On  August 19, the Howard County Arts Council (HCAC) opens two new exhibits at the Howard County Center for the Arts: EC250: ARTifacts  and  Branching Out.

Presented in partnership with EC250 Inc. and the Howard County Historical Society, EC250: ARTifacts is a commemorative group exhibit celebrating 250 years of Ellicott City history by showcasing 18 local artists’ responses to objects from the artifact collection of the Howard County Historical Society. Works by Nancy Berson, Linda Joy Burke, Caroline Creeden, Stephanie Dyke, Jennifer Eidson, Riley Goodman, Elli Hernandez, Jennifer Hudson, Nishita Jain, Tarneeja Makol, Sookkyung Park, Lisa Scarbath, Jereme Scott, Jay Shovan, Mary Jo Tydlacka, Karen Wallace, David Zuccarini, and Bonnie Zuckerman will be featured.

Among the historical items selected as inspiration by the artists are a compass purportedly used by Andrew Ellicott during surveys in the late 1700s; a collection of nails said to be from the foundations of Ellicott’s Upper Mills, once located along the Patapsco River at Hollofield; and a keepsake box containing a lock of hair.

Artists used a variety of media to create works for ARTifacts, including oil, mosaic, installation, photography, glass, cut paper, spoken word, and more.

In Gallery II, Branching Out is a multi-media exhibit featuring tapestries by Jenn Cacciola, of Stanford, Connecticut, and found wood sculptures by George Lorio, of Rockville, Maryland.

Both exhibits will be on display from August 19 through September 24, with a free public reception on September 16 from 6-8pm in conjunction with the Arts Council’s Road to the Arts weekend. The reception will feature a one-night-only live floral display by the Howard County Garden Club in honor of EC250.

Gallery hours are Monday through Friday 10am-8pm, Saturday 10am-4pm, and Sunday 12-4pm. The Galleries are closed for Labor Day on Monday, September 5. To learn more about HCAC programs and exhibits, call 410-313-ARTS (2787) or visit hocoarts.org.