Maria Soboleva

Brighter Future (2025)

The lifecycle of Terrapin innovation stretches across the colorful horizon of Brighter Future, which follows the trajectory of a budding engineer. Her future may have been written in the stars, but only through hard work–and with the loving support of her family–can she fulfill her dreams. At the center of her story is the University of Maryland (UMD), represented by the iconic McKeldin Library and a streaming red-and-gold ribbon of light that passes from Testudo to Commencement and beyond. The Idea Factory launches technology ventures–and even rockets!–by supporting researchers and emerging entrepreneurs as they transform bold ideas into innovations that shape our world. Brighter Future celebrates this creative process from inspiration and design to implementation and lasting impact. This mural embodies the human spirit of invention and perseverance that powers the Idea Factory and UMD.

Brighter Future was commissioned through a competitive process led by undergraduate students enrolled in Professor Abigail McEwen’s “Public Art” class in Fall 2025 with support from xFoundry, the College of Arts & Humanities, and the Department of Art History & Archaeology. Special thanks to Sid Garg (‘26), Abigail King (‘27), and Rob Cohen (‘91, ‘99, ‘06) for their contributions to this project.

Maria Soboleva is a Russian-American mixed-media artist and educator whose interdisciplinary practice explores themes of love, resilience, and self-acceptance. Combining drawing and painting, she creates layered compositions that merge figurative imagery with dreamlike elements. A 2023 graduate of UMD's Studio Art program, Maria has completed ten commissioned public murals throughout the DMV region. She is honored to collaborate with the university on Brighter Future, a mural that celebrates the pursuit of ambitious dreams.

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