The Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts hired Robyn Murphy as interim CEO at a time last year when the organization needed leadership and guidance through a rough patch. Today Murphy is ditching the interim title.

Mayor Brandon Scott and BOPA’s board of directors named Murphy the permanent chief executive Friday morning during a board meeting for the nonprofit group.

Murphy, originally hired in November to replace ousted CEO Rachel Graham, told a Banner reporter Thursday night that her priorities at the helm quickly shifted from finding stability during a difficult time to reimagining “what a thriving arts and culture agency could be.”

“We supported the City in producing the best Artscape in decades, restored trust with City leadership, and recommitted to our values as an organization poised to invest in artists and the cultural fabric of a city in renaissance,” Murphy said in a text message.

“That momentum matters — and I feel a deep responsibility to keep going. Funders are returning, collaboration is at an all-time high and the arts community deserves both stability and vision in this moment. I’m here for it,” she wrote.

Graham had been in the role only seven months when BOPA’s board of directors unanimously agreed to remove Graham and replace her with Murphy, who took control during a tumultuous time for the quasi-governmental agency that helps produce Artscape, the Baltimore Farmers’ Market and other cultural events in Baltimore. Murphy is a veteran media consultant who grew up in Edmondson Village and is CEO of JRM Consultancy.

In November, the city’s Board of Estimates voted to end its contract with BOPA over concerns related to the nonprofit group’s financial performance, which led to the resignations of eight members of its 13-person board. Months earlier, the group — which had $5.8 million in net assets at the end of the 2019 fiscal year — revealed that it had become financially insolvent.

Friday’s board meeting confirmed that BOPA, which is rebranding to Create Baltimore, has secured its funding contract with the mayor’s office for the fiscal year 2026, and Mayor Scott has recommended that the board fill its remaining open seats.

Other updates from Friday’s meeting included the news that the Top of the World observation deck at the Inner Harbor, which is run by BOPA, has extended its lease through November, and BOPA is no longer searching for a new operator of the Baltimore Farmers’ Market and will run the popular event for the foreseeable future.

“Robyn is a lifelong Baltimorean, proven leader and convener who has a vision that deeply understands the creativity, energy, and talent that define Baltimore,” Scott said in a statement. “Her ability to foster innovation, inspire confidence, build and maintain relationships makes her the right person to fill this Important role.”

Tasked with fixing the organization, Murphy pared back BOPA’s mission to focus more on the city’s art and artists while sharing event management responsibilities with other groups, like Scott’s new Office of Arts, Culture and Entertainment. Most notably, BOPA helped relocate Artscape, Baltimore’s popular free arts festival, to downtown in May.

While some questioned the decision to move the date and location of the city’s premier arts event, many attendees seemed happy with the execution.

Since Murphy’s appointment last fall, Scott has commended the job she has done. BOPA board member Derrick Chase called Murphy “the right type of leader for this moment.”

“She’s a gifted communicator who listens to creatives and builds the necessary ecosystem to move Baltimore’s art community forward,” Chase said in a statement.