Howard County Arts Council Announces 2014 Matching Grants

Forty-five arts and cultural organizations will receive $527,619 in matching grants from the Howard County Arts Council for Fiscal Year 2014. The awards were announced at the Arts Council's annual meeting and reception at the Howard County Center for the Arts on September 20, 2013. These matching grants will be used by 20 Howard County organizations; 14 Howard County public schools; and 10 key Baltimore City organizations to support general operations and projects taking place in Howard County, artist residencies, and special projects in the arts.

Community Arts Development Grants fund day-to-day activities for Howard County arts organizations as well as special projects in the arts. $307,774 was awarded to the following organizations for FY2014:

Candlelight Concert Society - Operating $31,750
Chesapeake Shakespeare Company - Operating $48,961
Columbia Bands - Project $4,000
Columbia Center for Theatrical Arts - Operating $61,212
Columbia Festival of the Arts - Operating $50,818
Columbia Orchestra - Operating $27,109
Columbia Pro Cantare - Operating $21,724
Domestic Violence Center of Howard County - Project $1,500
Howard County Ballet - Operating $7,500
Howard County Concert Orchestra - Project $2,500
Howard County Poetry & Literature Society - Operating $11,700
Kinetics Dance Theatre - Operating $12,000
Kittamaqundi Community Church - Project $3,000
Little Patuxent Review - Project $2,500
ManneqArt - Project $4,000
Misako Ballet Company - Project $4,000
Rep Stage - Project $4,000
ShowTime Singers - Project $3,000
Silhouette Stages - Project $4,000
Sundays at Three - Project $2,500
Artist-in-Education Project Grants are a partnership between the Arts Council and local Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) to place professional artists in residence at Howard County Schools to help students foster creative expression. $21,040 in funding was awarded to the following schools for FY2014:

Atholton ES PTA $1,400
Bonnie Branch MS PTA $330
Bushy Park ES PTA $930
Deep Run ES PTA $2,945
Glenwood MS PTA $2,133
Harper's Choice MS PTA $798
Hollifield Station ES PTA $636
Lime Kiln MS PTA $1,750
Longfellow ES PTA $1,690
Manor Woods ES PTA $1,867
Northfield ES PTA $1,833
Swansfield ES PTA $2,000
Talbott Springs ES PTA $2,053
Wilde Lake MS PTA $675

Applications for the second cycle of the FY14 Artists-in-Education Grant Program are now available at hcac.culturegrants.org. The deadline to apply is October 18, 2013 at 11:59pm. Schools who applied for the first cycle may apply again.

Baltimore City Arts and Cultural Grants provide funding to key Baltimore City organizations that provide significant services to Howard County residents. $162,464 was awarded to the following organizations for FY2014:

American Visionary Art Museum $5,629
Baltimore Museum of Art $22,665
Baltimore Museum of Industry $5,849
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra $28,433
Center Stage Associates, Inc. $24,045
Maryland Science Center $15,606
Maryland Zoo in Baltimore $12,921
National Aquarium in Baltimore $21,749
Port Discovery Children's Museum $8,332
The Walters Art Museum $17,235

Outreach Howard Grants provide funding to key Baltimore City organizations to bring projects and programs directly to Howard County residents. $21,444 was awarded to the following organizations for FY2014:

Baltimore Museum of Industry $2,276
Maryland Science Center $5,172
Maryland Zoo in Baltimore $3,288
Port Discovery Children's Museum $4,708
The Walters Art Museum $6,000

Applications for the second cycle of the Outreach Howard Grant Program are now available at hcac.culturegrants.org. The deadline to apply is October 18, 2013 at 11:59pm. Eligible organizations who applied for the first cycle may apply again.

The Jim Rouse Theatre Subsidy Program assists community arts groups by partially underwriting theatre rental fees at The Jim Rouse Theatre for the Performing Arts. $14,097 was awarded to the following organizations for FY2014:

Columbia Orchestra $6,785
Columbia Pro Cantare $4,140
Kinetics Dance Theatre $1,715
Misako Ballet Company $1,457

The Mark Ryder Original Choreography Grant recognizes individual creative expression and provides financial assistance to dance choreographers to create new original work. $800 was awarded to Shobha Subramanian of Jayamangala.

Howard County Arts Council grants are awarded on the basis of artistic merit, ability of the applicant to carry out the project, and level of service to the community. Grants are made through a competitive process in which applications are reviewed by an advisory panel made up of academics and artists representing a variety of disciplines. Grant award recommendations are then reviewed and approved by the Howard County Arts Council Board of Directors.

The Arts Council's grant program is supported through grants from the Howard County government and the Maryland State Arts Council as well as through the Howard County Arts Council's own foundation, corporate, and individual giving initiatives.

The Howard County Arts Council is a non-profit organization whose mission is to serve the citizens of Howard County by fostering the arts, artists and arts organizations. The Howard County Arts Council receives major grants from the Howard County Government and the Maryland State Arts Council and sustaining annual support from corporate, foundation and individual sponsors. Howard County Arts Council offices are located at the Howard County Center for the Arts, 8510 High Ridge Road, Ellicott City, MD 21043. The Howard County Center for the Arts is an accessible facility encouraging the full participation of individuals with disabilities. For information, call 410.313.ARTS (2787), fax 410.313.2790, or email info@hocoarts.org.