Here's the latest info from Baltimore's nonprofit arts council, events center and film office.
  
JUST ANNOUNCED
Donna Drew Sawyer Selected as Chief Executive Officer of Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts
The Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts' (BOPA) Board of Directors has selected Donna Drew Sawyer as Chief Executive Office . Sawyer was unanimously recommended for Board confirmation by the BOPA search committee.

"We are thrilled to have a new CEO who can continue and enhance BOPA's contributions to the Baltimore City community and region," said Anana Kambon, chair of BOPA's Board of Directors. "Donna has a strong diverse history in arts leadership, solid marketing and business acumen and a fierce commitment to equity and collaboration. Her talents combined with our impressive BOPA team will provide greater opportunities for joint programs, projects and partnerships with local artists, the City of Baltimore, funders, affinity groups and arts service organizations. We're extremely excited about BOPA's future." 

"BOPA is a unique organization with a remarkable history. I am excited and so fortunate to be working with an incredible team of professionals in this new capacity," Sawyer said. "BOPA's mission is to make Baltimore a more vibrant city by promoting and supporting arts and culture. As a proud resident of Baltimore City, a writer who understands the exhilaration of the creative process and now, as CEO of BOPA, I can contribute to the vibrancy and the future of our city by helping to make Baltimore a unique and wonderful place to live, create, work and plan. I can't think of anything better than getting to do that every single day." 

Hired as the Chief of External Affairs at the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts in 2017,  Sawyer previously held senior positions in the arts and non-profits sector including the Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, the Arts and Science Council of Charlotte-Mecklenburg, the Chrysler Museum of Art and Sesame Workshop. She served on the Norfolk Virginia's Arts Commission and helped launch the Virginia Waterfront Arts Festival as founding director of the Wilder Performing Arts Center.

Sawyer was managing director of the Marketing Services Organization, a collaborative arts marketing agency funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Sawyer has served on art panels for the National Endowment for the Arts and on the YWCA Board of Directors.
Janet & Walter Sondheim Artscape Prize
Winner to be Announced
Saturday, July 14, 2018, 7pm-9pm
The Baltimore Museum of Art,
10 Art Museum Drive
(Galleries open at 6pm)

The Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts (BOPA) will announce the winner of the 13th annual Janet & Walter Sondheim Artscape Prize . The finalists are Erick Antonio Benitez , Nakeya Brown , Sutton Demlong , Nate Larson , Eunice Park and Stephen Towns . The winning artist will receive a $25,000 prize. The remaining finalists will each receive a $2,500 M&T Bank Finalist Award, for a total of $37,500 in awards for the Maryland-based artists.

(Image credit: Mitro Hood, The Baltimore Museum of Art.) 
Artscape Returns July 20, 21 and 22, 2018
The 37th annual Artscape , America’s largest free arts festival, returns Friday, July 20 through Sunday, July 22, 2018 to Mount Royal Avenue and North Charles Street in Baltimore, MD. T he 2018 festival is headlined by legendary girl group TLC on Friday, July 20 at 7:30pm, Garth Fagan Dance on Saturday, July 21 at 1pm and 5pm and Sunday, July 22 at noon and 5pm, reggae group Toots & The Maytals on Saturday, July 21 at 7:30pm and blues rock sensation ZZ Ward on Sunday, July 22 at 5:30pm. Artscape is open from 11am to 9pm on Friday and Saturday and 11am to 7pm on Sunday, with Artscape After Hours taking place Friday and Saturday from 9 to 11pm. New components include Youth Day , with youth-focused programming on Friday, July 20, a silent disco , 11 interactive large-scale works of art , Teenscape and FREE Pedicab rides around Artscape! The full schedule of events can be found on www.artscape.org . 
Artscape Gallery Network
The Artscape Gallery Network provides art lovers with an extended opportunity to enjoy Baltimore’s talented artists before, during and after the Artscape festival weekend. Gallery Network exhibitions highlight 2018 Janet & Walter Sondheim Artscape Prize applicants, along with artists working throughout the region.

School 33 Art Center Presents
Omnibus Filing 2.0: Empathy Mirror
Through Saturday, August 18, 2018
School 33 Art Center, 1427 Light Street
(Galleries: Wednesday-Saturday, 11am-4pm)

Omnibus Filing 2.0: Empathy Mirror is a cross-disciplinary exhibition showcasing works by a collective of artists, scientists and researchers. The exhibition features projects from Daniel Bozhkov, Steven Brower, Patrick Killoran, Dr. Brian A. Korgel, Julie Ann Nagle and James Sham. Each project is an intersection of research and art, exploring themes of empathy through multiple lenses such as interspecies architecture and artificial intelligence.

(Image credit: Dr. Brian A. Korgel, incessive permutations 9 !)
Sunset at the Top of the World
Top of the World Observation Level offers a remarkable view of sunsets in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Its spectacular 360-degree panoramic view of the city’s skyline, Inner Harbor and beyond provides the perfect sunset watching experience. Top of the World is located at 401 E Pratt Street.

Extended summer hours: Monday through Thursday from 10am to 6pm, Friday from 10am to 7pm, Saturday from 10am to 10pm and Sunday from 11am to 6pm.
A Few Minutes with Corey Lacey, Social Media & Website Coordinator for BOPA
Q. What do you do as BOPA’s Social Media & Website Coordinator?

A. My role as BOPA’s Social Media & Website Coordinator involves managing the multitude of BOPA’s social media accounts and websites. I create the content for our social media posts including choosing the images and videos, responding to messages or comments, and tracking our social media analytics to determine what’s working for our posts and what needs improvement. For our festivals, I am responsible for gathering social media volunteers to help our Communications Team with live updates. Additionally, I edit the content on all of our websites and coordinate any website changes with our developers.
‌
OPEN APPLICATIONS
BALTIMORE BOOK FESTIVAL

The 23rd annual Baltimore Book Festival returns Friday, September 28 through Sunday, September 30, 2018 from 11am to 7pm daily at Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Applications are open for the following:

Literary Exhibitors and Booksellers
DEADLINE: Friday, July 13, 2018
Single-Day Tablers
DEADLINE: Friday, July 13, 2018

OPEN STUDIO TOUR
The 30th annual Open Studio Tour takes place October 13 and 14, 2018 from 10am to 6pm. Visual artists with studios within the Baltimore City limits are eligible to participate. The annual city-wide event brings together professional artists and the general public, giving collectors and art lovers the opportunity to visit the studios of visual artists.

Early Bird Registration
DEADLINE: Sunday, July 15, 2018
Regular Registration Deadline
DEADLINE: Tuesday, July 31, 2018
Late Registration Deadline
DEADLINE: Friday, August 15, 2018

SOUND OFF LIVE! PRESENTED BY HARD ROCK CAFE BALTIMORE
DEADLINE: Wed., August 15, 2018

Returning October 17 and 18, 2018 , Sound Off Live! is Baltimore's "Battle of the Bands" where bands compete for a performance slot at Light City , Artscape or the Baltimore Book Festival . Only bands or musicians in the Maryland, Delaware or Virginia area that have never been booked at either of the three festivals are eligible.

LIGHT CITY
DEADLINE: Monday, August 27, 2018
Light City is set to take place on Friday, April 5 through Saturday, April 13, 2019 . Artists and artist collaborators can submit proposals for temporary, visual light art installations for the fourth annual Light City, the nation’s first free large-scale light, music and innovation festival. Each chosen installation will receive full funding between $10,000 and $75,000.

(Image credit: Pulse Portal by Davis McCarty; Photo by Crystal Whitman.)
LOTS ALIVE
DEADLINE: Saturday, July 28, 2018
The Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts and the Baltimore Office of Sustainability’s Baltimore Green Network welcome proposals for sculptures and installations to be installed as part of the 2018-2019 season of the Lots Alive outdoor sculpture program . Winning proposals will be eligible for grants up to $5,000. Lots Alive supports the creation of temporary outdoor sculpture sited on vacant lots within the Baltimore City limits.

OPEN HOUSES
THE CLOISTERS OPEN HOUSES
July 18, 2018, 5pm
The Cloisters, 10440 Falls Road

The Cloisters holds monthly open houses featuring special event vendors including caterers, photographers, florists and DJs. Visitors interested in hosting their events at the historic castle can speak with vendors to discuss options for their special affair. Guests can attend or hold a date up to two weeks. For a full schedule, visit www.cloisterscastle.com.  
BROMO SELTZER ARTS TOWER
Every Saturday, 11am-4pm
Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower,
21 S. Eutaw Street

The Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower is on full display during open houses . Once a month, visitors can see the historic tower up-close with clock room and studio tours and exhibitions. Admission is free. Clock room tours are $8. For more information, visit www.bromoseltzertower.com.
The Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts is a
501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is the city's arts council, events center and film office. BOPA is able to do all of its programs thanks to the support from a variety of public and private funders/donors.