It’s Baker Artists Portfolios season and if you’re an artist, it’s time to create or brush up your portfolio. It’s also a great time for all of us to search for inspiration and education on this beautiful site.
For 11 years, GBCA has managed a free online portfolio used by 800 to 1,000 area artists to help create and maintain a current collection of their work. In many cases, artists use the Portfolios as their primary website. To date, the associated Baker Artist Awards have recognized over 100 artists and awarded over one million dollars to individuals living and working in the region.
Ahead of its time, the Portfolios have created an online community of artists that is visited by curators, collectors, museum leaders, philanthropic visionaries, and others in almost every country in the world. Universities and colleges use the site as a primer for students being introduced to the diversity of cultural production in Baltimore, and to develop relationships and projects throughout the academic year and beyond.
The Awards include a designated segment on Maryland Public Television’s Art Works series, portions of which are rebroadcast in other national markets. Keep an eye out for an October air date of the 2020 awardees. There are also a semiannual exhibition of visual arts awardees at the Baltimore Museum of Art, and finalist showcases throughout the year.
During this time when artists struggle to create authentic and meaningful connections in an online setting, the Baker Artist Portfolios has over a decade of experience and offers a model for authentic online relationships with patrons and amongst artists. It is a source of community pride and inspiration, and a potential source of income for artists.
As strange as things are these days, it’s also back-to-school season. There are many arts and culture resources available for families and teachers navigating a surreal back-to-school online, hybrid, and in-person learning environment. Arts Education in Maryland Schools (AEMS) has a terrific list of resources for arts educators, parents, and teaching artists on their website at this link, CultureFly has learning opportunities for children and adults through its Online Learning portal. Many of our area cultural organizations have offerings including The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore Museum of Art, Port Discovery Children’s Museum, Reginald Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture, and the American Visionary Arts Museum. Don’t see your organization here? Be sure to post your virtual and in-person offerings to CultureFly.org!
All my best,
Jeannie
P.S. Visit https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/gbca to learn more about how you can support the important programs of GBCA.
