Artscape 2024 is five months away, and the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts (BOPA) is accepting applications from artists, performers, vendors and others who want to be part of it.
BOPA has set March 19 as the deadline for the first round of applications from individuals and organizations that want to participate in this year’s event, scheduled for August 2 through 4.
It’s also seeking sponsors interested in “partnership opportunities” ranging from a $10,000 sponsorship to a $100,000 sponsorship, as well as “a la carte opportunities” starting at $500 to $2,500 to sponsor a local artist and $5000 to support the Project Artscape Fashion Show.
Started in the 1980s, the free outdoor event is one of Baltimore’s signature festivals, drawing upwards of 300,000 people before the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This year marks the 40th anniversary and we want to include as many people as possible in the celebration,” organizers said in a statement. “An event of this size has a lot of moving parts, so there are many ways to get involved – before, during and after the festival.”
BOPA is accepting applications in 11 categories, each with a “first round” deadline of March 19. When these applications close, they will not reopen. A second round of applications for additional opportunities will open at a later date.
The areas for which BOPA is now seeking applications are: The Artist Market; Music Performance – Local Stages; food and beverage vendors; public art installations; “Kidscape programmers at Gordon Plaza;” Teenscape Artist Market vendors; “Project Artscape – Designers;” Pop -Up Performances; Production; Security and “Talent Buyer.”
BOPA has a contract to serve as the city’s festival producer, arts council and film office until June 30. Mayor Brandon Scott has not said whether BOPA’s contract will be renewed, but BOPA’s call for applications is a sign that it likely will be involved past June 30.
The footprint for Artscape 2023 included the Mount Royal Cultural District and the Station North Arts District. The exact boundaries of Artscape 2024 have not been disclosed.
Former BOPA CEO Donna Drew Sawyer had a vision of making Artscape a “roving” festival that moved from one part of the city to another – Midtown one year, perhaps the Black Arts District in West Baltimore the next. A self-described “art lover and creator” who joined BOPA during the administration of former mayor Catherine Pugh and resigned in January 2023, Sawyer also wanted to rebrand BOPA by renaming it “Create Baltimore” and move Artscape from the summer to the fall — an experiment that Scott reversed for 2024 after calling for Sawyer’s resignation earlier in the year.
For this year’s festival, BOPA will have a new CEO, Rachel Graham, who starts March 15. Christopher Brooks is the Director of Artscape for BOPA. Sarah Gibbons Eckels is BOPA’s Interim Director of Development, and Daniella Greeman is the Corporate Partnerships Manager.
The mention of Gordon Plaza in the call for applications is a hint that the boundaries likely will include the Mount Royal area, where Gordon Plaza is located. BOPA’s website also states that “tentative stage locations” for live performances at Artscape 2024 include the “Main Stage” at Cathedral Street and Maryland Avenue; the “MICA Stage” at Mount Royal Avenue and Mosher Street; and the “Station North Stage” at Lafayette Avenue and Maryland Avenue. Those locations are all within the same footprint as last year’s festival.
More information about BOPA’s call for applications is available at Artscape.org.
