Saturday, September 15, 2007

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Denee Barr Art News and More

Howard County, Maryland Honored With the 2007 National Award for County Arts Leadership

Washington, DC—July 16, 2007—Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in America, in conjunction with the National Association of Counties (NACo) today presented the 2007 National Award for County Arts Leadership to the Howard County Government of Howard County, Maryland at NACo’s annual meeting in Richmond, Virginia.

The National Award for County Arts Leadership is part of a series of Public Leadership in the Arts Awards given annually by Americans for the Arts. The award honors an elected county board or individual leader who has significantly advanced the arts in the communities they serve. The Howard County Government was chosen for their dedication to supporting the arts in the area and incorporating culture into the county’s economic development plan.

Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO for Americans for the Arts, stated, “The work of the Howard County Government on behalf of the arts has helped make Howard County a national leader in promoting strong arts and cultural programs. They have exhibited exemplary leadership in the state of Maryland by dramatically increasing funds to the arts and cultural sector, while funds on the state level are declining.”

This year, under new administration led by County Executive Ken Ulman, the Howard County Government approved an 8.2 percent increase for the arts for FY 2008—increasing local public funding to $440,100—an all-time high. This appropriation also raises Howard County's per capita support of the arts to $1.63. Both Ulman and the County Council have publicly recognized the value of the arts and their impact on building stronger communities and increasing the quality and enjoyment of life in Howard County.

Only six months into his first year as Executive, Ulman is piloting an inter-agency community art program that will not only revitalize a non-descript public building located on the U.S. Route 1 corridor, but transform it into a gathering place and source of pride for the community.

“We believe in the transforming power of the arts, particularly when it comes to art in public places. This increase in the arts budget not only continues the legacy of public support for the arts in Howard County, but is a signal that the arts will be a priority in the new administration,” said Ulman.

Since 2000, the Howard County Government has consistently ranked as one of the top three counties in the state for per capita operating funds designated for the arts and has provided a stable source of funding and significant in-kind services for local arts groups.

Americans for the Arts established the National Award for County Arts Leadership in 1999 to recognize the positive role county government leaders play in improving arts programs, increasing funding to the arts, and making the arts accessible in their communities. Past recipients include: Douglas M. Duncan, County Executive in Montgomery County, Maryland; the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors; County Commissioner Park Helms of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina; County Commissioner Betty Lou Ward of Wake County, North Carolina; the Broward County Board of Commissioners of Broward County, Florida; the Jefferson County Commission of Jefferson County, Alabama; and the Lackawanna County Commissioners of Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania.

Americans for the Arts is the leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in America. With offices in Washington, DC, and New York City, it has a record of 45 years of service. Americans for the Arts is dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts. Additional information is available at www.AmericansForTheArts.org.

NACo, the only national organization that represents county governments in the United States, continues to follow the traditions established by those early county officials. With its headquarters on Capitol Hill, NACo is a full-service organization that provides an extensive line of services including legislative, research, technical, and public affairs assistance, as well as enterprise services to its members. The association acts as a liaison with other levels of government, works to improve public understanding of counties, serves as a national advocate for counties, and provides them with resources to help them find innovative methods to meet the challenges they face. NACo is involved in a number of special projects that deal with such issues as the environment, sustainable communities, volunteerism and intergenerational studies. Additional information is available at www.naco.org.

-------------------------------------------------www.hocoarts.org

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Denee Barr Art News and More

Exhibition Opportunities - Juried Shows
Deadline: Monday, October 15

The Howard County Center for the Arts, a 27,000 square foot facility located in Ellicott City, Maryland, is seeking proposals from artists and curators nationwide for solo and group exhibits for the 2008-2009 gallery season. All original artwork in any media, including installations, will be considered for the general review. The Arts Council is also accepting slide submissions for two specific upcoming exhibits: Illuminations (working title), a juried exhibit of artworks with light/illumination as the primary medium, and an untitled exhibit of book arts.

Qualifications: Work previously shown at the Howard County Center for the Arts will not be accepted for review, nor will work previously submitted to the gallery program in the past year. There is no fee to apply. Artists must be at least 18 years old. Artists and curators should submit up to 20 slides with an accompanying slide list, an artist/curator statement, resume and application to exhibit, along with a self-addressed, stamped envelope with sufficient postage for the return of application materials. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

Call 410-313-2787

or go online

(http://www.hocoarts.org/GALLERY_PROSPECTUS_2008-2009.pdf) for an application.

Submissions are accepted on an ongoing basis, however, deadlines to be included in the next two reviews are October 15, 2007 and April 15, 2008.

for more info:

Howard County Center for the Arts
t: 410.313.2787 or
info@hocoarts.org or www.hocoarts.org

Denee Barr Art News and More

A Good Education is Like Money in the Bank

Attention All Artists



Don't Let a Year Go By Without Doing the Following:


A. Participate in a class, workshop, seminar, networking event in your art medium

B. Participate in a class, workshop, seminar, networking event in business

Put Art to work..............................................Denee