Saturday, April 18, 2026 | IMET Building, Inner Harbor, Baltimore, MD

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 Art 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.

Hosted at the Rita Rossi Calwell Center [IMET] Building on Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, Art Rysing 2026 will showcase the transformative power of the arts to bridge divides, amplify silenced voices, and foster truth-telling in pursuit of racial equity and collective healing.

Why It Matters

Art Rysing 2026 invites us to pause, reflect, and imagine anew. In a time marked by division, art remains a powerful language of healing and possibility, one that transcends fear and invites us into relationships.

By weaving together stories of struggle and hope, we honor Baltimore’s enduring spirit and affirm that healing is a collective act. Through openness, deep listening, and shared creativity, we move closer to the transformed future we all deserve.  

The event is FREE!!! Doors open at 12:30pm, programming begins at 1 pm and runs through 5pm.  

Watch the 2025 HIGHLIGHTS REEL (created by Digital Empath Studio)

When you register, you can see the list of @30 interactive stations. Register either through the QR code below or go to the WEBSITE

Found water bottle with lots of stickers in ITE 241. Please pick it up in ITE 217 (COEIT Dean's Office)

Participants Needed for IRB-Approved Research Study on Multiracial Racial Identity and Social Upbringing

Kaia Robertson, an undergraduate researcher, is conducting IRB-approved research looking at the relationship between familial and social upbringing and multiracial racial identification. 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Jé St Sume, Assistant Professor, Political Science

• Ms. Robinson is seeking multiracial students — students who have two biological parents that identify as two different races — who would be willing to take part in the study.
• Participants will be asked questions related to their experiences of socialization including their connection to monoracial people, and their upbringing.
• As a thank you for their time, participants will receive $15. 

Please see the attached flyer for more information.

Questions: please contact Kaia Robertson at kaiar1@umbc.edu

Title:The Effects of 9/11 on US Immigration: How the US Halted Immigration Reform and Created an Anti-Immigrant Police State

Jessica Busch's oral presentation is from 2:35-2:50pm in RAC 106.

Mentor: Meredith Oyen, History

The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 marked a turning point in the way Americans viewed immigration, and those views impacted immigration policy in ways we are still experiencing nearly 25 years later. This research explores the impact of 9/11 on U.S. immigration policy in three parts: the public and political stance on immigration during the 2000 Presidential Election and the first seven months of the Bush Administration; the immediate public and policy response to 9/11 and the increased power given to the Executive Branch through the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT) Act of 2001 and Homeland Security Act of 2002; and the ways that the Trump Administration has weaponized the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Customs and Border Patrol against immigrants and U.S. citizens. This research demonstrates that post-9/11 policies, while intended to protect Americans and promote national security, have had unintended consequences that are evident in the actions of the Trump Administration.

URCAD is Wednesday, April 22 in the RAC!

URCAD.umbc.edu

The Orser Center for Public Humanities is excited to announce the 2026 BFS 3.0 UMBC Fellows: Click here to learn more abut the 2026 Fellows

The Baltimore Field School 3.0, Collaborative Teaching in Public Humanities is a one-day intensive workshop aimed at creating collaborative teaching tools rooted in public humanities approaches that strive to make the university’s outreach infrastructure more equitable and inclusive. By the end of the day, participants will have contributed to a toolkit that may include syllabus templates, assignment examples, assessment tools, and rubrics that will be localized in a shared online repository.

As part of UMBC’s Public Humanities program, the Baltimore Field School is an ongoing approach to community engaged research that moves from extractive approaches to research and instead is aimed at building sustainable and ethical projects while helping make the university’s outreach infrastructure more equitable.

In January 2026, UMBC and Maryland Humanities entered into a memorandum of agreement to formalize a partnership. This partnership will continue UMBC’s role as the institutional host for Maryland History Day and serve as a foundation for expanded collaboration between the two organizations. These collaborations will include events highlighting One Maryland, One Book; a regional humanities network conference for the Greater Baltimore Region; and America 250 events for Baltimore County. We are planning to create internships for both undergraduate and graduate students in the humanities.

Please stay tuned for upcoming events!

Please, come join us for the Spring Celebration organized by the Russian Area!  

Thursday, April 9th, FA 427, 4:30pm to 6:00pm;

Light refreshments.

Welcome the Spring Season with Egg and matryoshka painting, coloring activities, conversation, and connection!

All are welcome!

NAMI E-board elections are coming up starting April 15th! If you are interested in serving as President, Vice President, Treasurer, or Secretary of NAMI for the Fall 2026 - Spring 2027 academic year, please fill out the NAMI 2026-2027 E-board Application Form before then. Elections for President, Vice President, and Secretary will run from April 15th-30th while the treasurer election will run from April 15th-20th due to our need for a new treasurer to serve starting this semester. 

UPDATE: The deadline to run in the NAMI elections is being extended to this Saturday (April 18th)!

All elections will now run from April 18th-30th.

If you would like to participate in the Money Smart Week 2026 Bingo Card scholarship opportunity, please download and print the Bingo Card attachment below.

Follow the instructions on the Bingo Card and in Scholarship Retriever for proper completion and submission.

Only one winner will be randomly selected for a $1,000 MSW Bingo Card scholarship!

Other ways to get the Money Smart Week 2026 Bingo Card:

• At the MSW Activity Table at True Grits on Monday, April 13th from 11:00AM - 2:00PM.
• At the MSW Money Madness: Grab the Cash, Gain the Knowledge event at Flat Tuesday's on Monday, April 13th from 11:00AM - 1:00PM.
• At the MSW Activity Table on Commons Mainstreet (across from Bookstore) on Tuesday, April 14th from 11:00AM - 2:00PM.
• At all MSW sessions (printed copy at in-person sessions, digital copy at virtual sessions, and both options will be available at hybrid sessions).

For use only during Money Smart Week 2026 (Monday, April 13, 2026 - Friday, April 17, 2026).