Howard County Arts Council 

The Howard County Arts Council (HCAC) manages two galleries at the Howard County Center for the Arts with over 21,000 square feet of exhibit space. The HCAC 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.


HCAC presents 11-12 exhibits per year of national, regional, and local artists, including two-person, small and large group, juried, curated, and community shows. HCAC 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. HCAC 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 slide
shows.
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 Elli Maria Hernandez, Exhibits and Programs Manager at exhibits@hocoarts.org.

Howard County Youth Poet Laureate Guidelines and Application Instructions

 The Howard County Poet Laureate program, a new venture 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 2024 through June 2025 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

   HCAC and HoCoPoLitSo are seeking 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 2024 and June 2025 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 up to 6 public and/or civic events during the 2024-25 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 in April.
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 March 1, 2024. The deadline to submit applications is May 30, 2024.

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: March 1, 2024 

Application deadline: May 30, 2024

Selection announcement: Summer 2024

To View Complete Guidelines and Instructions Click Here

OPPORTUNITY
Howard County Arts Council seeks applicants for teaching artist positions for its Fall Class Session scheduled to run September 14 - November 17, 2024.

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 (HCAC) strives to offer students of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities quality arts experiences and a chance to discover their unique creative talents. HCAC 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.

Tentative 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.
HCAC 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 Deputy Director.
• Relate needs for supplies and equipment to the Deputy 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 Deputy Director informed of any incidents, concerns, or issues regarding students, equipment, or space.

COMPENSATION
HCAC 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 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 Deputy Director.


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