First-Year Interdisciplinary Arts Seminar (LAS 120H and LAS 121H)
First-year Linehan Artist Scholars attend a seminar every Friday with the Director, Doug Hamby. The Seminar helps to build a sense of community between the freshmen as they share ideas about artworks and what it means to be an artist.
Seminar activities include:
- working with professional artists from the Creative Alliance
- frequent attendance at performances and exhibits on and off the UMBC campus
- experiments with play writing, dance making and music composition
- journal writing
- discussions about art contemporary art process
- grant writing practice
- working with Final Cut to make a personal digital story
- making artworks that illustrate important ideas in contemporary art
- workshops with arts faculty
In fall 2011 the first-year seminar students will work side by side with professional artists at the Baltimore Creative Alliance as they create works using a variety of media. This year, seminar students will also attend performances at the Kennedy Center, the Baltimore Symphony and the Transmodern Festival.
Scholars Fieldtrips
Each semester Linehan Scholars go on field trips to professional performances and internationally important museums in New York and Washington, DC. In the fall of 2011, the Scholars will tour the Brooklyn Museum and attend a performance by the Kronos Quartet at the Brooklyn Academy or Music. Last spring the Scholars went to Philadelphia to see the Philadelphia Museum of Art and attend a performance by Ireland’s Abbey Theatre Company.
Scholar Research Opportunities
Linehan Scholars frequently participate in faculty creative research. Several Dance Scholars perform with the Baltimore Dance Project, the resident modern dance company at UMBC. Music Scholars perform and record original musical compositions by the music faculty. Linehan Theatre Scholars often perform leading roles in the main stage productions. In spring 2011 several Linehan Theatre Scholars performed at the Kennedy Center for the American College Theatre Festival, where UMBC won first prize. Linehan Visual Art Scholars often receive internships at the UMBC Imaging Research Center, a state-of-the-art animation and computer visualization facility.
Linehan Scholars may also apply for the Linehan Summer Research and Study Award. This $2,500 award provides support for four Scholars each summer, to engage in extended and in-depth study with international scholars and professional artists. The four Scholars who received the 2011 award studied Dance in London, Theatre in London, Visual Design in Milan and flute performance and contemporary music composition in Maccagno, Italy. Meet last year's winners.
Research opportunities also include the Undergraduate Research Award and the UMBC Study Abroad Program.
Residential Living Opportunities: Visual and Performing Arts Living Learning Community
Most freshman and sophomore Linehan Artist Scholars choose to live in the Visual and Performing Arts Living Learning Community in Harbor Hall. This community of 36 arts students provides residents with a deep sense of connection to each other and fosters a spirit of interdisciplinary collaboration between artists in all fields. The floor is known for the most passionate and creative impromptu late-night conversations on campus. Residents of the floor also enjoy free admission to a selection of events and performances, on and off the campus.
Freshmen scholars who wish to live in the Visual and Performing Arts Living-Learning Community (commonly called the VPA LLC) must apply through Residential Life by May 1st.