PRESS RELEASE

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 17, 2025

Contact: Miles Warren

artcenterdirector@hocoarts.org

(410) 313-2787

Apply Now for Howard County Arts Council’s Paint It! Ellicott City 2025 Juried Plein Air Paint-Out and Exhibition

ELLICOTT CITY, MD – The Howard County Arts Council (HoCo Arts) is seeking artists to participate in Paint It! Ellicott City 2025, an annual juried, plein air paint-out in Ellicott City, Maryland.

From June 5-8, juried artists will set up their easels throughout Ellicott City’s historic district to capture the town’s unique charms as they vie for a minimum of $4,000 in awards.

On June 9, HoCo Arts will host an opening reception for the exhibition of juried artists’ work at the Howard County Center for the Arts from 6-8pm. The reception will feature live music, light refreshments, and the presentation of juror awards. Paint It! Ellicott City 2025 will be on display from June through August

Juried artist applications are due April 14. Entry information is available at hocoarts.submittable.com.

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.

 PRESS RELEASE

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 7, 2025

Contact: Mira Lamson Klein

dce@hocoarts.org

(410) 313-2787

Call for Howie Award Nominations and Rising Star Performing Arts Competition Applications

ELLICOTT CITY, MD – The Howard County Arts Council seeks nominations for the 2025 Howie Awards and applications for the Rising Star Performing Arts Competition.

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 due April 7, 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.

Early career performing artists who live, work, train, or perform in Howard County could win $5,000 in the Rising Star Performing Arts Competition!

Applications are now open for the 2025 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.

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 PRESS RELEASE

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 24, 2025

Contact: Dana Whipkey

grantsandprojects@hocoarts.org

(410) 313-2787

Howard County Arts Council Accepting Applications for FY2026 Grant Programs

ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Applications for the Howard County Arts Council’s FY2026 grant programs are now open. The Arts Council offers funding for arts organizations and arts-related projects through the Community Arts Development grant program, artist residences at K-12 schools in Howard County through the Artists-in-Education grant program, and art projects produced by 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organizations and nonprofit arts businesses through the Creative Howard grant program.

 The Arts Council will hold five virtual information sessions for interested applicants:

·         Creative Howard – February 27, 2pm

·         Artists-in-Education – March 19, 12pm

·         Community Arts Development – March 20, 12pm

·         Artists-in-Education – April 7, 7pm

·         Community Arts Development – April 14, 7pm

 Interested applicants should visit hocoarts.org/grants to register for an information session. Complete guidelines, additional information, and the link to submit an application may be found on the website as well.

 Creative Howard grant applications are due April 1, 2025

Community Arts Development grant applications are due May 8, 2025

Artists-in-Education grants are due June 5, 2025

 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.

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PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 19, 2025

Contact: Dana Whipkey

grantsandprojects@hocoarts.org

(410) 313-2787

Call for Artists and Sites for ARTsites 2025, a Juried Public Art Competition and Exhibit

ELLICOTT CITY, MD – The Howard County Arts Council announces ARTsites 2025, a multi-site public art initiative. The Arts Council is looking for artists with large-scale sculpture(s) that are fit for year-long outdoor display as well as publicly accessible outdoor areas in Howard County to display the sculpture.

About ARTsites

ARTsites 2025 is a year-long public art exhibit that will take place at up to twelve sites throughout Howard County from August 2025-July 2026. Sites and artwork will be selected from submissions by a panel of arts and public art professionals. The goal of ARTsites 2025 is to increase the community’s access to art through the placement of sculpture at sites throughout Howard County. The sculptures will serve as visual anchor points that will enhance and activate community spaces.

Call for Artists

Artists with public art experience may submit up to six existing works for consideration or propose new work with proper concept drawings and/or models. Sculpture should have a strong visual impact and must be of a scale suitable for outdoor display; of sound design, free-standing, and suitable for public viewing; and able to withstand an outdoor, high-traffic, unmonitored environment with little or no maintenance. Selected artists will receive a grant of $3,000 for the temporary loan of the work, insurance, installation, and de-installation. There is no fee to enter.

Call for Sites

All community, commercial, and public sites in Howard County are eligible to apply. Sites must be visible and accessible to the public. Sites should consider that public art should be placed where it will enhance and activate the space; where it will be highly visible; where it will create a place to congregate or be in a location that experiences a high amount of pedestrian traffic; and where it will not block windows, entranceways, etc. Preference will be given to sites that have, or are willing to install at their own expense, a concrete pad for the sculpture, though some sculpture may be appropriate for lawn sites.

Complete guidelines and submission information are available in the Exhibit Opportunities section of the HCAC website at hocoarts.org, at the Howard County Center for the Arts, or by calling (410) 313-2787. The deadline for all submissions is March 3, 2025 (updated on 2/19/25).

January 7, 2025
Contact: Stephanie Schuster
Phone: 410-313-2787
Email: development@hocoarts.org

Howard County Arts Council will launch Arts & Culture Planning process on January 23!

ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Join Howard County Executive Calvin Ball and the Howard County Arts Council for the official kick off and press announcement of the Howard County Arts & Culture Plan on Thursday, January 23, from 11-11:30am in Monteabaro Hall at the Horowitz Visual & Performing Arts Center at Howard Community College. The event will begin with a performance at 10:45am and include remarks from local public officials, project leadership, and a project introduction by the consultant team.

“The arts motivate, excite, and connect us to the world through hopes, dreams, and all that can be. I’ve been thrilled to partner with the Howard County Arts Council to make our community a national leader in arts and culture,” said Howard County Executive Calvin Ball. “As our community continues to evolve, it’s essential that we plan for the future of arts and cultural development in a way that strengthens our community and supports our local artists and organizations to make impacts from neighborhoods to around our globe. Our new Arts & Culture Plan will serve as a transformational blueprint to ensure that Howard County remains one of the best places to live, work, create, vision, and thrive for all.”

Howard County’s previous comprehensive arts and culture plan was last updated in 2003. Over the past 20 years, the county has grown substantially and experienced significant shifts in population and demographics, changing the demands for arts and culture experiences along with the needs of artists and arts organizations. The new Howard County Arts & Culture Plan aims to inventory existing arts and culture assets in the county, identify strategies to grow and engage creative resources, guide future investments in the sector, and address the changing needs of the diverse local arts and culture communities. The plan also seeks to ensure the sustainability of the creative sector and promote economic and community development through the arts.

Coleen West, Executive Director of the Howard County Arts Council said, “Arts and culture are essential to the history, vibrancy, and cohesion of Howard County. They inspire us and bring people together to uplift our communities, improve our well-being, and enhance our social ties. The county has grown and changed dramatically since the last comprehensive arts and cultural plan was adopted. It is time to develop a new plan that can address these changes and set a framework for advancing arts and culture and strengthening Howard County’s position as a hub for innovation and creativity in the region. In the coming year, I look forward to working with as many people as possible to develop new goals, strategies and policy recommendations that align with the aspirations and insights of our diverse communities and chart a course for a sustainable and inclusive arts and culture eco-system where creativity can flourish, and everyone can participate.”

Over the next two years, the Arts Council will work with a 31-person steering committee made up of local community leaders and Designing Local, a firm that specializes in arts and culture planning, to capture a shared vision for the future role of arts and culture in our community. The steering committee includes the following community members:

Jonathan Alexander, St. John’s Baptist Church

Tonya Aikens, Howard County Public Library System

Misako Aoki, Misako Ballet

Nina Basu, Inner Arbor Trust/Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods

Janelle Broderick, Howard Community College

Dan Burns, Columbia Association

Theresa Colvin, Former MSAC Executive Director

Terry Eberhardt, Howard County Public School System

Ellen Flynn Giles, Howard County Historical Society & Former HoCo Arts Board

Arthur Gold, Commission on Aging

Jeremy Goldman, Silhouette Stages

Tomeka Hodo, Delta Sigma Theta

Amanda Hof, Visit Howard County

Tessa Hurd, Howard County Department of Recreation & Parks

Jennifer Jones, Howard County Economic Development Authority

Sang Hee Ju, Korean Culture & Art of MD

Kwame Kena, Visual Artist

Ian Kennedy, Merriweather Arts & Culture Center

Michael Koplow, The ClayGround Studio & Gallery

Vanita Leatherwood, HopeWorks of Howard County

Kristin O’Connor, Howard County Department of Planning & Zoning

Darlene Richeson, MaZie Global Solutions, LLC & HoCo Arts Board

Luzmila Robknson, La Alianza Latina Commission

Brandey Rodgers, Howard County African American Roundtable

Berta Sabrio, Columbia Orchestra

Beck Seckler, LGBTQ+ Commission

Tim Singleton, HoCoPoLitSo

Fahimeh Vahdat, Howard Community College

Yolanda Vazquez, La Alianza Latina Commission

Coleen West, Howard County Arts Council

George Wilson, Former HoCo Arts Board

The steering committee will also help with engagement strategies to reach communities and individuals who can offer fresh ideas and insight to capture emerging opportunities and overcome longstanding challenges.

Community engagement activities will begin early next year, through interviews, listening sessions, community surveys, and other channels. A plan that sets a new vision for the next generation of arts and culture in the region will be developed in 2026 and any policy recommendations will be presented to the Howard County Council for approval at that time.

The Howard County Arts and Culture Plan has been made possible through generous funding from the Maryland State Arts Council, Howard County Government, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

For more information contact Stephanie Schuster at development@hocoarts.org.

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 7, 2025
Contact: Stephanie Schuster
development@hocoarts.org
(410) 313-2787

Howard County Arts Council will launch Arts & Culture Planning process on January 23!

ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Join Howard County Executive Calvin Ball and the Howard County Arts
Council for the official kick off and press announcement of the Howard County Arts & Culture Plan
on Thursday, January 23, from 11-11:30am in Monteabaro Hall at the Horowitz Visual &
Performing Arts Center at Howard Community College. The event will begin with a performance
at 10:45am and include remarks from local public officials, project leadership, and a project
introduction by the consultant team.
“The arts motivate, excite, and connect us to the world through hopes, dreams, and all that can
be. I’ve been thrilled to partner with the Howard County Arts Council to make our community a
national leader in arts and culture,” said Howard County Executive Calvin Ball. “As our community
continues to evolve, it’s essential that we plan for the future of arts and cultural development in a
way that strengthens our community and supports our local artists and organizations to make
impacts from neighborhoods to around our globe. Our new Arts & Culture Plan will serve as a
transformational blueprint to ensure that Howard County remains one of the best places to live,
work, create, vision, and thrive for all.”
Howard County’s previous comprehensive arts and culture plan was last updated in 2003. Over
the past 20 years, the county has grown substantially and experienced significant shifts in
population and demographics, changing the demands for arts and culture experiences along with
the needs of artists and arts organizations. The new Howard County Arts & Culture Plan aims to
inventory existing arts and culture assets in the county, identify strategies to grow and engage
creative resources, guide future investments in the sector, and address the changing needs of
the diverse local arts and culture communities. The plan also seeks to ensure the sustainability
of the creative sector and promote economic and community development through the arts.
Coleen West, Executive Director of the Howard County Arts Council said, “Arts and culture are
essential to the history, vibrancy, and cohesion of Howard County. They inspire us and bring
people together to uplift our communities, improve our well-being, and enhance our social ties.
The county has grown and changed dramatically since the last comprehensive arts and cultural
plan was adopted. It is time to develop a new plan that can address these changes and set a
framework for advancing arts and culture and strengthening Howard County’s position as a hub
for innovation and creativity in the region. In the coming year, I look forward to working with as
many people as possible to develop new goals, strategies and policy recommendations that align
with the aspirations and insights of our diverse communities and chart a course for a sustainable
and inclusive arts and culture eco-system where creativity can flourish, and everyone can
participate.”
Over the next two years, the Arts Council will work with a 31-person steering committee made up
of local community leaders and Designing Local, a firm that specializes in arts and culture
planning, to capture a shared vision for the future role of arts and culture in our community. The
steering committee includes the following community members:
Jonathan Alexander, St. John’s Baptist Church
Tonya Aikens, Howard County Public Library System
Misako Aoki, Misako Ballet
Nina Basu, Inner Arbor Trust/Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods
Janelle Broderick, Howard Community College
Dan Burns, Columbia Association
Theresa Colvin, Former MSAC Executive Director
Terry Eberhardt, Howard County Public School System
Ellen Flynn Giles, Howard County Historical Society & Former HoCo Arts Board
Arthur Gold, Commission on Aging
Jeremy Goldman, Silhouette Stages
Tomeka Hodo, Delta Sigma Theta
Amanda Hof, Visit Howard County
Tessa Hurd, Howard County Department of Recreation & Parks
Jennifer Jones, Howard County Economic Development Authority
Sang Hee Ju, Korean Culture & Art of MD
Kwame Kena, Visual Artist
Ian Kennedy, Merriweather Arts & Culture Center
Michael Koplow, The ClayGround Studio & Gallery
Vanita Leatherwood, HopeWorks of Howard County
Kristin O’Connor, Howard County Department of Planning & Zoning
Darlene Richeson, MaZie Global Solutions, LLC & HoCo Arts Board
Luzmila Robknson, La Alianza Latina Commission
Brandey Rodgers, Howard County African American Roundtable
Berta Sabrio, Columbia Orchestra
Beck Seckler, LGBTQ+ Commission
Tim Singleton, HoCoPoLitSo
Fahimeh Vahdat, Howard Community College
Yolanda Vazquez, La Alianza Latina Commission
Coleen West, Howard County Arts Council
George Wilson, Former HoCo Arts Board
The steering committee will also help with engagement strategies to reach communities and
individuals who can offer fresh ideas and insight to capture emerging opportunities and overcome
longstanding challenges.
Community engagement activities will begin early next year, through interviews, listening
sessions, community surveys, and other channels. A plan that sets a new vision for the next
generation of arts and culture in the region will be developed in 2026 and any policy
recommendations will be presented to the Howard County Council for approval at that time.
The Howard County Arts and Culture Plan has been made possible through generous funding
from the Maryland State Arts Council, Howard County Government, and the National Endowment
for the Arts.
For more information contact Stephanie Schuster at development@hocoarts.org.

HoCo Arts & Cultural Plan

The Arts Council will launch the HoCo Arts & Cultural Plan this fall! A selection committee comprised of local leaders from government, HCPSS, HCLS, and the arts community, selected Designing Local, a certified woman-owned business, to lead the process. Working with a small team of experts in economic development, urban planning, public policy, community engagement, and the arts, Designing Local will offer a series of creative public engagement activities to gather information and stories about our artists and arts communities and translate them into a plan that articulates our priorities and vision for the future.

Community voices will be essential to developing an impactful plan so be on the lookout for upcoming engagement events including town halls, interviews, focus groups, and artist-led activities.

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 17, 2024
Contact: Coleen West
coleen@hocoarts.org
(410) 313-2787

Howard County Executive Calvin Ball Unveils County’s First Permanent Public Art Program – Arts for All

This Program will be one of the first in the region of its kind for permanent iconic public art.

ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball today announced Howard County’s
first Public Art program in partnership with the Howard County Arts Council. This program, called
Arts for All, will enhance the county’s cultural landscape by commissioning permanent iconic
public art installations, strategically placed at county facilities and community spaces, reflecting
the creative talent and vision of the Howard County community. The brand-new initiative
underscores the role of public art in placemaking, providing spaces for inspiration, reflection, and
interaction. Pictures from the event can be found here. Video can be found here.

“Howard County is home to an unparalleled community of artists and local arts organizations that
help shape the creative fabric of our county. Our commitment to the arts is a recognition that a
vibrant community is defined by how our residents imagine, create, and inspire others,” said Ball.
“Through a partnership with the Howard County Arts Council, the Arts for All program will
commission iconic, permanent public art installations from a nationwide network of visual artists.
These installations will serve as places to inspire, reflect, interact, and encourage purpose.”
Through the Arts for All program, County Executive Ball and the Arts Council have launched a
public survey to engage residents in selecting themes, types, and locations for the public art
displays. This survey will be open throughout summer 2024, while the Howard County Arts
Council prepares to issue a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) from prospective artists. In his FY25
Operating Budget, Ball made an investment $1.5 million to fund up public art installations at
various locations over the next several years.

“Today, with the announcement of Arts for All, we are taking public art in Howard County one
step further,” said Coleen West, Executive Director of the Howard County Arts Council. “Public
art brings cultural and social value to public parks and places by adding meaning and character
to our public spaces. Each location is unique and has a story to tell — and public art can tell that
story by creating spaces that are inspiring, have a pulse or feeling, and reflect the sites’ history,
aspirations, and values.”

Through an existing partnership with the Howard County Arts Council, Howard County currently
participates in the annual ARTsites program, which places temporary public art installations at
locations throughout the county. This new Arts for All program will advance public art in Howard
County one step further by commissioning iconic, permanent public art installations from a
nationwide network of visual artists. Located at public facilities and on county land, these public
art installations will captivate, inspire, and draw people from far and wide to experience their
beauty.

“Public art plays an incredibly important role in communities across the nation. It beautifies our
public spaces and drives tourism, supporting our local economy. Public art also tells stories about
our shared history to wider audiences and helps shape the identity of our community,” said Adam
Stull, President of the Board of Directors of the Howard County Arts Council. “We look forward to
bringing Arts for All to a neighborhood near you!”

“Public art evolves at the intersection of all fields of inquiry and branches of knowledge and can
provide a sense of social cohesion, cultural identity, and historical understanding,” shared Oletha
DeVane, a Howard County-based multidisciplinary artist and winner of the 2023 Baker Award for
Interdisciplinary Arts.

For more information contact Stephanie Schuster at development@hocoarts.org.