Please view Site Plan for full requirements.

Howard County History:

Howard County officially became the 21st of Maryland’s 23 counties in 1851.  It was named in honor of John Eager Howard, statesman, soldier and fifth governor of Maryland.  Howard County was mainly farming and hunting grounds for the Native Americans until 1687 when Adam Shipley was granted property on the Patapsco River from Lord Baltimore and started the farming tradition.  The County’s history included the Carroll family, signers of the Declaration of Independence and one of Americas wealthiest families, and the Ellicott brothers who established a flour mill on the Patapsco River and went on to create the largest pig iron foundry on the east coast, and Ellicott Mills, one of the greatest milling and manufacturing towns in the east at that time.  They built roads, bridges, a wharf in Baltimore, schools, the first railroad terminal on the B & O railroad and the first part of the National Road that was later to become America’s first interstate highway.

The county was predominately agricultural in character until 1966, when construction began on the new town of Columbia, which was planned and developed by the Rouse Company, led by its founder James Rouse.  Beginning with an idea and the purchase of 14,000 acres in the mid-1960’s, Columbia reached its original population projection of 100,000 residents by 2015 and has met or exceeded the goals put forth in its original proposal and advertising.

The county is ideally located midway between Baltimore and Washington, DC and has grown substantially in population to over 325,000 today.  It is known for the best schools in Maryland and is now one of the top 10 wealthiest counties in the nation.  Under a home rule charter since 1968, Howard County is governed by an elected County Executive and a five-member County Council.

Project Background:

The County decided in 2021 to create a memorial to honor the front-line and emergency personnel that did so much to help get our community through the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as remember those who were lost to COVID-19 during the pandemic. It was decided to create a grove of trees as a setting for a sculpture, as well as a seating area with reflecting water fountain to provide a bright and vibrant, but also quiet and serene location for reflection and remembrance.

The included plans and digitally rendered images show the schematic design for the seating area and setting for the sculpture.

Application Requirements

Applications must be submitted by May 29, 2024

Online application will include:

·         Application Form

·         Statement of Interest to create a sculpture for the Howard County Covid-19 Memorial and how the artist’s public art experience benefits this project.

·         Eligibility Statement explaining how the artist’s experience complies with at least two of the criteria for eligibility.

·         Resume or CV

·         References include at least three (3) art and/or design professionals who have detailed knowledge of the artist’s work and working methods.  Include contact name, address, telephone number, and e-mail for each reference. 

·         Photographs of at least three previous sculpture works done by the artist or team.

·         Concept sketches or digital renderings showing the overall concept for the sculpture. A minimum of two images, showing different views of the sculpture, shall be submitted. Additional images are permitted, at the artist’s discretion. Photos of models are permitted, at the artist’s discretion.

·         A written description explaining the concept of the sculpture, focusing on how it reflects the vision for the memorial and how it fits into the setting of the memorial. A description of the materials of the sculpture must be included, explaining the durability of the materials and any unique maintenance conditions required.

Eligibility Criteria

All professional artists or artist teams in the United States may apply.  If artists are applying as a team, the team should be declared on the Application Form, specifying a team leader to receive notifications. Three references, including names and contact information, are required.  Additionally, the artist must meet at least two of the following criteria to be considered for this commission:

·         The artist has completed public art commissions

·         The artist has received awards, grants or fellowships

·         The artist has had work exhibited in museums or galleries

Staff or employees of the Howard County Government are not eligible to apply.