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About The Awards
WELCOME to the Baker Artist Awards.
The William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund Trustees thank all of you for exceeding our expectations in this inaugural year. Watch this space for news about the date, time and place of the announcement of the Mary Sawyers Baker Prize and Baltimore’s Choice winners. Registered users will receive an email with announcement details. Please notify us if your email address has changed.
The Baker Artist Awards.org will remain online. The watch and commenting features will remain in operation so that visitors can find and track favorites. Baker Artist Awards will contact all 2009 nominees prior to the new call for nominations for the 2010 awards.
Mary Sawyers Baker established the William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund in 1964 to honor her husband. In 2008, the William G Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund Trustees honor Mary Sawyers Baker for her long involvement with and devotion to the arts. Mary Sawyers Baker studied voice as a young girl in Paris, embraced her love of travel and the arts throughout her life until settling into her role as one of Baltimore's early philanthropists. A significant prize to emerging and established artists of any discipline with no strings attached, is a statement with meaning. Mary Sawyers Baker knew that it is the artists who give institutions purpose. Up to three individual artists could be awarded prizes of up to $25,000 each. Jurors for the Mary Sawyers Baker Prize will consider the top finalists selected by voters in Baltimore's Choice.
Baltimore's Choice is an opportunity for the general public to vote and show its appreciation for the artists' work presented on the site. The more registered visitors explore the various artists' projects on the site, the more votes registered visitors can earn and more votes they can cast. Votes can be cast for one artist or several artists and votes can be changed up until the deadline. Voting begins on November 1st and the prize or prizes will be awarded in March, 2009. Baltimore's Choice will award $1000 to the five most popular artists as selected by voters. Artists who receive the most votes in Baltimore's Choice will be among the artists considered for the Mary Sawyers Baker Prize. Public voting for Baltimore's Choice closes at 5:00 PM on February 1, 2009.
The Selection Process for the Mary Sawyers Baker Prize
The selection process will be determined from among the best artists nominated online without regard to discipline. Jury selection process and deliberations for the Mary Sawyers Baker Prize will remain private. The jury will be suited to the multidiscipline nature of the ultimate pool of nominations. Finalists from among top vote getters in Baltimore's Choice will be considered for the Mary Sawyers Baker Prize. Nominations for the Mary Sawyers Baker Prize and Baltimore's Choice close at 5:00 PM on February 1, 2009.
Who is Eligible
To be eligible, you must be an artist at least 21 years old and have been a legal resident of the Baltimore region since September 10, 2007. The Baltimore region is defined as: Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Harford County and Howard County. The Baker Artist Awards are intended for individual artists, including groups of artists working as a collective. Organizations and venues are not eligible. Winners of the Baker Artist Awards will be required to provide additional proof of age and residency beyond information requested through the online nomination process.
The Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance is project partner with the William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund in presenting the Baker Artist Awards. All inquiries should be directed to 410-230-0200 or by email to GBCA@baltimoreculture.org