14th Annual Celebration of the Arts in Howard County Held

On Saturday, March 26, over 500 business and arts leaders attended the Arts Council's 14th Annual Celebration of the Arts in Howard County & 30th Anniversary Gala at Howard Community College's Peter and Elizabeth Horowitz Visual and Performing Arts Center in Columbia. This year's annual benefit gala netted over $80,000 and an additional $86,000 in donated goods and services was raised in support of the arts in Howard County. Since 1998, over $1 million has been raised through Celebration of the Arts!

A highlight of the evening was the 2011 Rising Star competition. After viewing ten amazing Rising Star finalists, the audience voted Evan Sanderson as the 2011 Rising Star winner and recipient of a $5,000 professional development award! His compelling rendition of Shakespeare's Marc Antony Funeral Oration from Julius Caesar wowed the audience! Pianist Thomas Edward Hunter received the $2,500 award for his interpretation of Danzas Argentinas No.3: Danza del gaucho matrero, and vocalist Stephanie E. Barnes received $1,000 for her performance of Ah! Je veux vivre from Romeo et Juliette. Other gifted finalists who performed were: Heather Marie Beck (musical theatre); Charise T. Byers (dance); David Fair (opera); Jillian Finnamore (opera); Emma Jensen (opera); Clare Kneebone (musical theatre); and Robin Fay Massie (viola).

The 2010 Howie Awards were presented for outstanding leadership in the arts in Howard County. The 2010 recipients were Ian Gallanar for Outstanding Artist, Sally Livingston for Outstanding Arts Educator, and Darlene Miller for Outstanding Community Supporter of the Arts. This year, the late Bob Russell was honored with a special Legacy in the Arts Award.

During the early evening reception guests were entertained with jazz by Damon Foreman and Friends in the Screening Club, Brant Challacombe on piano in the great hall, and classical ensembles featuring Bruce Myers, Fay Rosinsky, Jere Stern, Carl Tretter, Melissa Lindon, Hsien-Ann Meng, and Wei-Der Huang in the Monteabaro Recital Hall.

Guest performers featured on stage were Teelin Irish Dance Company, Patricia Hammer on the piano, and selected scenes from Beehive, The 60's Musical, straight off their run from Toby's Dinner Theatre.

Over twenty of the county's finest restaurants and caterers provided food and competed for Best Display. Absolutely Perfect Catering won the first place for Best Display, Biddle Street Catering & Events came in second, and in third was The Crab Shanty. The silent auction featured 83 local artists, who contributed 127 works of art, and 77 works of art were sold!

Each year, proceeds from the Celebration support grants to local arts organizations and schools (grades K-12); scholarships for emerging artists, and programs in the arts. The Arts Council salutes all of the board members, sponsors, guests, artists and volunteers who made the event such an overwhelming success.

For more information, call 410-313-ARTS (2787) or visit the Arts Council website: www.hocoarts.org.

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