Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts: Festivals

Artscape – America's largest free arts festival – returns September 22-24, 2023.

Artscape is back! The Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts is excited to bring back Artscape for its 38th year after a three-year hiatus! The beloved Baltimore arts festival is where art lovers, families, and tourists come together to celebrate art, culture, and performance!  Artscape is proud to showcase artists and makers, live concerts, visual arts experiences, performing arts, fashion designers, kid-focused activities, film, experimental music, improv and comedy, literary arts programming and culinary delights. We encourage artists and festival goers to embrace Artscape for what it is – a fully accessible, 100% FREE, world-class arts festival – right here in the heart of Baltimore City. Everyone’s invited to Artscape, let's celebrate the arts in Baltimore together!

ARTSCAPE

Artscape is AMERICA’S LARGEST FREE outdoor arts festival, rocking the cultural heart of Baltimore since 1982. The festival was designed as an Arts Fair that marketed Baltimore as a cultural hub, generated local community support for the arts, and stimulated economic development and investment in the Mt. Vernon/Bolton Hill neighborhood. In 2019 (the last time Artscape was held), Artscape featured more than 200 artist performers and over 100 visual artists and artisans.

Festival Hours

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22   5PM – 10PM FESTIVAL OPERATIONS  9PM - 11PM ARTSCAPE AFTER HOURS 

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23  11AM – 3PM MAIN STAGE HOURS   11AM – 11PM FESTIVAL OPERATIONS 9PM - PM ARTSCAPE AFTER HOURS 

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24  11AM-5PM FESTIVAL OPERATIONS

LOCATION: Midtown Baltimore and the Station North Arts & Entertainment District    

ABOUT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:

The Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts seeks city agencies and organization to participate in Artscape, where Baltimore comes together. Artscape's draws 350,000 attendees over its three days. BOPA's festivals are a fun, turnkey opportunity to reach thousands of people in an immersive environment.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Please include a thoughtful and descriptive proposal with details on your activity/programming; connections to the arts and commitment to the spirit of BOPA festivals. This form is the only method of application.
Rules & Regulations· Participants agree that BOPA and BFAI Inc. have the right to reproduce digital images or the reproductions of selected works for publicity and/or marketing purposes.

· Exhibitors must keep their space open and staffed, for all festival hours of operation.

· Participants are required to set-up and breakdown their booth/area in the festival-designated time frames. · Participants who have not paid the required booth/space fee prior to the festival will not be permitted to set-up and participate during the festival.

· Stand-alone/pop-up tents are prohibited.

· Unauthorized/unapproved use of any festival space is prohibited.

· Exhibitor set-up is confined to the assigned tent footprint.

· Storage areas located behind or outside the tent footprint is prohibited.

· Amplified sound and/or sound systems in your booth is prohibited.

· Your materials must fit into the space you reserved, and be designed to separate you from your neighbors.

· Electricity: You will have access to 20 amps of electricity per 10’x10’ space. Bring a heavy-duty outdoor extension cord of at least 25 feet in order to access electricity for your booth. The festival will not have extension cords to borrow, rent or purchase.

· Lighting: BOPA provides 1-2 lights per tent only. You will need to plug the lights into the electrical box behind your tent and then turn them on. You may want to bring supplementary lighting for your display.

· Signage: BOPA provides an individual sign for each exhibitor. You may bring signage and other printed collateral material.

· Exhibitors are required close their tent walls each night. BOPA will have festival staff available to assist with closing tent walls at the end of each night of the festival. Exhibitors are permitted to keep their display and materials in their space overnight at their own discretion.

· Exhibitors may not re-sell, share with an unaccepted exhibitor or sublet any portion of their space – unless approved by the festival director. This includes media partners, corporate sponsors, and any/all third-parties. Violations will result in expulsion from the festival, with no refund.

· Exhibitors violating the rules of this show or who fail to cooperate with the Festival Staff will not be permitted to exhibit. The show will be monitored for misrepresentation and we reserve the right to remove any questionable, non-approved items from the show.

By submitting an application, you agree to and accept all festival terms and conditions.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1. The Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts, Inc. (BOPA) and the Baltimore Festival of the Arts, Inc. (BFAI) reserves the right to determine and assign the Vendors onsite tent/exhibit location. Our goal is to create a successful experience for all of our participants. However, due to the large-scale nature of the festival’s logistics, BOPA will not honor Vendors requests to change or move its tent/exhibit location at any time.

2. This application, when properly executed, shall constitute a valid and binding agreement between the Vendor and the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts, Inc. (BOPA). BOPA reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to reject any application, or to limit participation in BOPA Festivals.

3. The terms, conditions and directions of the Vendor Guidelines, as amended from time to time by BOPA, shall be provided to Vendors no less than seven days prior to the festivals' start dates. The guidelines shall be considered a part of this agreement. Vendor is responsible for reviewing the Guidelines carefully and be familiar with its terms and conditions therein.

4. The contact listed on the application portion of this agreement shall be authorized to make all decisions regarding exhibiting at BOPA Festivals.

5. BOPA Festivals takes place rain or shine, however in the case of dangerously inclement weather, BOPA reserves the right to close or suspend the event. The event will re-open when deemed to be safe by the Baltimore City Fire Department. Full or partial refunds will not be issued.

6. Under no circumstances shall BFAI or BOPA be liable for consequential, indirect, special or punitive damages of any kind in connection with its activities or omissions under this agreement regardless of whether such damages were foreseeable.

7. Failure by Vendor to adhere to any provision of this Agreement may result in cancellation of this agreement.

8. Vendor may not assign this agreement or trade, sell, share or otherwise transfer the advertising or exhibiting rights provided for in this agreement.

9. Waiver of any term of this agreement or failure of BOPA to terminate this agreement on account of any breach by Vendor shall not be deemed a waiver of BOPA’s rights to subsequently enforce any term or to terminate this contract by reason of any subsequent breach by Vendor.

10. Vendor agrees that no representations of any kind have been made to Vendor by BOPA or by any of its agents and that no understanding has been made or agreement entered into other than as set forth herein.

Liability and Insurance:

1. Vendor agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Baltimore Office of Promotion and The Arts, Inc.(BOPA), the Baltimore Festival of the Arts, Inc., the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore, its elected/appointed officials, employees, agents, and volunteers from any and all claims, demands, suits, and actions including attorney’s fees and court costs, connected therewith, brought against the Baltimore Office of Promotion and The Arts, Inc., the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore, its elected/appointed officials, employees, agents, and volunteers arising as a result of any direct or indirect, willful, or negligent act of omission of the Vendor, its employees, agents, or volunteers, EXCEPT for activities caused by the sole negligent act or omission of BOPA, BFAI, the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore, its elected/appointed officials, employees, agents, and volunteers arising out of this contract/agreement.

2. BOPA, sponsors and the employees, representatives and agents of each shall not be liable for any claims, liabilities, costs and charges (including attorneys’ fees and costs) for injury, loss or damage to property or persons (including death) arising out of Vendor’s activities in connection with BOPA Festivals, or any breach of representation, warranty or covenant in this agreement.

3. The Vendor is an independent contractor under this contract and has no employee, partnership, co-venture, agent or other such relationship with BOPA and BFAI.

4. The Vendor is solely responsible for securing appropriate insurance to cover his/her operations, including storage at an on-site location if provided by BOPA Festivals, in such amounts as he/she may deem necessary. BOPA and its festivals have no responsibility for any damage or loss of property of the Vendor. Vendor is advised to carry insurance for their business. If you do not carry a business insurance policy, you are advised to consider one-day or multi-day event insurance from a qualified insurance company. Proof of insurance is required from the Vendor at check-in and should be available for inspection throughout Festival duration.

5. The Vendor agrees to have as a minimum requirement Automobile Liability Insurance with a limit no less than $100,000.00 combined single limit each accident for use of owned, hired and non-owned vehicles used on festival site. Proof of Automobile Liability Insurance is required from the Vendor at check-in and should be available for inspection throughout Festival weekend.

About This Agreement:

1. Should the Vendor fail to fulfill any of his/her obligations pursuant to this agreement, BOPA/BFAI may terminate this agreement upon notice to Vendor.

2. Each provision of this agreement shall be deemed to be a separate, severable, and independently enforceable provision. The invalidity or breach of any provision shall not cause the invalidity or breach of the remaining provisions or of the agreement, which shall remain in full force and effect.

3. This agreement shall in all respects be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws of the State of Maryland and subject to the jurisdiction of its courts. Furthermore, the parties hereto agree that any suits or actions brought by either party against the other shall be in a court of competent jurisdiction in Baltimore City.

4. This agreement, together with any exhibits or attachments, contains the entire agreement between the parties and supersedes any other agreements or representations between them, whether oral or written. No provisions of this agreement may be amended, waived or modified except by a written agreement signed by both parties.
 

For more information please contact Jackie Downs at jdowns@promotionandarts.org or call (410) 752-8632.