August 2026

Dear Baltimore,

There’s plenty happening at BNHA this month! As fall approaches, we’re welcoming students back to our youth programs and starting a new grant cycle with some exciting projects supported by our 2026 Heritage Investment Grants and FY2027 Maryland Heritage Areas Authority Grants. Read on to learn more!

It’s your last week to view the It’s A Snap! 2025 Photo Exhibition at Impact Hub Baltimore, located at 10 E. North Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21202. The exhibited photos display creative interpretations of the theme “Baltimore’s History is American History.” The photos will be on display until August 20th, 2026. Additionally, our 2026 Photo Contest is open for submissions! This year we are looking for photos that highlight Baltimore’s Architecture. You can find all of the contest details here. 

The Fall also sees the return of our Kids in Kayaks program and the Open Outdoors Kids program. BNHA’s youth programs connect students to Baltimore’s history, culture, waterways, parks and neighborhoods through immersive, hands-on experiences. In 2025, 515 students participated in the Kids in Kayaks program and 2,442 students participated in the Open Outdoors Kids program. For more information on our youth programs and how to get involved, visit this page. 

Lastly, we are excited to announce the recipients of the 2026 Heritage Investment Grants and the FY2027 Maryland Heritage Areas Authority Grants. The selected projects represent a diversity of approaches that support BNHA’s mission to promote, preserve, and enhance Baltimore’s cultural and historic legacy. The recipients are:

Heritage Investment Grant Awards:

• Baltimore Children’s Museum Inc., Joyful Steps, $20,000
• Carroll Museums, Strategic Planning and Staff Professional Development, $20,000
• Charm City Fringe, Living Arts Heritage at the Peale, $20,000
• CityLit Project, Inc., CityLit: Growing Organizational Infrastructure to Better Serve Baltimore, $20,000
• Friends of the Jones Falls, Mobile Community Brick Factory & Monument Celebrating Baltimore’s Brickmaking History, $20,000
• Market Center Community Development Corporation, Heritage Tourism Capacity Building, $12,000
• National Great Blacks in Wax Museum, Conservation to Preserve Collection Figures, $20,000
• Star-Spangled Banner Flag House Association, Inc., Grow Community Engagement, $20,000

Maryland Heritage Area Investment Grant Awards:

• B&O Railroad Museum, Inc., New Interpretation for the Second Hundred Years of American Railroading at the B&O Railroad Museum, $50,000
• Friends of Patterson Park, Patterson Park Observatory & Site Restoration – Design/Pre-Construction, $100,000
• Jewish Museum of Maryland, People Get Ready Exhibition, $50,000
• Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture, Enhancing Community Engagement & Visitor Services, $50,000
• SNF Parkway, 2027 Maryland Film Festival, $50,000

That's all for now!

With gratitude,

Shauntee Daniels, Executive Director

Announcements:

• CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS: BNHA needs your support tabling and spreading the word about our programs. If you are interested in volunteering with BNHA at this event, please email Kenyona Moore, our Outreach Manager at kmoore@baltimoreheritagearea.org. 
  
• Partners for Sacred Spaces is accepting entries for its 2026 photo contest! This year's theme is “250 Years of Religious Diversity.” For more details, visit this page.

This Month in Baltimore’s History (courtesy of the Maryland State Archives)

• 1729, Aug. 8. Baltimore Town established by charter; named after Cecilius Calvert, 2nd Lord Baltimore. 
• 1814, Aug. Rembrandt Peale opened Baltimore Museum and Gallery of Fine Arts, designed by Robert Cary Long, Sr. 
• 1866, Aug. 20. National Labor Union, the first national labor union in America, organized in Baltimore and lobbied Congress to authorize an eight-hour work day. 
• 1892, Aug. 13. Baltimore Afro-American founded by John H. Murphy, Sr. 
• 1979, Aug. Baltimore Convention Center opened.

Shauntee Daniels

Executive Director

Kenyona Moore

Outreach Manager

Jordan Brown

Communications Consultant

Laura Page Wolf

Grants Consultant

Calla Potter

Grants Administrative Assistant

"Sankofa ~ Go back and fetch it, we must look back to the past so that we can understand how we became what we are and move forward to a better future."