A home and incubator for the arts in Howard County
Our artist studios offer affordable maker spaces to practicing professional and emerging visual artists in a nurturing, supportive, creative environment. Resident studio artists exhibit their work annually and participate in several open studio events. Studios feature abundant natural light, a convivial community atmosphere, and access to water. Resident studio artists have 24-hour access to their workspace.
Artists are selected by a jury process as studios become available.

How It Works
Goals
- To provide individual artists with a space in which they may pursue the production, presentation, or teaching of fine arts. The fine arts include traditional and emerging art forms within, but not limited to, the visual arts, performing arts, and literary arts.
- To support a diverse community of artists working in a variety of fine arts media and disciplines.
- To provide the public with opportunities to meet working artists.
Benefits
- Semi-private studio (shared entry access) with 24-hour access to workspace.
- Affordable monthly rental rate.
- Physical mailing address and mailbox at HCCA.
- Opportunity to become an active part of a vibrant community arts center.
- Ability to network and engage with an established community of HCCA artists.
- Exhibition opportunity in the annual Resident Visual Artists Exhibit.
- Residents receive a reduced rate and priority consideration for renting other spaces in the Center including the dance studio, black box theatre, conference room, and classrooms.
- Rent payment may be subsidized in part or in full by serving as an instructor for youth and/or adult classes at HCCA, gallery prep, building attendant duties, etc. (as determined by the Deputy Director).
Eligibility
Practicing artists who demonstrate a central commitment to the production or performance of fine arts. In some studios, practicing artists may also teach in their studio space.
HoCo Arts Board of Directors, full-time staff, HoCo Arts Center Committee, and their immediate family are ineligible to apply.
How to Apply
When a Resident Artist Studio becomes available, HoCo Arts will publish a Request for Applications that details the square footage, location, rental rate, and application deadline.
Applications are only open and available when a studio is available. If a studio is not available, artists may submit an Artist Studio Interest Form. When an artist studio becomes available, artists who have submitted the interest form will be notified.
Applications must be submitted online through the online platform Submittable. Mailed, emailed, and hardcopy applications will not be accepted.
Artists working in a variety of styles and media are encouraged to apply, although studio spaces are best suited to artists working in two-dimensional media. Due to building infrastructure, studios are not well-suited for performing artists, large-scale artwork, or disciplines such as metal forging, welding, stone and wood carving, or kiln work, among others. Any work that requires heavy equipment, bulky materials, or a loading dock is not feasible.
Application Requirements
The Resident Artist Studio Application will ask for the following:
- Letter of Intent – In one page or less, provide a brief description of your work or project to be completed while in residence, your career direction, and why you should be awarded a residency at HCCA.
- Resume – A current resume of three pages or less that lists education, background, exhibitions, awards, and/or publications.
- Artist Statement – In one page or less, concisely describe your creative work, process, technique, and conceptual development.
- Three Letters of Recommendation – Recommendations should speak to your character, financial and personal responsibility, and contribution to the community.
- Work Samples – Up to 20 digital images of work created within the last two years that represent your current work. Files should be named to correspond to the Image List. Digital images must be JPG files only, each no larger than 1 MB. Time-based work must be submitted as .avi, .wav,.mov, or .m4a files. Videos must not exceed five minutes in duration. The images should be named using the “LastName_FirstName_01.jpg” format, where the numbers (01, 02, 03, etc.) correspond directly to your image list.
- Do not submit images in a pdf, PowerPoint, or any other presentation format.
- Image List – Image list should include artist name, title, medium, year completed, and dimensions of each piece.
- Additional Materials – If available, include examples of printed materials such as articles, brochures, programs, and reviews.
Selection
Artists are selected by a jury process. In general, artists will be selected for available studio space based on their artistic merit, artistic discipline, and commitment, as well as their contribution to the diversity of media, style, and discipline representation in the Center.
In cases where all other elements of candidates’ qualifications are of equal value, Howard County residents will be given priority.
Resident Responsibilities
To hold a studio space at the Center, residents must, at a minimum, do the following:
- Maintain a $1,000,000 general liability insurance policy for their studio as well as coverage for the contents of their studio.
- Pay the studio rent within five business days of the first of each month.
- Maintain annual Individual ($30) or Senior ($25) membership with HoCo Arts.
- Maintain a safe working environment in their studios and submit appropriate MSDS forms for hazardous materials in their studios. Furthermore, they are expected to practice a “good neighbor” policy, using the least harmful materials possible and keeping in mind not only their own health and safety, but also that of the Center community. Residents may be required to install proper ventilation units or other safety features for the use of some mediums.
- Use their studios a minimum of eight hours per week (annual average). Those eight hours must be used for the production, presentation, or teaching of their art and not for other unrelated employment or activities.
- Attend up to four Arts Council-scheduled Open Studio events per year when they must be present and open their studios for public viewing.
- Participate in the Residents’ Exhibit at the HCCA, displaying recent work (created within two years of the exhibit), not previously shown in the gallery, for a six-week show.
- Get advance approval for any physical changes and return the studio to its original condition when vacating.
- Be fully accessible if offering classes, exhibits, or other public programs.
Teaching
Teaching in shared studios is allowed only when all artists in the shared studio agree in writing on the teaching schedules. Teaching is not allowed in studios 7A, 7B, or 7C.
Studio Access
The following are policies regarding building access:
- Individual residents will receive one key for the building’s side door and one key for their studio.
- 24-hour access is allowed for the resident only; guests, students, and members of the public are not permitted outside building hours unless a request has been made for HoCo Arts to secure a building attendant.
- No pets are allowed on the premises.
- This is not a live/workspace.
Lease
The length of the initial lease will be one year or until the termination of HoCo Arts’ Master Lease with Howard County Government, whichever expires first.
Residents are reviewed for compliance with the terms of their lease before each lease renewal. Those residents who have met the requirements will have their lease renewed for two years.
Residents who do not meet the required terms will be placed on probation and given a minimum three-month to a maximum of one-year conditional lease.
If the requirements of the conditional lease are met, conditional leases will be extended with Center Committee approval.
If the conditional leaseholders are not approved, they will be given one month to vacate the premises.
The Center for the Arts will be relocating in the summer through the fall of 2025. During the end-of-term evaluation, the Center Committee will determine if the artist will be offered a placement in the new facility and a new studio offer will be made at that time.
Meet our Resident Studio Artists
These professional artists have studio space at the Center where they work, teach, and connect with visitors through open studio events and other activities.
-
Phill Branch
Phill Branch
Phill Branch is an Emmy® Award winning producer, a writer and director. Branch’s documentary Hampton University: One of the Wonders of the World (Maryland Public Television/PBS) won the Emmy for Outstanding Education/Schools Long Form Content (Capital Emmys/2024). His film, Searching for Shaniqua (Maryland Public Television/PBS), a documentary about the impact names have on our lives, won the HBO Best Documentary award at Martha’s Vineyard African-American Film Festival. His upcoming memoir tentatively titled “The Double Dutch Fuss” will be released by HarperCollins/Amistad in 2026. He is a 2024 recipient of the Maryland State Arts Council’s Creativity Grant and a 2019 Rubys Artist Award grantee for storytelling and performance. He was the 2018 GrandSLAM Champion of The Moth in DC. Branch is the founder and Creative Director of Baltimore Story Fest, a showcase for live, personal storytelling. Currently, Branch is a Resident Artist at the Howard County Center for the Arts.
-
Esteban Benson
Esteban Benson
Esteban Benson is a self-taught fine artist based in Howard County, MD, specializing in portraits, working in pen, pencil, charcoal, watercolor, and acrylic. His inspiration comes from his own personal life experiences and focuses primarily on themes of duality and/or the contrast between two concepts and/or aspects of something.
Each of us is a product of our individual life experiences. Esteban is no different. Being an adopted kid diagnosed with ADHD did more than impact the way he looks at the world. It has become a part of him, and it wasn’t until accepting the imperfections of his situation that he could appreciate the beauty in it. Now, as a recovering alcoholic, he is forced to continue to mold his perspective and accept the things that make him who he is. Hard as it is, it is often the things we run from that end up being our salvation.
-
Andres Gomez
Andres Gomez
Originally from Colombia, Andres Gomez’s work embodies a powerful means of storytelling and cultural reflection. He works in several mediums, from acrylics and oils to pastels and collage. A dynamic and multifaceted artist, his work is enriched by his experiences within international non-governmental organizations and academic circles. A former resident artist at HCCA, Andres holds an M.A. in Humanities and Sciences and a B.A. in International Political Economy and Development & Visual Arts – all from Fordham University.
-
Sherry Jankiewicz
Sherry Jankiewicz
Sherry Jankiewicz is an artist and educator residing in Ellicott City, Maryland. Beginning her career as an art teacher in Howard County, Sherry taught elementary and middle school art for 13 years before leaving Maryland to study printmaking in Portland, Oregon. After receiving her MFA in Print Media from the Pacific Northwest College of Art, Sherry moved to Knoxville, TN, in 2019 to join the University of Tennessee’s Art Education department as a Clinical Assistant Professor where she supervised new art teachers and taught art education courses. She also volunteered for the Tennessee Art Education Association as a treasurer and participated in local and national printmaking exhibitions and print exchanges. In 2022, Sherry moved back to Ellicott City, MD, where she is teaching high school art in Howard County and continuing her art practice. Sherry joined the Howard County Center for the Arts as a resident artist in 2023 and The Artists Gallery in Ellicott City in 2024. She spends her time outside of the studio and classroom visiting family, playing with her nephews, and enjoying nature.
-
Myungsook Ryu Kim
Myungsook Ryu Kim
Myungsook Ryu Kim’s paintings echo and emphasize the calligraphic line, a continuous living line made with one stroke, which guides the viewer moving their eyes through each piece. She studied traditional brush painting and seal engraving in South Korea. After graduating from Ewha Womans University Department of Fine Arts in Seoul, she moved to the U.S. in 1985 and received her Master in Ceramic Sculpture from the Cleveland Institute of Art. Her works have been shown in more than 70 exhibitions, mostly in the Washington DC area as well as galleries in Seoul. Myung served as President of the Hanmee Artists Association and continues to be an active member.
-
Diana Marta
Diana Marta
Color is often the basis of Diana Marta’s search for the expressive and metaphorical qualities of her subjects. She exhibits oils, watercolors, drawings, installation and digital work.
She has taught academic art classes for over thirty years and continues teaching independently in her studio at the Howard County Center for the Arts.
-
Jillian Roper
Jillian Roper
Jillian Roper is a printmaker and an art educator. She received her BFA and MAT from the Maryland Institute College of Art. With a career spanning 24 years as an art educator in Howard County, Roper has influenced countless students, fostering creativity and a love for the arts in her community. Her dual role as an artist and educator underscores her commitment to the field of art, both in practice and pedagogy. Currently, Roper is advancing her expertise by pursuing an MFA in Printmaking at Towson University.
Roper’s intricate, nature-inspired block prints have been showcased in galleries and businesses throughout the country, as well as internationally. In addition, she is the sole owner and operator of Jump Jack Studio, a small business showcasing her art. You can find out more about Jillian and her work by visiting www.jumpjackstudio.com.
-
Lisa Scarbath
Lisa Scarbath
Lisa Scarbath creates contemporary fine art mosaics, décor and public art. Her work ranges from realistic to abstract with each composition guided by the unique materials she uses. Lisa selects a variety of tesserae – including traditional smalti and stone, stained glass, dishware and found objects – to create dynamic pieces with texture and depth. Her meticulous compositions encourage the viewer to discover something new with each encounter.
A Resident Artist at the Howard County Center for the Arts since 2020, Lisa has lived with her family in Ellicott City for 25 years, and is active in the local, state-wide and international art community. She is a Member/Owner and Secretary of the Artists’ Gallery of Ellicott City; Member of the Board of Directors of CMA2, an international contemporary mosaic artist organization, host of the monthly CAMP (community and public art mosaic projects) events, co-chair of the 2026 Conference. Lisa’s mixed media mosaics work can be found in galleries and gift shops from Frederick to Ocean City, MD.
www.PiecefulDesignsMosaics.com
-
Jereme Scott
Jereme Scott
Jereme Scott is a multi-media artist from Columbia, MD who creates paintings, sculptures, and original prints. He received his MFA degree from Howard University in 2011 and has been a Resident Artist at HCCA since 2009. Regardless of the medium, his artwork aims to be thoughtful, contemporary, well crafted, and composed of underlying narratives.
-
Andrei Trach
Andrei Trach
Andrei Trach is an award-winning artist who graduated from the Maryland Institute College of Art. In 1996 he had a seventy-five-piece Solo Exhibition at the University of Baltimore Law School. In 1999 he exhibited at the Benjamin Banneker Museum in Ellicott City, Catonsville, Oella Arts. In 2003 his work was featured on Maryland Public Television. In 2004 he had a retrospective solo exhibition at Mill River Gallery in Ellicott City, MD. His Sculpture, “Vainglorious Bluebird” is on permanent display at Centennial Park in Hyattsville, MD. In 2015 he had a solo exhibit at Montpelier Art Center in Laurel, MD. He was awarded Honorable Mention in “Art Howard County” in 2017. In 2021 he exhibited in the “Cumberland Valley Artists Exhibition” at the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts. He had solo exhibits at the Watkins Nature Center in Upper Malboro, MD in 2021 and at Mixt in Brentwood, MD, in 2023. Trach last exhibited in “Maryland Muse: A Tapestry of Inspiration” at the Goldstein Treasury Building in Annapolis, MD, in 2024.
-
Jamie Travers
Jamie Travers
Jamie Travers loves drawing and mark-making. He is most inspired by the spontaneity and enthusiasm of his students at HCPSS’s Centennial Lane Elementary. He received his artistic training from the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) and currently teaches on the weekends and summers with MICA’s Young People’s Studios for Elementary and Middle School artists.
-
Mary Jo Tydlacka
Mary Jo Tydlacka
Mary Jo Tydlacka is a long-standing resident artist at the Howard County Center for the Arts. Two of her paintings are in the Folger Shakespeare Library collection. Other collectors of her work are Michael Kahn of the Shakespeare Theatre in Washington DC, Theresa Colvin, Director of the Maryland State Arts Council, and the Howard County Public Library. Her paintings were shown on Maryland Public Television’s “Artworks This Week” and in 2015 her work was on the set for the HBO show VEEP. She participated in an artist exchange in Cergy-Pontoise, France in 1999. Mary Jo earned a BA degree from Northwestern University, taught English for a few years, and did her art studies at the University of Maryland, College Park, and at Maryland Institute College of Art.
-
David Zuccarini
David Zuccarini
Born in Howard County, David Zuccarini attended the Corcoran School of Art and received a BFA in painting from the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). His studies at MICA immersed him in the techniques of the Renaissance and Baroque masters, with simultaneous exposure to contemporary artistic movements. He teaches in his studio continuing an artistic lineage that reaches in an unbroken line from the 17th Century. He is the recipient of numerous awards including the Distinguished Teacher Award from the White House Commission of Presidential Scholars and has exhibited widely in both solo and group shows including the National Portrait Gallery and the Societe Des Pastellistes De France. https://www.davidzuccarini.com/