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By Megan Sayles
AFRO Business Writer
msayles@afro.com
The Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts (BOPA) board of directors appointed seasoned communications consultant Robyn Murphy to become the organization’s interim chair and CEO on Nov. 20. The board vote came after BOPA and former CEO Rachel Graham, who only took on the role in March 2024, agreed to part ways.
Murphy, a native of Edmondson Village, enters the organization following months of financial challenges, the termination of BOPA’s contract with the city of Baltimore and the resignation of eight board members. As interim CEO, she will be tasked with improving BOPA’s relationship with the city and the local arts community while the organization searches for permanent leadership.
Robyn Murphy, founder of JRM Consultancy, has become the interim CEO and board chair for the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts (BOPA). The organization, which has faced a slew of challenges as of late, appointed her to the post on Nov. 20. (Photo courtesy of BOPA)
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“When you look across the nation and across the world, you understand that there’s so much that makes up city life, and a lot of it is about quality of life,” said Murphy. “One of the things that enhances quality of life is equitable representation of a city’s citizens on stage, in visual arts, as part of the museum culture and in live theater.”
The AFRO connected with Murphy to discuss her plans for getting BOPA back on track. The responses below have been edited for length and clarity.
AFRO: In light of the recent challenges BOPA has faced, what made you want to take on this role?
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Robyn Murphy (RM): If there’s one thing people know about me, it’s the level of love I have for Baltimore– my city. I have been fortunate enough to be a stakeholder and philanthropist as it pertains to arts and culture, and I firmly believe that what we are witnessing in Baltimore is a true renaissance. A society is not robust, full or complete without a vibrant and robust arts and culture landscape.
I have a lot of opinions, and I talk a lot about what should be done to build up the arts and culture landscape to match the energy of this renaissance that’s happening in Baltimore. I talk a good game, so when asked, I have to walk it like I talk it.
AFRO:Now that BOPA is no longer a quasi-government agency, what will its future look like?
There is still a significant amount of engagement with Baltimore City. I was able to stand next to the mayor as he announced the festivals that will be happening in Baltimore in 2025. While BOPA will not be producing Artscape or directing the festival itself, it will have a strong and robust role related to the arts and propping and curating the artists for it. This is really important and what BOPA should be focused on in the first place.
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In addition to that, I have also been working really closely with the mayor’s office on rebuilding the relationship with the city. Don’t count BOPA out yet as a city partner moving forward.
AFRO: What are your priorities for BOPA in the new year?
RM: There are a myriad of things that I am working on to set the organization up for success in 2025 and way beyond that, and a lot of that is restructuring and reorganizing. The organization has so much to give to artists and to the city, but the structure that it was existing under was not a sustainable structure. My biggest job is to reframe, reset, set it up for success and hand it off to a CEO that is not coming into an organization in flux.
AFRO: How do you intend to ensure BOPA can be a source of support for Baltimore’s Black artists and creatives?
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RM: Arts equity is my thing. I have looked at the structure of organizations before that have institutionally marginalized people of color in representation, in grant-making and in organizations receiving a disproportionate amount of funding for the arts. Anybody that knows me knows that that will not happen with me. It’s paramount to me that the way arts show up in Baltimore is a reflection of everyone, from Park Heights to Roland Park.
Read what we will cover next!
132 years ago we were covering Post-Reconstruction when a former enslaved veteran started the AFRO with $200 from his land-owning wife. In 2022 we endorsed Maryland’s first Black Governor, Wes Moore. And now we celebrate the first Black female Senator from Maryland, Angela Alsobrooks!
