Howard County Arts Council

What Howard County Arts Council does

Howard County Arts Council (HoCo Arts) is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation founded in 1981 and designated as the official county arts council for Howard County, Maryland under Howard County Code Section 12.804(a). It operates as the primary re-grant agency for arts funding in the county, distributing more than $900,000 annually across seven grant programs (Artists-in-Education, Baltimore City Arts & Cultural, Community Arts Development, Jim Rouse Theatre Subsidy, Mark Ryder Original Choreography, Outreach Howard, and Organizational Development) to local artists, schools, and approximately 20 arts organizations. The organization also serves as a programming and venue operator, running gallery exhibitions, art classes, summer camps, the annual Celebration of the Arts gala featuring the Rising Star Performing Arts Competition and Howie Awards, and signature community events including ARTreach Festival, Paint It! Ellicott City, and ARTsites.

The organization's core operating asset is the Howard County Center for the Arts, which relocated in December 2025 to the Capitoline Center in Historic Ellicott City. The new facility houses administrative offices, galleries, a black box theatre, three art classrooms, a dance studio, meeting space, and artist studios, and serves approximately 30,000 visitors per year. Supporting programs include Head StART in ART (an NEA-recognized early childhood arts education residency), the Poet Laureate and Youth Poet Laureate programs, and the new Arts for All public art initiative backed by $1.5 million in county funding for permanent installations. The organization is led by Executive Director Coleen West (in role since 1997) and an 11-person staff, governs through an independent board of directors, and sustains a network of recurring partnerships with Howard County Government, Maryland State Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, Howard County Public Schools, Howard Community College, the Howard Hughes Corporation, and the Community Foundation of Howard County.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid nonprofit model: government re-grants (the largest line), individual and corporate memberships ($25-$1,000), donations, facility rentals and studio leases ($144-$596 per unit), arts classes and summer camps, and event-driven fundraising (gala tickets at $50-$100, art auction, corporate sponsorships). The customer base is concentrated geographically in Howard County, with secondary reach into Baltimore City through the Baltimore City Arts & Cultural grant program. The organization does not sell commercial products and has no proprietary technology platform; distribution is delivered directly through its facility, through Howard County Public Schools, and through partner organizations.

Name

Howard County Arts Council

Legal name

Howard County Arts Council

Website

https://hocoarts.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Howard County Arts Council (HoCo Arts) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit designated as the official county arts agency for Howard County, Maryland. It distributes over $900,000 annually in grants to local artists and arts organizations, operates the Capitoline Center gallery and studios, and runs classes, camps, and community festivals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts and Cultural Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Fine Arts Schools (611610), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural Centers & Community Cultural Organizations (BPAGAHAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC), Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH), Arts & Culture Community Festivals (Multidisciplinary Arts Weeks) (MPAGAEAG)

Keywords

• Arts council services
• Community arts programming
• Arts grantmaking
• Art education classes
• Exhibition and gallery services

Headquarters

HQ city

Ellicott City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Tax-deductible charitable contributions from individuals and businesses critical to programs and services. As a designated 501(c)(3), donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
2. Membership: Individual membership levels range from $25-$500; Corporate memberships range from $50-$1,000. Members receive benefits including gallery reception invitations, class discounts, newsletter subscription, and gala tickets at higher tiers.
3. Annual Gala: Celebration of the Arts in Howard County is the primary fundraising event featuring fine art auction, culinary tastings, performances, raffle, and Rising Star Competition. Ticket sales range $50-$100.
4. Government Grants: Distributes over $900k annually to local and regional arts organizations, schools, and individual artists. Partners with Howard County Government, Maryland State Arts Council, and National Endowment for the Arts.
5. Studio and Space Rentals: Affordable studio, rehearsal, classroom, meeting, and performance spaces rented to artists and arts organizations. Studio rentals range approximately $144-$596 depending on size.
6. Art Classes and Camps: Art classes, summer camps, and workshops for all ages generate revenue while fulfilling educational mission. Summer Art Camps offer one-week sessions for students entering grades K-7.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Howard County Arts Council is a nonprofit arts council that operates an arts center delivering gallery exhibitions, art classes and summer camps, grants and scholarships to artists and arts organizations, and affordable studio and performance space rentals. The Council also produces signature community events including the annual Celebration of the Arts gala, ARTreach festival, ARTsites public art exhibit, and arts education programs such as Head StART in ART.

Product overview

Howard County Arts Council operates as a nonprofit arts organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs and services. The core offerings include: gallery exhibits featuring juried and open-call artwork; art classes and summer camps for children and adults; grants and scholarships supporting local artists and arts organizations; affordable studio and performance space rentals at the Capitoline Center; the annual Celebration of the Arts gala with Rising Star Competition and Howie Awards; public art initiatives including Arts for All and ARTsites; community festivals like ARTreach; early childhood arts education through Head StART in ART; and the Howard County Poet Laureate programs. The organization distributes over $900k annually in grants and serves as the designated county arts agency for Howard County.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Art Classes & Camps

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 30,000 annual visitors to the Howard County Center for the Arts
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Howard County Recreation & ParkscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partners on No Boundaries Visual Art Exhibit and Musical Theatre Program for therapeutic recreation and inclusion services. Collaboration on community arts programming and facilities.
• MIGmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2024Award-winning firm specializing in public art consulting, placemaking, community engagement, and urban planning. Partnered for Arts for All public art initiative to commission permanent installations at county facilities.
• Designing LocalmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2024Award-winning, nationally recognized firm that has helped more than 50 US communities create vibrant, engaging, and authentic places. Engaged to guide Howard County Arts & Culture Plan development with 31-member steering committee.
• National Endowment for the ArtsmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Federal arts agency providing funding for Howard County Arts & Culture Plan development and various arts programs over the years.
• HoCoPoLitSominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partnership for Howard County Poet Laureate and Youth Poet Laureate programs, recognizing and supporting local literary artists.
• Howard Hughes CorporationmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Partners on Merriweather District Artist-in-Residence program. Howard Hughes Corporation provides support for artists to create work in the Merriweather area. Arts Council served on Downtown Columbia Cultural Plan Advisory Committee.
• Community Action CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Head StART in ART program partnership through Ellicott City Head Start Center. Program expanded to Tubman Center in 2013 and continues as extended residencies in preschool classrooms.
• Visit Howard CountyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Partners on Paint It! Ellicott City plein air event and tourism promotion of arts events throughout Howard County.
• Howard County Public School SystemcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Partners for Artists-in-Education grants, Youth Art Month exhibits, and Head StART in ART preschool program at Ellicott City Head Start Center.
• Community Foundation of Howard CountycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1999Administers The Future of the Arts in Howard County Endowment Fund. Partnership for endowment management ensuring longevity of arts support.
• Howard County Historical SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1998Board member Ellen Flynn Giles represents Howard County Historical Society and former HoCo Arts Board. Partnership on community arts and cultural initiatives.
• Howard Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1992Hosts Celebration of the Arts gala at Horowitz Visual and Performing Arts Center. Partnership for venue access and arts programming at college facilities.
• Howard County GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1984Designated county arts council per Howard County Code Section 12.804(a). Public-private partnership for arts funding and programming. Howard County Government provides annual funding for grants and supports Arts for All public art initiative with $1.5M dedicated in FY2025.
• Maryland State Arts CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1981State arts agency that provides funding and coordination for local arts councils. Howard County Arts Council is one of 24 county arts councils in Maryland working with MSAC.
• Howard County Library SystemminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1981Collaboration on arts programming and resource sharing for Howard County community.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Mid Atlantic Arts: Regional nonprofit arts service organization serving Maryland, DC, Delaware, and beyond with grantmaking and programming. A board member's prior leadership (Theresa Colvin) creates direct operational familiarity.
• Maryland State Arts Council: State-level arts agency that funds Howard County Arts Council and other Maryland county arts councils. Provides grants, advocacy, and statewide arts policy leadership — a higher-tier counterpart in the same ecosystem.
• Americans for the Arts: National nonprofit advancing the arts and arts education, awarding the National Award for County Arts Leadership that Howard County Arts Council received in 2007. A peer advocacy and recognition organization at the national scale.

Others

• National Assembly of State Arts Agencies: National membership organization of state arts agencies, with which board member Theresa Colvin has served. Represents the broader ecosystem in which Howard County Arts Council operates as a sub-state entity.

Direct peers

• Maryland Art Place: Baltimore contemporary art center where Executive Director Coleen West previously served as Director of Development. Operates galleries and supports regional artists with a city-level scope comparable to Howard County's county mission.
• Creative Alliance (Baltimore): Baltimore-based community arts nonprofit operating galleries, performance spaces, and arts education. Referenced directly in Howard County's staff background (Bronwyn Haymes), indicating operational model overlap.
• Prince George's County Arts Council: Maryland county-level arts council providing community arts funding, programming, and exhibitions. Direct structural peer within the same state arts council framework.
• Anne Arundel County Arts Council: Another Maryland county arts council providing grantmaking, exhibits, and arts programming. Operates under similar state-arts-council framework with comparable grant and program mix.
• Baltimore County Arts Council: Adjacent Maryland county arts council with overlapping regional mission, distributing grants and providing arts programming. Shares donor and funding-pool dynamics with Howard County Arts Council.
• Montgomery County Arts Council: Maryland county-level arts council under the same Maryland State Arts Council network, providing grants, exhibits, and arts programming with a similar statutory designation model. Direct comparable in mandate, scale, and funding structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/HoCoArts
• Instagraminstagram.com/Hocoarts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/howard-county-arts-council-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Howard County Arts Council