Forty-six arts and cultural organizations will receive $559,209 in matching grants from the Howard County Arts Council (HCAC) for fiscal 2017. The awards were announced at the HCAC’s recent annual meeting and reception at the Howard County Center for the Arts.

These matching grants will be used by 20 Howard County organizations, 14 Howard County public schools, and 12 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. $319,479 was awarded to the following organizations for fiscal 2017.

  • Candlelight Concert Society Operating $41,301
  • Columbia Bands Project $5,000
  • Columbia Center for Theatrical Arts Operating $65,575
  • Columbia Festival of the Arts Operating $67,250
  • Columbia Orchestra Operating $34,838
  • Columbia Pro Cantare Operating $24,481
  • First Evangelical Lutheran Church Project $5,000
  • HopeWorks of Howard County Project $2,600
  • Howard County Concert Orchestra Project $5,000
  • Howard County Poetry and Literature Society Operating $14,075
  • Kinetics Dance Theatre Operating $15,000
  • Little Patuxent Review Project $4,500
  • ManneqArt Project $4,659
  • Misako Ballet Company Project $5,000
  • Red Branch Theatre Company Project $5,000
  • Rep Stage Project $5,000
  • ShowTime Singers Project $5,000
  • Silhouette Stages Project $4,850
  • Sundays at Three Project $2,500

Artists-in-Education Project Grants are a partnership between the HCAC and local Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) to place professional artists in residence at Howard County schools to help students foster creative expression. $26,738 in funding was awarded to the following schools for the first fiscal 2017 grant deadline.

  • Bonnie Branch MS PTA $1,325 Chesapeake Shakespeare Company residency
  • Bushy Park ES PTA $1,052 Animated video residency with Leila Cabib
  • Clarksville MS PTA $1,400 Chesapeake Shakespeare Company residency
  • Clemens Crossing ES PTA $2,000 Weaving residency with Nancy Charamella
  • Dunloggin MS PTA $2,993 Chesapeake Shakespeare Company residency
  • Glenwood MS PTSA $3,056 Chesapeake Shakespeare Company residency
  • Harpers Choice MS PTA $1,300 Drama residency with InterAct Story Theatre
  • Ilchester ES PTA $2,400 Mural residency with Tara S. Holl
  • Lime Kiln ES PTA $2,633 Chesapeake Shakespeare Company residency
  • Lisbon ES PTA $3,343  Mosaic residency with Carien Quiroga
  • Marriotts Ridge HS PTSA $1,234 Chesapeake Shakespeare Company residency
  • Stevens Forest ES PTA $2,000 Mosaic residency with Suzanne Herbert-Forton
  • Talbott Springs ES PTA $767 Mosaic residency with Susan Stockman
  • Thunder Hill ES PTA $1,235 Felting residency with Katherine Dilworth

Baltimore City Arts and Cultural Grants provide funding to key Baltimore City organizations that provide significant services to Howard County residents. $156,212 was awarded to the following organizations for fiscal 2017.

  • American Visionary Art Museum $4,085
  • Baltimore Museum of Art $18,384
  • Baltimore Museum of Industry $8,030
  • Baltimore Symphony Orchestra $24,954
  • Center Stage Associates Inc. $23,428
  • Maryland Historical Society $3,255
  • Maryland Science Center $14,700
  • Maryland Zoological Society Inc. $16,151
  • National Aquarium Inc. $14,656
  • Port Discovery Children’s Museum $10,658

Outreach Howard Grants provide funding to key Baltimore City organizations to bring projects and programs directly to Howard County residents. $40,000 was awarded to the following organizations.

  • American Visionary Art Museum $2,750
  • Baltimore Museum of Industry $3,340
  • Baltimore Symphony Orchestra $9,685
  • Chesapeake Shakespeare Company $15,000
  • Maryland Science Center $3,000
  • Maryland Zoological Society Inc. $2,835
  • Port Discovery Children’s Museum $3,390

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. $16,780 was awarded to the following organizations for fiscal 2017.

  • Columbia Festival of the Arts $4,883
  • Columbia Orchestra $5,676
  • Columbia Pro Cantare $2,638
  • Kinetics Dance Theatre $2,341
  • Misako Ballet Company $1,242

The HCAC’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.