Save the Date for the 2015 Celebration of the Arts in Howard County

Howard County’s signature event, the Howard County Arts Council’s Celebration of the Arts in Howard County gala, will be held on Saturday, March 28, 2015 at the Peter and Elizabeth Horowitz Visual and Performing Arts Center at Howard Community College.

Come Celebrate with us...enjoy our reception featuring culinary delicacies from area restaurants and caterers, bid on wonderful works of art by local artists at the silent auction, and enjoy musical performances in both the Smith and Studio Theatres. At 8 p.m. guests will be invited inside the Theatres for the Rising Star Competition and the presentation of the 2014 Howie Awards.The performances and awards are presented live in the Smith Theatre and simulcast in the Studio Theatre. Tickets will be available for purchase in January 2015.

The Rising Star Competition showcases ten emerging performing artists or ensembles (ages 18-35) – that live, work or study in Howard County – vying for a $5,000 professional development award. The audience will choose a winner to receive this prize. Applications for the 2015 competition are available at www.hocoarts.org, with a final submission deadline of November 1, 2014.

The 2014 Howie Awards will also be presented on the Main Stage at the Celebration of the Arts. The Howie Awards are presented annually to an Outstanding Artist, Outstanding Arts Educator, and Outstanding Business or Community Supporter of the Arts. Nominees are judged on their contributions and the impact they have had on the artistic life of Howard County. Nomination forms are available online at the Arts Council’s website, www.hocoarts.org. Nominations must be received no later than October 30, 2014.

Richard W. Story, Senior Vice President, Community Relations and Government Affairs, and Business Development Liaison for Howard Bank, will serve as Event Emcee. Lee and Steve Sachs, who support a number of worthy causes in the community and are strong advocates for the arts, will serve as Honorary Chairs. Lee currently serves on the Columbia Festival of the Arts Board of Trustees; Steve is executive vice president and director of Real Estate and Hotel Practice at Willis and Board Emeritus of the Columbia Festival of the Arts. Both are long-time residents of Howard County.

Sponsorships, volunteer, and internship opportunities are available. Celebration Tickets are $100 (Reception and Smith Theatre) and $50 (Reception and Studio Theatre). For more information, visit us online at www.hocoarts.org or call 410-313-ARTS (2787).

Photo (Lee Waxman): HCAC Board Members Buzz Bartlett and Julie Hughes-Jenkins and HCAC Executive Director Coleen West at the 2014 Celebration