Howard County Arts Council 

The Howard County Arts Council (HoCo Arts) manages two galleries at the Howard County Center for the Arts with over 21,000 square feet of exhibit space. The HoCo Arts gallery program was established to enhance the public's appreciation of the visual arts, provide a venue to exhibit the work of local, regional, and national artists in a professional space, and provide leadership in the arts by presenting a broad spectrum of arts in all media from both emerging and established artists.

HoCo Arts presents 11-12 exhibits per year of national, regional, and local artists, including two-person, small and large group, juried, curated, and community shows. HoCo Arts rarely exhibits solo shows.

For more information, view the General Exhibit Prospectus.

To apply, please submit the following:

1. Contact Information, including artist or curator name
2. 10-20 digital images representative of the work to be included in the exhibition. Files should be named to correspond to image list. Entries must be JPG or JPEG files, each no larger than 1 MB. If submitting time-based work, work must be submitted as .avi, .wav, .mov, or .m4a files. HoCo Arts has limited technology for use in the gallery, so any special technology needs should be addressed in the proposal. The images should be named using the “LastName_FirstName_01.jpg” format, where the numbers (01, 02, 03, etc…) correspond directly to your image script.
3. Image List which contains artist's name, title, medium, year completed, and dimensions for each piece. The image list should correspond directly to your application images. So, if you have an image named “Doe_Jane_01.jpg” then your image script should have an entry for “01” with that image’s title, medium, dimension, and date. The image script should be a Word document or PDF. Do not send Powerpoint presentations, movies of any kind, or slideshows.
4. Resume which lists education, exhibitions, awards, publications, etc.
5. Artist statement or description of your artistic goals and recent work.

Individual curators: in addition to the above, individual curators should include a brief description of the proposed exhibit and identify the artists invited to participate. Provide information describing your curatorial experience, organizational skills, and samples of written materials used to organize a previous show (letters, marketing, etc).

Organizations: In addition to the above, provide your organization's mission statement and describe your programs and services that meet that statement. Include a brief description of the proposed exhibit and state how it furthers your mission and goals.


  Questions can be directed to Jonah Brock, Exhibits and Programs Assistant at exhibits@hocoarts.org.

OPPORTUNITY
 Howard County Arts Council seeks applicants for teaching artist positions for its Fall Class Session scheduled to run September 13 - November 16, 2025.

 Qualified individuals are invited to submit proposals for youth and/or adult courses and workshops in any performing or visual arts discipline.

 Howard County Arts Council (HoCo Arts) strives to offer students of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities quality arts experiences and a chance to discover their unique creative talents. HoCo Arts is seeking qualified arts instructors to propose classes and workshops for the upcoming session. Priority will be given to proposals addressing the fundamentals of visual and performing arts. Classes/Workshops may be scheduled anytime during normal building hours, from one to four hours, during the designated session dates. Classes/Workshops are canceled if enrollment is fewer than five students.

 Fall building hours at the Howard County Center for the Arts building hours are: Monday – Thursday, 9am – 10pm; Friday, 9am – 8pm; and Saturday, 10am – 4pm.

 Teaching artists create a safe and supportive learning environment where students can feel comfortable taking risks and engaging in creative challenges. Individual attention and small class sizes encourage participation and dialogue.
 HoCo Arts Staff is regularly updating the current best practices and recommendations from trusted organizations and our local health departments to make decisions regarding camp safety precautions. All plans will be approved by the Maryland State Department of Health before the beginning of classes.


 DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES
 

• Develop age-appropriate curricula in cooperation with the Art Center Director.
• Relate needs for supplies and equipment to the Art Center Director by the assigned deadline.
• Attend required meetings.
• Prepare studio/classroom and collect supplies for class use/ return studio/classroom to its previous condition when class is dismissed.
• Keep Art Center Director informed of any incidents, concerns, or issues regarding students, equipment, or space.

 COMPENSATION
 HoCo Arts employs teaching artists as independent contractors. Contract teachers are paid according to the number of registrations per class.

 Classes can be 2-3 hours each and run for 4 or 8 weeks. Contract rates for classes are as follows (half payable halfway into the term and the remaining half payable at the end of the term): $25/hr for 5-11 students enrolled in the class, $30/hr for 12-16, and $35/hr for 17+. A supply budget for up to $100 is provided for youth classes.

 Workshops can be 2-4 hours each and should run only once per session cycle. Contract rates for workshops are as follows: $35/hr for 6-15 students enrolled in the workshop, $40/hr for 16+.  Supply budgets and workshop pricing are decided on a case-by-case basis by the Art Center Director.


If you have any questions, please contact education@hocoarts.org.

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