Howard County Arts Council 

About the Event & Exhibit

Paint It! Ellicott City is an annual event that brings artists and spectators interested in the plein air tradition to Historic Ellicott City in early June. Juried artists set up their easels around the historic district, enjoying a summer weekend as they capture the picturesque mill town and all its charms. Juried artists will paint in the historic district of Ellicott City, Maryland for three days, creating original artwork that will be shown in a six-week exhibit at the Howard County Center for the Arts' Gallery I. Juried artists will also enjoy a welcome reception, an exhibit reception, and juror's awards. 

Due to venue renovations in 2025, there are no plans for an Open Paint exhibition event, however we encourage artists who are not juried in to come to Ellicott City for the weekend and participate in the Paint Out. 

Application & Eligibility Requirements

All artists working en plein air, in a variety of media including oil, acrylic, pastel, or watercolor, aged 18 years and older, are eligible to apply. 

Artists wishing to be considered must submit an application below with the following: 

• Contact Info 
• Artwork Portfolio: Up to 4 images of visual artwork examples including medium, dimensions, and year completed. 
• Artists must submit a non-refundable entry fee of $30 by clicking here.

Entry Fee 

A non-refundable entry of $30 is due with entry. All fees go toward awards and costs for the event. Submit fee here. 

Timeline

February-April 14: Call open for juried artist submissions 

April 14: Deadline to apply 

Late April: Acceptance notification 

June 4: Artist kick-off reception hosted via Zoom 

June 5-8: Paint Out in Ellicott City 

June 9, 6-8pm: Opening reception & award ceremony 

June 9 - August 2: Exhibit open to the public

Juror: Crystal Moll

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 were they host other artists works and are your local custom framer.

Based in beautiful Baltimore, Maryland, Moll offers you a distinct selection of plein air art paintings limited edition signed prints, posters, tiles and posters of Baltimore’s urban landscape.

Moll has embraced my adopted home of Baltimore, where she paints strictly on location and explore cityscapes as my 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.

Sales

A 20% commission will be retained by HoCo Arts on all sales of artwork included in the exhibit, as well as any sales during the plein air event. Work is not required to be for sale.

Awards

A minimum of $5000 in cash awards will be presented, including the $2000 Gino Award, named in honor of Gino Manelli (1915-2010), an avid artist and cyclist who established his art studio in Ellicott City in 1966. Over a 70 year artistic career, Gino created landscapes, portraits, and still lifes in a range of media and styles with dramatic color use and a dynamic palette knife, creating emotional, engaging artwork. His work is in galleries in the United States and Europe.

Additional awards offered by AARP of Maryland, Howard County Historical Society Flynn/Giles Family, Patapsco Heritage Greenway, Blossoms of Hope, Ellicott City Partnership, and the family of Carole Zink.

as of 3/24/2025

Agreement

The decision of the juror is final. All accepted work must remain in the gallery for the duration of the exhibit. HoCo Arts reserves the right to photograph artwork and artists for publicity and educational purposes and to use images of submitted work for the same purposes. HoCo Arts reserves the right to reject work not suitably presented. All work must be original, no reproductions (including giclee, commercially printed, or computer-generated reproductions of paintings, drawings, etc.) Submission of an entry constitutes understanding and agreement with all conditions mentioned in the prospectus.
 

Questions about the event or application can be directed to exhibits@hocoarts.org. 

Howard County Youth Poet Laureate Guidelines and Application Instructions

 The Howard County Poet Laureate program, in partnership with the Office of County Executive Calvin Ball, the Howard County Arts Council, and the Howard County Poetry & Literature Society (HoCoPoLitSo), will help amplify the power of youth expression, celebrate community, and promote literacy and literary arts in Howard County. 

 The Youth Poet Laureate, an honorary one-year position formally appointed by the County Executive, will act as an ambassador for literacy, arts, and youth expression and demonstrate a passion 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 receive an honorarium of $500. 

 The next 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. The Howard County Arts Council (HCAC) administers this program in partnership with Howard County Poetry & Literature Society (HoCoPoLitSo).

 Eligibility Criteria for the Howard County Youth Poet Laureate

     The Howard County Youth Poet Laureate program, seeks young writers who are passionate about their poetry and their community. In order to be eligible to apply, you must: 

● Be a current Howard County resident, and either live in Howard County between August 2025 and June 2026 or be available to present in-person at public events in Howard County during this timeframe (for example, a resident who will be attending a college or university next year within commuting distance of  Howard County). 

● Be between the ages of 14 (and a freshman in High School) and 21 at the time of application.

● Demonstrate community engagement in the arts .

● Be the creator of original poetic work. 

HCAC and HoCoPoLitSo Trustees, Board members, and employees and their immediate family members are not eligible to apply. Former HoCoPoLitSo Bauder Youth on Board members need to have resigned from the Board at least 60 days before applying. 

 Duties of the Howard County Youth Poet Laureate

The Youth Poet Laureate shall serve as an ambassador for literacy, poetry, and youth expression by participating in 5 to 8 public and/or civic events during the 2025-26 term. Examples of Youth Poet Laureate events and related activities include:

1. Participation in National Poetry Month activities in Howard County, such as the annual Blackbird Poetry      Festival produced by HoCoPoLitSo and Howard Community College during National Poetry Month, or HoCoPoLitSo's Wilde Reading Series.
2. Participation in up to 4 readings and speaking engagements for the Howard County Executive and County Departments as determined and scheduled through HCAC in coordination with the Office of the County Executive.
3. Participation in social media activity related to Youth Poet Laureate events and projects.

4. After their term as Youth Poet Laureate is complete, at their discretion, serve on the selection panel(s) for future Howard County  Youth Poet Laureates.

To Apply

 Log Into or Create Your Submittable Account

 Once you have entered the system, please review the complete application and guidelines, which include detailed instructions. You will need to prepare digital and video work samples, a brief biography and statement about what poetry means to you, and a description of your community engagement in any aspect of the arts. In addition, you will need to secure one or two references from adults (non-family members) who know you and can speak to your community involvement and/or school activities as well as the power of your poetry. 

Applications for Howard County Youth Poet Laureate open on January 16. The deadline to submit applications is April 24, 2025.

If for any reason you are not able to submit application materials online, please contact Dana Whipkey, HCAC Grants and Special Projects Coordinator at grantsandprojects@hocoarts.org or 410.313. ARTS(2787). 

Timeline

Application opens: January 16, 2025 

Application deadline: April 24, 2025

Selection announcement: September, 2025

To View Complete Guidelines and Instructions Click Here

FY26 Mark Ryder Original Choreography Grant Guidelines

General Information The Howard County Arts Council (HCAC) is a private, nonprofit 501c3 organization established to enrich and serve our community by fostering the arts, artists, and arts organizations. HCAC is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors whose members are elected to two terms.  

 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.
 

HCAC Responsibilities 

· Develop procedures for submission and funding of proposals.

· Review and evaluate proposals for grants funds.

· Select recipients and grant awards.

 The Mark Ryder Original Choreography Grant will honor his vision/philosophy. HCAC staff is available to provide technical assistance in completing grant applications. Call 410-313-2787.

Purpose of the Grants Program   • The Mark Ryder Original Choreography Grant Program was  established, at the bequest of his family, to recognize individual  creative expression and to provide financial assistance to  choreographers to create a new original work.  Re-interpretation of an  existing work is NOT considered an original work.  • To broaden opportunities for artists and encourage and sustain their  pursuit of artistic excellence.  • If the project is realized, the applicant is encouraged, not required, to present the work in Howard County, live or recorded.
 

For Complete Guidelines, Click Here