Celebration of the Arts in Howard County

On April 24, 2010, the Arts Council will host the 13th annual Celebration of the Arts in Howard County! The gala event features a reception from 6-8 pm with a Silent Auction of artwork by local artists. During the reception, feast on great food prepared by area restaurants and caterers, enjoy live performances, and place a bid for your favorite art pieces. At 8 pm, the Main Stage performance begins in The Jim Rouse Theatre for the evening’s headlining events - the presentation of the Howie Awards and the exciting Rising Star Competition!

CEO of the Howard County Economic Development Authority, Richard W. Story, will reprise his role as host of the Main Stage program. Richard B. Talkin, a prominent local lawyer and avid art collector who received the 2008 Howie Award for Outstanding Business Supporter, will serve as Honorary Chair.

The Rising Star Competition is the community’s opportunity to support a local performer’s dream of stardom! After all contestants perform, audience members will vote for their favorite performer. The ballots are counted and the winner is announced that evening live on stage! The winning performer receives a no-strings-attached professional development award of $5,000. This year’s finalists will provide an exciting mix of talent in song, dance, and music. They are:

Nathan Carlisle – Classical Voice
Joanna Dabrowska – Percussion
Mark Edwards – Classical Guitar
Matthew Hill – Musical Theatre
Erin K. Holmes – Classical Voice
Paul Jenkins – Violin
Caleb Jones – Cello
Kevin McAllister – Musical Theatre
Rolando Sanz – Classical Voice
Stephanie Yezek – Modern Dance

The Howie Awards are presented annually by the Arts Council to an outstanding artist, arts educator, and business or community supporter of the arts in recognition of their significant contributions to the arts. The 2009 Howie Award recipients are: Artist, Ronald Mutchnik; Arts Educator, Jeffrey Brodie; and Business Supporter of the Arts, Columbia Film Society.

Celebration is a stellar event that pays tribute to the arts.
It is also the primary fundraiser for the Arts Council and the arts programs which it supports. In the past twelve years, the Celebration has netted $877,622 all of which has been reinvested in the community in the form of grants to local arts organizations and K-12 schools, scholarships for young artists, outreach programs for underserved audiences, and capital improvements to the Howard County Center for the Arts.

Support for this event is vital to maintaining the arts in Howard County. So buy your tickets early and…SAVE THE DATE!


Tickets to the Celebration of the Arts in Howard County are $50 & $75. In light of current economic conditions, this year the Arts Council will issue $25 tickets for the 8:00 p.m. Main Stage show only. Tickets are available for pick-up at the JRT box office after 7:30 p.m. on the night of the event.

For more information or to purchase tickets, please call 410-313-2787 or purchase online at www.hocoarts.org.