What is the nomination timeline?
Howie Award nominations open in mid-February and are due in mid-April. The Howie Committee then reviews the applications and meets to determine the honorees. Nominees and nominators will be notified of the Committee’s decision by mid-June. Howie honorees accept their award at the annual Celebration of the Arts gala which takes place in late October or early November.
Will my nomination still be considered without the supplemental materials?
If your nomination includes the required contact information, narrative, and bio, resume, or CV, it will be considered. However, the strongest nominations are ones that include specific support materials that elaborate on the nominee’s contributions to the artistic life of Howard County. The Committee will only know as much information about the nominee as you provide in your nomination.
Why should I include letters of support if they are not required?
In many cases, the inclusion of letters of support may be very helpful.
For example: If there’s a significant aspect of the nominee’s contributions to the arts in which you have not been involved, it may be valuable to include a letter of support from someone who can speak directly to the nominee’s contributions in this area.
Likewise, if there’s someone who has overseen the nominee’s work or an expert in the field who has worked with the nominee, a letter of support from this individual may help strengthen and authenticate your narrative. For example, for Outstanding Arts Educator nominees who have taught at schools or other institutions, a letter of support from the principal, dean, or director often gives the Committee helpful insight.
I’d like to include letters of support with the nomination, whom should I ask to write one?
The purpose of letters of support is to offer new insights into the nominee’s contributions, so you will want to select one or more people who can offer different and unique perspectives on the nominee’s work.
For example, those nominating arts educators often find it helpful to include letters of support from a colleague; student or parent; and the school principal, in cases where the nominee teaches at a school.
Many people would like to write letters of support for my nominee, why can I only include five?
The quality of these supporting materials is more important to the Committee than the quantity, so your nomination will be better served if you select just a few people (or even one person) to write strong, high-quality letter(s). In these cases, a good option is to have multiple people sign one letter of support.
For example: for Outstanding Artist nominees, multiple colleagues in the artistic discipline might elect to sign the same letter of support. For Outstanding Arts Educator nominees, it often works well to have one parent or student write a letter of support, and then have multiple parents and/or students sign it, rather than asking them each to write a separate letter.
I’d like to include physical supplemental documents of support, such as a copy of the nominee’s book, a newspaper article about the nominee, etc. How do I submit them? Can I get these supplemental documents back at the end of the Committee’s review process?
PDFs, digital copies, and website links are preferred for all supplemental documents. If you send in a paper nomination, you may include the physical documents. We do NOT recommend submitting an online nomination and then mailing physical support materials.
In the case of newspaper articles, we recommend sending in a photocopy rather than including the original clipping. For books, photographs, and other supplemental material, we can return your original(s) after the review process is complete if return postage has been provided or if arrangements are made to pick up the materials. We’ll get in touch with the nominator at that time to arrange for the return of these materials.
How can I get access to my nominee’s bio, resume, or CV?
Some nominators simply ask their nominees for a copy of their current bio, resume, or CV. Other times, nominators are able to find a bio or CV on the nominee’s website, in performance programs or exhibit catalogues, on the nominee’s employer’s website, on professional networking websites, or through other sources. If you have trouble finding one on your own, it is always an option to ask the nominee to send one to you for inclusion in the nomination.
Can I nominate someone in more than one category?
Yes. Just make sure you check the appropriate boxes on the nomination form indicating which category or categories you would like your nominee to be considered. You will also want to ensure that your narrative and supplemental materials support the nominee’s contributions in each category for which you have nominated them.
Can I nominate more than one person for a Howie Award?
Absolutely. You will need to fill out a separate nomination form for each person you nominate and submit a separate narrative for each one.
Can I nominate the same person I nominated last year?
Yes. The only people not eligible for consideration are previous winners, Howie Committee members, and HCAC Board members. From time to time, the Committee selects strong nominations to carry over for consideration from the following year. You should have been notified of the Committee’s decision to carry over your nomination last year. Please note, nominations carried over will not receive priority consideration. They will be reviewed and given the same thoughtful consideration as all others submitted in the current nomination period. Past nominators are welcome to update their nomination and re-submit.
Please contact the Arts Council if you would like to know the status of your previous nomination or update the nomination materials.
Can I nominate myself for a Howie Award?
No. At this time the Arts Council does not take self-nominations. We recommend asking a trusted colleague or friend familiar with your work to submit a nomination.
Who is eligible for an Outstanding Community Supporter of the Arts award?
The Outstanding Community Supporter of the Arts award can be awarded to a business, organization, or individual who has made meaningful contributions in support of the arts. In this award category, an individual nominee will most likely be someone who does not “fit” into the Artist or Arts Educator categories, such as a patron, administrator, or arts advocate.
Will my nominee receive any communications from the Arts Council letting them know I nominated them?
Yes, after the Committee completes its review process, the Arts Council sends a letter to all nominees congratulating them on their nomination and letting them know who nominated them for a Howie Award.
Additional questions? Please feel free to contact us at (410) 313-2787 or info@hocoarts.org
