The 2022 Celebration of the Arts was a wonderful success! Guests enjoyed fine food and drink provided by area restaurants, bid on stunning artwork created by local artists in the Benefit Art Auction, and were blown away by the incredible performances in the 20th anniversary All-Star edition of our Rising Star Performing Arts Competition.
As the evening drew to a close, the Celebration audience cast their votes for their favorite performance, selecting Curtis Bannister as the 2022 Rising All-Star for his stirring rendition of “Make Them Hear You” from Ragtime by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty. Congratulations to Curtis and all of our amazing All-Star finalists!
Another highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Howie Awards, honoring individuals and businesses whose contributions help make our community such a wonderful haven for the arts. This year’s Howie honorees were Michael Blackman, Outstanding Artist; Kassidy Sharp, Outstanding Arts Educator; and Betsy Stark, Outstanding Community Supporter of the Arts. Two special Howie Awards were also presented: a Legacy in the Arts Award to visual artist Ed Kidera (posthumously) and the Coleen West Leadership in the Arts Award to Gino Molfino, fine arts coordinator for the Howard County Public School System.
We’d like to send out an enormous THANK YOU to our Celebration committee members and volunteers – this event would not be possible without your extraordinary efforts! And a special thanks to the generous contributions of our sponsors and food and beverage vendors. We truly appreciate your support!