The Howard County Arts Council is honoring the 2009 Howie Award Winners at the 13th Annual
Celebration of the Arts in Howard County on Saturday, April 24, 2010 at The Jim Rouse Theatre for Performing Arts. The Celebration gala gives members of the arts, education, government and business communities of Howard County the opportunity to gather and honor individuals and businesses that have made significant contributions to the arts in Howard County.
The Howie Awards are presented annually by the Howard County Arts Council to an outstanding artist who has contributed a high level of talent and vision to the artistic life of the community; arts educator who has made an outstanding contribution to arts education in Howard County; and business or community supporter of the arts in recognition of their significant impact on the arts in
Howard County.
This year's honoree for Outstanding Artist is Ronald Mutchnik. Violinist Ronald Mutchnik graduated from the University of Maryland Baltimore County summa cum laude, where he studied with Robert Gerle, and won the Baltimore Music Club and Baltimore Musicians' competitions. He
earned his Master's degree from the New England Conservatory, studying with Joseph Gingold and continued post-graduate studies at Tel Aviv University in Israel with Yair Kless. He is active as an orchestral violinist, chamber musician, recitalist, and soloist and has served as Concertmaster of
the Columbia Pro Cantare for over 20 years and with the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra for 27 years. He has performed as soloist with numerous orchestras in Maryland, including the Columbia Orchestra and the Frederick Symphony and appeared in the film Washington Square, performing his own composition, and in concerts with Smokey Robinson, Dionne Warwick, and was the concertmaster at Pat Sajack's wedding in Annapolis. As a chamber musician he has appeared
in many local series including Music in the Great Hall and An Die Musik. As a teacher he has taught privately in Howard County for almost 30 years and also teaches at Towson University. His
students have won first prizes in local competitions and served in principal roles of the G/T orchestras of Howard County and the Maryland All-State Orchestra. He was President of the American String Teacher's Association's MD/DC Chapter, produced a music education video, "Posture and Balance: The Dynamic Duo," toured Korea coaching and performing chamber music, and is a founder of and performer with the Sundays At Three Chamber Music Series and the
Orchestra of St. John's, Howard County's first all professional chamber orchestra.
Jeffry Brodie is the 2009 honoree for Outstanding Art Educator. Brodie has been a band director in Howard County, Maryland for 28 years and is the current Director of Bands at Burleigh Manor Middle School in Ellicott City, a National Blue Ribbon School. He attended Towson University where he was principal trumpet in the Symphonic Band and Orchestra. His graduate studies have been at the University of Maryland and Peabody Conservatory. Under his direction, Burleigh Manor's bands have consistently received superior ratings at district, state and national levels and many of his students have gone on to successful careers in music. Jeff and the Burleigh Manor band program have been featured on Maryland Public Television and performed for the Governor in Annapolis. He was the 2005 Maryland All-State conductor and is an active guest conductor, clinician and adjudicator as well as a freelance trumpeter. He was an Honoree for Music Educator of the Year in 1997, has been named an Outstanding Young Man of America, listed in Who's Who of American Teachers multiple times, and he is a founding member of the Alpha Iota Chapter of Phi Beta Mu, an international band fraternity. In addition to his duties as band director, Jeff has been a guest speaker, advisor and consultant on varied educational issues at many universities and conferences. He also enjoys sharing his love of fly fishing and guides in Jackson Hole, WY in the summer.
Columbia Film Society is the honoree for Outstanding Business Supporter of the Arts. Now in its forty-first season, the Columbia Film Society is one of the oldest continuing arts organizations in Howard County. A completely self-supporting non-profit business, the Society is a model of efficient management and community service. It began showing films in the late 1960s when
there was no local movie theater and has been furnishing quality art, at a very modest cost, to legions of loyal subscribers ever since. Over time, the Society has evolved from using a 16mm projector and folding chairs in a school cafeteria to DVD projections on a full size screen in
HCC's Smith Theater with 1600 subscribers. Today, it is known for presenting award winning domestic and foreign films that are not commercially viable - providing a venue for scores of under-represented filmmakers. The Society not only provides the community with an opportunity to see international films of artistic and cultural merit, but gives back to the community in other
ways. The Howard County Public Library, HoCoPoLitSo, two HCC scholarship endowments, and a high school student film festival are just a few beneficiaries of the Society's philanthropy.
Founding members, Helen Ruther, Bob Keller, Marcia Gorrie, and Tom Brezinski, have worked hard to build a strong foundation for film and to create a self-supporting business model. As a team, they continue to bring the high level of passion, vision and resources needed to sustain and
grow this wonderful artistic treasure.
