Paint It! Ellicott City 2026
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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 Capitoline Center's Gallery I. Juried artists will also enjoy a welcome reception, an exhibit reception, and juror's awards.
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 13: Call open for juried artist submissions
April 13: Deadline to apply
Late April: Acceptance notification
June 3: Artist kick-off reception hosted via Zoom
June 4-7: Paint Out in Ellicott City
June 8, 6-8pm: Opening reception & award ceremony
June 8 - August 1: Exhibit open to the public
Juror: Valerie Craig
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 $3000 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 will be offered as well.
as of 2/9/2026
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.