Howard County Arts Council Honors Howie Award Winners

The Howard County Arts Council will honor its 2015 Howie Award winners as it celebrates 35 years of fostering the arts at the 19th Annual Celebration of the Arts on Saturday, March 19, 2016, at the Peter and Elizabeth Horowitz Visual and Performing Arts Center, Howard Community College, Columbia, MD. The Celebration gala affords members of Howard County's arts, education, government, and business communities the opportunity to gather to honor individuals and businesses that have made meaningful contributions to the arts in Howard County.

The Howie Awards are presented annually by the Arts Council to an Outstanding Artist who has contributed a high level of talent and vision to the artistic life of the community; an Outstanding Arts Educator who has made an exceptional contribution to arts education in Howard County; and an Outstanding Business or Community Supporter that has made a significant impact on the arts in Howard County.

This year's honoree for Outstanding Artist is Maureen Berry. Maureen is the Director of the Teelin Irish Dance Company and Owner/Director of the Teelin School of Irish Dance. In 2009, Maureen was the top recipient of the Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist Award for Dance Choreography.

Maureen's extensive dance training ranges from modern, ballet, salsa, tap and jazz to traditional Appalachian clogging and Irish step dance. She earned her BFA degree in Dance Performance from Towson University and joined Footworks Percussive Dance Ensemble as a full-time performer in June 1997, subsequently touring all over the world. She was awarded her TCRG teaching certification by An Coimisiun le Rinci Gaelacha (the Irish Dancing Commission, in Dublin, Ireland) in 2001, and is an active member of the Irish Dance Teachers Association of North America.

Maureen is currently focusing her energy on teaching and directing. Highlights of her career include producing, choreographing and starring in the highly successful original productions of feature-length stage shows: Portraits of Ireland (2006-2011), StepDance(2012-2013), and Sláinte (2014), and she will be debuting Celtic Storm (2016) at the Weinberg Center for the Arts in Frederick, Maryland.

Pamela Land is the 2015 honoree for Outstanding Arts Educator. Pam is the founding theatre arts teacher and director at River Hill High School in Clarksville, Maryland. Since 1996, she has taught the art of theatre to over 2,000 students and produced and/or directed nearly 50 main stage productions which have included over 4,000 students. Pam holds a BFA in Speech and Drama (Towson University), and an MS in Curriculum and Instruction (McDaniel College).

Pam currently serves as the lead theatre arts teacher for the Howard County Public School System, mentoring new teachers, facilitating professional development for veteran teachers, and supervising curriculum workshops. As a part of HCPSS Theatre Arts Student Enrichment Initiatives, she co-founded the Howard County Student Theatre Festival and the All County Improvisational Acting Troupe. Pam also regularly serves in advisory and developmental capacities to the Maryland State Department of Education Fine Arts Office and Arts Education in Maryland Schools.

For over a decade, Pam has also performed professionally as a singer, dancer, and actress in local theatre, regional theatre and national tours across the United States and Canada.

The honoree for Outstanding Business Supporter of the Arts is Pixel Workshop. Since 1995, Ilana & Dave Bittner have been the artistic force behind this creative content studio dedicated to the art and craft of storytelling. Pixel Workshop provides world-class video, web, interactive and social media campaigns for corporations, government, nonprofits, and educational institutions. Yet, their proudest moments have come from lending their time and talent to contribute to the success of many community organizations, and nurturing an impressive pool of talented interns that have launched successful careers.

Ilana Bittner is a University of Maryland alumnus with a BA in Radio, Television, and Film. In the Howard County community, Ilana's been privileged to serve on the board of a variety of organizations, including Leadership Howard County, The Columbia Foundation, Howard County Chamber of Commerce, Family and Children's Services, and The Cappies of Baltimore, and was proud to attend the All-America competition as part of Howard County's winning contingent.

An accomplished Steadicam operator, director of photography and video editor, Dave Bittner is equally comfortable behind the camera lens and in the driver's seat of an edit suite. A Howard County native, Dave earned a BA in Radio, Television, and Film from the University of Maryland. In addition to volunteering with his local Rotary club, Dave often lends his services as emcee to various nonprofits in the region.

Come help us Celebrate! The evening will begin at 6pm with a reception and silent auction of artwork in various media and styles by local artists. During the reception, partygoers will be treated to culinary delicacies from distinctive local restaurants. At 8pm, guests will enjoy the much anticipated presentations of the 2015 Howie Awards and performances from the finalists of the Rising Star Performing Artist Competition!

Tickets are $50 and $100 and are available for purchase online at hocoarts.org or by calling 410-313-ARTS(2787).

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