Howard Community College’s Horowitz Center Celebrates 20th Anniversary Season

Visual and Performing Arts Center showcase students, alumni, faculty and guest artists

COLUMBIA, Md., Sept. 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Howard Community College’s (HCC) Horowitz Visual and Performing Arts Center presents a milestone year showcasing the creative talents of student and professional artists. Kicking off with an exhibition from world-renowned artist Wonsook Kim, the 20th Anniversary Season offers a wide-ranging lineup of artistic experiences, including children’s theatre, modern musicals, classical music, contemporary dance, stunning art exhibitions, poetry readings, film discussions, and more.

“This year marks the 20th season of the Horowitz Visual and Performing Arts Center,” said Dr. Daria J. Willis, HCC President. “We are proud to be recognized as a vibrant gathering place for our community, offering high-quality, engaging, and accessible programming. As we celebrate this milestone, we look forward to reconnecting with longtime patrons and welcoming new visitors from Howard County and across Maryland to enjoy the rich variety of events planned for this season—and many more to come.”

Visual Arts

Internationally acclaimed artist Wonsook Kim’s exhibition “Visual Poetry: the work of Wonsook Kim” runs through October 12 in The Rouse Company Foundation Gallery. This exhibition calls patrons to step into the dreamlike world of Wonsook Kim, where poetic paintings, etchings, and sculptures invite you to pause, reflect, and rediscover beauty in the unseen.

“Art is communication. As an artist, I am blessed to be able to do what I love, and communicate my personal story through my pieces. I am honored to have my sixty-eighth individual exhibition as part of the Horowitz Center’s 20th Anniversary Season” said Kim.

A reception for the exhibition will be held on September 13 at 6:00 p.m. in the Horowitz Center’s Grand Hall.

Concurrently, group exhibition “Heroes” also runs through October 12 in the Richard B. Talkin Family Art Gallery. From personal champions to celebrated idols, the exhibition includes work created by HCC students, faculty, staff and guest artists answering the question, “Who’s your hero?”

Additional exhibitions for the season include the work of professional and student artists. More information can be found at HowardCC.edu/Galleries. Gallery hours are 9:00 a.m.–9:30 p.m. daily. The galleries are closed when the college is closed.

Theatre

Theatre enthusiasts can enjoy a wide variety of productions presented by HCC’s Theatre program this season, featuring Tony and Grammy-award winning musical, “Into the Woods.” This fan-favorite musical invites audiences to venture into the woods where fairy tales collide, secrets come to life, and wishes, wolves, witches, and wonder await. “Into the Woods” runs May 1–9, 2026, in Smith Theatre.

“This year’s season is brimming with adventure, laughter, and imagination!” said Bill Gillett, department head of performing arts. “Journey through ‘Anomalous,’ a pulse-pounding sci-fi experience that pulls you right into the story. Laugh out loud at ‘A Little Fight Music,’ a riotous stage combat musical revue. Discover fresh voices in the One-Act Festival, where student-directed short plays engage with bold experimentation. Be enchanted as Sondheim’s ‘Into the Woods’ is reimagined with dazzling new energy. And bask in summer magic with an outdoor production of Shakespeare’s ‘Two Gentlemen of Verona’—free, under the stars!”

Family-friendly theatre is also on the horizon this season. The Horowitz Center is proud to announce Imagination Stage’s “Mother Goose” in a special presentation featuring HCC theatre students. Directed by Imagination Stage’s Director of Theatre, Kathryn Chase Bryer, eight classic Mother Goose rhymes come gently and tunefully to life through innovative puppets, props, and original music. Designed with young audiences in mind, “Mother Goose” is perfect for ages 1–5.

With the exception of the free, outdoor summer production, tickets to theatre performances range from $5 to $20 for general admission with discounts for students, seniors, and the military. For more information, visit HowardCC.edu/StudentTheatre or HowardCC.edu/MotherGoose.

Dance

The HCC Dance program presents three distinct events this season, beginning with the HCC Dance Showcase, scheduled for November 7 at 7 p.m., and November 8 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. in The Rouse Company Foundation Studio Theatre. The 18^th Annual Howard County Community Dance Festival will take place on Saturday, February 21, 2026, including the 7 p.m. HCC Dance Festival Performance Showcase, in Smith Theatre. The HCC Dance Company Concert will be held March 6–8 in Smith Theatre, featuring dynamic performances by HCC dance students and alumni, with choreography by faculty and guests artists.

“HCC Dance is excited to present a compelling season with three unique events,” said Elizabeth Higgins, HCC professor and coordinator of dance. “Join us to experience these dynamic performances filled with fresh perspectives and an eclectic mix of artistic vision that celebrate the joy of movement.”

Tickets for HCC Dance program events range from $10 to $15 with separate fees for dancer participation in the 2026 Dance Festival. For more information, visit HowardCC.edu/DanceConcerts.

Concerts

The HCC Concert Series welcomes the Morgan State University Choir for a special presentation on Friday, February 13, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. and the return of the Anderson & Roe Piano Duo for an exclusive special noontime preview with acclaimed Baltimore rapper and poet, Wordsmith on Friday, March 27.

“Our 20th anniversary season celebrates bold artistry and innovation across more than twelve concerts,” said HCC Concert Series Director, Dr. Hsien-Ann Meng. “Highlights include an exhilarating orchestra performance featuring Mozart and Beethoven piano concertos performed by HCC piano faculty Wei-Der Huang and I-Wen Tseng; the world premiere of a new work by Emmy Award-winning Baltimore composer Jasmine Arielle Barnes, performed by the Patagonia Winds; and a genre-defying collaboration between the dynamic Anderson & Roe Piano Duo and Baltimore rapper and poet Wordsmith—an electrifying fusion of classical virtuosity and hip-hop storytelling.”

The series also features performances from students, faculty, and alumni. On Sunday, October 5 at 4:00 p.m., HCC music alumni take the stage in the college’s 4th Annual HCC Music Alumni Concert.

Tickets for the HCC Concert Series range from $10 to $28 for general admission. Select concerts, including the alumni concert are free to attend, with tickets required for admittance. Discounts are available for students, seniors, and the military. Children ages 12 and under in the same family receive free admission with the purchase of general or senior tickets to the HCC Music Concert Series. More information can be found at HowardCC.edu/Concerts.

Film

The Horowitz Center is proud to welcome the Columbia Film Society as part of the HCC Horowitz Center family. The Columbia Film Society at the Horowitz Center offers ten Fridays/Saturdays of film for $35. Featured films include buddy road comedy-drama, “A Real Pain,” absurdist comedy-drama, “Universal Language,” and documentary, “The Librarians.” A full list of films and subscription information is available at HowardCC.edu/FilmSeries.

The HCC Film program invites film enthusiasts to join the Fall 2025 Film Discussions Series, focusing on the theme of “High School Yearbook.” From leather jackets to locker confessions, from rebellion to redemption, the American high school has been a mirror for every generation’s hopes, fears, and rites of passage. This free discussion series revisits iconic films from the 1950s to today that capture the evolving (and enduring) drama of adolescence. Offered virtually, the series is like a book club, but with films. For a schedule and full list of films, visit HowardCC.edu/FilmFestivals.

Horowitz Center programming is made possible through generous support from the Maryland State Arts Council, the Howard County Arts Council, and donors to the Howard Community College Educational Foundation, Inc.

The Horowitz Center Box Office is open Wednesdays through Fridays, 12–4 p.m. and 90 minutes prior to performance times. Visit the box office in person or speak with an attendant by phone at 443-518-1500. Email at any time to BoxOffice@HowardCC.edu. Visit HowardCC.edu/BoxOffice for more information.

ABOUT THE HOROWITZ CENTER

Howard Community College’s Peter and Elizabeth Horowitz Visual and Performing Arts Center opened in the fall of 2006 and quickly became a cultural hub for Columbia and greater Howard County. As an educational and production venue, the center offers community members the opportunity to engage with the arts as patrons and as students. Featuring state-of-the-art instructional facilities for the college’s Liberal Studies Division, the center serves credit and noncredit students studying visual and performing arts. Home to three performance venues and two art galleries, the Horowitz Center annually welcomes more than 30,000 patrons to performances and exhibits at the student and professional levels. Through a combination of resident and partnership programming, the Horowitz Center serves as a gathering place where students and community members are invited to connect with each other.

ABOUT HCC

Since 1970, Howard Community College (HCC) has been a preferred college choice for students and families in Howard County, Maryland. A public community college, HCC offers associate degree and certificate programs, as well as workforce development training and continuing education classes, to nearly 22,000 credit and noncredit students each year. HCC received the 2019 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation’s only presidential-level honor for performance excellence in organizations.

Media Contact:

Grace Anastasiadis
HCC Office of Public Relations & Marketing
GAnastasiadis@HowardCC.edu
443-518-1800 (office)

A video accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7d866ebc-99bb-4760-a1f2-fbb4f189d161

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