Howard County Arts Council Seeks Artists for Head StART in ART Residencies

Visual and performing artists are needed for residencies for the Head StART in ART program for the 2017-2018 school year. Residencies will take place at the Ellicott City Head Start Center or the Old Cedar Lane Head Start Center in Columbia. Artists seeking a residency must have experience working with children; experience with pre-K is preferred. The performing artist residency will conclude with performances by the Head Start children. The visual artist residency will conclude with the completion of an art project for display at their Head Start Center or individual projects for students to take home. Applications are available online in the Opportunities for Artists & Arts Groups section at hocoarts.org or at the Howard County Center for the Arts, 8510 High Ridge Road, Ellicott City, MD 21043. The deadline for proposals is August 21, 2017.

The Howard County Arts Council coordinates, administers, and funds Head StART in ART, with additional funding from the Isadore and Bertha Gudelsky Family Foundation, Inc. for the 2017-2018 school year. HCAC selects the artists and works closely with them and the Head Start staff to create a thematic program.

In FY2000, the Howard County Arts Council developed a partnership with the Ellicott City Head Start Center to establish an artist-in-residence program. This partnership, Head StART in ART, provides the children with an in-depth, hands-on artistic experience they might never have otherwise and ensures them access to the arts. Participation in such a program during the formative years can have a significant impact on a child's future appreciation of and involvement in the arts and may also advance language and learning skills.