Liz Bobo And Lloyd Knowles To Serve As Honorary Co-Chairs Of The Celebration Of The Arts In Howard County

The Howard County Arts Council has announced that Liz Bobo and Lloyd Knowles will serve as Honorary Co-Chairs of the 24th annual Celebration of the Arts in Howard County. The Celebration gala will be held on Saturday, October 2, 2021 from 7:00-9:00pm at the Jim Rouse Theatre for Performing Arts in Columbia.

Liz and Lloyd will offer remarks at the opening of the 90-minute program, which will feature the Rising Star Performing Arts Competition and Howie Award presentations and mark the Arts Council's 40th anniversary, 1981-2021.

In their roles as elected officials in Howard County, Liz and Lloyd were strong supporters of the arts, and both were instrumental in the founding of the Arts Council 40 years ago. Lloyd wrote the legislation giving HCAC the right to distribute funds allocated for the arts in the County budget, and Liz supported and voted for the legislation.

Years later as County Executive, Liz made support for the arts a priority and saw to it that the Jim Rouse Theatre in Wilde Lake High School was designed to professional standards and made available for performances by private community arts groups. Liz, a literature major, graduated from the University of Maryland and served several years as a member of the Board of the Howard County Poetry and Literature Society.

Now married and in retirement, Liz and Lloyd continue to support the local arts community and regularly attend visual, musical, and theatrical events in the county. They have both been known to say, "the arts feed our souls."

The Celebration of the Arts is the Arts Council's major source of annual corporate support. In its 23 years, the event has netted more than $1.7 million. Proceeds from the event provide the Arts Council with the resources necessary to fund grants and scholarships and to offer arts programs year-round. A highlight of the Celebration is the Rising Star Performing Arts Competition for emerging performing artists. The winner of the competition receives a $5,000 professional development award. Other highlights of this year's event include an online art auction, with live preview from 6:00-7:00pm; performances by special guest artists; and the presentation of the Howie Awards, recognizing individuals and businesses for their significant contributions to the arts.

Sponsorship and volunteer opportunities are still available. Tickets are $40 and may be purchased online at hocoarts.org/celebration. A virtual option including a live-stream of the event is also available. For more information, visit hocoarts.org/celebration or call 410.313.ARTS (2787).