Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott announced the launch of the Mayor’s Office of Arts, Culture, and Entertainment (MOACE). The mayor stated that the office will help shape the future of Baltimore’s live events, cultural workforce, creative economy, nightlife, and film industry.

Baltimore champions numerous arts and cultural festivals and initiatives each year, including the Baltimore AFRAM Festival, Artscape, City, Charm City Live, seasonal programming like Baltimore’s Christmas Village, and a plethora of other events that take place throughout the year.

The mayor said that the goals for the new office include unifying arts events, nightlife, and film under one creative strategy; boosting operational efficiency; supporting grassroots artists; expanding revenue through sponsorship and grant leverage; and strengthening Baltimore’s cultural infrastructure.

“Baltimore has serious momentum right now. And more and more people are seeing it for themselves. We had over 28 million tourist visits to our city last year. We’re also home to incredible outdoor events – including Artscape, AFRAM, and Charm City Live,” Mayor Scott said. 

What about the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts?

The update comes after the city ended its contract with the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts (BOPA) was terminated in January due to financial instability and management concerns. After the city cut ties with the organization, BOPA voted out Rachel Graham, who served as the former CEO.

The city did not explicitly say that the new MOACE office was created to replace BOPA, which previously managed Artscape, the Baltimore Farmers Market, the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade, and Light City Baltimore.