In a work of art, two eyes gaze out from a rectangular enclosure surrounded by small stones.

Kelley Bell named Baker Artist Awardee, Corrie Francis Parks and Katie Hileman are finalists

Jun 13, 2024 / 3 minutes of reading

On May 30, Kelley Bell, M.F.A. ’06, associate professor of visual arts, was named one of the six 2024 Baker Artist Awardees, receiving the $10,000 Mary Sawyers Baker Prize. The awardees were selected by an anonymous jury from a field of almost 700 artists from across the greater Baltimore region. Corrie Francis Parks, associate professor of visual arts, and Katie Hileman ’12, theatre, and general associate in the department of theatre, were among the finalists for the prestigious 2024 Baker Artist Award. Established in 2009, the Baker Artist program was created to support artists and promote greater Baltimore as a… Continue Reading Kelley Bell named Baker Artist Awardee, Corrie Francis Parks and Katie Hileman are finalists

Live Music Strikes a Chord for Retrievers

May 24, 2024 / 3 minutes of reading

It may be coincidental that UMBC was founded in the midst of rock n’ roll’s most revolutionary years, but early Retrievers certainly made sure to create spaces to bring live music to the campus, in intimate settings and on much bigger stages. Since then, iconic bands and artists such as Frank Zappa, the Goo Goo Dolls, Alanis Morissette, All-American Rejects, the Strokes, Brand New, Foo Fighters, Yellowcard, All Time Low, My Chemical Romance, and more, have all played shows for UMBC’s students. But while UMBC has a rich history of hosting renowned artists, they have always had a soft spot… Continue Reading Live Music Strikes a Chord for Retrievers

In a sepia-toned photos, a group of seven musicians with instruments

Livewire Explores the Transformative Power of Music

Oct 17, 2023 / 2 minutes of reading

From October 18 through 21, Livewire, UMBC’s annual festival exploring the music of our times, takes center stage in Linehan Concert Hall. This year, Livewire investigates the power of music to transform. A recital by pianist Idith Meshulam Korman and her collaborator Reese Todd Basile opens the festival with an intimate view of how music has delivered hope and possibilities in a correctional facility; on Saturday, the Decoda ensemble will perform songs and music written by incarcerated musicians. “We’re asking some challenging questions,” says Airi Yoshioka, professor of music and violinist, who serves as director of this year’s Livewire festival.… Continue Reading Livewire Explores the Transformative Power of Music

In the foreground and background two groups of two people stand in a crowded room talking.

Inclusion Imperative spotlights six years of innovation in community-engaged humanities research and teaching

May 4, 2023 / 5 minutes of reading

“I firmly believe that the humanities offer us crucial tools for addressing pressing issues of civic life,” said Jessica Berman, director of UMBC’s Dresher Center, at the Center’s Inclusion Imperative six-year capstone event. “Now more than ever, we need the tools of the humanities to advance local and national conversations about our history, our identities, and our common future.” Continue Reading Inclusion Imperative spotlights six years of innovation in community-engaged humanities research and teaching

UMBC student smiling while presenting research at URCAD 2023. (Marlayna Demond '11/UMBC)

Lighting design to flu treatment: UMBC students share research and creative work at URCAD 2023

Apr 20, 2023 / 10 minutes of reading

In 2020, Renata Taylor-Smith ‘24, theatre, eagerly prepared for her first trip to Munich, Germany to study theatrical lighting design, but a week before she was meant to fly to Germany, her trip was canceled due to COVID-19. She learned that the show she was working on would be postponed indefinitely. Discover how she pivoted to have a valuable research experience, recently shared at UMBC’s annual Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement Day (URCAD 23023), where hundreds of students presented their work. Continue Reading Lighting design to flu treatment: UMBC students share research and creative work at URCAD 2023

A black and white photo of a Black Vaudeville troupe of seven dancers posing in a row while sticking their leg out in unison.

Michelle R. Scott illuminates the lives of Black Vaudeville performers and their broader social impact in Jazz Age America

Apr 7, 2023 / 5 minutes of reading

“My new book explores the lives of the performers, theater owners, producers, managers, and audiences that were part of Black Vaudeville and the Theater Owners Booking Association (T.O.B.A.),” says Michelle Scott, associate professor of history. “It’s a story about how these Black- and white-owned theaters fostered Black artistic exploration and development and the growth of Black-owned businesses.” Continue Reading Michelle R. Scott illuminates the lives of Black Vaudeville performers and their broader social impact in Jazz Age America

Sonya Clark's Hair/Craft exhibit at the AOK Library Gallery. Images of the front and back's of Black hair styles.

UMBC’s galleries deliver interactive and thoughtful art

Mar 1, 2023 / 5 minutes of reading

UMBC’s art galleries are already in full bloom for the spring. With exhibits showcasing historic and innovative 20th century photography, interactive hip-hop data visualization, and the legacies of political resistance as seen through Black hair, the university’s exhibition spaces are bountiful with thought-provoking work. Continue Reading UMBC’s galleries deliver interactive and thoughtful art

A postcard from the 1950s showing color and black and white photos of African American families at the beach.

UMBC humanities faculty receive NEH fellowships for research into “the why and how of our past”

Feb 15, 2023 / 3 minutes of reading

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has announced that George Derek Musgrove ‘97, associate professor of history, and Elizabeth Patton, associate professor of media and communication studies, have received the highly competitive 2023 NEH fellowship for research on Black political and cultural mobilizations and Black leisure and tourism, respectivel. Continue Reading UMBC humanities faculty receive NEH fellowships for research into “the why and how of our past”

Three people sit at a table about to record something together

Centering Thriving Immigrant Voices in Immigration Research

Dec 5, 2022 / 8 minutes of reading

UMBC faculty are leading interdisciplinary, community-engaged immigration research that is shifting the relationship between higher education institutions and immigrant communities. Continue Reading Centering Thriving Immigrant Voices in Immigration Research

Two young girls working in a factory. Lewis Hine collection.

Historical Lens: Preserving the photography of social documentarian Lewis Hine

Nov 14, 2022 / 5 minutes of reading

This year, the Special Collections team at UMBC’s Albin O. Kuhn Library received a Preservation Assistance Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to support conservation of their groundbreaking Lewis Hine collection. Continue Reading Historical Lens: Preserving the photography of social documentarian Lewis Hine

UMBC Special Collections receives more than 12,000 volumes from Parapsychology Foundation

Oct 24, 2022 / 6 minutes of reading

UMBC Special Collections has been given an extraordinary gift of one of the world’s largest collections devoted to parapsychology. It includes documents related to hauntings, poltergeists, out-of-body experiences, and séances, as well as spirit photographs and much more. Continue Reading UMBC Special Collections receives more than 12,000 volumes from Parapsychology Foundation

Three women stand side by side on a cement path with a white brick building behind them.

UMBC humanities faculty pursue groundbreaking archival research through over $135,000 in prestigious fellowships

Oct 12, 2022 / 9 minutes of reading

Elizabeth Patton, Mirjam Voerkelius, and Amy Froide have received prestigious research fellowships to explore archives and reveal new findings about unique historical events in the United States, Soviet Union, and United Kingdom. Continue Reading UMBC humanities faculty pursue groundbreaking archival research through over $135,000 in prestigious fellowships