#BaltimoreVotes Information Session

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  • What: Become Certified to Register Eligible Voters & Prepare for Elections in June!
  • When: Thursday, February 15th from 5:30pm to 7:00 pm
  • Where: The Motor House, 120 W North Avenue

#BaltimoreVotes is a campaign, dedicated to providing everyone in Baltimore, without prejudice or bias the information and motivation they need to engage in every election confidently. Right now we’re invested in supporting individuals in Baltimore interested in voter registration, voter education, and voter turnout efforts as a tool to empower their community to vote.

Click here to register for the free event.

During this information session, we’ll explore resources being used around the country, brainstorm collaboratively on a Baltimore where every eligible voter is confident casting a Ballot in June and every election. Also, The Baltimore City Board of Elections will be on site to certify anyone looking to register eligible voters this upcoming election.

  • Join a larger network of non partisan civic engagement!
  • Become certified to register eligible voters!
  • Learn about initiatives going on across the country!
  • Create a community engagement plan!

We’d love to hear your thoughts on the #BaltimoreVotes campaign and answer any questions you may have on how to access these resources!

#BaltimoreVotes is thankful to the Central Baltimore Partnership for faciliting this event and to The Motor House for hosting.

A Happy Hour to immediately follow!

Baltimore Arts Education Initiative

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Baltimore Arts Education Initiative

Citizen Artist Baltimore is excited to partner with coalition partner Arts Every Day as they work with Baltimore City Public Schools to launch the Baltimore Arts Education Initiative, a collaborative Fine Arts Strategic Planning process to improve equity and access to the arts for all Baltimore City Public School students. During this event we will hear from Chicago-based Ingenuity-Inc., a national thought leader and the strategy partner for Chicago Public Schools instrumental in the creation and implementation of a district wide Fine Arts Plan.

EVENT: Baltimore Arts Education Initiative Launch
WHEN: Wednesday, September 27 from 3-5pm
WHERE: The Motor House, 120 W. North Ave, Baltimore, MD 21201

About the Baltimore Arts Education Initiative

Baltimore City Public Schools District in partnership with Arts Every Day is pleased to announce the Baltimore Arts Education Initiative, a collaborative Fine Arts Strategic Planning process to ensure equity and access to arts education for all Baltimore City Public School students. The Baltimore Arts Education Initiative (BAEI) is a 2017 recipient of a $50,000 National Endowment for the Arts Art Works: Collective Impact grant.

In partnership with Baltimore City Public Schools, Arts Every Day will convene students, parents, community partners, arts educators, arts organizations, and district stakeholders to create a Strategic Plan to move the Baltimore City Public School District forward in 1) meeting new Maryland State Department of Education Fine Arts Standards and Regulations, 2) equipping school leaders and educators with a roadmap for building arts rich schools, 3) defining guidelines for quality school and community partnerships, out-of-school time and summer arts programming. The planning process will take place over the 2017-18 School Year.

National Voter Registration Week Starts 9/26!

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Voter Registration Day Impact Hub

Join Citizen Artist Baltimore, Mile 22 and other civic and community organizations to kick off National Voter Registration Week, beginning Tuesday, September 26th, 2017 with a friendly, fun, happy hour with complimentary drinks, refreshments, and music. Voter registration, information and educational tools will be available to increase awareness around the importance of voting locally. This is the opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals, make your voice heard, and begin to make a collective impact for change in Baltimore City! Also find out the resources and organizations already making that impact in need of support from engaged citizens!

EVENT: National Voter Registration Week Kickoff
WHEN: September 26, 2017 at 4pm – 8pm
WHERE: Impact Hub, 10 E North Ave, Baltimore, MD 21202
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Activities include:

  • Get to know the next local election!
  • Registering to Vote!
  • Join a Voting bloc & pledge to vote in the next local election!
  • Volunteer a non-profit Organization!
  • View the “Baltimore History of Voting Wall”
  • Visit the “Picture me Voting” Booth

#NationalVoterRegistrationDay will Kick Off the week of Voter Registration efforts and events across Baltimore City. #BeVocalVoteLocal

Voter Registration Day Mondawmin Mall

Baltimore’s National Voter Registration Week will continue with a celebration at TouchPoint Baltimore.

EVENT: Baltimore National Voter Registration Week Celebration
WHEN: September 29, 2017 at 4pm – 8pm
WHERE: TouchPoint Baltimore, Mondawmin Mall, 2000 Gwynns Falls Pkwy, Baltimore, MD 21215
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Monumental Sites for Imagining Culture

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The dramatic removal of Baltimore’s contested Confederate monuments has sparked a robust public dialogue around what to do with the remaining sites. In response, the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts has created an online portal, “Monumental Sites,” to serve as a central repository for the public’s suggestions and ideas. All are invited to share their ideas for what to do with the sites through this online form. Proposals are due December 31, 2017. Its understood that ideas will be considered for temporary art interventions, performances, and/or programming. Permanent changes to the sites will require a long term review process that has yet to be defined. Now is the time for citizen artists to help shape these processes.

Find out more at BOPA’s public art page (select Monumental Sites tab): promotionandarts.org/arts-council/public-art

During this crucial period of transition, several neighborhood organizations and grassroots arts and cultural groups are meeting to discuss how this process should work and ideas for what to do with the site. Artpartheid, in partnership with Cultural Works and USDAC & The Arch Social Club Community Network, The Living Well, and Wombworks, is hosting a series of community dialogues to create space for people to express their thoughts about the former Confederate monument sites, the removal process, and ideas for what to do next. There will be three dates in September through October:

  • Saturday, Sept. 23, 2017 (1:00-4:00 p.m.) Arch Social Club: 2624 North Ave 21217
  • Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017 (2:00-6:00 p.m.) The Living Well: 235 Holiday Street 21201
  • Friday, Oct. 6, 2017 (6:00-9:00 p.m.) WombWorks: 3123 Walbrook Ave 21205

For more information: Join the Artpartheid Facebook Group here: facebook.com/groups/artpartheid

 

Save Congressional Arts & Culture Funding

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From the Baltimore National Heritage Area programs and grants, run by the National Park Service, to the Baltimore School for the Arts’ NEA supported TWIGS program, the congressional arts and culture funding has major impact on Baltimore residents. All of these programs and more are threatened by President Trump’s proposed federal budget. Now more than ever it is important for everyone to contact your members of Congress to let them know that you support all agencies that help local organizations. Although President Trump’s initial attempt to cancel the NHAs, NEH, NEA, CPB, and IMLS in the federal FY17 budget was stopped by Congress, the President’s FY18 budget once again proposes the elimination of these agencies. It’s not too late to have influence on the 2018 budget, because the final authorization is in the hands of the U.S. Congress. Contact your Senators and Representatives today and let them know that you value arts and culture.

Click below for Calls to Actions

  1. Americans for the Arts

  2. American Alliance of Museums

  3. Humanities Alliance

National Advocacy

  • Take two minutes to contact your two Senators and your House representatives now.
  • Join the Arts Action Fund (for free) so you can get alerts as quickly as possible and you can respond to decision-makers fast.

United Not Blighted Rally

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United Not Blighted poster

United Not Blighted Rally – Baltimore’s 20/20 Vision for Development without Displacement

Saturday, May 13, 2-5pm, Warm Memorial

101 N. Gay St., Baltimore, MD 21202

One of the top priorities we heard from citizen artists during our listening sessions last year was the need for access to affordable housing and workspace. Baltimore Housing Roundtable is leading the charge for fair development in Baltimore with their 20/20 Vision. Building on voter approval of the Affordable Housing Trust Fund during last fall’s election, BHR is now pressing forward with the #UnitedNotBlighted campaign. Will you join us to advocate for affordable housing in Baltimore?

The event will be hosted at the Baltimore War Memorial building from 2 to 5 PM on Saturday, May 13th. BHR will feature storytelling about displacement due to environmental injustices, neighborhood gentrification, and disinvested and blighted housing, and then issue a challenge to Mayor Pugh to invest in community-driven, equitable development. The event will be interspersed with musical performances and will end with a march on City Hall.

Together, we will demonstrate the imperative to put 20 million dollars in the the bond budget next year for deconstruction of vacant houses, greening, and environmental sustainability projects, and 20 million for the creation of permanently affordable housing through community land trusts. This event will launch us into our mass mobilizing phase of the campaign- sending all of us out to share the 20/20 campaign and gather thousands of petition signatures in support.
You can learn more about United Not Blighted and RSVP at http://www.unitedworkers.org/baltimore_s_20_20_vision.

Congressional Art Funding Protected, For Now

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A message from our state level arts advocacy partner, Maryland Citizens for the Arts:

Congress has reached a bipartisan agreement on a bill to fund the nation’s federal agencies and programs for the remaining balance of the current FY2017 fiscal year, which ends on September 30, 2017.  None of the nation’s arts and cultural agencies nor programs incurred a budget cut. In fact, many of them received funding increases for this year (see chart below here). As you will see from the chart, not only was there no cut to the NEA’s current fiscal year budget, but our champions in Congress actually proposed a $2 million increase!

This great news is just one example of how all of your grassroots arts advocacy efforts of sending thousands of letters, emails, phone calls, personal visits, op-eds, news articles, targeted advertising, and research proved effective. Arts advocates like you sent over 160,000 emails through American’s for the Arts’ (AFTA) Action Center. Thank you for your tireless work!

Next Steps:

  • FY2017:  Both chambers of Congress will next vote on this bipartisan Omnibus Appropriations bill before it proceeds to the President’s desk for him to sign/veto by this Friday, May 5th.  Despite the President recently proposing funding cuts to many of these cultural programs (i.e. $15 million cut to NEA), it appears that he will sign the bill.
  • FY2018:  Please note that the FY2018 appropriations bill for funding the federal government from October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018 is still very much in play and going through the legislative process. This is the bill that the President recommended eliminating the NEA, NEH, IMLS, CPB, etc.  We remain focused on getting all of these agencies fully funded as well in the coming months.

AFTA’s #SAVEtheNEA campaign continues to go strong to advance the FY2018 message to Congress and the White House.  Please consider sending a #SAVEtheNEA message to your Congressional delegation as well as supporting our advocacy campaign efforts with a contribution. Click here to craft a message to your Congressional lawmakers and make sure your voice is heard!

#CitizenArtistBmore partner GBCA also shared this statement.

Safe Art Space Task Force Meeting 4/4

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The next meeting of the Mayor’s Safe Art Space Task Force is this Tuesday, April 4, 4pm, at Maryland Institute College of Art – 300 W Mt. Royal Ave, Room M110.

The Mayor’s Task Force on Safe Art Space is working to create a citywide network of safe, cost effective, contemporary, living, live/work, studio, and performance spaces for emerging and established artists. They need your input! The Task Force integrates the perspectives of artistic, design, development, financial, regulatory, and revitalization exports to develop strategies, identity resources, and propose a programmatic framework that will develop and sustain spaces that protect the safety of artists and patrons, while meeting the logistical and technical interests of today’s performers and audiences.

Click here to find out about upcoming task force meetings.

For artists living / working in Baltimore City, click here to take the Safe Arts Space Survey:
http://safeartspace.tumblr.com/Safe Artis Space Survey