Here at the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance (GBCA) we hold fast to this meaningful time of year, and the opportunity this holiday season brings to reflect on the people and places we cherish. We are especially grateful for the courage and resilience exhibited by our region’s cultural community and it’s supporters. However, the pandemic has caused extreme stress to the sector. That’s why on this Giving Tuesday, I am asking that you consider a contribution to GBCA.
In a time of uncertainty and devastating financial impact, creatives have forged forward with integrity and imagination - and in service to them, we move ahead determined to tackle the pressing challenges of our time by upholding our mission to create equity and opportunity in, through, and for arts and culture in Greater Baltimore. Through our vital programming and connective resources, GBCA is working to:
• Direct funding to an increased number of artists. Knowing artists have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 crisis, we have reconfigured this year’s Baker Artist Awards. The $90,000 pool of funding that usually reaches six individuals annually will now be awarded in the amount of $2,500 to 36 artists as early as February 2021.
• Evaluate and expand our work at the forefront of equity, inclusion, and anti-racism. GBCA’s Urban Arts Leadership (UAL) fellowship has and continues to serve as a career pipeline for emerging leaders, particularly those of color in the cultural workforce. In 2020, the program embarked on an exciting partnership with The Library of Congress and the Smithsonian Institute Folklife Center to establish a Field School in West Baltimore.
• Amplify the marketing reach of artists and organizations. With large indoor gatherings on hold, artists and cultural organizations face unprecedented barriers to connecting with audiences. GBCA’s dynamic online calendar, Culture Fly, serves as the region’s premiere events listing, connecting its 100,000 unique annual website visitors and thousands of weekly subscribers to the cultural community’s virtual events.
We cannot do this work alone. Generous donors like you ensure that GBCA can continue to fortify and partner with the cultural community in ways that will define Baltimore’s future.
Happy Thanksgiving -gobble gobble- and thank you in advance for your generous support,
Jeannie
P.S. Visit https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/gbca to learn more about how you can support the important programs of GBCA.
