Mark Street Debuts Film at Creative Alliance
Experimental filmmaker Mark Street, assistant professor of visual arts, screened his debut feature, a gritty, unique, hybrid of documentary and fiction shot in Baltimore, at the Baltimore Creative Alliance on September 20. At Home and Asea's five diverse characters, from a college grad to single mothers, try to make sense of the complex and the daunting in urban and personal environments.

Tom Beck Named First Chair of Baltimore Research and Outreach Consortium
Tom Beck, chief curator, Library & Gallery, has been elected the firstchair of the Baltimore Art Research and Outreach Consortium, a partnership of eight Baltimore art, education, and cultural heritage institutions including the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Sheridan Libraries of the Johns Hopkins University, the Maryland Historical Society, the Maryland Institute College of Art, the Enoch Pratt Free Library, the Maryland State Department of Education, the Walters ArtMuseum and UMBC. The partnership has launched Maryland ArtSource, aWeb site that offers patrons a unified online source for informationabout Maryland artists. The Web address is www.marylandartsource.org.

Keri Burneston '99 Wins Open Society Institute Fellowship
Keri Burneston, visual arts '99, has been awarded an Open Society Institute Fellowship to sustain her projects with popular local performance group Fluid Movement and work as a mentor with Living Classrooms Foundation. For more information on Fluid Movement, visit http://www.fluidmovement.org.

Steve Cassard '80 Promoted to Deputy Secretary, Dept. of General Services
Steve Cassard, political science '80, has been appointed deputy secretary of the Maryland Department of General Services (DGS). “Steve Cassard brings vast State governmental experience to the DGS front office,” said Secretary Peta Richkus. “Steve's in-depth knowledge of our operations and of the legislative process will make the transition a smooth one.” Cassard is in his 20th year of State government service. In 1995, he was appointed to the position of assistant secretary for the Office of Real Estate. As the State's real estate broker, Cassard and his team have led the commercial real estate community by example in implementing Governor Glendening's Smart Growth Initiative and Green Buildings Executive Order.

Lafayette Gilchrist Named Best Local Musician in City Paper
Lafayette Gilchrist, adjunct music faculty, was named Best Local Musician in City Paper's Best of Baltimore issue.
http://bob.citypaper.com/bob2002/story.asp?id=125

Vin Grabill's Work at Morgan State U's 9/11 Event
On Wednesday, September 11, a new work by Vin Grabill, associate professor of visual arts and director of the Imaging and Digital Arts M.F.A. program, was featured in an event at Morgan State University. Grabill has collaborated with Baltimore artist Gigi McKendric to produce "A Day In The Life Of A Firefighter Before September 11th And A Day After," which focuses on thelife of Keithroy Maynard, one of twelve African-American firefightersmurdered while responding to the 9/11 attack. The work tells the storyof Keithroy Maynard's life through the media of photocollage, video,sculpture, painting, life masks and sound.

Do you have an achievement to share with the UMBC community? Email Insights@umbc.edu.