The Humanities Forum presents Aisha Beliso-De Jesús, Olden Street Professor of American Studies and Chair of the Effron Center for the Study of America, Princeton University, who will speak on Excited Delirium: Race, Police Violence, and the Invention of a Disease.
Manil Suri, distinguished university professor of mathematics and statistics, and the author of the forthcoming memoir A Room in Bombay, is joined by Aditya Desai ’09, English and media and communication studies, to discuss the book.
View Full Event Details and Register for Manil Suri: A Room in Bombay, Thursday, April 16, 2026
Baltimore’s creative heart beats stronger than ever as we gather for Art Rysing 2026: Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation — a citywide celebration of art, equity, and community healing through creative expression. Building on the legacy of previous Arts Rysing gatherings as a creative response to the murder of Freddie Gray in 2015, this year’s 11th convening expands its reach and impact, bringing together youth arts organizations, cultural leaders, educators, and community visionaries who use art as a catalyst for justice, belonging, and renewal.
The U.S. Army Blues, a component of the United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own,” will perform a free concert at UMBC in honor of Jazz Appreciation Month. This special event will feature the 2025 Collegiate and High School solo competition winners from the Army Blues Young Artist Competition, alongside Naptown Jazz Kids, the premier jazz organization for young people in Annapolis.
Journey with the acclaimed Inscape Chamber Orchestra as they explore Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring, Richard Strauss’s Suite from Der Rosenkavalier, and Béla Bartók’s Violin Concerto No. 1, featuring soloist Airi Yoshioka.
View Full Event Details and Register for Inscape Chamber Orchestra, Sunday, April 19, 2026
The Social Sciences Forum presents the annual Eckert Lecture on Health & Inequality, featuring Hanna Garth, assistant professor of anthropology at Princeton University, who will speak on “Food Justice Undone: Lessons for Building a Better Movement.”
Join us on Tuesday, April 21 and Thursday, April 23 for UMBC BookFest ‘26, a celebration of writers, readers, makers, and advocates. Programs feature an outdoor market dedicated to bookishness, an evening focused on One Maryland, One Book, and a discussion on the dangers of censorship.
View Full Event Details and Register for UMBC BookFest ’26, Tuesday, April 21, 2026
Join us for UMBC's annual Brass Bash, this year featuring Brass for Uncommon Times, a brass and percussion ensemble including top players from across the region, directed by Brian Kaufman, associate professor of music. The Brass Bash will also feature international tuba soloist Velvet Brown, critically acclaimed percussionist Fran Vielma, and Latin Grammy-winning drummer Daniel Prim. Additionally, award winning film composer Greg Nicolett will be present for the Maryland premiere of his multimedia work Forbidden to Face the Natural Light.
The Soldiers’ Chorus, the vocal complement of The United States Army Field Band of Washington, D.C., performs vocal works by Bellini, Bizet, Danielpour, Delibes, Donizetti, Handel, Massenet, Mozart, Puccini, Rossini, Strauss, and Verdi.
View Full Event Details and Register for The Soldiers’ Chorus, Sunday, April 26, 2026
The Humanities Forum presents Orianne Smith, professor of English at UMBC, who will speak on Romanticism Bewitched: Witchcraft, Revolution and the Female Demonic. Smith embarks on an interdisciplinary reimagining of witchcraft, women's writing, religion, and social reform, providing original insights on the history of witchcraft and its influence on public discourse, literature and art.
The Center for Innovation, Research, and Creativity in Arts (CIRCA) presents Guenet Abraham, professor of visual arts at UMBC, who will speak on “Exploring and Bridging Ethiopia’s Indigenous Art, Design, and Innovation,” a multi-year project for which she was awarded a 2025 CIRCA Summer Fellowship.
The Department of Music presents the UMBC Chamber Players under the direction of Airi Yoshioka.
View Full Event Details and Register for UMBC Chamber Players, Wednesday, April 29, 2026
Join us for a special event with Site/Unseen, a production by Orange Grove Dance that brings ten performers into dynamic partnership with sidewalks, stairways, and the UMBC amphitheatre. Through shared weight, timing, and physical negotiation, bodies and architecture collide and collaborate, revealing the unseen choreography woven into the spaces we pass through every day. This outdoor performance, directed and choreographed by OGD Artistic Directors Colette Krogol and Matt Reeves, travels a short distance across campus, beginning at UMBC's Performing Arts and Humanities Building and concluding at the Fine Arts Building Amphitheatre.
View Full Event Details and Register for Orange Grove Dance — Site/Unseen, Thursday, April 30, 2026
The Imaging Research Center (IRC) presents The Polar Ice Museum, a series of artworks and immersive, data-driven installations that transform polar data into meaningful public engagement experiences on sea level, climate, and related environmental issues. The Polar Ice Museum will be open April 30 through May 2, with an Opening Reception on Thursday, April 30, from 4 to 6 p.m.
View Full Event Details and Register for The Polar Ice Museum, Thursday, April 30, 2026
UMBC Theatre presents User Agreeement by Ben Holbrook and directed by Sean DiGiorgio ’26. Set in the near future, Sy and Theo attempt to navigate their bond in a world enhanced by the wonders of artificial intelligence and the occasional talking octopus. Their budding romance is tested by an increasingly complex society driven by technology and capital, asking us to wonder if two simple souls can truly connect.
View Full Event Details and Register for User Agreement, Friday, May 1, 2026