The Howie Awards honor the significant contributions of individuals and organizations that foster the arts in Howard County, MD. Each year, HoCo Arts invites the community to nominate individuals who make a meaningful impact on the local arts scene, including those who contribute to arts education and support creativity. A dedicated committee reviews these nominations to select the honorees, who are celebrated at the annual Celebration of the Arts gala.

In 2024, the Howie Award for Outstanding Artist was awarded to Fahimeh Vahdat, a professor at Howard Community College and an accomplished mixed-media, installation, and performance artist. As an Iranian-American, Fahimeh’s work addresses vital themes, including healing, human rights, religious persecution, domestic violence, and LGBTQ issues, reflecting her commitment to advocating for positive change through her art.

The Baker Artist initiative, created by the William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund in partnership with The Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance, is dedicated to supporting artists and enhancing the vibrant creative community in Greater Baltimore. It features the Baker Artist Portfolios, available to artists from various disciplines who live or work in Baltimore City and its surrounding areas. These portfolios provide a platform for local artists to showcase their work to a broad audience, potentially at regional, national, and international levels.

By participating, artists can also qualify for one of the six prestigious Baker Artist Awards, which include the $40,000 Mary Sawyers Imboden Prize and five $10,000 Mary Sawyers Baker Prizes. Awardees gain additional recognition through an exhibition at the Baltimore Museum of Art and are featured on Maryland Public Television's Artworks. 

Fahimeh Vahdat’s work was highlighted as one of 36 finalists anonymously selected based on their mastery of craft, depth of artistic exploration, and unique vision.

The Little Patuxent Review is a dynamic literary and arts journal that showcases a diverse array of creative expressions, including poetry, short fiction, creative nonfiction, and artwork. Emphasizing community, the journal primarily features voices from the Mid-Atlantic region, while also welcoming contributions from artists and writers beyond this area. Published biannually in print, it fosters reader engagement with artistic works and maintains an active blog to encourage conversation. The journal is committed to supporting both emerging and established creators, offering a vibrant platform for cultural exchange and artistic exploration.

Fahimeh Vahdat's artwork was highlighted on the cover of the Little Patuxent Review, Issue 32, which was published in the summer of 2022. The issue also featured several of her selected works throughout its pages, demonstrating her commitment to using creativity for expression and healing.

“Unveiling Resistance,” an exhibition at the Gallery at Community College of Baltimore, Essex, curated by Thomas James, presents a thought-provoking array of artworks that explore significant issues affecting artists in the mid-Atlantic region and beyond. Among the participating artists is Fahimeh Vahdat. Each artist was carefully and thoughtfully selected to showcase work that reflects pressing issues within their communities.

For this exhibition, Vahdat presented a mixed-media painting on textile fiber titled “Stop Execution of Children in Iran: Mona,” which is part of her “Freedom” Series. The powerful narrative accompanying her work recounts the tragic event on June 18, 1983, when ten women were executed in Shiraz, Iran, for their belief in the Baha'i Faith; among them was Vahdat’s cousin, Tahirih Arjmandi, a 32-year-old volunteer nurse. Vahdat's poignant commentary highlights how the death penalty in Iran is used to suppress autonomy and consciousness, disproportionately affecting religious and ethnic minorities, political dissidents, social outcasts, LGBTQ+ individuals, students, and children. She emphasizes the grim reality that Iran remains the only country in the world that still executes children.

On August 31, 2022, the Gallery at CCBC Essex hosted an Artist Panel for “Unveiling Resistance,” moderated by curator Thomas James, featuring discussions among artists Kim Rice, Esteban Whiteside, Helen Zughaib, and Fahimeh Vahdat. The panel focused on the importance and necessity of resistance in art, further enriching the dialogue surrounding the themes presented in the exhibition.

The Dorothy Liskey Wampler Distinguished Professorship at James Madison University (JMU) is an endowed position that invites visiting artists, designers, and scholars to campus. It is part of the School of Art, Design, and Art History (SADAH) within the College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA). The professorship funds a series of lectures and events, including exhibitions and workshops, which enhance the academic and cultural life of the JMU community.

Fahimeh Vahdat was chosen as the recipient of the Wampler Distinguished Professorship in 2017. Her collection, "Call Me By My Name," was exhibited at the Duke Hall Gallery of Fine Art and features her mixed media installation titled "Sacred Crossings." Along with this installation, the exhibition includes large-scale drawings from her series "What Will Befall Her?" Both bodies of work examine themes of human rights and violence against women and girls worldwide, especially in Iran.