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The GBCA Blog

Executive Director's Letter - 9/26/23

Back in June, I wrote an op-ed about how Baltimore is facing a moment of tremendous opportunity to rethink and transparently rebuild the way it supports one of its greatest assets — the arts. I am grateful to Mayor Brandon Scott for recognizing the arts as vital to the soul of our great city by declaring an “Arts and Culture Week” in Baltimore and investing $6.25 million to support artists and cultural organizations.

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Executive Director's Letters

Executive Director's Letter - 9/19/23

Last week was

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Executive Director's Letters

Executive Director Letter - 9/12/23

For those of us working in arts and culture, September is an especially busy time. School is back in session, and the whirlwind that comes with a new season of performances and exhibitions is well underway. As we roll up our sleeves and dig into our essential work, the need for opportunities to learn from and support one another is great.

Recognizing this need and upholding our belief that our sector is stronger together, the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance (GBCA) is pleased to announce the creation of the Baltimore Informal Educators Roundtable (BIER).

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Executive Director's Letters

Executive Director's Letter - 9/5/23

“Labor Day is a U.S. national holiday held the first Monday every September. Unlike most U.S. holidays, it is a strange celebration without rituals, except for shopping and barbecuing. For most people it simply marks the last weekend of summer and the start of the school year. The holiday’s founders in the late 1800s envisioned something very different from what the day has become.

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Executive Director's Letters

Executive Director’s Letter - 8/29/23

Are you working to create a more equitable and inclusive workplace? If you are a cultural organization, hosting an Urban Arts Leadership Fellow can help you on your journey. Urban Arts Leadership (UAL), the flagship program of the GBCA’s equity and inclusion efforts, is celebrating 10 years of service and accomplishments. The initiative is a workforce development fellowship awarded to high-achieving, emerging leaders of color, and it champions policies and practices of cultural equity that empower a just, inclusive, and equitable nation.

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Executive Director's Letters

Executive Director’s Letter - 8/22/23

As we bear witness to the extreme weather that has been exacerbated by global climate change, our thoughts turn to our friends in the town of Lahaina in Maui. Not only has there been a stunning loss of lives and property, Hawaiians are now fighting a possible erasure of their culture. Opportunists see the possibility of a town devoted entirely to tourism. That’s not to say tourism hasn’t contributed greatly to its economy, but that Lahaina holds an important place in Hawaiian history and is home to many residents from all income levels.

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Executive Director's Letters

Executive Director’s Letter - 8/15/23

Baltimore has been named one of the 17 finalists for the Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Public Art Challenge! For this most recent round of funding, 154 cities submitted proposals for projects that demonstrate close partnership between artists, arts organizations, and city government.

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Executive Director's Letters

Executive Director's Letter - 8/8/23

It’s always a pleasure when I can share some good news. In this case, it’s Artscape, baby! In a press release yesterday, Mayor Brandon Scott and the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts (BOPA)announced the details that everyone has been eagerly awaiting. Artscape is returning Friday, September 22, to Sunday, September 24, 2023 for the first time since 2019, and it's going to be packed with activities and people. BOPA reports they received an overwhelming response with over 1,000 applications from artists, vendors, and organizations eager to be a part of this returning event.

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Executive Director's Letters

Mid Atlantic Arts - USArtists International - Application Open

The USArtists International® (USAI) application is now open and updated guidelines are available. If you have an eligible international engagement happening between January 15, 2024 and June 30, 2025, you can apply at the September 29 deadline. Read the program guidelines to confirm eligibility before applying.

Deadline September 29, 2023

Learn More and Apply

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Executive Director's Letter - 8/1/23

It is with great pleasure that I am writing to introduce the 2024 class of Urban Arts Leadership! In a further celebration of the program’s tenth anniversary, the following emerging leaders have been accepted and have already begun their work as a cohort.

Rhythm Ajanku

Rhythm Ajanku is focused on marketing strategies, branding, and content creation. He believes his participation in the fellowship presents an exceptional opportunity to engage in valuable networking and collaborative endeavors with like-minded individuals.

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Executive Director's Letters

Executive Director's Letter - 7/18/23

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, theaters and other performing arts organizations were working to reimagine their business models.

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Executive Director's Letters

Photography Residency at Full Circle

Applications for the Analog Photography Residency at Full Circle Fine Art are now open.

The Analog Photography Residency at Full Circle Fine Art allows one selected artist access to both of Full Circle’s on-site color and black and white darkrooms. The residency ranges from one to three months based on project proposals.

Proposals are accepted on a rolling basis, with residencies typically beginning in the fall or spring.

Proposals should include:

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Executive Director's Letter - 7/11/23

Summer has its own special rhythms. Children are out of school, people are taking breaks from their usual schedules and responsibilities, and the hot weather slows the pace of daily life. To me, it feels like a perfect time to pick up a book. But what to read? There are two schools of thought on the answer to that question. It can be a time for a breezy “beach read,” including mysteries, romances, travelogs, and more. Or it can be a time to conquer a challenging classic, history, or best-seller.

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Executive Director's Letters

Executive Director's Letter - 6/27/23

As we say goodbye to June, we will remember it as a time to engender respect and honor the unity of the human spirit. Juneteenth was a time to learn, celebrate, and to contemplate the true meaning of freedom and independence for formerly enslaved African Americans in the United States. And, at time of backlash against LGBTQIA family, Pride month highlighted the need to safeguard and celebrate the communities' many contributions. Let’s continue our thoughtful relationships with one another for more than a day, a week, or a month and affirm our commitment to equity.

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Executive Director's Letters

Executive Director's Letter - 6/20/23

Don’t put away those caps and gowns just yet. This Thursday, June 22, Mayor Brandon Scott will be joining us for the Urban Arts Leadership (UAL) 10th year Anniversary Graduation! Congratulations to the 2023 cohort Juan Ogando, Tracy Stevens, and Adrian Velez. The Mayor will also be helping us celebrate the many people who have made the program what it is today, including the Urban Arts Leadership Advisory Council, Host Organizations, Cohort Teachers, and GBCA staff, most especially the program’s Director, Kibibi Ajanku and Manager, Renz Balagtas.

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Executive Director's Letters

Executive Director's Letter - 6/13/23

Happy Pride Month!

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Executive Director's Letters

Executive Director's Letter - 6/6/23

We are thrilled to announce the finalists for the 2023 Baker Artist Awards!

The following 36 artists were selected from over 600 people who created a Baker Artist Portfolio in 2023. Since 2009, the Baker Artist Awards has distributed more than $1.3 million to over 150 artists. That includes $90,000 in prizes each year.

The Finalists for the 2023 Baker Artist Awards are:

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Executive Director's Letters

Executive Director's Letter - 5/30/23

Yesterday, we in the United States paused to honor and mourn the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the Armed Forces. In our country, we have also fostered and supported arts initiatives that benefit living members of the military suffering from the effects of their service.

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Executive Director's Letters

Executive Director's Letter - 5/23/23

Congratulations to Arts Administrators of Color Network, which has been selected to participate in The Wallace Foundation’s Field Studies program, a research component of Wallace’s ongoing arts initiative focused on arts organizations founded by, with, and for communities of color.

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Executive Director's Letters

Executive Director's Letter - 5/16/23

A basic tenet of GBCA is that we are stronger together than apart. Together we can share resources and intelligence, build coalitions and advocate for equity in the cultural sector and beyond. As such, GBCA recently shared its new alliance with the Baltimore City Chamber of Commerce. Today, I am honored to announce that the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance (GBCA) and Open Works are partnering to further opportunities for artists and creatives in Baltimore.

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Executive Director's Letters

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As a member of GBCA, you will not only gain access to wonderful benefits, but you will also become an active participant in a broader cultural community. Your organization and employees will directly benefit from opportunities to collaborate, connect, learn, network and share with your colleagues in the cultural community. Join our growing constituency of over 300 individual artists and organizations representing the region's extraordinary range of arts, culture, history, heritage, humanities, and attractions.