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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

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.

Safe Art Space Survey

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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! Fill out the Safe Space Survey here.

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.

 

Safe Art Space Public Forum

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The Mayor’s Safe Art Space Task Force Public Forum is today, Thursday, February 16, 4-7pm, at the War Memorial building, 101 N. Gay Street. Contribute your input to help create a citywide network of safe, cost-effective, contemporary, living, live/work, studio, and performance spaces for established and emerging artists. Click here to learn more and register:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mayors-safe-art-space-task-force-public-forum-tickets-32092245771

Affordable & Safe Housing for All Baltimoreans

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Since the tragic Ghost Ship artist warehouse fire in Oakland on December 2nd, artist live-work spaces have been subject to increased fire safety scrutiny nationwide. Locally, on December 5 the Bell Foundry live and work artist space was inspected and condemned. Residents and cultural workers were evicted without advance warning due to code violations. Today, December 21, Mayor Catherine Pugh announced a Task Force on Safe Art Spaces comprised of artists, city officials, cultural leaders, and developers. Citizen Artist Baltimore will work with the Mayor’s Task Force to contribute to housing solutions benefiting artists, cultural workers, and all Baltimoreans.

Baltimore Taskforce Safe Artist Spaces announcement

Station North Director Elissa Blout Moorehead speaking alongside Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh at the press conference announcing Task Force on Safe Artist Spaces.

Low-income artists seeking affordable live/work spaces routinely take on the financial and bodily risks of converting and occupying former industrial and commercial spaces. These spaces serve not only as places of artistic production and affordable shelter, but also as community spaces for marginalized groups, including those identifying as queer and people of color. The loss of these safe spaces is one piece of a much larger set of housing challenges in our city. Low income families are increasingly unable to find fair and affordable housing throughout Baltimore. More needs to be done to ensure access to safe and affordable housing and workspace for all.

As fire marshals continue to inspect buildings, Baltimore City should commit to supporting the immediate needs of those living with housing insecurity who are seeking to make necessary improvements and to also invest in other long-term solutions. Citizen Artist Baltimore stands in solidarity with long term fair housing advocates represented by the Baltimore Housing Roundtable and Housing For All, and support their efforts to implement the Affordable Housing Trust Fund approved by voters in the general election.

Safe and affordable housing and workspace is a human right. Citizen Artist Baltimore values the rights of artists, and all Baltimore residents, to safe and affordable housing and workspace. We will work with City Hall to make sure artist voices are heard! Sign up for action alerts as the new Mayor and City Council address these issues and to learn about other opportunities to advocate for arts and culture.

Click here to use the form on our frontpage to sign up for action alerts!

Moving Forward

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Citizen Artist Baltimore stands in solidarity with LGBTQI folks, women, people of color, Muslims, Mexicans, and indeed all people threatened by the presidential election results. As we heal from the trauma of the 2016 national presidential election, there are many local decisions that were made from which we can draw hope. Mayor-elect Catherine Pugh is already talking about top priorities affecting artists and cultural workers – jobs, education, and housing. In addition, important ballot questions were approved, including the charter amendment establishing the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. Working in community reminds us that supporting arts and culture are both means and ends as we continue to make Baltimore a more inclusive and prosperous place for our neighbors. Strengthening and building bridges among our many communities is where it all starts. Our love through organizing continues.

Citizen Artist Baltimore will be holding community gatherings and cultural organizing trainings in the near future. All will be welcome as we seek to expand our community networks, build leadership, and focus on the best ways to equitably support arts and culture in Baltimore City. Take the Citizen Artist Baltimore pledge to receive updates on participating in future events.

Get Out The Vote!

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With 2016 General Election just over a month away, Citizen Artist Baltimore (CAB) is calling on YOU to register to vote, get educated on the candidates, and get out and vote! Heres how you can help:

  1. Learn about the mayoral candidates positions on arts and cultural priorities so that you can make the best choice.
  2. Find out about all of the candidates running to represent your district and find out more about the important ballot questions by using the League of Women Voters Vote Guide.
  3. Help get out the vote! The No Boundaries Coalition is going to be making phone calls, knocking on doors and giving people rides to the polls on election day. They are asking people to sign up in 2 hour shifts between 10am and 8pm.  Sign up to volunteer on election day using this form.
  4. VOTE ON NOVEMBER 8. Click here to find your Baltimore City polling location.

Sign up for updates on future events and help Citizen Artist Baltimore show the strength of Baltimore’s arts and cultural communities by taking the Citizen Artist Baltimore Pledge.

While you are getting out the vote In Real Life, join the conversation and help Citizen Artist Baltimore spread the word online! Follow us, share, and comment on facebook, twitter, and instagram. Share your citizen artist actions using the hashtag #CitizenArtistBmore.

Volunteer to Get Out the Early Vote!

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Volunteer with the No Boundaries Coalition to help get out the early vote this Saturday, 10/29. Meet 9am at the Avenue Market, 1700 Pennsylvania Avenue. Look for the No Boundaries fruit stand to find a field organizer. Canvassing and ride sharing to early polling will run 10am-4pm.