Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts

HOW TO APPLY - LIGHT CITY BGE LIGHT ART WALK

In 1816, Baltimore was the first American city to illuminate its streets with gas lanterns, revolutionizing the urban landscape and forever transforming the city with light. It’s with this spirit of invention and transformation that 200 years later Light City was launched in 2016. Light City is a free, family-friendly event that is open to all members of the public and attracts approximately 400,000 attendees from throughout Baltimore and the region each year.

The Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts (BOPA) invites artists and artist collaborative groups to apply to have an art installation commissioned and featured in the 2019 BGE Light Art Walk. BOPA is seeking approximately 20–30 art installations for the 2019 festival. Light City is a free, family friendly festival that seeks to reflect Baltimore’s diverse audience. Artists interested in submitting a proposal should consider both the audience and the outdoor environment of the festival when proposing a project.

Each artwork on the BGE Light Art Walk should be open and operational for all festival hours for each of the eight nights Light City is open to the public (April 5-13, 2019).

For a full prospectus, please click here: Call for Entry.

General Info

• Light City will take place from April 5-13, 2019. Operating hours of the festival are 7:00 pm to 11:00pm each night. Please note that sunset during this time of year usually occurs around 7:30 pm, and fully dark around 8:00 pm.
• Light City takes place at the Baltimore Inner Harbor from Harbor East to Harbor Point. The festival footprint is south of Pratt Street, from the Inner Harbor south shore near Rash Field to Harbor East. The BGE Light Art Walk follows the brick-lined promenade along this footprint, which is where the installations will be sited.
• Light draws audiences of all ages and abilities. Young children, and patrons with mobility and/or accessibility needs, should be considered when drafting a proposal. Please also consider if any accommodations will need to be made to ensure that the proposal, if realized, is fully ADA compliant.
• BOPA fully funds each installation, with projet budgets ranging from $10,000 to $75,000. BOPA relies on the corporate and foundational giving community for the entire Light City festival budget, including the funds allocated for artist’s contracts. As such, it is very likely that many, if not all, installations will have a “presenting sponsor” that will be listed on the festival signage when the art work is installed. Every effort will be made to communicate this process to the artist. 
• On occasion, partners in Baltimore wishing to commission and host a light based artwork or performance in their neighborhoods or at their business, attraction or facility during Light City Baltimore Festival have contacted BOPA for suggestions and recommendations. The artist may consent to their information being shared, on a case by case basis as the request arises. Artists may opt out of this sharing and can designate this choice in the online application.
• Any artist who submits a proposal will maintain their copyright and ownership of their work. For proposals that are contracted to participate in Light City 2019, the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts (BOPA), the Baltimore Festival of the Arts Inc. (BFAI)  reserves the right to reproduce images of selected artists’ work for printed or internet publicity, catalog, map or marketing purposes.

Application Materials

1. Applicants should include images (JPEG format) or video (in .mov or .mp4 format) of previous artworks. Prior to uploading your images for submission, please ensure that works are labeled by last name, then first name followed by the number the image is on your image list (for example: smithjohn01.jpg, smithjohn02.jpg, etc.). Images should not exceed approximately 3MB. Video documentation should not exceed 10 minutes. 

2. Artwork list that corresponds with included images, this list should contain appropriate details such as title, date, medium, and dimensions/duration (.pdf format), and where else this work may have been exhibited previously.

3. Light City proposals (.pdf format) must include a rendering or documentation of the installation (if previously exhibited) and written description of proposed piece and if a location is preferred for the project. Please keep in mind that no location can be guaranteed, and applicants are encouraged to be flexible when proposing a location.

4. Applications that include a performance element should include all applicable details of performance. This information should include performance type, approximate length of performance, the number of occurrences of performance, plans for the employment of light in the performance, any staging or props that will be included in your performance, and how this works in conjunction with an installation located on the BGE Light Art Walk. Please note that if a performance element is proposed and budgeted for, the expectation is that the performance will be live during the majority of festival hours alongside the installation.

5. All inclusive project budget, submitted using the Budget Template document supplied by BOPA (.pdf format).

6. Artist/artist collaborative resume (no larger than 3 pages and in .pdf format).

7. The names and contact details for three professional references.

Thank you for your interest in Light City-our reputation for producing cutting-edge artworks is only possible through the efforts of the artists interested in participating to make this great event happen! BOPA staff is always on hand to answer questions 

For more information regarding the BGE Light Art Walk Call for Entry applications for Light City 2019, please contact Kathy Hornig, Kyree Jones or Kim Domanski at 410-752-8632 or khornig@promotionandarts.org, kjones@promotionatndarts.org, kdomanski@promotionandarts.org. 

Thank you for registering for School 33 Art Center's 2018 Open Studio Tour! Help us spread the word about your studio by responding to the following questions about your studio and art practice. Your responses may be posted on the Open Studio Tour blog and on School 33 Art Center's Facebook page to give tour-goers a "sneak peak" of what they'll see when they walk through your studio door. 

Please complete and submit this questionnaire by August 31st, 2018.

If you have any questions, please contact Flannery Winchester: (443) 263-4351 / fwinchester@promotionandarts.org.

The Municipal Art Society of Baltimore City Artist Travel Prize: Call for Entries

Application deadline – Friday, September 14, 2018

The Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts, Inc. (BOPA) is proud to announce the third edition of the Municipal Art Society of Baltimore City Artist Travel Prize, sponsored by the Municipal Art Society of Baltimore City (MASB). The Municipal Art Society of Baltimore was founded in 1899 as part of the City Beautiful movement. It is one of only two remaining societies to be operating under its original charter “to provide sculptural and pictorial decoration and ornaments for the public buildings, streets and open spaces in the City of Baltimore, and to help generally beautify the City.” Artistic contributions to the City span more than one hundred years. In 2016 the MASB embarked on a path to provide new opportunities to Baltimore artists and art places within the City. This prize will award $6,000 to a visual artist or visual artist collaborators, living in Baltimore City. Successful proposals will be selected from submissions that clearly articulate the artist’s reason for travel and how it relates to their work, along with support materials. The $6,000 prize is intended to function as funding for travel essential to an artist’s studio practice that an artist may not otherwise be able to afford.

Application Process

The Municipal Art Society of Baltimore Artist Travel Prize will be accepting online applications at the following link:

https://promotionandarts.submittable.com/submit/118367

You will be asked to submit the following:

Written Proposal (one page max, PDF only) This should include where you would go if awarded the prize, a section about your work, and an explanation of how this opportunity would advance your studio practice. The primary goal of this award is to advance an artist’s work and does not need to be tied to a possible or secured artist residency- research can be the focus of proposed travel. Proposal should include a post travel exhibition, which would happen in one of BOPA's exhibition spaces in School 33, the Bromo Seltzer tower or Top of the World (the observation deck gallery in Baltimore's World Trade Center.)

Resume (two pages max, PDF only)

Images

• Artists must submit 10 images of their work most relevant to their proposal.
• Images should be in jpeg format, and not be larger than 1 MB. (1240x900 pixels, 72 dpi)
• Please label your images last name, first name and number corresponding to your image list (example: DoeJane_01.jpg, DoeJane_02.org, etc)

Videos

Artists wishing to submit video work in lieu of images may do so by submitting 5 to 10 links to their videos on YouTube, Vimeo, etc, or submit video directly to the application. Videos should not exceed two minutes; you do not need to submit your whole project. Pick a representative sample that will give jurors a good example of your work.

Image/Video list (one page max, PDF only)List title, media, year produced, and any narrative information for the jurors.

Travel Budget (use attached budget form to submit)

Please use the attached budget form and provide the most realistic budget for your proposed travel, including all things that need to be funded to realize the trip. Do not feel compelled to pad your travel with the highest number of locations or quantity of travel- the budget should reflect the needs as described in your statement, and the most realistic use of the funds.

Click here to download budget form.

Guidelines

1. Artists living in Baltimore City are eligible; Artists must live in Baltimore City during time of application and during the entire granting period.
2. Artists must be at least 21 years old, and may not be full-time students or enrolled in a degree-granting program at the time of the granting period, October 2018 to October 2019. (although current seniors and last semester graduate students are encouraged to apply)
3. Artists who apply as individuals must submit original artwork that is principally created by them.  It is understood that sometimes individual artists may employ the work of another artist to complete a larger scale project. For example, an artist who works in video may choose to include sound in the video that is composed by another artist.  In such cases, the individual artist applying to the MASB Artist Travel Prize must be the primary creator of the work, they must disclose any assistance received on artwork submitted for consideration and they must obtain permission from the contributor to submit the work for consideration.  Failure to disclose this support will disqualify the applicant, and the artist will be required to return any prize monies awarded.
4. Upon www.submittable.com’s receipt of application materials, artists will be sent an automatic email confirmation.  If an artist does not receive this confirmation within 48 hours, please contact Lou Joseph at ljoseph@promotionandarts.com.
5. The award will be paid in three installments. $2,500 will be paid upon signing a contract with BOPA, wherein the artist agrees to the guidelines outlined here. The second payment ($2,500) will be paid once travel plans are confirmed with receipts. The third payment ($1,000) will be paid upon the completion of a public presentation of artwork based on this travel, to be held in one of BOPA's galleries in 2019-2020.
6. Artist award may not be used for the purchase of equipment or materials for art production.
7. Winners of the Municipal Art Society of Baltimore City Artist Travel Grant Prize will be responsible for paying all applicable federal, state and local taxes.
8. The Municipal Art Society of Baltimore City and BOPA reserve the right to reproduce images of applicants’ work for printed or internet publicity, catalogue or marketing purposes.  
9. Previous winners of the Municipal Art Society of Baltimore City Public Art Prize are not eligible to apply for this award, as are recipients of the Henry Walters Travel Prize.
10. Municipal Art Society of Baltimore City and BOPA reserve the right to      reproduce images of applicants’ work for printed or internet publicity,      catalogue or marketing purposes.  
11. The decisions of the jurors are final.  The jury consists of the members of the board of the Municipal Art Society, and  jurors/board members may change without notification.
12. BOPA and Municipal Art Society of Baltimore City Board members, employees and/or Immediate family (defined as children, spouse, domestic partner or parents) are not eligible to apply for the MASOB Artist Travel Prize.

Estimated Timeline

• Monday, July 2, 2018: Call for entries released
• Friday, September 14, 2018: Application deadline
• early October 2018: recipient of MASB Artist Travel Prize announced
• 2019-2020: Public presentation of travel by selected artist

For more information about the Travel Prize contact: Lou Joseph at ljoseph@promotionandarts.org

For more information about the Municipal Art Society of Baltimore City, contact: Peter Doo at petercdoo@gmail.com

The Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts is excited to announce the return of MECU Neighborhood Event Grants for 2019!   

The MECU Neighborhood Event Grants program awards cash grants to Baltimore neighborhood associations and community-based non-profit organizations for the purpose of producing a free to the public special event. Thanks to the support of MECU, Baltimore’s credit union, eligible groups can receive up to $5,000 to produce an event for the community and residents they already serve. Grants are awarded on a competitive basis with award amounts determined by a committee. Proposed events must be publicly accessible at no cost to the public. 

ELIGIBILITY:

Applicants must be a 501(c)(3) organization (or have a Fiscal Sponsor) and be based in Baltimore City. Proposed events must be accessible, free, open to the public and take place in Baltimore City between April 1, 2019 - December 31, 2019. Grants are awarded on a competitive basis. Required materials include a completed application, tax exemption documentation, financial statement, and project budget that cannot exceed $5,000.

For more information, download the 2019 MECU Application FAQ's Guide and Budget Template at http://promotionandarts.org/grants/mecu-neighborhood-event-grants

APPLICATION GUIDELINES:

1. The event must be free, open to the public, and take place in Baltimore City between April 1, 2019 - December 31, 2019.
2. An organization can only apply to produce one event or a series of a repeating event.
3. The requesting organization must have at least 4 members (staff or regstered volunteers), and a bank account in the organization's name.
4. Applicants must be designated by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) organization. Applicants may also apply through a 501(c)(3) organization that is associated with the project that will serve as the Fiscal Agent.
5. Grants are awarded on a competitive basis and judged on criteria listed in this application. First time applicants are encouraged to apply. 
6. Event budgets cannot exceed $5,000 dollars.
7. All decisions are final; there is no appeal process. Applications are accepted in good faith.  Municipal Employees Credit Union of Baltimore, Inc. (MECU), The Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts, and the MECU Neighborhood Event Grants program shall be held harmless in the event of changes in the leadership or structure of organizations receiving grants. 

APPLICATIONS ARE JUDGED ON THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA:

1. Clarity: Are the event objectives described clearly with clear connection to one of the three focus areas (education, arts and culture, and/or community development)?

2. Engagement:  Does the organization have an existing relationship within the community where the proposed event will take place? 

3. Budget: Is the entire event budget under $5000? Is the budget proposed accurate and detailed with realistic estimates? Did the organization use the budget template provided?  What is the organizations plan to raise additional funds, if necessary?   

4. Community Value: How does the event help to make Baltimore a vibrant, safer, stronger, and healthier city? Is the applicant partnering with other organizations/ businesses?

Additional: Organization Standing: If the organization is a past MECU Neighborhood Event Grants award recipient, was their Final Report Form accurately completed on time.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF GRANT RECIPIENTS:

1. Accept no sponsor representing a financial business for the event (i.e. other credit unions, banks, etc.)
2. Send a representative to the Mandatory Grant Recipient Workshop. If someone is not able to represent your organization, you forfeit your grant.
3. Credit all promotional material with the MECU and BOPA logos and/or the following text: "Special thanks to MECU, Baltimore's Credit Union and the Baltimore Office of Promotion & the Arts for helping to make this eventpossible."
4. Display the MECU Neighborhood Event Grant Banner at your event, provided by the Baltimore Office of Promotion & the Arts.
5. Complete the Final Report Form by December 31, 2019. This form requires: a)Updated event budget with itemized expenditures and accompanying receipts; b) at least six JPEG formatted digital photographs documenting your event. One photo must include the MECU Neighborhood Event Banner. 

APPLICATION TIMELINE:

August 16, 2018 - Application Open

October 7, 2018 (midnight) - Application Deadline

November 30, 2018 - Notification Letters

January 26, 2019 - Mandatory Grant Recipient Workshop

For additional information, please contact Symone Audain, Special Events Coordinator at saudain@promotionandarts.org or (410) 752-8632. 

The MECU Neighborhood Event Grants program is supported by MECU: Baltimore's Credit Union and administered by the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts. Additional support is provided by the Baltimore City Department of Community Development. 

The Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts in partnership with the Baltimore Department of Planning INSPIRE program seeks designs and proposal for a new artwork or creative gateway to act as the entrance to the soon to open Community managed green space and garden within the Arlington INSPIRE planning area.

Budget: $15,000

Applications Due: (Deadline Extended) Due by 11:59 PM , August 22, 2018

WE'RE HERE TO HELP:

For Questions regarding this call, or the Public Art Program in general, please contact: 

Ryan Patterson, Public Art Administrator

Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts

rpatterson@promotionandarts.org

443-263-4338

The Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts in partnership with the Baltimore Department of Planning INSPIRE program seeks a qualified artist to engage and work with students and neighbors of Pimlico Elementary Middle School in the development and creation of an outdoor creative placemaking project to be incorporated in a newly established community managed greenspace near Pimlico Elementary Middle School in Park Heights. 

Budget: $30,000

Applications Due: (Deadline Extended) September 5, 2018

For full Request for Proposals and project description please see Baltimore office of Promotion & The Arts Call for Artist web page. 

WE'RE HERE TO HELP:
For Questions regarding this call, or the Public Art Program in general, please contact:
Ryan Patterson, Public Art Administrator
Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts
rpatterson@promotionandarts.org
443-263-4338