. Eventually I just stepped out on faith and left Johns Hopkins University. I found a job at the American Red Cross fundraising for Anne Arundel County. I traveled around the United States for national disasters and on occasions I was gone for a month on more depending on the disaster.  I actually left the organization right before Katrina, but I was working for the American Red Cross when 9/11 hit. It was really easy to fundraise for the American Red Cross because whenever you have a natural disaster like that, everyone is opening up their wallets. 

 

  1. What are some of the most challenging parts of raising money for BOPA’s programs? What goals does BOPA have for fundraising annually?

The challenging part is trying to get donors and sponsors to understand our mission and our goal in raising funds, simply because people think of us as a city agency when we are a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization. We are currently fundraising a little differently now that we have a new team. We are packaging BOPA as a whole and sharing with our partners everything that we do in regards to events, festivals and cultural programs. We want to make sure each partner understands our need and they are matched up with proper events and programs that aligned with their mission. The development department is responsible for raising 10 million dollars annually.

 

  1. What are some of your favorite parts of your job?

I just love the BOPA team. We are very family oriented and very close knit. I love the fact that everyone rolls up their sleeves and gets the work done; we are all hands on deck. You don’t find that in too many organizations. Also, fundraising for BOPA has been so rewarding because I’m actually going out and telling sponsors and donors what it is that BOPA does as a whole because people really don’t have a clue. They think of us as a city agency and we’re trying to change that mentality.

 

  1. What do you hope to see BOPA accomplish in the next 5 years?

Creating a strategic plan for our department, because when I came on board the development department did not have a strategic plan. So my goal ultimately is within the next 3 years to have a strategic plan for development department.

 

  1. Do you think BOPA will continue to grow?

Oh yeah, definitely. We really have set the bar with Light City Baltimore. Light City showed Baltimore City and BOPA’s potential to generate revenue and increase partnerships nationally and internationally.  I think with the new administration under Mayor Catherine Pugh’s leadership she will keep BOPA in the forefront since she is such a strong advocate for the arts and culture.

Baltimore Office of Promotion and The Arts / City of Baltimore solicit proposals for the FY2018 National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Our Town grant program. Due date for proposals: September 1, 2017 

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Our Town grant program supports creative placemaking projects that help to transform communities into lively, beautiful, and resilient places with the arts at their core. Creative placemaking is when artists, arts organizations, and community development practitioners deliberately integrate arts and culture into community revitalization work ‐ placing arts at the table with land‐use, transportation, economic development, education, housing, infrastructure, and public safety strategies. This funding supports local efforts to enhance quality of life and opportunity for existing residents, increase creative activity, and create a distinct sense of place. 

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The Gutierrez Memorial Fund is pleased to present its 2017 Legacy Grant. The project-based arts grant calls for proposals from arts organizations, individual artists, artisans and educators who are residents of Maryland and whose programs or projects serve Maryland communities. Special consideration is given to projects that build skills, engage community and transform the built environment.

For more information on eligibility and to download an application please visit http://gutierrezmemorialfund.com/grant-info/.  

The deadline for submissions is September 30th.

CALL FOR PROPOSALS! 
Deadline: September 1st 2017 (MIDNIGHT ET)

free·dom
ˈfrēdəm/

noun: freedom
the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint.
“do we have freedom of choice?”

absence of subjection to foreign domination or despotic government.
“he was a champion of freedom”

 synonyms:
independence, self-government, self-determination, self-rule, home rule, sovereignty, nonalignment, autonomy; democracy
“revolution is the only path to freedom”
the state of not being imprisoned or enslaved “the shark thrashed its way to freedom”

Synonyms:   liberty, liberation, release, deliverance, delivery, discharge; literary disenthrallment; Historical manumission -“a desperate bid for freedom”

lib·er·a·tion
libəˈrāSH(ə)n/

noun: liberation; plural noun: liberations
the act of setting someone free from imprisonment, slavery, or oppression; release. 
“the liberation of all political prisoners”

freedom from limits on thought or behavior.
“the struggle for women’s liberation”

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