Last Chance for Tickets to Howard County Arts Council's 23rd Annual Celebration of the Arts Gala

Tickets are still available for Howard County's signature event, the Celebration of the Arts in Howard County. The Celebration gala, presented by Howard Bank, provides an annual opportunity for members of Howard County's arts, education, government, and business communities to recognize individuals and businesses that have made meaningful contributions to the arts in Howard County. This year's gala, originally scheduled for March but postponed due to the COVID-19 public health crisis, will be held virtually; ticket holders can view the performance on Thursday, August 27 at 8pm.

The virtual Celebration gala will include a screening of the Rising Star Performing Arts Competition, presentation of the Howie Awards, and an online art auction. Ticket holders will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite performance while chatting online with friends and Rising Star finalists. The performance and voting will also be available on demand through Sunday, August 30.

The Rising Star Competition showcases a talented group of emerging performing artists competing for a professional development award of $5,000! Ticket holders will vote for their favorite performer, with the winner announced live via Zoom on Monday, August 31. The Rising Star finalists performing at the 2020 Celebration are Maya Celeste, Dance; Kayla Dunn, Musical Theatre; Gabriel Hightower, Cello; Kyeongmi Lim, Piano; Ching-Yi Lin, Piano; Alan Naylor, Musical Theatre; Mayukha Pakala, Dance; Gillian Rossbach, Classical Voice; and Nia Savoy, Musical Theatre.

The Howie Awards honor individuals or businesses that have made a significant impact on the arts in Howard County. The 2019 recipients are: Dr. Hsien-Ann Meng, Outstanding Artist; Donna Pidel, Outstanding Arts Educator; and The Howard Hughes Corporation, Outstanding Business Supporter of the Arts. A Legacy in the Arts Award will also be presented to Thomas Sankey.

Tickets to the Celebration are available online at hocoarts.org/celebration through August 10 and may be purchased for $50 or $100. Both price levels include admission to the virtual event and voting capacity for the Rising Star Competition. Ticket buyers may choose to designate the total amount of their ticket purchase as a donation to the Arts Council or they may choose for half the amount to go toward a food voucher from a participating restaurant.

Mary Ann and Chuck Scully are the Honorary Chairs for the Celebration. Joseph Ritsch, Producing Artistic Director for Rep Stage, is Event Emcee.

For more information about the Celebration of the Arts visit hocoarts.org/celebration.

To post a comment, you must register and login.