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EDITOR’S NOTE:  We officially changed our name from University of Maryland University College (UMUC) to University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) on July 1, 2019. News stories posted on the Global Media Center are now using the new UMGC name. However, because the transition to the university’s new name will take several months to complete, you may still see the UMUC name, logo and look on our website and other materials through early 2020.

The latest University of Maryland Global Campus Arts Program exhibition, “Conceptualism to Meaning,” on display through December 1 in the Lower Level Gallery at the College Park Marriott Hotel & Conference Center, features the works of Maryland artist Steven Dobbin who transforms found and discarded objects into thought-provoking works of art.

A mixed-media artist, Dobbin works primarily in lead, copper, and steel with plaster and pigment, but also incorporates wood and other materials in his art. Many of his pieces express movement—often figures walking—while others serve as social commentary. His art is conceptual, contemporary, and continuously developing.

Dobbin’s works have been widely exhibited.  They have been shown at the Helen Lindhurst Fine Arts Gallery at the Roski School of Art and Design at the University of Southern California-Los Angeles, and at the California Heritage Museum and Meyers/Bloom Gallery in Santa Monica, California. His works also have been featured at Silber Art Gallery at Goucher College in Baltimore, the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts in Hagerstown, Maryland, the Causey Contemporary in Brooklyn, New York, and at the Monmouth Museum, Lincroft, New Jersey. In addition, his works are in numerous private and public collections in the United States and the United Kingdom.

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Artist Ruth Channing, active in the Baltimore arts scene since the 1970s, creates works that are highly personal, and many of the pieces on display in “Ruth Channing's Community in Paint and Print” at the U.S. District Courthouse, Greenbelt, Maryland, are portraits of family and friends that explore deep connections and expressions.

Her art is inspired by the time she spent studying in Paris as well as Baltimore’s vibrant arts community. A consummate artist, Channing experiments with varied methods, materials, and means of expression, working spontaneously to highlight the process of creating visual communication. The paintings and prints in this exhibition show her unique style and invite conversation about her life and experiences.

UMGC President Javier Miyares and Judge Peter Messitte of the Greenbelt Division of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland invite you to explore Channing’s artworks, on display through Oct. 31, and to attend the artist reception, Thursday, Sept. 26 from 5–6:30 p.m.,  at the U.S. District Courthouse, Greenbelt. Space is limited. 

About the Artist Channing was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and studied art at Rhode Island School of Design. She intended to be an illustrator but, while at school, she met members of Stanley William Hayter's Atelier 17, the renowned surrealist print workshop in Paris, and eventually traveled to France to study with Hayter.

Channing fell in love with Parisian life and stayed on for several years, supporting herself by working as a chambermaid. French literature and culture have strong influences on her art. While in Paris, Channing met painter Raoul Middleman; they married in 1971 and returned to Baltimore. Channing also studied briefly with Jacob Lawrence at the Art Students League of New York.

In addition to painting, Channing maintains a printmaking workshop, Ink Spot Press. Located in the Mount Vernon cultural district of Baltimore, Ink Spot Press employs Atelier 17 methods and philosophy.

Her work is in many private collections in the United States and abroad, as well as public collections, including the Southland Art Gallery in Gore, New Zealand, and at UMGC. She is represented by Y:Art Gallery and Unicorn Studio.

About Art at the Courthouse Since its inception in 1996, the Art at the U.S. District Courthouse program has contributed greatly to our region's cultural enrichment. The original purpose of the program was to feature works by Maryland artists, but over the years it has expanded to include international art. With exhibitions in quilting, photography, sculpture, and painting, the Art at the U.S. District Courthouse program continues to call attention to the diverse interests and creative talents of artists and the importance of their contributions to society.