The Albin O. Kuhn Library Gallery presents Mary Ellen Mark: Ward 81, a photography exhibition on display from January 26 through May 22. In 1976, American photographer Mary Ellen Mark and sociologist Karen Folger Jacobs spent thirty-six days living in the Oregon State Hospital, where they photographed the residents of Ward 81, the hospital’s all-female, high-security psychiatric unit. Their unprecedented access allowed them to create a deeply nuanced portrayal of women navigating psychiatric care in the mid-1970s. Mary Ellen Mark: Ward 81 brings together Mark’s photographs, Jacobs’s newly uncovered audio recordings, and rare archival materials, offering an intimate and expanded view of this landmark documentary project.
The Intermedia and Digital Arts Master’s Program presents despite // bất chấp: The 2026 Intermedia and Digital Arts (IMDA) MFA Thesis Exhibition. On view from April 1 through 18 at the Center for Art, Design, and Visual Culture, the exhibition features work by graduating students Taylor Goad, Nia Hampton, Bao Nguyen, and Lynn Nguyen.
UMBC Theatre presents The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, adapted by Jacqueline Lawton and directed by Joseph W. Ritsch. Life in modern day Baltimore has been a bit boring for Dorothy and her little dog Toto. Until one day, when a cyclone swoops in and takes them “over the rainbow” to the wonderful and magical land of Oz. With the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion, Dorothy sets off on the adventure of a lifetime down the yellow brick road to the Emerald City. These new friends brave witches, flying monkeys, and a Haunted Forest all to meet the Wizard of Oz, who promises to make their dreams come true.
In celebration of a historic UMBC undergraduate publication and the university’s Arts+ initiative, the Bartleby 50+ exhibition presents a retrospective of works from the undergraduate creative arts journal, published since 1972. Bartleby remains a vital part of our campus community as a voice for undergraduate student creativity, including fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and art.
Transport yourself to the Rhine Valley for an evening of history and creativity! In conjunction with this year’s Meeting in the Middle undergraduate conference, UMBC’s Medieval and Early Modern Studies program invites you to Klopp Castle in Bingen for an immersive dining experience.
Three members of UMBC’s music faculty — pianist Audrey Andrist, violist Renate Falkner, and oboist Fatma Daglar — present an afternoon of chamber music for their unusual instrumental pairing. Their concert will feature works by Claude Debussy, Rebecca Clarke, Cécile Chaminade, and Charles Martin Loeffler.
The Center for Ethics and Values presents the Eminent Scholar Lecture, featuring Stephen C. Angle, Mansfield Freeman Professor of East Asian Studies and Professor of Philosophy at Wesleyan University, whose talk is entitled Progressive Confucianism, Nei-Wai Citizenship, and the Family.
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.
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.
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