Arts Alive!

Stevenson University’s Exhibitions Program hosts a wide and varied series of exhibitions and educational programs each year featuring local and regional artists, ranging from the African American Quilters of Baltimore to a collective of contemporary artists reflecting on the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. Student and faculty work is also exhibited regularly throughout the campus and in special graduating senior exhibitions.

Stevenson University offers a variety of theatrical productions throughout the academic year ranging from musicals and classical drama to comedy and original plays. These productions take place in the University’s two performance venues—the Inscape Theatre and the Studio Theatre—on the Greenspring campus.   

The Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) Coffee House hosts a number of Open Mic Nights each semester celebrating cultures from around the world and highlighting the work of historically underrepresented groups. Students, faculty, and staff share their talents with music, poetry, comedy, costumes, and readings to honor our diverse Stevenson community. 

Student Activities, MAP, and Arts Alive! host participatory events, including the Stevenson Talent Show, Black Lives Matter Showcase, music concerts, Paint Nights, Craft Nights, and Movie Nights and also sponsor special events linked to heritage months and cultural celebrations.  

The English Department, campus literary magazine The Greenspring Review, and the Library offer events and workshops each semester that include poetry and fiction readings, visiting authors, novel writing workshops, poetry contests, and symposiums, as well as themed events such as The Greenspring Review Halloween Trick or Treat poetry contest and Frankenreads project.  

The Greenspring Valley Orchestra, the Stevenson Concert Band, the University Singers, and the Ukulele Ensemble perform concerts on campus each semester. The Marching Band performs a half-time show at every Stevenson football home game and offers a special-invitation Stevenson University Band Day Experience each September for High School Marching Bands.

The Artist-in-Residence programs in the School of Design connect students in the classroom with experts in their fields. The programs offer a presentation by the artist, which is open to the public, and classroom workshops. The Graphic Design department has hosted graphic designers, augmented reality developers, creative directors, and entrepreneurs.  The Film & Moving Image department has hosted documentary filmmakers, cinematographers, film editors and producers, production designers, and a National Geographic photographer and filmmaker. 

The Film & Moving Image department, along with the Center for Diversity and Inclusion and Student Activities, hosts film reviews, festivals, and student film showcases.  Each year, the student-run 72-Hour Film Festival reviews short films that were created by students across the campus. The FMI Senior Showcase is the culmination of the film majors’ experience at Stevenson and offers a venue for the graduating seniors to share their films. 

A hallmark experience for our Stevenson community is the Annual Fashion Show featuring the Fashion Design majors’ senior collections. The student-run Black Student Union Fashion Show is another exciting event that students look forward to every spring. 

Through the AIGA student group and faculty-led Arts Alive! activities, faculty and guest artists deliver collaborative presentations with the Society of Design Artists (SoDA), and participatory art workshops in tin-type photography, bread making, felting, jewelry making, weaving, and much more.