The MD Traditions Artist-in-Residence program invites a Maryland traditional artist to be in residence at UMBC over the course of an academic year to work closely with UMBC Linehan Artist Scholar students, sharing their knowledge, tradition, and craft with the students.
The UMBC students engage with the tradition and artist through their own individual practices culminating in a public presentation in the Fall semester. In the Spring semester, the students work with the AIR to develop a workshop experience for elementary students in the region and take that workshop to a school in small groups with the AiR. This program creates a unique opportunity for elementary school students to be acquainted with higher education and the Linehan Artist Scholar students to the possibilities of a teaching artist career.
The Maryland State Arts Council defines traditional arts as community-based living cultural traditions handed down by example or word of mouth. Traditions that have been features of Maryland culture for many generations and traditions that have come to Maryland more recently through patterns of migration, immigration, or the movement of refugees are considered for the residency. The UMBC MD Traditions AIR program provides a unique opportunity for a traditional artist able to demonstrate vital contributions to a particular living cultural tradition in Maryland and qualified to pass on their knowledge and traditions to younger generations who may not have any exposure to these traditions.
The Artist in Residence for the Academic Year 2024-25 is Melissa Hyatt Foss.
Previous Artists in Residence include: Janice Curtis Greene, Marian McLaughlin, Gaia and Michael Seipp