Howard County Arts Council 

The Howard County Arts Council (HoCo Arts) manages two galleries at the Howard County Center for the Arts with over 1,600 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 Bronwyn Haymes, Exhibits and Programs Assistant at exhibits@hocoarts.org.

Art Maryland is a juried biennial survey show of Maryland artists living or working within 100 miles of the Howard County Arts Council (including Washington, DC and parts of Virginia, Delaware, and Pennsylvania). Artists working in any medium and style are invited to apply. This year’s juror is Lou Joseph, the Arts, Culture and Events Coordinator at Baltimore County Recreation and Parks department. The exhibit will be on display at Howard County Arts Council’s (HCAC) Gallery I during October-November 2026.

Eligibility

Artists working in all media, 18 years or older, residing in Maryland or within a 100-mile radius of Ellicott City, Maryland, are invited to submit up to three works completed in the last two years and not previously shown in the Howard County Arts Council (HoCo Arts) galleries. All work must fit through a standard doorway measuring 54” x 80” and fit appropriately in HoCo Arts galleries. Maximum height is 9’ 6”. 2-D work cannot weigh more than 50 lbs. For 3-D work weighing over 50lbs, artists must provide their own pedestals and installation assistance approved by HoCo Arts at least two weeks in advance of installation. All artworks must be original. No reproductions (including giclée and commercially printed or computer-generated reproductions of paintings, drawings, etc.) will be accepted.

About the Juror, Lou Joseph

Lou Joseph is an artist and arts administrator based in Baltimore, Maryland. He is currently the Arts, Culture and Events Coordinator at Baltimore County Recreation and Parks department. Born in Youngstown, Ohio in 1975, he graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University with a BFA in painting in 1998 and received an MFA in printmaking from Indiana University in 2004. He continues an active studio practice, primarily working on painting and long-term collaborative projects, and has exhibited work in New York, Chicago, Venice, Berlin among others. From 2012 to 2022 he directed the Institute of Contemporary Art Baltimore, an artist-run nomadic art space, staging 36 large scale solo artists exhibitions, along with professional practice programming. He lives with his family in the city of Baltimore.

Entry

Artists may submit images of up to three works (one image for each two-dimensional work and one or two images for each three-dimensional work). Mailed entries will not be accepted. Entries must be individual files in .jpg format. Time-based work must be submitted as .avi, .wav, .mov, or .m4a files. Files must be labeled with the artist’s last name, first initial, and the entry number corresponding to the entry form (e.g. SmithJ_1.jpg). Each file should be less than 1MB. Except for film or video-based work, we cannot accept video or digital presentations (including PowerPoint). The deadline to submit is August 1, 2026.

Application must include: 

• Artist’s contact information (name, address, email, and phone number). 
• Up to three artworks in any medium, completed in the last two years and not previously exhibited in the HoCo Arts galleries. 
• Complete details about each work including the title, media, unframed dimensions, price (or insurance value, if NFS), and year completed. 
• A non-refundable entry fee of $30 (waived for current members of the Howard County Arts Council). Entry fee can be paid at hocoarts.org/artmaryland

Entry Fee

A nonrefundable entry fee of $30 is due with this application. Fee is waived for current HoCo Arts members. Individual artists may become an HoCo Arts member at the $30 level and waive entry fee. Fee can be paid by check made payable to HoCo Arts, or by credit card via hocoarts.org/artmaryland, or by calling HoCo Arts during business hours.

Presentation

All work must be ready-to-hang and framed, wired or with proper hanging devices attached and instructions where necessary. Sawtooth hangers and adhesives are not allowed. HoCo Arts reserves the right to refuse any piece that is improperly presented, considered unsafe, or delivered with improper installation or hanging devices. A limited number of pedestals are available for 3D work. Digital media artists are responsible for providing their own equipment.

Timeline

August 1, 11:59pm: Entry deadline

August 24: Notifications mailed to artists. 

October 2-3: Deliver works to HoCo Arts. 

October 9: Exhibit opens to the public. 

November 12, 6-8pm: Reception and award presentation. 

November 21, 4pm: Exhibit closes. 

November 22-23: Pick up work from HoCo Arts.

Additional Information

Full details and information can be found in the prospectus: https://www.hocoarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Art-Maryland-2026-Prospectus.pdf

Questions?

Contact us at exhibits@hocoarts.org or (410) 313-2787.

OPPORTUNITY   Howard County Arts Council seeks applicants for teaching artist positions for its Fall Class Session scheduled to run September 19 - November 15, 2026.   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 Capitoline Center 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.