In an effort to support student voice and action related to the Black Lives Matter movement, The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, the UMD Office of Diversity and Inclusion and UMD Office of Multicultural Involvement and Community Advocacy in partnership with Black Terps Matter award mini-grants to artists in the UMD community who are creating projects that affirm Black life and vitality and interrogate white supremacy and anti-Blackness.
Meet Alyssa Imes at the unveiling of her public sculpture, "Chill Bloom." This work was selected through an open call in Spring 2023 organized by undergraduate students enrolled in Abigail McEwen’s Public Art course. The class invited submissions that addressed the concerns and challenges facing college students today, seeking works that inspired play and joy. This initiative is supported by Arts for All, the UMD Department of Art History & Archaeology, the UMD Art Gallery and the Dedalus Foundation.
"Humorous," "uneasy," "absurd." These are just a few words that may come to mind when viewing artist Natalia Chavarría's thought-provoking video Conversation (2019). The first time ever shown in large format, the work presents intricate narratives of femininity, identity and community.
The University of Maryland Art Gallery collects, displays and interprets art from diverse cultures. Its exceptional teaching collection—which ranges from antiquity to the present—allows students, faculty, and the surrounding community to learn about art from around the world in one building.
Embark on a chromatic journey through the work of Brooklyn-based artist Coralina Rodriguez Meyer, whose vibrant mother mold sculptures address themes related to birthing and reproductive justice.
The University of Maryland Art Gallery collects, displays and interprets art from diverse cultures. Its exceptional teaching collection—which ranges from antiquity to the present—allows students, faculty and the surrounding community to learn about art from around the world in one building.
Explore the rich diversity of sculptures, masks and other expressive works of African art that reflect the continent's cultural kaleidoscope. All of the objects on display were donated to the Art Gallery by collectors and UMD alumni Dr. Gilbert and Jean Jackson.
The University of Maryland Art Gallery collects, displays, and interprets art from diverse cultures. Its exceptional teaching collection—which ranges from antiquity to the present—allows students, faculty and the surrounding community to learn about art from around the world in one building.
Come enjoy the process of becoming part of a human loom! This will be an immersive and interactive 1.5-hour workshop in which the artist Alyssa Imes will use both of your arms as part of a loom ped. As the group sits in a circle, Alyssa will loom and knit a fabric from your arms. Slowly the network of knots will start to form a large, circular piece of fabric. The concept behind this performance is that we all are part of this network that weaves each other's lives; if one person were removed from the loom, the fabric would fall apart.
Session 1: expressing the (home) body
In this gong sound bath session, we will explore our body awareness through slow mindful movement, breathing exercises, and guided meditation. We will reflect the ways in which society dictates our bodily expressions and use somatic techniques to harness our autonomy.
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.
Ricky Montgomery's music was ahead of its time—literally. Four years after the release of his debut album, and a decade after he wrote some of it, the Los Angeles native's indie-pop has been a balm in the midst of a heavy time, comforting listeners with warm melodies and relatable lyrics. It all started in July of 2020, when a pair of singles from 2016's Montgomery Ricky—the gently swaying Mr. Loverman and string-soaked stunner Line Without a Hook—took off on TikTok. "I think because we had a really traumatizing year, these songs kind of found a moment," Montgomery says.
Enjoy a selection of student artwork curated and presented in partnership with House of Culture, a student organization offering a safe space for the UMD community to share their original art. These art mediums include digital art, paintings, poetry, graphic design, architectural drawings, fashion design, inventions and music album covers.
