The Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts (BOPA) has announced that applications are now open for the 2025 Janet & Walter Sondheim Art Prize as well as the Creative Baltimore Fund FY 2025 grant program.

2025 Janet & Walter Sondheim Art Prize

The Janet & Walter Sondheim Art Prize awards $30,000 to a visual artist or visual artist collaborators living
and working in the Baltimore region.

Established by BOPA at Artscape in 2006, it is one of the most prestigious visual art prizes in the region. The application deadline is November 15, 2024. Semifinalists will be announced in December, and in January, five finalists will be selected to exhibit their work in the Walters Art Museum, April to July 2025.

Information sessions

BOPA is hosting two information sessions — Tuesday, November 5 and Thursday, November 7 — to help
artists plan their applications and answer questions. Both sessions will take place over Zoom.

Visit promotion and arts for the link, more information, and how to submit.

About the Creative Baltimore Fund

The Creative Baltimore Fund is a grant made annually by the City of Baltimore from its general fund that is
administered by the Baltimore City Arts Council (BOPA). The program awards funds to qualified artists and
arts and cultural organizations based in Baltimore City. The Creative Baltimore Fund has two grant programs:
General Operating Support (GOS), which provides core support for established arts or cultural organizations,
and the Mayor’s Individual Artist Award.

GOS grants to organizations range from $3,000–$10,000. The Mayor’s Individual Artist Project Support grant
will award 10 artists with ti3,000 awards. Grant awards will be paid 100% at time of contract signing and
processing. The application deadline is December 2, 2024.

To support prospective grantees, BOPA is hosting virtual office hours every Tuesday and Sunday during the
application period.

Visit promotion and arts to get the Zoom link, learn more about the Creative Baltimore Fund program, and how to apply.

The full schedule is now live for the 2nd annual 3 Chambers Fest, taking place in downtown Wilmington from December 4-7th at Jengo’s Playhouse, The Eagle’s Dare, Union Station Auditorium at Cape Fear Community College, Waterline Brewing Company, and Sokoto House.

3 Chambers Fest schedule

Advance screening of KILLA HILL

The opening night event on Wednesday, December 4th at Jengo’s Playhouse will be an exclusive advance screening of KILLA HILL, a true crime documentary series that chronicles the escalating murder rate fueled by the crack epidemic which defined the notorious Park Hill projects of Staten Island and home of the Wu-Tang Clan.

There will be a post-screening discussion with director Gerald K. Barclay and special guests that will be announced soon.

Wu-Tang Wednesday Opening Night Party

Also Wednesday, there will be a Wu-Tang Wednesday Opening Night Party at The Eagle’s Dare with 9th Prince of Killarmy (and brother of Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA) as the guest DJ immediately following the KILLA HILL screening.

Immersive movie experience Can I Kick It

On Thursday, December 5, Shaolin Jazz will bring their immersive movie experience Can I Kick It? to Union Station Auditorium at Cape Fear Community College, remixing the soundtrack live to Berry Gordy’s THE LAST DRAGON.

Taimak, star of THE LAST DRAGON, will also be in attendance for a post-film discussion and meet & greet. There will also be live martial arts demonstrations over hip-hop tracks by The Pantherz Demo Team and Cequence Henry.

Legendary hip-hop artist and battle rapper Mickey Factz

On Friday, December 6, legendary hip-hop artist and battle rapper Mickey Factz will headline the hip-hop concert at Waterline Brewing Co. that will feature Landon Wordswell, JustoMobbin, S. Dot Lee, and MindsOne. The show will be hosted by Fuzz Jaxx and will also have a video game lounge, vendors, and a food truck.

Saturday, December 7

QiGong session with Shihan White Owl at Sokoto House

On Saturday, December 7, there will be a QiGong session with Shihan White Owl at Sokoto House.

Masterclass on the business of hip-hop with Mickey Factz

Later in the afternoon there will be a masterclass on the business of hip-hop with Mickey Factz at Jengo’s Playhouse.

Anime Night

Then in the evening, Anime Night will close out the festival at Waterline Brewing Co. featuring Blerd comedy sets by LouisTee, Wills Maxwell, and Ebony Angelique. There will be live music performances by Real Life Party, Sheme of Gold, SkyBlew, MoeSOS DC and Kiko Blac. Also at Anime Night, there will be a cosplay competition and a video game tournament.

More information

The full schedule and lineup is available at 3chambers.com/schedule.

All-access passes are on sale while they last at www.3chambers.com. Single event tickets are also on sale at 3chambers.com/schedule.

Cast and filmmakers of the forthcoming film NICKEL BOYS were in attendance at the film’s premiere at the 62nd New York Film Festival.

NICKEL BOYS premiere at 62nd New York Film Festival

Actors Ethan Herisse, Brandon Wilson, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Daveed Diggs, Hamish Linklater, Fred Hechinger, and Jimmie Fails along with director/writer RaMell Ross, writer/producer Joslyn Barnes and cinematographer Jomo Fray were in attendance for the celebratory evening.

About the film

Elwood Curtis’s college dream shatters alongside a two-lane Florida highway. Bearing the brunt of an innocent misstep, he’s sentenced to the netherworld of Nickel Academy, a brutal reformatory sunk deep in the Jim Crow South. He encounters another ward, the seen-it-all Turner. The two Black teens strike up an alliance: Turner dispensing fundamental tips for survival, Elwood, clinging to his optimistic worldview. Backdropped by the burgeoning Civil Rights Movement, Elwood and Turner’s existence appear worlds away from Rev. Martin Luther King’s burnished oratory. Despite Nickel’s brutality, Elwood strives to hold onto his humanity, awakening a new vision for Turner.

Directed by RaMell Ross, Nickel Boys will be in theaters only on October 25.