Explore the creativity of Terps and the local community on Maryland Day! This annual campus-wide open house features artistic and creative performances, experiences and activities at The Clarice, and across the University of Maryland campus. Bring your family and your friends for a day of fun and frolic!

This event is supported in part by the Maryland State Arts Council and The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation.

2024 Schedule of Events

10AM–10:30AM
Percussion Ensemble
Presented by the UMD School of Music
The University of Maryland Percussion ensemble brings beats and fun energy to the stage!
Grand Pavilion

10AM–10:30AM
Phi Mu Alpha Vocal Showcase
Presented by the UMD School of Music
Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia at the University of Maryland presents a choir performance including a selection of their favorite fraternity, patriotic and school songs. Featured in the set list is a song written by recent graduate of the Eta Psi chapter at Maryland, Matthew Killian called Good Night.
Front Plaza

10AM–10:45AM
Hatchling Community Music Program
Presented by the UMD School of Music
Explore this interactive class where parents and caregivers can learn to musically engage with their children (ages birth-seven) both in-class and at home.
The Clarice Courtyard

10AM–3PM
Instrument Petting Zoo
Presented by the UMD School of Music
Hosted by students from the National Association for Music Education, the Instrument Petting Zoo is an interactive experience for musicians of all ages to try out a variety of string and percussion instruments. No experience necessary! You’ll have a short introductory lesson on a new instrument of your choice with one of our UMD Music Education students and see what instrument you like best.
Kay Theatre

10AM–3PM
Precious Objects Junkyard
Presented by the UMD School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies
Discover an imaginative, mystical playground of thingamajigs and whatchamacallits! Dance, act, craft, play and sing, inspired by what you find.
Dance Studio 1

10AM–3PM
Prop & Scene Shop Open House
Presented by The Clarice
Visit The Clarice’s Scene and Prop Shops to interact with props and immersive set pieces.
Prop & Scene Shops

10AM–4PM
Family Quiet Space
Relax in our family quiet space!
Faculty/Staff Lounge

10AM–4PM
Indelible Ephemera: Posters and Fliers from Special Collections in Performing Arts
Presented by the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library
An audience’s initial interaction with a concert, a new play or a choreographer’s new dance piece does not always occur when performers first take the stage. Promotional posters and fliers—affixed to bare walls, stapled to telephone poles or handed out on the street—are often the first point of contact between an artistic work and audience members. In an 8.5x11-inch leaflet or a 27x40-inch poster, graphic designers distill the core of a new work in letterform and illustration. Indelible Ephemera celebrates these promotional materials, which were intended for short-term use but live on as artifacts of a performance, rich with enduring informational value. The exhibit highlights notable posters and fliers from the worlds of dance, theatre, popular music and punk rock. All materials are drawn from the Special Collections in Performing Arts (SCPA) at the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library.
Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library

10AM–4PM
Painting Mini Flower Pots
Presented by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission
Welcome spring and get creative while learning the fundamentals of painting!
Front Plaza

10AM–4PM
Poster, Printmaking and the Performing Arts
Presented by the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library
From enormous posters for concerts by Bill Withers and Bonnie Rait to xeroxed punk fliers pulled off of telephone poles and gorgeous silk-screened advertisements for theatrical firsts, explore the art and design of posters in the performing arts at the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library this Maryland Day. Posters and fliers from our Special Collections will be on display to exemplify design history. There will also be a printing demonstration and the opportunity for you to print and take home your own small flier commemorating the day. All the festivities will be scored by DJing from the archive as we play records from our collections live!
Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library Piano Room

10AM–4PM
School of Music Admissions Table
Presented by the UMD School of Music
Drop by the School of Music table to speak with members of their Admissions Team! Get to know the UMD School of Music: what they offer, where to find them and how to get involved. Whether you're interested in pursuing a music major, taking private lessons or joining an ensemble, there is a place at the School of Music for everyone! Join them to learn more. #HearTheTurtle
Grand Pavilion

10AM–4PM
Shake, Rattle & Roll
Presented by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission
Shake things up by making your own noisemakers that shake, rattle, knock and buzz!
Front Plaza

10:30AM–11AM
IMPROVAPALOOZA!
Presented by the UMD School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies
Get ready to improvise! Join an interactive workshop featuring theatre games and improv suitable for all ages. 
Cafritz Foundation Theatre

11AM–11:45AM
Maryland Community Band: Raiders of the Lost Score 
Presented by the UMD School of Music
Join the Maryland Community Band for a variety of musical selections from pop, classical, big band, Broadway and film.
Dekelboum Concert Hall

11AM–12PM
Building Tour
Presented by The Clarice
When it opened in 2001, The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center was the largest single building constructed by the State of Maryland. Explore this unique building in a special hour-long backstage tour!
Grand Pavilion

11AM–12PM
Mini-Masterclass: Theatre!
Presented by the UMD School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies
Join the Undergraduate Theatre Artists Society for a family-friendly mini-masterclass featuring theatre games and activities!
Cafritz Foundation Theatre

11AM–12:15PM
West African Dance Class with Diedre Dawkins
Presented by the UMD School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies
This class will teach the fundamentals of traditional West African dance. Class will start with a thorough warm-up, followed by a sequence of movements across the floor and then a culminating combination. We will discuss the history of the dance and learn a song. Students are encouraged to wear a Lapa to class (wrap skirt).
Dance Studio 2

11AM–2PM
Costume Shop Open House
Presented by The Clarice
View displays of costumes created at The Clarice from rendering and research to realization, drape your own fashions on half-scale dress forms and color your own historical renderings.
Costume Shop

11AM–2PM
Light Lab Open House
Presented by The Clarice
Come explore the Maya Brin Lighting and Technology Lab, where graduate and undergraduate students learn and try out the newest lighting technology in today's industry.
Maya Brin Lighting and Technology Lab

11:30AM–12PM
Terp Horn Choir
Presented by the UMD School of Music
The Terp Horn Choir performs classical, pop and contemporary repertoire!
Grand Pavilion 

12–12:20PM
“Distant Markers” Dance Performance 
Presented by the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library
Witnessing public history and choreography, audience members may activate this dance piece which depicts the harrowing experience of Black Americans used as forced prison labor to build a railroad in the late 1800s.
The Clarice Courtyard

12–12:30PM
Ethnobeat
Presented by the UMD School of Music
Ethnobeat is University of Maryland's premier world music a cappella group. It is composed of students who perform songs from all over the world in their original languages. We share music from an assortment of cultures to promote diversity among people of different backgrounds. We hope our performance will help give a broader perspective into language and culture, as well as provide nuance to conversations about diversity.
Gildenhorn Recital Hall

12–1PM
Kreativity Diversity Troupe Showcase 
Presented by the UMD School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies
Join the Kreativity Diversity Troupe for an interactive theatre showcase! 
Cafritz Foundation Theatre

12–1:30PM
TikTok Dance Workshop
Presented by the UMD School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies
Learn the moves and record your own TikTok dance in this event hosted by the UMD’s Student Dance Association!
Grand Pavilion

12:30–1:30PM
UMD Choral Showcase
Presented by the UMD School of Music
This event will showcase multiple UMD Choirs and their upcoming repertoire. You will have a chance to participate and join in for a Big 10 sing-a-long.
Dekelboum Concert Hall

12:30–1:45PM
Chinese Dance Class with Rose Xinran Qi
Presented by the UMD School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies
This Chinese dance class focuses on learning the physical practice of the essential techniques of Classical Chinese Dance form through expressive and performative concepts. The participants will be introduced into dance movement practice and encouraged to focus on body rhythm which emphasizes the breath as a driving force in dance movements. Class design and class practice incorporate the internal feeling to prime movements and mindfully expand each participant‘s personalized skillset and a new relationship to dance arts. 
Dance Studio 2

1–1:20PM
“Distant Markers” Dance Performance 
Presented by the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library
Witnessing public history and choreography, audience members may activate this dance piece which depicts the harrowing experience of Black Americans used as forced prison labor to build a railroad in the late 1800s.
The Clarice Courtyard

1–1:30PM
Maryland Opera Studio
Presented by the UMD School of Music
Join the students of the Maryland Opera Studio as they take you on a musical journey through operatic selections.
Gildenhorn Recital Hall

1–2PM
Building Tour
Presented by The Clarice
When it opened in 2001, The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center was the largest single building constructed by the State of Maryland. Explore this unique building in a special hour-long backstage tour!
Grand Pavilion

1–2PM
The Muses
Presented by the UMD School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies
Come join UMD's only all-female-led theater troupe as they present a preview of some of their works from this year, all written, performed and directed by students!
Cafritz Foundation Theatre

1:30–2:30PM
Bucket Drumming
Presented by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission
Come jam and explore rhythms and grooves through bucket drumming! This class explores the various sounds we can get out of a simple and accessible instrument—the bucket! 
Tawes Plaza

1:45–2:30PM
Community Conduct-along
Presented by the UMD School of Music
Become America's next conducting star! At this event you'll have an opportunity to try out your conducting skills with the University Chorale.
Grand Pavilion

2–3:15PM
Hip-Hop Technique with Chris Law
Presented by the UMD School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies
Let's groove! Hip-Hop has evolved greatly and is ever-changing, but it all started with the groove. Be ready to sweat, freestyle & vibe. Students will learn old-school and new-school movements in this fun and dynamic class.
Dance Studio 2

2:30–3PM
Maryland Palestrina Choir
Presented by the UMD School of Music
This event showcases UMD faculty, staff and students singing select repertoire of the Renaissance period. 
Gildenhorn Recital Hall

3-4PM
Broadway Today
Presented by the UMD School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies
Join the students of UMD's Musical Theatre Workshop for an afternoon of songs and scenes from the Best of Today’s Broadway!
Grand Pavilion

3-4PM
Voices of Prince George's County
Presented by The Clarice
Highlighting the community engagement program at the heart of The Clarice and School of Music’s groundbreaking partnership with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Community participants will share music that they developed during the program with Sound Impact, a collective of musicians serving communities, and members of School of Music’s graduate fellowship ensembles.
Cafritz Foundation Theatre