This fall, the Stamp Gallery at the University of Maryland presents "What We Do After: CAPP New Arrivals 2023," an exhibition of artwork acquired this year by the University’s Contemporary Art Purchasing Program (CAPP). On view August 28 through September 30, the exhibition features nine artworks by seven emerging and mid-career artists: Rachel Garber Cole, Homosocial, Megan Lewis, Beverly Price, Gabriella Vainsencher, Ingrid Weyland and Jenny Wu.

The 2022-23 CAPP Committee (Emily Boa, Isabella Chilcoat, Rachel [Rae] Leonberger, Alicia Perkovich and Raphael Ukpelegbu) spent a year researching, writing, discussing and conducting studio and gallery visits. The result of this work is a collection of artworks which reflect their interests and concerns as University of Maryland students and global citizens in 2023. Their decision-making was guided by four self-determined principles: critical compassion, process as art, equitable sourcing and deliberative dialogue. Following these tenets, the committee sought out works that synthesize critique with methods of sincerity, joy and resilience; engage process as an essential source of artistic value and meaning; demonstrate materially and socially sustainable practices; and spark meaningful conversations among our diverse campus populations and between artworks throughout the CAPP collection.

ABOUT THE CONTEMPORARY ART PURCHASING PROGRAM (CAPP)

Now in its 18th year, the Contemporary Art Purchasing Program (CAPP) empowers students to purchase contemporary artwork on behalf of the University of Maryland. The program operates on a biannual basis. Students of diverse majors are selected to participate through a competitive application process. Together they embark on a rigorous research and training program, including extensive visits to galleries and artists’ studios in Baltimore, New York, and Washington, D.C.

Since its inauguration in 2005, the CAPP Collection has grown to encompass 70 works of art by 54 artists. Represented in the collection are works by internationally recognized artists, including Titus Kaphar, Derrick Adams, Shimon Attie, Wafaa Bilal, Nikki S. Lee, Dulce Pinzón, Barbara Probst, Kameelah Janan Rasheed and Lorna Simpson, some of them graduates of the University of Maryland such as Selin Balci and Jefferson Pinder.

About NextNOW Fest

Started in 2014, The Clarice’s annual NextNOW Fest is an inspiring arts experience that celebrates imagination, creativity and community. By amplifying the voices of intriguing, inventive artists from around campus and our community, NextNOW Fest creates a forward-looking microcosm where art transforms our future and connects us all.

NextNOW Fest is a signature event in University of Maryland's Arts for All initiative, which leverages the combined power of the arts, technology and social justice to address the grand challenges of our time.

VIEW FULL 2023 FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

Funding

NextNOW Fest is supported in part by the Maryland State Arts Council and The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation. Additional support is provided by Terps After Dark and the University of Maryland's Arts for All initiative. NextNOW Fest's Silent Disc-Glo event is supported by UMD's Student Entertainment Events; and the Vital Signs Mini-Grants Showcase is supported by the Venable Foundation and Pepsi.