Paint It! Ellicott City Award Winners Announced

Landscape artists from around the Mid-Atlantic region – and as far away as San Francisco! – gathered in Historic Ellicott City July 7–9, drawing inspiration from the old mill town’s unique architecture and quirky charm while competing for cash prizes during the eighth annual Paint It! Ellicott City plein air paint-out.

A reception at the Howard County Arts Council on July 10 featured the premiere of an exhibit showcasing the work of 30 juried artists; a one-night showing of work completed by non-juried participants in the Open Paint-Out; and the presentation of nearly $6,000 in awards to the artists.

Juror Hai-Ou Hou presented the top two prizes, the $1,000 Gino Awards named in honor of Ellicott City artist Gino Manelli (1915–2010), to Bruno Baran for The Fairy Store and Jane Knighton for Tiber Rest.

Juror awards also went to:

• 1st place, $800: Michael Kotarba, Twins
• 2nd place, $700: Raymond Ewing, Light Traffic
• 3rd place, $600: Alison Leigh Menke, Lights Around the Bend
• 4th place, $500: Tara Will, Courthouse Parking
• 5th place, $400: Debra Howard, Stacked Rocks on the Patapsco River
• Honorable Mention, $150: Nancy Freeman, A River Runs Through It and Paul Keysar, Work in Progress
• Honorable Mention, Chesapeake Fine Arts Studio Student Scholarship: Ann J. Crostic, Church Street Steps and Alexander Wissel, Signs Point to Yes
• Howard County Arts Council Director's Choice Award, $100: Rana Geralis, Houses on Park Ave
• Emerging Artist Awards, $50: Annika Marthinuss, Around the Bend and Madeline Dozat, Date Night with Dad

Howard County Blossoms of Hope's Award for Best Depiction of Nature, $250, went to Sara Kahn for Ellicott City Community Garden – Patapsco Garden.

Patapsco Heritage Greenway’s Best Depiction of the Patapsco River Award, $500, went to Debra Howard for Stacked Rocks on the Patapsco River. Patapsco Heritage Greenway’s Purchase Award went to Charles Snell for Manor Hill Tavern.

Awards were also presented to the Open Paint Artists:

• Howard County Tourism Director's Choice Award, $100: Katherine Farrell, Wiley’s Sunday

Paint Down Main, the popular quick draw competition, returned for its third year on Saturday, July 8. A record 62 artists participated, taking a painting from start to finish in just two hours. Sponsored by Mat About You Gallery & Framing, the Ellicott City Partnership, Howard County Tourism & Promotion, Chesapeake Fine Arts Studio, and HorseSpirit Art Gallery, the event yielded more than $2,000 in cash and prizes. The judge selected the following artists to receive awards:

Juried artists

• 1st place: Nancy Freeman, Greens for Lunch
• 2nd place: Raymond Ewing, Down Hill from Here
• 3rd place: Stanley Agbontaen, Somewhere Around Us
• Honorable Mention: Dennis Young, Reflections and Jane Knighton, Around the Bend.

Open Paint Artists

• 1st place: Caitlin Tallie, Down Main
• 2nd place: Thomas Bucci, 25 Miles Per Hour
• 3rd place: Pamela Wilde, Firehouse Yellow
• Honorable Mention: Lorraine Imwold, Down Main Street and Debbie Miller, Ellicott City Stream

Under 18

• Winner: Alexis Leder, Hot Summer Day
• Honorable Mention: Jordyn Pittman, Cara Pahucki, Jonathan Storch, Gavin Grimm and Levi Leder

The People’s Choice Award went to Alison Leigh Menke for Color Shade.

Paint It! Ellicott City 2017, the exhibit featuring the juried artists’ work, remains on display at the Howard County Arts Council through August 11.

Paint It! Ellicott City is presented by Howard County Arts Council, Howard County Tourism & Promotion, Mat About You Gallery & Framing, Ellicott City Partnership, and the Howard County Public School System. For more information on this and other Arts Council programs, visit hocoarts.org.