Artists from around the region will gather in Ellicott City the weekend of June 9-12 for Paint It! Ellicott City 2022, an annual plein air painting event. The Howard County Arts Council (HCAC) and Visit Howard County have partnered to host this paint-out weekend culminating in an exhibit of 28 juried artists at the Howard County Center for the Arts.   

The guest juror for Paint It! Ellicott City 2022 is award-winning plein air artist Ron Donoughe, who selected the following artists for the juried exhibit: Diane Bay, Pamela Betts, Holly Buehler, Tracy Burk, Lynn Cothern, Freeman Dodsworth, Matt Fenton, Kathleen Ryan Gardiner, Scott Henderson, Marita Hines, Pearl Horng, Greg Johannesen, Rajendra KC, Jane Knighton, Michael Kotarba, Kathleen Kotarba, Lynn Lewis, Garine Magary, James McDonald, Amanda Milliner, Debra Moffitt, Chris Rapa, Jim Rehak, Duane Sabiston, Maggii Sarfaty, Radhika Srinivas, Sharon Trumbull, and Vicky Zhou. 

The event begins with a virtual Artist Orientation and Welcome Reception via Zoom on Wednesday, June 8 from 4-5pm. Then, all day on June 9-12, artists will set up their easels throughout Ellicott City’s historic district to capture scenes of the picturesque mill town and its unique charms. Members of the public are encouraged to come watch the artists at work while strolling Main Street’s sidewalks and shops, or to join the fun as Open Paint-Out participants.   

Artists and visitors are invited to attend a free reception at the Howard County Center for the Arts on Monday, June 13 from 6-8pm. The evening will feature the presentation of juror awards, including the coveted Gino Awards, two $1,000 cash prizes sponsored by the Manelli family in honor of Ellicott City artist Gino Manelli (1915–2010). Additional Paint It! Awards are made possible through the generous support of these sponsors: AARP of Maryland, Blossoms of Hope, EC250, and Patapsco Heritage Greenway.

Registration is required for artists who wish to be included in an Open Paint exhibit, to be held at the Howard County Welcome Center. Artists may register at hocoarts.org/paint-it before and during the event.   

This year’s paint-out takes place as Ellicott City celebrates its 250^th anniversary. Visit EC250.org to learn more about the special events taking place all year to commemorate this historic occasion. 

Paint It! Ellicott City 2022 will be on display alongside Fabricating Order, a multi-media exhibit featuring metal etchings by Washington, DC artist Gaylia Wagner and digital embroidery by Susan Hensel of Minneapolis. 

Both exhibits run from June 13 – August 6, 2022. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday 10am – 8pm, Saturday 10am – 4pm, and Sunday 12 – 4pm. The galleries and the Center for the Arts are closed July 4. To learn more about these and other HCAC programs, visit hocoarts.orgor call 410-313-ARTS (2787).