The Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts (BOPA), Baltimore City’s arts council, announces applications are available for its arts programs for winter 2019. Applications are open to artists, arts professionals, arts and culture organizations, and community organizations. Application deadlines vary. Applications are available here. BOPA, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, supports the arts community through advocacy, arts and cultural activities, and develops and administers funds, grant programs and community workshops. Additional artist opportunities will be available at a later date.
BOPA receives general operating support from the City of Baltimore, Maryland State Arts Council and the Joseph & Harvey Meyerhoff Family Charitable Funds, along with program support from the South Baltimore Gateway Partnership, Baltimore City’s Department of Housing and Community Development, and Baltimore City’s Department of Planning.
An information session for the public takes place Wednesday, February 20, 2019 from 6–8pm at School 33 Art Center, located at 1427 Light St., Baltimore, MD 21230. People interested in applying for arts programs can ask questions about available opportunities, eligibility and application requirements, as well as meet BOPA staff.
2019 Arts Programs Applications
Bright StARTS
Call for Teaching Artists
Artists with teaching experience or substantial training in the disciplines of dance, music, theater, and visual and culinary arts can apply for Bright StARTS, an arts education program that brings high-quality arts enrichment to Baltimore City youths. Applications should have a strong commitment to working with educators and young people.
Community Art Calls
Community Art Grants
Community Art Grants funding is available to Baltimore City artists and neighborhoods who work together to creatively reimagine and enliven public spaces through new mural art projects. The artist-neighborhood collaborative projects must be free and open to the public and exist in outdoor, publicly accessible spaces.
Grant Funding
Creative Baltimore Fund – Individual Artist Project Support
Local qualified artists can apply for the Mayor’s Individual Artist Project Support. This Creative Baltimore Fund Grant program provides support of up to $5,000 for projects that promote public access and encourage the breadth of arts and cultural programming in the community.
Creative Baltimore Fund – General Operating Support
Baltimore-based arts and cultural organizations can apply for the General Operating Support. The grant provides core support of up to $10,000 for established organizations that benefit the public and are artistically or culturally vibrant.
Public Art Calls
Art on the Waterfront
Artists and artist collaborators can submit proposals for temporary sculptural works for “Art on the Waterfront.” The temporary sculpture exhibition will be located along the Middle Branch section of the Gwynns Falls Trail in Baltimore City.
Art in the Median – North Avenue
Artists and designers can submit proposals to design and exhibit new outdoor sculpture along the medians of Baltimore’s North Avenue, between Maryland Avenue and St. Paul Street. The project aims to add to the sense of a gateway to the Charles North community, as well as help with traffic calming, and general visibility intended to improve the pedestrian experience in the area.
Druid Hill Park Reptile House
Artists and designers can submit proposals for sculptural lighting design concepts to fit within the vaulted room of the renovated Reptile House in Druid Hill Park. Light, acoustics and the visual relationship to the curve of the vault should guide design concepts for a contemporary art installation that accentuates this unique public office.
Cahill Recreation Center Trailheads
Professional artists or artist teams can apply for a public art opportunity for Baltimore’s new Cahill Community Recreation Center, located along the western border of Gwynns Falls/Leakin Park. Applicants should demonstrate a record of creating dynamic and playful outdoor sculpture from reclaimed timber and lumber, while responding to community input.
Request for Proposals
SoBo Summer Music Series
Artists and arts and cultural organizations in/around South Baltimore can submit proposals for the SoBo Summer Music Series, featuring free contemporary jazz and R&B concerts. The series activates greenspaces and community gathering locations throughout South Baltimore.