Join us for one last community celebration at our current location – the Holiday Open House on Friday, November 14, 5-8pm!

The Holiday Open House features Open Studios with resident artists Cheri Glover, Sherry Jankiewicz, Jereme Scott, Andrei Trach, Mary Jo Tydlacka, and David Zuccarini, along with arts organizations Ballet Mobile and Columbia Pro Cantare. It’s a wonderful chance for holiday shopping, connecting with local artists, and enjoying one final visit before our big move!

The gallery reception for Art Howard County and Sibling Revelry will be held from 6–8pm, with light refreshments and the Art HoCo Awards Ceremony presented by juror Liz Henzey. More here

The Arts & Culture Plan Survey will close on January 12, 2026—there’s still time to make your voice heard. Whether you’re a visual artist, performer, writer, maker, or someone who enjoys the arts—your perspective is essential. The Arts & Culture Plan will set the stage for how Howard County supports and invests in creativity for years to come. More than 500 community members have already shared their voice to help shape the Howard County Arts & Culture Plan—have you?

Take survey

Dr. Nishi Chawla is an academic, a writer and a filmmaker. Nishi Chawla has published ten plays, three novels, and eight collections of poetry. She has also written and directed four award winning art house feature films. She has also co-edited two global anthologies of poetry published by Penguin Random House: ‘Greening the Earth’ and ‘Singing in the Dark.’

Dr Nishi Chawla holds a doctorate in English from the George Washington University, Washington D.C., and her post-doctorate from the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland. After teaching for nearly twenty years as a tenured Professor of English at Delhi University, India, Nishi Chawla had migrated with her family to a suburb of Washington D.C. She has taught English Literature for forty years at the University level. 
She is one of the few Indian playwrights to have two plays in Manhattan, NY. She is the third Indian poet ever to be invited for a reading and a discussion of the US Library of Congress organized, ‘The Poet and the Poem’ program. 

Steven Leyva was born in New Orleans, Louisiana and raised in Houston, Texas. His poems have appeared in Smartish Pace, Scalawag, Nashville Review, jubilat, The Hopkins Review, Prairie Schooner, and Best American Poetry 2020. He is a Cave Canem fellow and author of the chapbook Low Parish and author of The Understudy’s Handbook which won the Jean Feldman Poetry Prize from Washington Writers Publishing House. His second book of poems, The Opposite of Cruelty, was published by Blair Publishing in Spring 2025. Steven holds an MFA from the University of Baltimore, where he is an associate professor, and co-director of the Klein Family Center of Communications Design. 

Patti Ross is a poet whose work bridges social justice and the natural world. A graduate of The Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C., and American University, she also holds a master’s degree in Management from DeVry University and a certificate in Social Justice Writing from the University of California, Berkeley. Patti’s poetry is known for its emotional depth and historical insight, delivering complex social themes in accessible language. Through performance and the written word, she challenges audiences to reflect on societal norms and the human condition. 

Natka Bianchini is the Managing Director of Iron Crow Theatre having previously served on the theatre’s board of directors and having directed the critically acclaimed and award-winning productions of Hurricane Diane, Collective Rage: A Play in 5 Betties, The Mystery of Love and Sex, and Cloud 9. Under her leadership, Natka oversaw the historic transfer of Iron Crow’s production of RENT to the M&T Bank Exchange, making the company the first small professional theatre in Baltimore to perform in the space. Natka is a Baltimore-based director, scholar, and theatre educator with more than 40 directing credits including plays, musicals, devised pieces, and new work. Previous credits include Us/Them (Sisters Freehold), God of Vengeance (Gordon Center for the Performing Arts), John Proctor is the Villain, The Thanksgiving Play, The Wolves, Spring Awakening, Waiting for Godot (Loyola University), A Delicate Balance(Tufts University), among many others. She is the author of two books (Samuel Beckett’s Theatre in America, Palgrave McMillan 2015 and Albee and Influence, Brill 2021) and numerous reviews and articles on theatre and performance.  She has presented various keynote speeches and presentations on her research at symposiums across the country and abroad.  As the founding Vice President of the Edward Albee Society, she oversaw the publication of the series New Perspectives on Edward Albee Studies. Natka is a professor of theatre and the current head of the theatre program at Loyola University Maryland where she teaches directing, theatre history, American musical theatre, and queer theatre and film. She is an affiliate with the Center for International Theatre Development (CITD) and a graduate of the HERS leadership institute for women in higher education. Natka holds a B.A. in sociology from Wellesley College and an M.A. and a Ph.D. in drama from Tufts University. www.natkabianchini.com

Ian Gallanar is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company in Baltimore, Maryland and is proud member of the distinguished National Theatre Conference, the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (the union for professional stage directors) and the Dramatists Guild of America. Ian founded the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company in 2002, directed its first production Twelfth Night, and has directed over 50 productions for the company over its 20+ year history iShakespeare Beyond is Ian’s latest creation, designed to provide additional access to arts and culture to communities across the State of Maryland with the innovative Shakespeare Wagon. Ian is a Distinguished Alumni of the Indiana University of Pennsylvania, a Telly Award Winner, a Howie Award Winner  for Outstanding Artist and a Helen Hayes Tribute Award winner. He is the recipient the Berger Award, given annually by the international Shakespeare Theatre Association for outstanding lifetime achievement as an Artistic Director of a Shakespeare company. He served as President of that organization from 2019-2021.

Cat Ramirez is a director and producer who loves logistical puzzles, community meals, and bisexual lighting. Some of their favorite directing projects include She Was a Conquistawhore with Rachel O’Hanlon Rodriguez and Die Cast, Letters to the Moon with Mel Hsu and Intercultural Journeys, Half Magic with Joseph Ahmed, Meet Murasaki Shikibu with Tiny Dynamite (Barrymore nomination for Outstanding Direction), Young Americans with Theatre Horizon, and Space Opera with Obvious Agency. They have produced with the Bearded Ladies Cabaret, Asian Arts Initiative, InterAct Theatre Company, and more. Cat is the Creative Director for Philly Asian Performing Artists, the Creative Producer and a worker-owner for Obvious Agency, and a Board Member of the Stockton Rush Bartol Foundation and Theatre Philadelphia. catramirez.com  (Photo by Emily Schuman)

Terrestrial Horizon is a striking, bright yellow sculpture of steel. Its vibrant color stands out against the backdrop of the greenery and sky, symbolizing hope and creativity. The elongated forms and delicate curves contrast sharply with the vastness surrounding it, effectively conveying the theme of human insignificance in the grand cosmos. Terrestrial Horizon is installed at Columbia Association’s Lake Elkhorn Park, 7209 Dockside Lane, Columbia.

ARTsites liberates sculpture from the constraints of a gallery and place it in outdoor public spaces for all to enjoy. ARTsites 2025  sculptures were installed in August and remain in place through July 2026. More complete information is here.

Bronwyn grew up in Ellicott City and used to attend programs at the Howard County Center for the Arts as a child, as well as working in high school with the Ellicott City Arts Coalition and several galleries on Main Street. She spent time studying painting at the Maryland Institute College of Art before leaving to pursue decorative painting as a career, alongside working at Creative Alliance in Baltimore where she managed events, installed gallery shows, and experienced how an art nonprofit runs. She has since lived in Baltimore and San Antonio before returning home, where she is currently settling down in Ellicott City with her elderly dog while pursuing a degree part time in nonprofit management. Welcome to the team Bronwyn!

HoCo Arts’ Annual Meeting and Grant Awards Ceremony

Over 170  arts supporters were on hand as 654,618 in grant awards were presented at the Arts Council’s Annual Meeting on September 19. Grants were awarded to 25 Howard County organizations, 9 Howard County public schools, and 12 Baltimore City arts and cultural organizations in support of general operations, artist residencies, and special projects in the arts.

Additionally, awards were announced for the new IAM Creativity (Individual Artist Merit and Creativity) grants program. This year’s awards were given in Music and Film disciplines.

Congratulations to our FY2026 grant recipients and best wishes for a successful year! For a list of FY2026 grant recipients or to learn more about the Arts Council’s grant programs, click here.

Congratulations to Howard County’s Youth Poet Laureate, Penelope Tofigh!

A junior at River Hill High School, Penelope Tofigh is a passionate writer and a dedicated member of River Hill’s theater program, wind ensemble, jazz band, and marching band. As a poet, she distinguished herself in the 2025 Poetry Out Loud competition—earning first place at River Hill, going on to win the Maryland State title, and ultimately becoming a National Semi-Finalist.

As Howard County’s next Youth Poet Laureate, Tofigh plans to host regular poetry slams for county youth and lead workshops focused on both writing and performance.

This honorary, one-year position is formally appointed by the County Executive based on recommendations from an artistic and community review panel, coordinated by the Howard County Arts Council and HoCoPoLitSo. Tofigh’s term will run from September 2025 through August 2026, during which she will receive a $500 stipend. Learn more about the Youth Poet Laureate program at hocoarts.org/youth-poet-laureate.

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