Call for Artists: Halcyon Arts Lab Fellowship

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What is the Halcyon Arts Lab Fellowship?

At the intersection of art and social change, this nine-month residential fellowship is designed to provide support and resources to emerging artists working on projects which address issues of social justice, civic engagement, and community building. Arts Lab fellows strive to expand their practices and grow as leaders in their respective fields.

Adapting the well-honed methodology of the Halcyon model, Halcyon Arts Lab fosters creativity through an environment of learning, access, collaboration and support.

2019/2020 fellowship dates: September 9, 2019 to June 26, 2020

Mandatory Orientation: September 10, 2019 to September 11, 2019

Location: Halcyon Arts Lab, 1801 35th Street NW, Washington DC 20007

Who is a good fit for the program?

Emerging artists who are interested in further developing a socially-engaged practice and creating lasting connections and partnerships in Washington, DC.

When is the deadline?

Applications are due by 5PM EST on April 4, 2019

Why should you apply?

Fellows accepted into the program will have access to the following:

  • Dedicated studio space to focus on research, learning, and creative practice
  • A competitive financial scholarship to support living and material costs
  • Nine months of off-site residential accommodation (eligible for non-DC residents only)
  • A program of social impact classes, entrepreneurship training, artist talks, studio visits, civic engagement opportunities, and critiques
  • Opportunities for mentorship and studio visits from experienced art professionals
  • Collaboration and networking with fellow artists, social entrepreneurs and our program partner organizations in Washington, DC
  • Opportunity to participate and present at By the People, an international arts and dialogue festivalLearn more and apply online on halcyonartslab.org

Call for Artists: 2019 National Juried Exhibit

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The Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 South Carroll Street, Frederick, Maryland, announces the 2019 National Juried Exhibit. All media are eligible, including but not limited to: painting, printmaking, photography, ceramics, drawing, and sculpture. Click here to submit your artwork for consideration.

Exhibit dates: May 4 – June 16, 2019

About the Juror: Sandy Guttman, Curatorial Assistant at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, in Washington, D.C., will serve as the exhibit juror. She has worked with Aspect/Ratio Projects, Bodies of Work, and Gallery 400. She is a founding editor of the arts and culture publication FWD: Museums.

Awards: First Place – $1,000; Second Place – $500; Third Place – $250; and Honorable Mention – $125

Fee: $35 per artist for up to three (3) images ($25 if artist is a current member of the Delaplaine)

Number of Pieces: Artists may submit up to (3) pieces (in JPEG format) for consideration. One digital image of each entire piece is required; for three dimensional works, up to two detail images per piece are allowed (with a maximum of 9 images per proposal).

Deadline for Entries: Monday, March 25, 2019 11:59 PM

The list of accepted works for the 2019 National Juried Exhibit at the Delaplaine will be posted in April.

Call for Artists: “Self” at Montgomery College

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Call for Proposals: Themed Exhibition Series “Self”

The Department of Visual and Performing Arts is calling for exhibition proposals for the Open Gallery in The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Arts Center that address the theme, “Self.”
Four exhibitions will be scheduled for the 2019-2020 academic year. For the 2019-2020 season, we are seeking artists who explore contemporary ideas of Self Portraiture; engaging with the self through either representational or conceptual means.

The deadline for “Self” proposals is March 15, 2019 at 11:59 p.m.

[ Gallery floor plan | Prospectus |  Go to Application ]

If you have questions about these calls for proposals, please contact Katherine Knight, katherine.knight@montgomerycollege.edu.

Call for Artists: https://cms.montgomerycollege.edu/arts-tpss/exhibitions/opportunities.html

Homegrown Tenor Sings Puccini at Peabody

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Homegrown Tenor Sings Puccini at Peabody, by Matt Ward

Baltimore native Daniel Sampson drinks a lot of water.

“So far today, it’s before noon and I’ve already drank more than half a gallon,” Sampson said, laughing, in a recent interview.

Sampson, 26, is a singer—a tenor—so, he has to take care of his voice day in and day out. Right now, he’s a section head in the choir at Zion Church of the City of Baltimore (near City Hall), he’s getting ready to play the role of Rinuccio in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, and he’s pursuing a master’s in voice at Peabody Conservatory. It sounds like an intense program, but Sampson comes across as a calm, upbeat, even-keeled. For his instrument to work its best, he says, he has to be.

image courtesy of Edward S. Davis

“For me, the two keys are hydration and relaxation,” Sampson says. “I try to make sure that I feel good, and then I just try to relax and not get too worked up about things.” Recalling a recent conversation with a Peabody classmate, he adds: “If things are going really bad for him, he can put his clarinet down and walk away for a few hours and come back to it. For me, I live with my voice. It’s also just a lot of love an acceptance, too. You have to accept: this is where I am, this is where I am today. But that’s what technique is for, too, to make sure your voice is pretty dependable.”

Sampson is working to hone that technique with husband and wife team Stanley Cornett (voice teacher) and Eileen Cornett (opera coach). “The way the conservatory is set up,” Sampson explains, “is you spend a lot of one-on-one time with your teachers and your coaches. You find a problem and they give you ideas how to fix it, then you come back hopefully better the next day than you were the one before.”

Asked whether the small campus at Mt. Vernon ever starts to feel like a fishbowl, populated as it is with high caliber musicians who inevitably have to compete for positions, Sampson explains his antidote: he lives in Federal Hill—so, at the end of the day, he is able to separate himself a bit. On campus, though, he tries to be happy for the successes of his classmates, and hopes they’ll return that vibe when he does well. “The environment is very collegial here,” he explains. “That doesn’t mean that it’s not intense. You’re being pushed to do things that you’ve never done before, you’re being pushed to be at the highest level that you can possibly be. For me, I’m not competing against anyone else here—I am bettering myself.”

Sampson grew up in the Baltimore neighborhood of Hunting Ridge, not far from the city/county line in Catonsville. His parents, both lawyers, did not play music, but some uncles did. His earliest musical memory is of listening to the choir at Morning Star Baptist Church. “I didn’t necessarily participate in the music ministry,” Sampson says. “I just watched.” In high school at Loyola Blakefield, he sung in the choir and performed in musicals. He got his bachelor’s in music education and voice from Loyola University New Orleans; then, after graduating, he stayed in New Orleans, teaching music at a Catholic School before taking a job as music director at church. When he decided he wanted to go to grad school for voice, he applied to Peabody. Coming back home to Baltimore, Sampson says, was important.

“It helps that my family’s here,” he says. “I lived in New Orleans for seven years, and I had to plan out for a very long time when I was going to see my family. And now if I want to go home for dinner at my parents’ house, I can just get in my car and be there in 20 minutes.”

Long term, Sampson sees himself teaching at the university level. But, he likes performing, too. So far, he’s been Monostatos in The Magic Flute and Lamar in Godspell; he’s been a soloist in Vivaldi’s Magnificat and Leonard Bernstein’s Mass. When we spoke for this article, he was getting ready for a nine-hour rehearsal ahead of his appearance next weekend in the Puccini opera at Peabody.

“We’ve been prepping for this for quite a while,” Sampson says. “I’ve been looking at this role on an off since at least the summertime. Now that I know it really well, it’s all about making sure that everything lines up with the voice. It’s really about endurance.”

Peabody Conservatory’s production of the three-part Puccini opera, Il Trittico, will take place Thursday through Sunday, March 7 through 10. Admission is free.

A Few Minutes with Annie Applegarth, Director of Facilities for BOPA

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1. What are your responsibilities as Director of Facilities?

The position oversees all Facilities Staff and provides day-to-day operational, logistical and maintenance to all BOPA facility operations, which includes Top of the World Observation Level, Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower, The Cloisters and School 33 Art Center. I am charged with creating and maintaining high quality, visitor friendly attractions that run smoothly, and to fulfill its directive of raising revenues.

2. Tell us about the attractions you manage.

The Cloisters is a historic home on 60 acres of property with charming gardens in Lutherville, Maryland. We have hosted multiple private events including the wedding of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett. We have also been a site for extensive film projects including Cry Baby, Absolute Power and most recently House of Cards.

The Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower is an iconic landmark in the Baltimore Skyline. The four-sided clock tower is one foot larger than the clock at Westminster, or Big Ben as it is known throughout the world. We host artists, writers and designers, and are home to the largest collection of blue glass in the world. The museum collection is on loan through the generosity of Ernie Dimler.

School 33 Art Center has been a bridge between contemporary artists and the public. Through exhibitions, studios for artists, classes for adults and children, as well as special events and workshops, the center works to insure a vibrant future for contemporary art and artists in Baltimore. The three gallery spaces, multi-use classrooms, permanent, on-site collaborative installations, and an environmentally-friendly outdoor garden fed by a rainwater collection system are examples of School 33’s commitment to maintaining and expanding the potential of our historic building.

Top of the World Observation Level has a spectacular and unforgettable view of Baltimore from the top of the world’s tallest pentagonal building. New exhibits about local landmarks, famous people and “firsts,” and historic events will engage and inspire you to explore more of Charm City.

3. Do you have something that helps your workday? If so, what?

I couldn’t do my job without the Facilities Staff; their enthusiasm, dedication and creativity are what inspire me every day.

4. How does the facilities department create a one-of-a-kind experience for visitors?

Each Facilities Staff member brings their love and appreciation of Baltimore, the arts and history to the experience at each facility. Our visitors experience is the upmost importance to the Facilities Team.

5. How can people rent a facility or an artist studios?

Email me at aapplegarth@promotionandarts.org, or Sarah Wilson at swilson@promotionandarts.org. We gotcha covered.

6. What must-attend events happen this spring?

  • Bromo Museum – a new exhibit All Things Emerson opens on Saturday, April 27, 2019
  • The Cloisters – Open House Plus on Saturday, March 9 and Wednesday, April 24, 2019
  • Top of The World – always and every day the views are remarkable
  • School 33- the exhibitions are always fascinating

7. What work did you do before BOPA?

I worked (and still work on occasion) as a production manager in the music business setting up tours, concerts and festivals all over the world. My clients include Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, U2, Dave Mathews and the Rolling Stones. I also worked regionally as a location manager in the film industry. I worked as the assistant location manager on John Waters’ Cecil B. Demented … and my boss was none other than Debbie Donaldson Dorsey, BOPA’s director of Baltimore Film Office.

8. What do you do in your time outside of work?

I swim, teach swimming and raise money for cancer research through swimming through the Swim Across America – Baltimore event. I knit and teach kitting, and in return the new knitters knit scarves, mitten and hats for the DGS mitten tree. I love live music and theatre and attend as many live events as possible …

Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts Announces Semifinalists for 2019 Janet & Walter Sondheim Artscape Prize

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2018 Sondheim Semifinalist Exhibition at the Maryland Institute College of Art

The Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts (BOPA) announces the semifinalists for the 14th annual Janet & Walter Sondheim Artscape Prize. Twenty-four artists have been selected for the semifinal round by 2019 jurors Laylah Ali, Regine Basha and William Powhida. The competition awards a $25,000 fellowship to assist in furthering the career of a visual artist or visual artist collaborators living and working in the Greater Baltimore region. A semifinalists’ exhibition kicks off Artscape weekend, July 19–21, 2019. Finalists for the competition are announced mid-April 2019.

Janet & Walter Sondheim Artscape Prize Semifinalists

  • Negar Ahkami, Arlington, VA
  • Stephanie Barber, Baltimore, MD
  • Akea Brionne Brown, Baltimore, MD
  • Amanda Burnham, Baltimore, MD
  • Call Your Mom, Baltimore, MD
  • Cheeny Celebrado-Royer, Havre de Grace, MD
  • Zoë Charlton, Baltimore, MD
  • Mina Cheon, Baltimore, MD
  • Schroeder Cherry, Baltimore, MD
  • Bobby Coleman, Baltimore, MD
  • Nicole Dyer, Baltimore, MD
  • Christine Ferrera, Baltimore, MD
  • Phylicia Ghee, Randallstown, MD
  • Gun Show Project (Richard Chisolm & David Hess), Baltimore, MD
  • Taha Heydari, Baltimore, MD
  • Kei Ito and Andrew Paul Keiper, Baltimore, MD
  • Sara Kaltwasser, Baltimore, MD
  • Khanh Le, Washington, DC
  • Tsedaye Makonnen, Washington, DC
  • Jackie Milad, Baltimore, MD
  • Nara Park, Washington, DC
  • Antoinette Suiter, Baltimore, MD
  • Stephen Towns, Baltimore, MD
  • Stephanie Williams, Washington, DC

The finalists’ exhibition is on view Saturday, June 15–Sunday, August 11, 2019 at the Walters Art Museum, located at 600 N. Charles St. An award announcement and reception takes place Saturday, July 13, 2019 at 7pm at the Walters. Galleries open at 10am. Admission to the exhibition and opening reception are free. Each finalist not selected for the fellowship is presented with an M&T Bank Finalist Award of $2,500.

A Few Minutes with Greg Cundiff, a BOPA Volunteer

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1. Tell us a little about you.

I’m a Baltimore native. I was born in the Pimlico neighborhood. Well, I was born in a hospital but my family lived in Pimlico. I grew up in Northwood and Harford County. After discovering that I really didn’t like college, I joined the Air Force and off I went. I had a pretty cool career in the military. My best day in the Air Force was spent doing barrel rolls in an F4-E. Embarrassing secret time: I love to fly, and I’m terrified of heights. Terrified of heights and I work in a tower—life is weird, eh?

2. What BOPA events or facilities do you volunteer for?

I spend most of my time at the Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower, and have done so since the 2011 centenary celebration. This past summer, I spent my Sundays at the Farmers’ Market & Bazaar. And my year wouldn’t be complete without Artscape and the Book Festival. I enjoy working with the social media team for all the big festivals—Artscape, Baltimore Book Festival and Light City.

3. Why is volunteerism important to you?

It is interesting that you would ask that question. When I graduated from University of Baltimore, one of my first positions was as an AmeriCorps VISTA. A big part of my assignment was developing and administering a volunteer service program. After the Air Force and AmeriCorps service, it just seems where I belong. And of course I enjoy working with members of our community, especially when it is in an environment filled with fun and creativity.

4. What is the most unique skill you bring to volunteer opportunities?

During my working career, I rarely worked inside my career field or job description. I learned to figure things out as I went along. My skill is that I actually enjoy working that way.

5. What tips can you give people new to BOPA’s volunteer team?

Get to know the people you’re volunteering with. It is a friendly bunch, and you’ll fit in. You will.

6. What do you do when you are not volunteering?

I’m teaching myself to paint, and work on improving my photography practice.

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The Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts (BOPA) relies on the work and enthusiasm of hundreds of volunteers throughout the year. Learn more about volunteer opportunities at www.promotionandarts.org/get-involved/volunteer.