The "HUMANIZE" Exhibition was faculty mentored by Professor Corrie Parks, curated and organized by student Thalia Añora. Thalia was able to put this all together thanks to their reliable and dedicated team (pictured above). Their goal was to transform the mundane space into something lively, and to transport visitors out of a school hallway and into a more vibrant world. They were able to showcase over 30 undergraduate artists, including multimedia film and live music. 

The exhibition aimed to do more than showcase "pretty art." It created a platform for cross-disciplinary collaboration and an opportunity for students to see one another's identities, voices, and creative expression. By positioning the exhibition in a busy hallway, we intentionally disrupted everyday foot traffic, transforming a transitional space into a moment of pause, reflection, and connection.

With less than a month of a turn around time, the team was able to successfully execute this exhibition, with over 200 members of the UMBC community at large attending opening night. Their program included free-roam exploration during the first hour, accompanied by live performance in the Fine Arts Amphitheater, followed by film screenings and poetry readings at the Center for Art Design and Visual Culture (CADVC). Visitors also had the opportunity to celebrate each other on the interactive post-it note wall, prompting "who are you?"

Following opening night, they were able to present this achievement on behalf of their team for UMBC's Prestigious Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement Day (URCAD).

At the end of the exhibition period, informal interviews were conducted and solicited feedback from a wide array of participants: contributing artists, members of my organizing team, faculty, attendees at the opening night, and students who encountered the exhibit unexpectedly throughout the month it remained installed. These reflections were recorded, transcribed, and thematically coded to analyze the impact of creative visibility across varying modes of engagement (active participation vs. passive observation). 

Three core themes emerged from participant responses: Connection, Celebration, and Inspiration. 

• Connection: Attendees consistently highlighted the exhibition’s ability to foster connection. Students appreciated seeing friends' work, engaging with unfamiliar artistic disciplines, and experiencing the collective talent within the UMBC community. Faculty shared that they had “never seen something like this” in their time at the university. One participant called it “a great day for connection,” and others remarked on the joy of discovering that their peers were artists in their own right. 

• Celebration: The opening night brought over 200 people together. Students, faculty, friends, and family came to celebrate art and each other. With live music, free pizza, and warm conversation, the event transformed the exhibition into a celebration of community. Even after the event, feedback continued to pour in, describing how the show made students feel seen and valued. The hallway display made art unexpectedly accessible, catching people off guard in the best way. One attendee said, “It felt like the artwork reached out to you.” 

• Inspiration: Whether people were active participants or just passersby, they reported feeling inspired by the energy of the space. Many commented on how “alive” the building felt during the exhibit’s run. Some said they felt motivated to create again after a long period of creative stagnation. The exhibition became a living pulse of the UMBC student body’s emotional and artistic spirit.

“HUMANIZE” succeeded not just because it displayed art, but because it revealed the community already present, and then made that presence undeniable. It reminded UMBC that creative visibility is not an accessory to community. It is the community. As we consider how institutions can evolve, participatory exhibitions like “HUMANIZE” model the role that students, art, and visibility must play in shaping more inclusive, expressive, human identity, and campus cultures.

Thank you to all of the "HUMANIZE" artists.

Alejandro Alvarez, Alena Kowalewski, Alexis Tyson | TWZ, Angelina Kirven, Anna Darden, Ari Cardoza, Ashley Murray, Ava Roberts, Aysha House, Cara Felts, Caroline Wehinger, Emma Haines, Erin Bennett, Ian Cruz, Isabella Franklin, Isabella Rosario, Jayden Zora Rhodes, Jerry Cervantes, Joshua Able-Carter, Justin Gaylord, Mac Chase, Mariah Bethea, Micah, Pooja Patel, Rachael Tyler, S.E.E., Trent Yuhas, Max Emil, Rayanna Morris, Ronan Guilfoyle, Elijah Agurs, Chelci Roberto, Annabelle Sharp, Dorothy Thompson-Pino, and Maria Fernanda Diaz Miranda