The Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts (BOPA) is officially becoming Create Baltimore this fall and has redefined its scope of services following creation of the Mayor’s Office of Arts, Culture and Entertainment (MOACE).
Leaders of the independent agency, which serves as Baltimore’s Arts Council, have scheduled a press conference with Mayor Brandon Scott for Monday, Oct. 27, to outline a series of changes, starting with the new name.
Leaders also are expected to address the status of the Top of the World Observation Deck in the state’s Baltimore World Trade Center office tower at 401 E. Pratt St. The attraction’s amended lease with the state is scheduled to expire on Nov. 30. BOPA and city officials have been having discussions with state leaders about BOPA keeping the Inner Harbor attraction open past Nov. 30 and possibly collaborating with another organization, the Living Classrooms Foundation, to operate it.
“BALTIMORE CITY’S ARTS COUNCIL WILL GO BY A NEW NAME, NEW PARTNERSHIPS, SAME MISSION,” states the headline for a media advisory about the press conference that BOPA issued on Thursday.
“At this event, BOPA will officially introduce its next evolution as Create Baltimore, give an update on its portfolio and programming, and announce new partnerships,” the advisory states. “CEO Robyn Murphy will deliver brief remarks alongside Mayor Brandon M. Scott.”
Staffing up
The announcement comes six months after Mayor Scott created an office within city government to oversee art, entertainment, nightlife and film activities and named Linzy Jackson III as its director. The office was created to support local artists and entertainers and better coordinate what they do in Baltimore, while BOPA retains its status as the state-designated Arts Council.
The city’s budget for fiscal 2026, which began July 1, includes $2 million to run MOACE, which shares office space with BOPA at 7 St. Paul St. MOACE now has seven staffers and is in the process of hiring more.
Over the summer, the mayor’s Senior Advisor on Arts and Culture, Tonya Miller Hall, left her job. Murphy, previously the interim CEO of BOPA, was appointed to be its permanent CEO in July.
One of the changes already in effect is that the city’s film office, previously part of BOPA, has been moved to MOACE. The film office coordinates permitting and street closures and makes other arrangements for crews seeking to film movies, television shows, commercials and other productions in the city.
Top of the World
The status of the Top of the World Observation Deck has been up in the air, so to speak, since Murphy told BOPA’s board in January that its lease was due to expire at the end of May and state officials decided not to renew it.
BOPA and its predecessors have operated the attraction for decades on behalf of the City of Baltimore, which has been the only 27th floor tenant since the 30-story building was completed in 1977 at a cost of $22 million. The building is managed for the state by the Maryland Port Administration (MPA), which has its headquarters there.
“Unfortunately, at the end of the lease, the state wants the space back and we are in the process of terminating the lease,” Murphy told BOPA’s board on Jan. 16.
Murphy’s announcement alarmed a number of civic leaders, who said the Top of the World is a valuable asset for the city and that closing it would be a setback for its efforts to promote tourism. The observation level has served as the venue for numerous exhibitions, receptions, artist and author talks, delegation visits, workshops, picnics, panel discussions and other events. It has hosted school groups, summer camps and tours from around the world.
Besides providing a 360-degree view of the city, the floor contains the indoor component of the 9/11 Memorial of Maryland, which pays tribute to the 68 Marylanders who lost their lives in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks at the Twin Towers in New York City, the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. An outdoor component of the 9/11 Memorial of Maryland, containing twisted beams salvaged from New York’s World Trade Center, is at the base of Baltimore’s World Trade Center.
Proponents for keeping the observation deck in operation have noted that other cities are opening or upgrading similar attractions, including New York and Chicago. They’ve said Baltimore’s version was created after former Mayor William Donald Schaefer asked state officials to make one floor of the World Trade Center available to the city in return for the city’s agreement to sell land to the state so it could build the office tower.
Advocates for keeping the Top of the World attraction open beyond May 31 included Bill Ferguson, President of the Maryland Senate; City Council member Zachary Blanchard, whose district includes the Inner Harbor; City Council President Zeke Cohen and City Comptroller Bill Henry.
Handshake agreement?
City officials have been unable to provide written proof that the 27th floor was promised to the city indefinitely, only a series of lease renewals over the years. Henry said he thought that if Schaefer did have a promise from state officials to let the city lease the 27th floor in perpetuity, it was a “handshake agreement,” never recorded in land records.
State officials said they wanted to explore potential alternative uses for the 27th floor and that the city’s lease agreement did not contain any renewal options.
“The MPA, in conjunction with the state of Maryland, has begun to look at reimagining that space to better fit the needs and goals of a prime, Inner Harbor, Class A office building,” MPA Director of Communications Richard Scher said in an email message in January. “Existing tenants have also expressed interest in expanding their office spaces within the building. We are currently evaluating the future needs of the floor.”
Possible collaborator
In June, amid growing support for retaining the Top of the World attraction, city officials reached agreement with the state to keep it open for six more months, with BOPA operating it for the city until Nov. 30 under an amended lease between the city and the MPA. But there was no promise it would stay beyond that date.
Since then, support for keeping the attraction open and the 9/11 Memorial of Maryland in place has continued to build. As part of ongoing discussions, BOPA’s leader has been talking with representatives of the Living Classrooms Foundation about collaborating with BOPA to operate the attraction if state officials allow it to stay open past Nov. 30.
The Living Classroom Foundation’s mission is to “strengthen communities and inspire children, youth and adults to achieve their potential through hands-on education, workforce development, health and wellness, and community safety programs that use urban, natural and maritime resources as living classrooms.”
Now in its 40th year, currently in the midst of a $70 million fundraising campaign, the Living Classrooms Foundation uses a variety of sites and campuses to provide programming, including a maritime fleet that includes floating classrooms and historic museum vessels that are open to the public in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.
The fleet includes the USS Constellation,USCG Cutter 37 and USS Torsk submarine. The foundation took over operation of the USS Constellation when no one else would step forward and opened a 4,800-square-foot, $5 million education center for it on Inner Harbor Pier 1 in 2022. It runs the Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park in Fells Point; UA House at Fayette; POWER House; Living Classrooms Marina, Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse on Pier 5 and other places in Baltimore.
SAIL250 Maryland
The Living Classrooms Foundation’s Historic Ships in Baltimore division is a lead producer of the SAIL250 Maryland and Airshow Baltimore activities planned for June 24 to July 1, 2026, part of a global gathering of international tall ships, military ships and aircraft celebrating the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.
For that event, the foundation is working in partnership with the U. S. Navy; the Maryland Department of Commerce Office of Tourism; the City of Baltimore and Baltimore County as well as Sail Baltimore; Air Support; Martin State Airport, the U. S. Coast Guard; the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore; Visit Baltimore, the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore and others.
Under the plan currently in discussion, BOPA/Create Baltimore would continue to be the lead operator of the Top of the World attraction if it stays open past Nov. 30, and the Living Classrooms Foundation would join it as a collaborator and bring its knowledge of waterfront tourism.
Adding the Top of the World Observation Deck to the Living Classrooms Foundation’s activities would be consistent with its mission and take advantage of its experience in running harbor attractions, while lightening the load for BOPA. Leaving the attraction open past Nov. 30 also would give the SAIL250 Maryland organizers an ideal spot to recommend that visitors start any tour of the Inner Harbor. The official announcement for the SAIL250 Maryland and Airshow Baltimore programs was held at the Top of the World attraction in June.
BOPA/Create Baltimore and Living Classrooms Foundation representatives confirm that they’re working together on a plan to keep the observation deck open past this fall but caution that it’s not yet a done deal. Any lease extension would have to be approved by the state Board of Public Works and the city’s Board of Estimates.
According to one high-level executive with the port administration, agency employees were told in a staff meeting this month that the Top of the World attraction and 9/11 Memorial of Maryland will remain on the building’s 27th floor past Nov. 30.
Scher, the MPA spokesperson, didn’t confirm that anything has been decided.
“Our current agreement with the city runs through the end of November,” he said in a text message this week. “We have not yet made any firm decisions on the future of the floor. We will be speaking with the city shortly to determine the next course of action.”
One hint that an official announcement is coming soon: BOPA’s Monday press conference with the mayor will be held in the Top of the World space on the 27th floor of World Trade Center.
Other changes
The name Create Baltimore is a carryover from a suggestion made when Donna Drew Sawyer led BOPA, from 2018 to early 2023. When the agency moved its offices from 10 E. Baltimore St. to 7 St. Paul St., Sawyer commissioned a mural for its new headquarters that reads: “Bmore Creative.” Sawyer resigned in January of 2023 after Scott said he lost confidence in her ability to lead the agency, and the proposed name change wasn’t implemented.
The idea of rebranding BOPA resurfaced in June, when Baltimore’s Board of Estimates approved a one-year contract that calls for the agency to serve as the “City Arts agency” and to provide certain services to Baltimore’s “creative community” from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026.
A June 18 memo to the spending board from the Mayor’s Office stated that the agency would be doing business as “Create Baltimore” during the service period. Monday’s announcement is one way that the agency is getting the word out. Another way is a pair of signs that read “Create Baltimore” under the Jones Falls Expressway, where the agency operates the Baltimore Farmers’ Market.
‘MOACE and BOPA’
The mayor announced the formation of MOACE in his State of the City address in April. He said he wanted a centralized office within city government to support local artists and entertainers and better coordinate what they do in Baltimore. With the formation of MOACE, there has been some thought that the general public may be confused by two arts entities and that a new name for BOPA may help avoid confusion.
During a meeting of the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Arts, Culture and Entertainment on Thursday, MOACE director Jackson compared the two offices with a graphic entitled “The Difference Between MOACE & BOPA.”
BOPA, the graphic said, is the “State-designated Arts Council for Baltimore City, operating as a nonprofit and quasi-government agency.” It:
Leads artist support and arts education programs.
Manages grantmaking and the Public Art Commission.
Operates cultural venues including the Bromo Arts Tower, Top of the World Observation Level, School 33 Art Center and The Cloisters.
‘Co-produces signature events such as Artscape.
Operates the Baltimore Farmers’ Market.
Initiates fundraising efforts for arts advancement.
MOACE, by contrast, is based within the Mayor’s Office and serves as “the city government’s hub for arts culture, film, entertainment and nightlife.” It:
Coordinates logistics and interagency collaboration.
Streamlines city services and oversees permitting for film and TV productions.
Serves as the lead producer for major city-sponsored events.
Manages the Baltimore Film Office.
Oversees the Graffiti Taskforce.
Provides dedicated support for nightlife businesses.
Together, the graphic said, BOPA/Create Baltimore and MOACE operate as a “force-multiplying team — connecting creatives to opportunities, making cultural experiences more accessible, and elevating Baltimore’s position as a vibrant arts and entertainment destination.”
Jackson said MOACE improves on the way the city previously provided services by helping cut red tape with artists who need a permit, want to close a street or seek other assistance from a city agency. Instead of going to various departments for what they need, he said, artists and entertainers can now start with one office, MOACE.
MOACE’s current initiatives include: Inviting Light, Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Public Art Challenge in the Station North arts district; the ‘Homage to Baltimore Quilting’ Competition; the city’s Veterans’ Day Parade; Artscape; the Miracle on 34th Street event in Hampden; Art After Dark; Inner Harbor fireworks for New Year’s Eve and the Fourth of July; the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade; Carmelo Anthony’s ‘House of Melo’ event this weekend, and ongoing social media.
In addition to his own filled position, Jackson said, other MOACE staffers are: Marva Williams, Event & Production Logistics Coordinator; Nikki Powell, Film & Production Coordinator; Obed Gant; Community Engagement and Partnership Coordinator; Alissa Ferguson, Strategic Operations Coordinator; Ashton Phinney, Creative Brand Strategist; and Ishara Hall, Digital Media and Communications Specialist.
Jackson said MOACE has three open positions at present and he plans to hire half a dozen more staffers after that. The open positions are:
Nightlife Mayor, described as someone who can “lead Baltimore’s vibrant nightlife initiatives, fostering relationships with entertainment venues and cultivating experiences” and “help shape our city’s evening economy.” This position was recommended in the Downtown Rise master plan recently adopted by the city’s Planning Commission.
Deputy Director: described as someone who will “work alongside the Director to implement the strategic vision for arts and culture in Baltimore” and “lead key initiatives and oversee program development.”
Community Aid, described as an office support staffer who “provides temporary administrative and clerical support” to MOACE. This role “helps ensure smooth day to day operations of the office by assisting with communications, scheduling, document management and special event logistics.”
‘Leadership opportunities’
According to the Mayor’s Office, the salary range for the Nightlife Mayor position, also called Nightlife Coordinator, is between $70,338 and $112,807. The salary range for the Deputy Director position is $85,660 to $136,935.
Scott recently posted about the two jobs on Instagram.
“Baltimore is hiring!” he wrote. MOACE “is growing with two key leadership opportunities: Deputy Director and Nightlife Coordinator. These roles will play a vital part in strengthening Baltimore’s cultural strategy, the arts ecosystem, support world-class festivals, and building a vibrant, safe nightlife scene for all.”
In response to the job postings, Jackson said, MOACE has received 300 applications for the Deputy Director position and 180 applications for the Nightlife Mayor position.
