Every two years, the City of Baltimore invites cultural organizations to apply for funding made available through General Obligation bonds for capital projects. These bonds are a small but critical component of the City’s Capital Improvement Program. The goal is to provide capital support to organizations that promote arts and culture in Baltimore City and contribute to the City’s unique identity.  

This year, the fund is being renamed as the Baltimore City Cultural Spaces Capital Support Fund. Awards between $50,000-$200,000 will be made available to support physical improvements to cultural spaces throughout the City. Projects that also promote equity will receive greater weight. 

Eligibility

The process is open to not for profit museums, galleries, and theaters, as well as all arts or cultural venues within designated arts and entertainment districts (click here for a map of these districts or visit the Maryland State Arts Council website to search by address).

To apply organizations must:
· Be a museum, gallery, or theater (OR a cultural venue within a designated arts and entertainment district)
· Be a registered non-profit in good standing with the State Department of Assessment and Taxation
· Have a physical location in Baltimore City, and either own the facility or have a long-term lease and primary responsibility for capital improvements
· The facility must be open to the general public

More Information A webinar information session to review the application process will be held on June 30, 2020 at 10am. You can register here for this information session.

Applications are due August 14, 2020. Additional information is available here

July Virtual First Thursday
Thursday, July 2, 2020
8PM – 10PM

WTMD‘s First Thursday Festival, typically held in Canton Waterfront Park during the summer, has gone virtual for 2020! #virtualfirstthursday

The June Virtual First Thursday went so well that WTMD has made it their new summer series.

July Virtual First Thursday will feature Grace PotterSarah JaroszLaura MarlingKatie PruittEze JacksonMichael Nau and more to come!

Plus, special appearances by Outcalls, WTMD DJs and more.

The show starts at 8 PM Thursday July 2 on the WTMD Facebook page.

Read More →
20th Anniversary of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade
January 20, 2020

At the start of 2020, the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade. We gathered in Midtown, layered up against the cold, to pay tribute to the civil rights leader. Baltimore businesses and community members lined up along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard surrounded by the hundreds of spectators that join for this annual tradition. Each year, we look forward to seeing Baltimore come together as marching bands, performers, elected officials, and more honor Dr. King’s remarkable legacy. 

Six months after our January parade, the movement of Black Lives Matter that has swept the country is a necessary reminder of that very legacy. The words of Dr. King are quoted to this day because they speak so accurately to this very moment. We are hopeful that in 2021 we may resume our gatherings and continue our annual parade, to honor the voices that continue to rally against racism and injustice today.  

We hear these voices of change throughout Baltimore: in protest, in artwork, through communities, organizations and individuals. With this in mind, we are asking Baltimore to nominate an Honorary Grand Marshal for our Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade next year. Consider your community leaders, the ones that are fighting now and year-round for change in our City. Consider the individuals that have stepped up this year to make sure that Black voices are supported and amplified. Consider those that have helped keep communities safe as we face not only social unrest but also a worldwide pandemic. Our parade should be as much about honoring a legacy as it is about making sure the values and lessons of that legacy are applied each day. Our call for nominations for the Honorary Grand Marshal is open now, with more information available at www.promotionandarts.org.  

Commemorating Juneteenth

Coinciding with this historic moment across our country, we celebrate Juneteenth this Friday. As we commemorate the freeing of the last slaves in 1865, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, the Black Lives Matter movement reminds us yet again to consider how history remains relevant. Juneteenth is an annual opportunity to reflect on slavery’s unique place in American history, and its effects—past and present. Juneteenth celebrates freedom and it is important that Americans of all colors know their legacy and its weight on the present day. More organizations than ever have begun to recognize Juneteenth, and the national conversation finally highlights this day. Let us all keep this level of focus and amplification as strong going forward.

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

On July 4, and running through Election Day, Quarry Theatre will premiere The Discourse Project, a filmed theatrical endeavor exploring the themes of democracy, freedom, and equality. The Discourse Project will feature actors from across the United States performing prominent speeches and historical documents as our country is faced with re-evaluating its current national identity.

With weekly uploads to the following social media platforms, Quarry Theatre will present this video content in hopes of evoking a community discourse about the future of our nation leading up to the presidential election on November 3, 2020.

YouTube: Quarry Theatre

FacebookTwitter: @quarrytheatre

Instagram: @quarrytheatrebaltimore

TikTok: @quarrytheartre

#thediscourseproject

The Discourse Project is conceived and directed by Ryan Clark.

Quarry Theatre, a Baltimore-based theatre company, creates authentic works of performance that reflect the issues surrounding today’s socio-political climate. Collaged from the excavation and examination of significant textual and statistical evidence as well as an array of media sources, Quarry Theatre productions defy genre and connect with audiences through provocative storytelling. For more information, please visit www.quarrytheatre.com.

Grab your lunch, login, listen and learn! The Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) Program Directors Emily Sollenberger and Laura Weiss are hosting a series of online gatherings for independent artists to connect with creative, discipline-specific, community members in a small group setting. These hour-long lunchtime sessions are an “off the record” time to share with peers where you are at in your current work, what you are excited about, and what challenges you may be facing. 

Registration is required (maximum of 20 participants per session); meetings will be held through Google Meet.

Performing Artists
Monday, June 22 at 12 noon
Hosted by Laura Weiss
Register here

Visual Artists
Tuesday, June 23 at 12 noon
Hosted by Emily Sollenberger
Register here

Literary Artists
Thursday, June 25 at 12 noon
Hosted by Laura Weiss
Register here

Questions? Contact Program Directors Emily Sollenberger (emily.sollenberger@maryland.gov) or Laura Weiss (laura.weiss@maryland.gov) for assistance.