Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts appoints Robyn Murphy as permanent CEO
Robyn Murphy has been appointed permanent CEO of the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts.
Murphy has completed her tenure as interim CEO, having been originally hired in November, according to the Baltimore Banner.
"Robyn is a lifelong Baltimorean, proven leader and convener who has a vision that deeply understands the creativity, energy and talent that define Baltimore," Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said. "Her ability to foster innovation, inspire confidence, and build and maintain relationships makes her the right person to fill this important role."
BOPA's financial struggles
Murphy replaced Rachel Graham, the former CEO who was ousted after Baltimore ended its contract with the organization over financial problems.
The organization, known as BOPA, has consistently run at a deficit since 2019, except for 2021 when most programming was paused due to the pandemic.
Before stepping down, Graham and BOPA's financial team hired a forensic accounting firm, Marcum LLP, to help reconcile accounts and bring them up to date. The nonprofit found significant gaps in financial documentation.
The firm found that there had been no reconciliation of accounts since June 2023.
BOPA has organized several major events for the city, including the annual Artscape festival, Baltimore's farmers market and the Martin Luther King Jr. parade.
BOPA will rebrand, extend lease for Inner Harbor attraction
In a BOPA board of directors meeting last Friday, the organization said it was rebranding as Create Baltimore and that it had secured its funding contract with the mayor's office for fiscal year 2026.
In the same meeting, BOPA said it extended its lease for the Top of the World Observation Level at the Inner Harbor.
The attraction is also home to the Gallery in the Sky, the Peak Artist Series and the 9/11 Memorial of Maryland. The exhibit, featuring artifacts from the Twin Towers, Pentagon and Flight 93 National Memorial, honors the lives of Marylanders who died on Sept. 11, 2001.
BOPA previously said in January that the lease for the space was coming to an end and that the attraction was being repurposed.
