PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 23, 2025

Contact: Dana Whipkey

grantsandprojects@hocoarts.org

(410) 313-2787

Additional Artists-in-Education Grant Funds Available for PTAs from Howard County Arts Council

 ELLICOTT CITY, MD – The Howard County Arts Council is accepting a second round of applications for the FY2026 Artists-in-Education (AiE) grant program. The AiE grant program provides funding for professional artists in residence at Howard County private and public K-12 schools to help students foster creative exploration through hands-on experiences in the arts.

Interested applicants should visit hocoarts.org/aie for guidelines, additional information, and to apply. Applications are due November 12, 2025. The AiE grant is open to all Howard County Public School System’s 501c3 K-12 schools and independent 501c3 schools where a PTA is not in place.

The Howard County Arts Council is dedicated to serving and enriching our community by advancing the arts. To carry out its mission, the Arts Council awards operating and project grants to eligible organizations. HoCo Arts is committed to helping promote, improve, and strengthen the structure of community arts organizations by providing operating funds for established arts organizations and by supporting the development of small and mid-sized arts organizations through project-specific funds. 

The Arts Council’s grant program is supported through grants from the Howard County government and the Maryland State Arts Council as well as through its own foundation, corporate, and individual giving initiatives.

Take a ride with the arts!
Celebrate the start of the 2025-2026 gallery season with a weekend of gallery events and exhibits in Howard County. While you’re on the road, don’t miss the ARTsites sculptures installed at outdoor sites throughout the county. Info also available here: Road to the Arts 2025 

Saturday, September 13

1 The Rouse Company Foundation Gallery

Visual Poetry: The Work of Wonsook Kim showcases the dreamlike visual language of Korean-American artist Wonsook Kim. Known for her poetic, story-based works, Kim blends memory, imagination, and emotional resonance in paintings, etchings, and sculptures. The exhibition invites viewers into contemplative spaces where narrative and reflection intertwine. As Kim notes, “I paint sadness and happiness – the kind of place that is unspoken yet spoken, unexplainable but expressible. 

Reception: Sept 13, 6pm-8:30pm 

Exhibit Dates: Aug 25 – Oct 10, 2025 

Gallery Hours: Sun – Sat 9am-9:30pm 

Howard Community College 

10901 Little Patuxent Pkwy | Columbia 

(443) 518-4645 | howardcc.edu/galleries 

Friday, September 19

2 Howard County Arts Council

Gallery I: Clarity & Perspective 

Curated by CT Denby, includes work from Shiri Achu, Janai Marshall, Monica Milton, Samantha Modder, Qrcky, Ken “Tsunami” Shep, and Brent Taylor. 

Gallery II: ImPRINT 

Featuring work from Alexander D’Agostino, Donald Depuydt, and Martin Krafft. 

Reception: Sept 19, 6pm-8pm 

Exhibit Dates: Aug 15 – Sep 27, 2025 

Gallery Hours: Mon – Fri 10am-8pm, Sat 10am-4pm, Sun 12-4pm 

8510 High Ridge Rd | Ellicott City 

(410) 313-2787 | hocoarts.org 

Saturday, September 20 

3 African Art Museum of MD (AAMM) 

Out of Africa… From A to Z 

Featuring Twins 7-7, Lamdi Fakeye, G. Sunday Tenabe, and Abudalay Kasse. 

Reception: Sept 20, 2pm-4pm 

Exhibit Date: Sept 20, 2025 

Gallery Hours: Wed – Sat 11am-4pm 

The Long Reach Village Center 

8775 Cloudleap Ct | Suite 112 | Columbia 

(410) 740-7411 | africanartmuseum.org 

4 Bernice Kish Gallery 

Properties of Imagination: A Multidisciplinary Arts Exhibition 

Featuring Julie Henneberg, Andrew Williams, Cori Bowen, Kory Sutherland, Anthony Williams, Charlotte Mann Lee, Maureen Cogan, and Nick Stern. 

Reception: Sept 20, 10am-12pm 

Exhibit Dates: Aug 12 – Oct 5, 2025 

Gallery Hours: Mon-Fri 9am-4:30pm 

Slayton House 

10400 Cross Fox Ln | Columbia 

(410) 730-3987 | wildelake.org/art-gallery 

5 DoodleHATCH Interactive Art Museum 

ManneqART Sculpture in the Human Form 

See wooden, ceramic and metal dresses. Participate in making a community sculpture on a life size dress form. 

Reception: Sept 20, 10am-5pm 

Exhibit Dates: Sept 1 – Oct 30, 2025 

Gallery Hours: Mon – Fri 9am-4:30pm 

9775 Cloudleap Ct | Columbia 

(301) 778-0616 | doodlehatch.com 

Sunday, September 21 

6 Artists Gallery 

Plein Air Sketches of Maryland by Rana Geralis 

Reception: Sept 21, 2pm-3pm 

Exhibit Dates: Aug 27 – Sept 28, 2025 

Gallery Hours: Wed 11am-3pm, Thur – Sun 11am-6pm 

8197 Main St | Ellicott City 

(443) 325-5936 | artistsgalleryec.com 

7 Columbia Art Center Main Gallery and Window Gallery 

Main Gallery: MAPAPA Exhibit 

Window Gallery: Perspectives in Clay 

Works by the Ceramics Instructors of Columbia Art Center 

Reception: Sept 21, 1pm-3pm 

Exhibit Dates: Sept 11 – Oct 11, 2025 

Gallery Hours: 

Mon 10am-8pm, Tues 10am-5pm, Wed – Thurs 10am-8pm, Fri 10am-5pm, Sat 10am-12pm 

Columbia Art Center Galleries 

6100 Foreland Garth | Columbia 

(410) 730-0075 | columbiaartcenter.org 

8 Backwater Books 

History and Imagination – Images of The Enchanted Forest 

Featuring Wiley Purkey. 

Reception: Sept 21, 2pm-5pm 

Exhibit Dates: Sept 19 – Sept 21, 2025 

Gallery Hours: Sun 11am-6pm, Tues-Thur 11am-9pm, Fri 11am-10pm, Sat 11am-11pm 

8156 Main St | Ellicott City 

(410) 696-2482 | backwaterbooks.com 

ARTsites 2025 on view through July 2026: more here

Application Deadline: October 21, 2025

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 11, 2025

Contact: Mary K. Baxter

development@hocoarts.org

(410) 313-2787

Eight Local Performing Artists Will Compete for Rising Star at the 28^th Annual Celebration of the Arts

ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Eight local performing artists will participate in the Rising Star Performing Arts Competition as part of the Howard County Arts Council’s 28^th annual Celebration of the Arts in Howard County on Saturday, October 25, 2025, from 6-10pm at the Horowitz Visual and Performing Arts Center at Howard Community College.

The Rising Star Performing Arts Competition showcases performers aged 18-35 who live, work, train, or perform in Howard County. Following the performances, the audience will cast their votes for the winner of the $5,000 prize.

This year’s Rising Stars are:

Rachel Cahoon

Rachel Cahoon is a musical theatre performer with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre from Point Park University. She has previously performed with Next Stop Theatre, Gretna Theatre, Media Theatre, and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and starred in multiple productions at Toby’s Dinner Theatre. She plans to continue pursuing her acting career at Toby’s and around the DMV.

Emily Tate Daniel

Emily Tate Daniel is an American soprano on the rise. This season, she performs opera scenes in Mosset, France; sings a concert of arias at The Hague Central Library; and portrays Nedda in Pagliacci with Greve Opera. Previous performances include the title role in Luisa Miller with Verismo Opera, Alice (cover) in Falstaff with Opera San José, Erste Dame in Die Zauberflöte with Asheville Lyric Opera, and Micaëla (cover) in Carmen with Long Island Opera. A Maryland native, Emily is an alumna of the Peabody Conservatory, and she currently coaches her repertoire with Joy Schreier, a coach in Laurel, Maryland.

Danielle Delgado

Danielle Delgado’s passion for music began at a young age, singing alongside her mother who instilled in her a deep pride for her Latina heritage. Danielle believes in using music to celebrate culture and build community. She has performed in various vocal styles including musical theater, contemporary, and jazz, but is most passionate about sharing traditional Mexican music. She currently works in Howard County doing sales and marketing for The Little Gym of Columbia, where she previously served as Assistant Gym Director. Her dream is to one day form a full mariachi group to share her cultural pride with more audiences of all backgrounds.

Kelly Dornan

Kelly Dornan is a ballet dancer from Howard County, Maryland, receiving early training in Columbia and Ellicott City. While a student at Glenelg High School she attend the Washington School of Ballet’s Professional Training Program on scholarship studying with esteemed teachers Kee Juan Han, Kristina Windom, and Vladimir Djouloukhadze. As a student, she performed with The Washington Ballet in Septime Webre’s The Nutcracker and George Balanchine’s Stars and Stripes. Kelly has danced with Colorado Ballet, Texas Ballet Theater, and Boulder Ballet; in new works by Andrea Schermoly, Caili Quan, and Sidra Bell; performed at Vail Dance Festival alongside principal dancers from American Ballet Theatre and New York City Ballet; and has recently begun dancing for Lexington Ballet in Kentucky.

Toby Ichniowski

Toby Ichniowski is a vocalist who completed their Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance at Towson University and is now working towards their Master of Music at Temple University. Originally from Baltimore, MD, Toby’s past operatic experience includes playing Adele in Die Fledermaus, Rose Maybud in Ruddigore, Fanny in La cambiale di matrimonio, and covering Le Prince in Cendrillon and Aline in The Sorcerer. They have also performed in scenes as Bess from Breaking the Waves and Frasquita from Carmen.

Robert Rocheteau

Robert Rocheteau is a contemporary classical musician with a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Maryland. A percussionist, Robert is based in Columbia, Maryland, and known for diverse and engaging performances. He has started teaching percussion at Gettysburg College, teaching private students in Howard County, and building up a full-time performance calendar. Recent highlights include performances in Washington DC at the Fête de la Musique Festival at the French Embassy, the Sound Scene Festival at the Hirschorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, and performances at the Kennedy Center.

Jaylin Smith

Jaylin Smith is an Honors Junior double majoring in Theatre and English at McDaniel College. Performing since age ten, Jaylin has trained at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University and worked as a Musical Theatre Repertoire Coach. She received the Ben Vassiliev Memorial Scholarship, Celonia B. Walden Award for the Performing Arts, and the Outstanding Theatre Arts Student in Acting and Performance Awards upon graduating from Centennial High School in 2022. Her recent roles include Oscar Wilde in Gross Indecency and Margot in Legally Blonde. With a deep passion for performance education, she hopes to one day found a performing arts center for underprivileged children.

Lynique Webster

Lynique Webster completed her Bachelor of Music in Choral Music Education at the University of Maryland, College Park. While at the University of Maryland she sang with the mixed vocal ensemble, Faux Paz. She’s recognized as a standout soloist in both live performances and recorded media and is featured on the ensemble’s release Lithium. Currently, Lynique is a choral music educator at Oakland Mills and Clarksville Middle Schools in Howard County while also serving as a worship leader at the Interdenominational Church of God. She is also a performer with Bachelor Boys Band and Sound Society band, and is a founding member in the six-person vocal band NOMADIC.

About the Celebration of the Arts

Begin the best night of the year with a reception where 15 to 20 local culinary sponsors will showcase their finest foods. Pile your plate high and enjoy the Art Auction featuring work by local and regional artists. Then, at 8pm, guests take their seats for the Rising Star Performing Arts Competition and the presentation of the Howie Awards. Eight talented, local finalists will vie for the audience vote for the $5,000 Rising Star award! In between dazzling performances, the 2025 Howie Awards will be presented to an Outstanding Artist, Arts Educator, and Community Supporter of the Arts in recognition of their contributions to the arts community in Howard County.

Tickets are on sale now and available for $50 and $100. For more information about the Celebration of the Arts and the Howard County Arts Council, please visit hocoarts.org/celebration or call (410) 313-2787.

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 8, 2025

Contact: Dana Whipkey

grantsandprojects@hocoarts.org

(410) 313-2787

Howard County Arts Council Accepting Applications from Individual Artists for IAM Creativity Grant

ELLICOTT CITY, MD – The Howard County Arts Council is now accepting applications for the Individual Artist Merit and Creativity (IAM Creativity) Award in the disciplines of Theatre and Literary Arts. IAM Creativity supports artists, 18 years of age and older, living in Howard County by providing unrestricted funds to support the creative work of Howard County artists and recognize excellence in a broad spectrum of artistic practices, backgrounds, and disciplines.

A maximum of four awards, including one $5,000 and three $1,000 awards, will be awarded in each discipline. The deadline to apply for Theatre and Literary Arts is 11:59pm EST on December 17, 2025. For further information, guidelines, and to apply, please visit hocoarts.org/iam-creativity.

Applications will open for Folk & Traditional Arts in 2027. Funds were awarded in Dance and Visual Arts in 2024 and Music and Film, New Media, and Video in 2025.

Please direct any questions about this program or the application to Michelle Grazio, IAM Creativity Grant Administrator, at [iamcreativity@hocoarts.org]iamcreativity@hocoarts.org or call the Arts Council at (410) 313-2787.

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 2, 2025

Contact: Miles Warren

artcenterdirector@hocoarts.org

(410) 313-2787

Howard County Arts Council General Exhibit Applications Due October 1

ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Artists wishing to be considered for an exhibit in 2027-2028 in the Howard County Arts Council (HoCo Arts) galleries are invited to submit a general exhibit application. The HoCo Arts Exhibits Committee meets quarterly to review applications and select artists for the exhibit space. Artists, ages 18 and older, working in all media and styles including time-based and installation artists, are encouraged to apply either individually or as a group. Individual artists selected for a show will be paired or grouped with other artists as determined by the committee. The Committee also welcomes proposals from curators and organizations. 

For detailed entry guidelines, visit https://hocoarts.submittable.com/submit/or email exhibits@hocoarts.org. The next deadline for submissions is October 1, 2025.

The Howard County Arts Council is moving to the former circuit courthouse in Historic Ellicott City this fall. The Arts Council’s new home will feature brand new galleries with over 1930 square feet of exhibit space. The HoCo Arts gallery program was established to enhance the public’s appreciation of the visual arts, provide a venue to exhibit the work of local, regional, and national artists in a professional space, and provide leadership in the arts by presenting a broad spectrum of arts in all media from both emerging and established artists.

HoCo Arts presents 11-12 exhibits per year of national, regional, and local artists, including two-person, small and large group, juried, curated, and community shows.

Current gallery hours are Monday through Friday 10am-8pm, Saturday 10am-4pm, and Sunday 12-4pm. For the most up-to-date information on holiday and weather-related closures, or to learn more about HoCo Arts programs and exhibits, call (410) 313-2787 or visit hocoarts.org.  

Launched in 2023, the Individual Artist Merit and Creativity (IAM Creativity) program celebrates and supports local artists across a wide range of disciplines. Open to artists aged 18 and older residing in Howard County, the program offers unrestricted funding to help further their creative endeavors. IAM Creativity awards $5,000 and $1,000 grants in selected disciplines each year.

Applications for Literary and Theatre Arts open on September 2, 2025.

In previous years, IAM Creativity grants were awarded in the following disciplines:

Dance (2024-25)

Visual Arts (2024-25)

Film/Video and New Media (2025-26)

Music & Music Composition (2025-26)

2027-28 will feature support for Folk & Traditional Arts.

For more information on the IAM Creativity program, visit hocoarts.org/iam-creativity.

Get ready to give your input on the state of the arts in HoCo.  Focus Groups will be held virtually and in person throughout the county and you’re invited!

Find out more and sign up

Join the Howard County Arts Council for our Annual Meeting and FY2026 Grant Awards Ceremony on September 19, 2025, from 6-8pm at the Howard County Center for the Arts.

Opening remarks by Arts Council Board President Adam Stull will be followed by the presentation of grant awards by Howard County Executive Calvin Ball (invited). State and local public officials and leaders in the arts will be attending to recognize and celebrate Howard County’s vibrant arts community.

In addition to the presentation of the Arts Council’s FY2026 grant awards, the evening will feature a reception for two new exhibits, Clarity & Perspective and ImPRINT. The Center for the Arts’ resident artists will also host Open Studios from 7-8pm. Both exhibits are on view August 15 through September 27.

The reception is also part of the annual Road to the Arts celebrating the beginning of the 2025-2026 gallery season.  Participating galleries will host special events and exhibits from September 13-21. Complete details can be found in our Road to the Arts map, which also includes the locations for ARTsites 2025, our annual public art exhibit. For a free copy, visit hocoarts.org or email info@hocoarts.org.

28th annual Celebration of the Arts

October 25, 2025, 6-10pm 

Peter and Elizabeth Horowitz Visual & Performing Arts Center 

Howard Community College 

Join us at 6pm for an unforgettable evening that begins with a 2-hour reception where guests can bid on artwork during the Art Auction and enjoy gourmet creations from some of Howard County’s top culinary artists.

At 8 pm, the spotlight turns to the Rising Star Competition, showcasing the county’s most promising emerging talent. The evening will also include the presentation of the Howie Awards, honoring individuals who create, teach, and support the arts in our community. As the night draws to a close, you’ll help decide the next Rising Star, who will receive a $5,000 cash prize!

Kristi Smith, President of the Maryland Region for Howard Hughes, will serve as Honorary Chair, and Terry N. Eberhardt will reprise his role as Event Emcee.

$100 ticket includes reception and live performance in the Smith Theatre. $50 ticket includes the reception and simulcast viewing in the Studio Theatre. Reserve your seats at hocoarts.org/celebration or call (410)313-2787.

Interested in becoming a sponsor or volunteer? Visit the website or contact us directly to get involved. Proceeds support the Howard County Arts Council’s grant and arts education initiatives.