Howard County Arts Council Receives Grant from the Isadore & Bertha Gudelsky Family Foundation

The Howard County Arts Council (HCAC) has been awarded a $5,000 grant for its HeadStART in ART program from from the Isadore & Bertha Gudelsky Family Foundation, Inc.

This grant willhelp the Arts Council build on an ongoing partnership with Howard County Head Start by providing up to sixteaching artists who will conduct residencies in visual and performing arts at two Head Start centers.The Head Start Program is a federally funded program that has been helping low-income families and pre-school children across the country since 1965.

Head Start offers pre-school programs for 3, 4, and 5 year-old children from low-income families by providing them with a stimulating and educational experience in agroup setting. This worthwhile program gives the children a "head start" towards a successful future.In FY2000, the Howard County Arts Council developed a partnership with the Ellicott City Head Start Centerto establish an artist-in-residence program.

This partnership, Head StART in ART, provides Head Startstudents with an in-depth, hands-on artistic experience they might otherwise never have, and ensures themaccess to the arts. Many of the students are introduced to the arts and a professional artist for the first timeand experience the joy and wonder of artistic expression.

The opportunity for such an experience duringthese formative years can have a key impact on the children's future appreciation of and involvement in thearts.Please call 410-313-2787 or see the website for more information: www.hocoarts.org