Programs

Bright StARTS Art Workshops – The mission of the Bright StARTS Art Program is to provide Baltimore’s children with the broadest possible view of the world through the arts.  To accomplish this, Bright StARTS offers workshops taught by professional artist/educators in a wide variety of artistic disciplines and media, including painting, drawing, sculpture, drama, dance, music, spoken word and poetry.

In September 2003, the Bright StARTS Art Program began servicing Baltimore City students through established after-school programs.  The workshops are primarily designed for children ages 7 – 13, although throughout the program year (October –June) several special programs are offered for teens 14 – 19 and younger children 5 – 6.  Bright StARTS also partners with the Baltimore City Public Schools and the Baltimore City Recreation and Parks Department to provide arts programming during the summer.

For more information, click here.

Art @ Work – In summer 2015, the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts and Jubilee Arts partnered to launch Art @ Work, a five-week mural artist apprenticeship program for Baltimore City youth enrolled in the city’s YouthWorks program. In its inaugural year, Art @ Work: Sandtown employed 80 young people ages 14-21 to work under master teaching artists to create nine highly visible murals and mosaics throughout their neighborhood.

The goal of Art @ Work is to introduce youth to career opportunities in the arts, offer gainful employment in a positive learning environment and to provide Sandtown youth with the tools to express themselves through the arts, all while beautifying the community. Youth participants work alongside professional artists to canvass the community, develop designs, present their design proposals to the public, and execute their approved designs. Apprentices also receive soft skills workforce development and financial literacy training, as well as leadership development for areas such as public speaking, community activism, interview preparation, and resume writing.  For more info on Art @ Work: Sandtown, visit www.promotionandarts.org.

  Art @ Work 2016 takes place in Upton! More details coming soon.

Photo Credit: Art @ Work 2015 teaching artist Iandry Randriamandroso with artist apprentices, photo by Nate Larson. 

Artist in Residence Program – BOPA partners with Young Audiences of Maryland to provide quality arts instruction in Baltimore City Public Schools during the school day through the YA Access for All Artist in Residence program.  Applications for artists interested in teaching in the Artist in Residence program are due on December 1.  For more information on becoming a teaching artist, visit the YA website http://yamd.org/artists/how-to-become-a-yamd-artist/.

Mayor’s Cultural Town Meeting – Every two years, the Mayor hosts a Cultural Town Meeting during the month of October, National Arts and Humanities Month.  Issues of importance to the cultural community and the city are shared and discussed in a town meeting format.  BOPA partners with the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance to plan this event.  The next Cultural Town Meeting is scheduled for October, 2015.