Stay connected with the UMGC Arts Program by learning about our artists, their work, and topics of interest to our community.
During the opening reception on October 22, 2023, artists from the exhibition took part in a panel discussion led by guest curator Helen C. Frederick.
Each artist in the exhibition was asked to have a conversation with another artist in the exhibition to provide background for their hand-papermaking approaches, learning experiences from their vantage point, and distinctive aesthetics. In dialogue with one another through Zoom meeting conversations, these 20 artists summarize personal and universal touchstones for their works.
Artist Nelson Stevens passed away shortly before this exhibition opened. An opening reception and remembrance was held on October 2, 2022, featuring panelists Leslie King Hammond, PhD, professor emerita, Maryland Institute College of Art, and Nadya Stevens, the artist’s daughter. Additional speakers—including colleagues, friends, and Stevens’s fellow members of AfriCOBRA—spoke about his legacy.
On March 6, 2022, the UMGC Arts Program held the opening reception for the exhibition Sharon Wolpoff: Wherever I Turn I See Light. Julia Langley, the faculty director for the Arts and Humanities Program at the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, led a conversation with the artist.
Public art—art outside traditional galleries or museums—is present everywhere, but many artists have limited knowledge of the various factors involved in participating in public art projects. On February 16–17, 2019, the UMGC Arts Program hosted a two-day symposium that brought together artists and other art professionals active in the public art field to discuss factors involved in participating in public art projects. The symposium was sponsored by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC)/Prince George's County Department of Parks and Recreation/Arts and Cultural Heritage Division; Prince George’s Arts and Humanities Council (PGAHC); and UMGC.
Panelists: Jennifer Gibson, Director, Art in Architecture Program, U.S. General Services Administration; Sandra Bellamy, Management Analyst, District of Columbia Government; Zolna Russell, Art in Transit Manager, Purple Line Transit Constructors; Rhonda Dallas, Executive Director, PGAHC
Moderator: Alec Simpson, Countywide Arts Coordinator, Public and Visual Art, M-NCPPC
Access and Entry Points—My Introduction to Public Art: Testimonials of Various Artists
Panelists: Ronald Beverly, Artist/Instructor; Mary Ann Mears, Sculptor; Valerie Theberge, Artist
Moderator: Rhonda Dallas
What Every Public Artist Needs to Know
Presenter: Todd W. Bressi, Public Art/Placemaking/City Design
Moderator: Eric Key, UMGC Arts Program Director
Presenter: Patricia Walsh, Public Art and Civic Design Program Manager, Americans for the Arts Public Art Network
Moderator: Alec Simpson
Public Art as the Art of Collaboration
Panelists: Martha Jackson Jarvis, Director, Jackson Jarvis Studio; Njena Jarvis, Design Assistant, Jackson Jarvis Studio; Alan Binstock, Sculptor/Architect
Moderator: Rhonda Dallas
Challenges of the Public Artist
Video will be added when it becomes available.
Public Art Solicitation and Budget Documents
Presenter: Liesel Fenner, Public Art Program Director, Maryland State Arts Council
Moderator: Alec Simpson
From Proposal to Fabrication: Making Public Art
Panelists: Howard Connelly, Fabricator/Sculptor, Howard Connelly Design; Wesley Clark, Artist/Installer
Moderator: Rhonda Dallas
Presenter: Victor Ekpuk, Artist
Moderator: Eric Key
Public Art and Community Engagement
Panelists: Erwin Timmers and Michael Janis, Co-Directors, Washington Glass School
Moderator: Rhonda Dallas
Politics, Process, Publicity: Managing Important Project Factors
Video will be added when it becomes available.