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 Jules Swearingen, Exhibits and Programs Assistant at exhibits@hocoarts.org.

Head StART in ART: Program Description 

The Howard County Arts Council (HCAC) partners with the Ellicott City and Old Cedar Lane Head Start Centers on artist- in-residence programs for children ages 3-5 enrolled in Head Start.  This partnership, Head StART in ART, provides these children with an in-depth, hands-on artistic experience and ensures access to the arts that they might not otherwise have. The program will include 6-8 artists of different disciplines, offering a wide variety of new experiences for the children. The opportunity for such experiences during these formative years can have a direct impact on a child's development, as well as future appreciation of and involvement in the arts. HCAC coordinates, administers, and funds the project. HCAC begins by selecting an artist who is experienced in conducting school residency programs, particularly for young children, and then works closely with the artist and the Head Start staff to create a thematic program that is both enriching and developmentally appropriate.  The children work with the artist and create something of which they, their parents, and teachers can be proud. 

Opportunity

Teaching artists in a variety of arts disciplines are sought for residencies in support of Pre-K curriculum in the Ellicott City and Old Cedar Lane Head Start Centers (ages 3-5).   

Selected artist(s)/residencies: 

• Serve between 3-6 classes, 20-25 students per class, possibly over an extended period of time
•  May be scheduled with the Center anytime between October-May during the school year
•  Culminate with a performance (for performing arts) or exhibit (for visual arts) that parents may attend

Requirements

Selected artists must have previous experience working with children, Pre-K preferred. 

If selected artists have not been fingerprinted and have background checks on file, they should be prepared to do so.

To Apply

Please submit:

1) Your proposed residency, including timeline, unit plan, materials list, perceived outcomes and goals as related to MSDE standards for Pre-K.

2) Resume

3) Three references

4) Samples of student work

5) Fee structure

OPPORTUNITY
Howard County Arts Council seeks applicants for teaching artist positions for its Fall Class Session scheduled to run September 16 - November 18, 2023.

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.