PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 16, 2025
Contact: Miles Warren
(410) 313-2787
Paint It! Ellicott City Award Winners Announced
ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Artists from around the region gathered in Ellicott City the weekend of June 5-8 for Paint It! Ellicott City 2025, an annual plein air painting event. Artists set up their easels throughout Ellicott City’s historic district to capture scenes of the picturesque mill town and its unique charms and compete for cash prizes.
The Arts Council hosted a public reception on June 9 featuring the opening of an exhibit showcasing the work of 28 juried artists and the presentation of more than $4,600 in awards.
Juror Crystal Moll presented two Gino Awards, $1,000 each, which are sponsored by the Manelli Family and named in honor of Ellicott City artist Gino Manelli (1915-2010). The awards were presented this year to Dana Enders for Lean on Me and Oleg Shvets for History in Light.
Juror awards also went to:
- 2nd place, $750: Zhaobo Li, Red Umbrella
- 3rd place, $500: Ann Crostic, Morning Has Broken
- 4th place, $400: Andree Tullier, Waiting For Breezes
- 5th place, $300: Mark Hiles, From the River to Main St
- 6th place, $250: Nancy Freeman, Sun Steps
- Honorable Mentions, $100 each: Kathleen Kotarba, Quiet Refuge; Michael Kotarba, Eastbound View; Zhaobo Li, Rain; Therese Spadaro, Welcome to Ellicott City
The following awards were presented through the generous support of the Arts Council’s Paint It! Ellicott City partners:
- AARP Maryland’s AARP Award, $750: Oleg Shvets, Two Bridges
- Howard County Historical Society’s Best Depiction of a Historical Site Award, $500: Mark Hiles, After the Rain Stops
- Patapsco Heritage Greenway’s Best Depiction of the Patapsco Award, $500: Susan Benigni-Landis, Swinging Bridge Stroll @ Patapsco Park
- Blossoms of Hope’s Best Depiction of Nature Award, $250: Ann Crostic, The Pastor’s House
- Howard County Historical Society’s Honorable Mention, $250: Andree Tullier, Patapsco Female Institute
- Ellicott City Partnership’s Best Depiction of Main Street Award, $250: Tammy Leffler, Stopping Along Main Street
- The Carole Zink Award, $100: Dana Enders, Bridge to History
The Paint It! Ellicott City 2025 exhibit is on display in Gallery I at the Howard County Center for the Arts through August 2. Also on display in Gallery II is No Boundaries: Unrestricted Artistry, our annual exhibit in partnership with Howard County Recreation and Parks featuring work by youth and adult artists with development disabilities.
More about Paint It! Ellicott City is here.
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 19, 2025
Contact: Dana Whipkey
grantsandprojects@hocoarts.org
(410) 313-2787
Howard County Arts Council Scholarship Recipients Announced
ELLICOTT CITY, MD – The Howard County Arts Council is pleased to announce the 2025 Arts Scholarship recipients. A total of $10,000 was distributed to 5 high school seniors:
· Alice Chen, Visual Arts, River Hill High School – $2,500
· Margaret Cipriano, Instrumental Music, Centennial High School – $1,000
· Rishab Jain, Instrumental Music, River Hill High School – $2,500
· Eric Liu, Instrumental Music, Centennial High School – $3,000
· Violet Nelson, Instrumental Music, Glenelg High School – $1,000
Scholarship funds will be used for enrollment in an accredited college program to pursue a degree in the arts.
Each applicant was reviewed based on the following criteria as demonstrated in work samples and other application materials submitted: artistic merit, demonstrated understanding of artistic discipline, ability of the student to articulate artistic concepts and influences, commitment to a career in the arts, and a successful record in an academic setting.
The selected students demonstrated incredible skill and passion for their disciplines and a true commitment to the arts and arts education.
HoCo Arts Executive Director Coleen West said “All of us at the Arts Council are proud of the arts programs we have developed for children and teens, and we are particularly proud of our scholarship program for high school seniors. By investing in the future of these talented, emerging artists, we are investing in the future of the arts as well. We wish this year’s scholarship recipients and applicants success in their artistic and academic pursuits.”
The 2025 Arts Scholarship program is made possible through funds raised via the Arts Council’s annual fundraiser, the Celebration of the Arts in Howard County. To learn more about Arts Council programs, visit hocoarts.org or call (410) 313-2787.
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 12, 2025
Contact: Miles Warren
artcenterdirector@hocoarts.org
(410) 313-2787
Join the Howard County Arts Council for Paint It! Ellicott City 2025 June 5-8!
ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Artists from around the region will gather in Ellicott City the weekend of June 5-8 for Paint It! Ellicott City 2025, an annual plein air painting event. The Howard County Arts Council will host this paint-out weekend culminating in an exhibit of 28 juried artists at the Howard County Center for the Arts.
The guest juror for Paint It! Ellicott City 2025 is artist Crystal Moll, who selected the following artists for the juried exhibit: Susan Benigni-Landis, Pamela Betts, Gavin Bromell, Quaker Nana, Deborah Cole, Patti Connell, Ann Crostic, Pat Dillon, Ronaldo Dorado, Dana Enders, Nancy Fine, Nancy Freeman, Barbara Henris, Mark Hiles, Cathy Homens, David Istance, Kathleen Kotarba, Michael Kotarba, Tammy Leffler, Zhaobo Li, Karen Neary, Wiley Purkey, Pearl Regmi, Tom Ritchie, Oleg Shvets, Therese Spadaro, and Andree Tullier.
The weekend kicks off with a virtual Artist Orientation on Wednesday, June 4. Then, all day on June 5-8, artists will set up their easels throughout Ellicott City’s historic district to capture scenes of the picturesque mill town and its unique charms. Members of the public are encouraged to come watch the artists at work while strolling Main Street’s sidewalks and shops, or to join in the fun as Open Paint-Out participants.
Artists and visitors are invited to attend a free reception at the Howard County Center for the Arts on Monday, June 9, from 6-8pm. The reception will feature live music, light refreshments, and the presentation of juror awards including the coveted Gino Awards, two $1,000 cash prizes sponsored by the Manelli Family in honor of Ellicott City artist Gino Manelli (1915-2010). Additional Paint It! awards are made possible through the generous support of these sponsors: AARP Maryland, Howard County Historical Society, Patapsco Heritage Greenway, Blossoms of Hope, Ellicott City Partnership, and the Family of Carole Zink.
Please note: Due to venue renovations in 2025, there are no plans for an Open Paint exhibition event, however artists who are not juried in are encouraged to come to Ellicott City for the weekend and participate in the Paint Out. No registration is required.
Paint It! Ellicott City 2025 will be on display in Gallery I through August 2, along with No Boundaries in Gallery II. No Boundaries is our annual exhibit in partnership with Howard County Recreation and Parks featuring work by youth and adult artists with development disabilities.
For more information on this and other Arts Council programs, please visit hocoarts.org or call (410) 313-2787.
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 6, 2025
Contact: Dana Whipkey
grantsandprojects@hocoarts.org
(410) 313-2787
Howard County Arts Council Accepting Applications for the Mark Ryder Original Choreography Grant
ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Applications for the Howard County Arts Council’s FY2026 Mark Ryder Original Choreography Grant (MROC) are now open. The MROC grant program recognizes individual creative expression and provides financial assistance to choreographers to create new original work.
Interested applicants should visit hocoarts.org/grants for guidelines, additional information, and to apply. Applications are due June 19, 2025.
About Mark Ryder
Mark Ryder was an established dancer, choreographer, and leader in the dance community. He danced alongside Martha Graham in the 1940s until founding the Dance Drama Duo, later called the Dance Drama Company, with Emily Frankel. Mr. Ryder went on to teach dance in the 1960s at Goddard College in Vermont before becoming chairman of the dance department for two years at University of Maryland, College Park in 1974, and retired from teaching in 1988. After moving to Howard County in 1975, Mr. Ryder also became very involved in choreographing local productions in his community. He passed away in July 2006 and is survived by his wife and family who wish to honor his legacy by offering an annual competitive grant award in the minimum amount of $500 to choreographers through the Howard County Arts Council. Mr. Ryder believed individual expression is the most important part of the creative process for both choreographer and dancer and that more is learned through being a part of the process and actively participating in it than by simply being taught the movements or viewing the final product.
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 14, 2025
Contact: Miles Warren
artcenterdirector@hocoarts.org
(410) 313-2787
Howard County Arts Council Announces Juror and Awards for Paint It! Ellicott City 2025
ELLICOTT CITY, MD – The Howard County Arts Council is pleased to announce Crystal Moll as the juror for Paint It! Ellicott City 2025.
For over 30 years, Crystal Moll has painted on the East Coast of the USA. For half that time, she has run the Crystal Moll Gallery, which hosts other artists’ works in addition to offering custom framing. Based in beautiful Baltimore, Maryland, Moll offers a distinct selection of plein air art paintings, limited edition signed prints, tiles, and posters of Baltimore’s urban landscape. Moll has embraced her adopted home of Baltimore, where she paints strictly on location and explores cityscapes as her subject. She works hard to produce these on an ongoing basis, while sticking to attention to detail and subtle nuance that she hopes truly reflects the true nature of the attractive subjects she portrays.
HoCo Arts is also pleased to announce the return of the Gino Award in 2025. Named in honor of artist Gino Manelli by his son Julian Manelli, the Gino Award is a $2,000 cash prize that will be awarded to two artists participating in Paint It! Ellicott City 2025.
Gino Manelli (1915–2010) was an avid artist and cyclist who maintained an art studio in Ellicott City for nearly four decades. In the span of his seventy-year artistic career, Gino created landscapes, portraits, and still lifes in a broad range of media and styles. Known for his dramatic use of color and a dynamic palette knife, he interpreted the world with a mature sensibility, creating emotional, engaging artwork. Gino also shared his love and knowledge of drawing and painting through teaching. When not in his studio, he could often be seen cycling through the challenging hills and curves of Ellicott City with a paint box strapped to his back. Gino passed away in 2010. His work can be found in numerous galleries in the United States and Europe.
Paint It! Ellicott City 2025 sponsors also include AARP Maryland, Howard County Historical Society, Patapsco Heritage Greenway, Blossoms of Hope, Ellicott City Partnership, and the Family of Carole Zink.
From June 5-8, juried artists will set up their easels throughout Ellicott City’s historic district to capture the town’s unique charms in the Arts Council’s annual plein air paint-out. On June 9, HoCo Arts will host an opening reception for the exhibition of juried artists’ work at the Howard County Center for Arts from 6-8pm. The reception will feature live music, light refreshments, and the presentation of more than $5,000 in awards.
Paint It! Ellicott City 2025 will be on display in Gallery I through August 2, along with No Boundaries in Gallery II. No Boundaries is our annual exhibit in partnership with Howard County Recreation and Parks featuring work by youth and adult artists with development disabilities.
Please note: Due to venue renovations in 2025, there are no plans for an Open Paint exhibition event, however artists who are not juried in are encouraged to come to Ellicott City for the weekend and participate in the Paint Out.
For more information on this and other Arts Council programs, please visit hocoarts.org or call (410) 313-2787.
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PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 14, 2025
Contact: Mira Lamson Klein
dce@hocoarts.org
(410) 313-2787
DEADLINE EXTENDED-Howie Nominations Due April 23
ELLICOTT CITY, MD – The Howard County Arts Council is still seeking nominations for the 2025 Howie Awards and the deadline has been extended to April 23!
Celebrate those who create, teach, and support the arts in Howard County by nominating someone for a Howie Award! The Howie Awards are presented annually to an Outstanding Artist, Arts Educator, and Community Supporter of the Arts (business or individual) that have made significant contributions to the arts in Howard County. The 2025 Howie Awards will be presented at the Celebration of the Arts in Howard County on October 25, 2025.
Nominations are now due April 23, 2025. For full guidelines and to submit an online nomination form, please visit hocoarts.org/celebration.
Those who nominate a 2025 Howie Honoree will receive two complimentary tickets to the Celebration of the Arts.
Please note: Previous honorees, current members of the Howard County Arts Council Board of Directors, and Howie Committee members are not eligible. Honorees will be notified in writing no later than June 20, 2025.
For more information, please visit hocoarts.org or call the Arts Council at (410) 313-2787.
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 7, 2025
Contact: Mary K. Baxter
development@hocoarts.org
(410) 313-2787
ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Save the Date! The 28th annual Celebration of the Arts in Howard County will be held at the Horowitz Visual & Performing Arts Center at Howard Community College on Saturday, October 25, 2025, from 6-10pm. More information will be available soon. Please visit hocoarts.org/celebration to stay up to date on the event!
Applications for the Rising Star Performing Arts Competition are due May 1, 2025, by 5pm! Early career performing artists who live, work, train, or perform in Howard County could win $5,000 in the Rising Star Performing Arts Competition! Performers, both individuals and ensembles (maximum of four members), ages 18-35, who live, work, train, or perform in Howard County are encouraged to apply. Up to ten finalists will be selected to perform at the Celebration of the Arts in Howard County on October 25, 2025. Following the performances, the audience-including over 500 artists, arts patrons, community members, and business and political leaders-will cast their votes for the winner of the $5,000 prize.
Applications are accepted in Voice (classical, musical theatre, and other), Instrumental Music, Dance, and Theatre/Monologue. Performing artists who do not fall into a traditional category are also encouraged to apply.
Applications are due May 1, 2025, by 5pm. Auditions will be held at the Center for the Arts in Ellicott City on May 12, 2025. Please visit hocoarts.org/celebration for complete details, guidelines, and to apply.
For more information, please visit hocoarts.org or call the Arts Council at (410) 313-2787.
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 31, 2025
Contact: Miles Warren
artcenterdirector@hocoarts.org
(410) 313-2787
Howard County Arts Council Announces Two New Exhibits: Resident Visual Artist Exhibit 2025 and The Light Ekphrastic: Creative Spark
ELLICOTT CITY, MD – The Howard County Arts Council is pleased to announce two new exhibits opening April 11 and on view through May 25, 2025: Resident Visual Artist Exhibit 2025 and The Light Ekphrastic: Creative Spark.
Resident Visual Artist Exhibit 2025 is the Arts Council’s annual showcase of recent work by artists with studios at the Center for the Arts.
The Light Ekphrastic is a non-profit quarterly online journal dedicated to the creation of new written and visual artworks through collaboration between artists. Curated by founder and editor Jenny O’Grady and Melissa Penley Cormier, this exhibit celebrates the completion of over 50 issues of The Light Ekphrastic and features works by artists who have contributed over the years.
Both exhibits will be on view from April 11 through May 25, 2025, with a free public reception on Friday, April 25, 2025, from 6-8pm featuring live music, refreshments, and open artist studios. 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 HCAC programs and exhibits, call (410) 313-2787 or visit hocoarts.org.
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 24, 2025
Contact: Dana Whipkey
grantsandprojects@hocoarts.org
(410) 313-2787
Howard County Arts Council is Seeking Applicants for the 2025-2026 Howard County Youth Poet Laureate!
ELLICOTT CITY, MD – In October 2023, Howard County Executive Calvin Ball announced the establishment of the position of Howard County Youth Poet Laureate to amplify the power of youth expression, celebrate community, and promote literary arts in Howard County. The Howard County Arts Council administers this program in partnership with Howard County Poetry & Literature Society (HoCoPoLitSo).
The Youth Poet Laureate will act as an ambassador for literacy, arts, and youth expression. They will demonstrate a passion for poetry and its power to connect our communities through local public readings and participation in civic events. Along with the official title, the Youth Poet Laureate will serve from August 2025 through June 2026 and will receive an honorarium of $500 paid in two equal installments of $250 at the beginning and end of their term.
Full guidelines and the application can be found at hocoarts.org/grants. Applications are due April 24.
On Wednesday, March 18th, Howard County Executive Calvin Ball revealed the new official flag of Howard County, selected through a year-long, community-driven design process. The winning design, created by local resident Esen Paradiso of Ellicott City, was chosen from among three finalists.
The flag features a blend of gold, white, green, and blue, symbolizing the county’s rich agricultural history, cultural diversity, and vibrant future. The arch design reflects both Howard County’s historical past, represented by the Thomas Viaduct, and its dynamic future, symbolized by the Chrysalis. The golden circle signifies the energy and optimism of a diverse community, while the colors evoke the county’s natural resources and commitment to environmental preservation.
“This stunning design embodies the energy, diversity, and growth of our county,” said Howard County Executive Calvin Ball. “I’m proud to select it as a symbol of Howard County’s bright future.”
Ms. Paradiso, the owner of Columbia Creative Services and a nearly 50-year resident of Howard County, received a $1,500 honorarium for her design. The other top designers recognized include Patricia Elia, Grace Yang, Kim Clarke, and Jennifer Murphy, among others.
The selection process included public input, with over 1,200 votes cast. A final decision will be made pending approval by the Howard County Council.
All images courtesy of Howard County Government.