Welcome to NEXTNOW winterfest!
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15 – THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2021
PRESENTED BY THE ARTIST PARTNER PROGRAMS
NextNOW WinterFest is a midwinter interlude of events, showcases and activities, all featuring UMD student artists. Presented by NextNOW Fest at The Clarice, NextNOW WinterFest continues to celebrate imagination, creativity and community in a virtual setting. Stay warm, stay cozy and stay creative!
Honor Native Lands
Before we begin, we invite you to take a moment to reflect on and acknowledge the Indigenous roots of the land that you’re on.
Every community owes its existence and vitality to generations from around the world who contributed their hopes, dreams and energy to making the history that led to this moment. Some were brought here against their will, some were drawn to leave their distant homes in hope of a better life and some have lived on this land for more generations than can be counted. Truth and acknowledgment are critical to building mutual respect and connection across all barriers of heritage and difference.
The land that the University of Maryland and The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center reside on today is home to the Piscataway People, who were among the first in the Western Hemisphere to encounter European colonists. We pay respects to their elders past and present. Please take a moment to consider the many legacies of violence, displacement, migration and settlement that bring us together here today.
We encourage you to use a resource like Native-land.ca to learn more about the Indigenous roots of the land you are on right now.
Photo by David Andrews
WinterFest Schedule & EVENT GUIDES
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15 • 7-8PM EST
COMEDY NIGHT WITH THE HYSTERICS & THE BUREAU
The Hysterics and The Bureau, two UMD comedy troupes, kicked off NextNOW WinterFest with a hilarious night of comedy! We laughed our fuzzy socks off with standup, improv and sketch comedy.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16 • 7-8PM EST
ART CARNIVAL WITH AIGA UMD & PAINTS AND SHELLS
We channeled our inner Bob Ross at AIGA UMD & Paints and Shells' art carnival! The art carnival included art trivia games, drawing demos, design challenges and exciting audience adventures via Gather.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17 • 7-8PM EST
MARYLAND FILMMAKERS SHOWCASE
We were star-struck by the Maryland Filmmakers' student-made films, conversations with the creators and behind-the-scenes sneak peeks into the world of film production!
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25 • 7-9PM EST
GAMER SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
UMD’s popular Gamer Symphony Orchestra hosted a game night and arrangers' workshop! FestGoers played Jackbox games with fellow attendees, and watched as GSO members walked through the process of arranging video game music for orchestra and choir by ear.
THANK YOU TO OUR 2020-21 NextNOW Fest Student Curators!
KIRA PECK
Kira Peck is a sophomore Psychology & Theater double major and a current member of our student curator team for NextNOW Fest 2020. She is a community organizing intern with the Office of Multicultural Involvement & Community Advocacy (MICA) and the assistant Live Music Coordinator (and DJ) for UMD's freeform radio station WMUC-FM Radio. In her free time, she writes music, dabbles in costume design, concert photography and makes films with her friends. Kira loves art in all of its forms and is thrilled to work on something that is so all-encompassing and inclusive.
JOHN SMITH
John Smith is a junior Psychology and African American Studies Double Major, LGBT Studies minor, with a passion for all things art! A (semi) trained singer, he is interested in storytelling through visual and auditory means. John also enjoys anything that has to do with the intersection of race, gender and sexuality.
About NextNOW Fest
NextNOW Fest is an inspiring experience that celebrates imagination, creativity, and community. By amplifying the voices of intriguing, inventive artists from around campus and the country, NextNOW Fest creates a forward-looking microcosm where art shapes and transforms our future.
Traditionally held each September at The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland, NextNOW Fest provides a student-driven space for UMD students to build community, interact and create together. The festival is presented and produced by The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center and is co-curated with students and campus departments.
Our Mission
The NextNOW Fest at the University of Maryland is an annual campus tradition that welcomes and welcomes back new and returning students in a multi-day, multi-arts festival that celebrates the imagination, creativity and community. By unlocking everyone’s inherent creativity and amplifying the voices of artists, creative innovators and our students, the NextNOW Fest advances the learning and research investigations for our students; enriching the artistic and cultural opportunities for the campus; and actively developing the arts ecology of the community that surrounds and supports the university.
Our Values
NextNOW Fest’s programming, planning and operations seek to embody the following values:
Everyone is creative.
Creativity doesn’t discriminate across race, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status or field of study: Everyone has the inherent capacity and right to be creative."
Discovery is exciting.
It’s worth taking the chance on something new, because you never know what you might end up loving."
Stories are valuable.
Stories allow us to learn about ourselves and how we relate to each other and the world. By listening to each others’ stories, we can find common ground and create a community of respect across difference."
We are all connected.
It’s important to be aware of how our individual actions and decisions affect the sustainability and longevity of the resources we use, the spaces we inhabit and the communities to which we belong."
Let's Be Friends!
NEXTNOW FEST
THE CLARICE
Our Team: The Clarice Management
Erica Bondarev Rapach, Acting Executive Director–The Clarice
Shafali Jalota, Assistant to the Executive Director
ARTIST PARTNER PROGRAMS
Tyler Clifford, Assistant Artistic Administrator
Yarina Conners, Artistic Administrator
Connie Dai, Graduate Assistant
Lauren Floyd, Graduate Assistant
Jane Hirshberg, Assistant Director–Campus and Community Engagement
Jeannette-Marie Lewis, Graduate Assistant
Katie McCarthy, Graduate Assistant
Tariq Darrell O'Meally, Guest Curator & BlackLight Summit Producer
Jennifer Osborn, Rental Partnership Coordinator
Megan Pagado Wells, Associate Director of Programming
Richard Scerbo, Director–National Orchestral Institute + Festival
Austin Sposato, Artist Services Coordinator
FACILITIES MANAGEMENT
Bill Brandwein, Operations & Facilities Manager
FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION
Jacqueline Howard, Director of Finance & Administration
Matthew Fenlon, IT Coordinator
Jacquelyn Gutrick, Finance & Administration Specialist
Gal Kohav, Graduate Assistant
Fernando Merchan, Business Manager
LeeAnn Serrant, Human Resources Coordinator
Oznur Tuluoglu, Graduate Assistant
Kimberly Turner, HR Business Services Specialist
GUEST EXPERIENCE
Sara Gordon, Manager of Guest Experiencee
Kristen Olsen, Senior Guest Experience Coordinator
Paige Cook, Guest Experience Coordinator
Liana Stiegler Orndorff, Guest Experience Coordinator
PRODUCTION
Ryan Knapp, Director of Operations
Carrie Barton, Lighting Coordinator
Lisa Burgess, Costume & Crafts Coordinator
Susan Chiang, Costume Shop Coordinator
Ann Chismar, Scenic Charge Coordinator
Jennifer Daszczyszak, Costume Shop Manager
Michael Driggers, Assistant Technical Director
Sandy Everett, Technical Coordinator
Reuven Goren, Scene Shop Coordinator
Timothy Jones, Prop Shop Manager
Devin Kinch, Projections Coordinator
Tessa Lew, Costume Draper & Tailor
Jennifer McDonald, Production Coordinator
James O'Connell, Assistant Manager of Audio
Mark Rapach, Technical Director
Jeffrey Reckeweg, Technology Shop Manager
Beth Ribar, Production Coordinator
Kat Rother, Production Coordinator
Kara Wharton, Production Manager
Our Team: College of Arts & Humanities
Bonnie Thornton Dill, Dean
DEVELOPMENT
Laura Brown, Assistant Dean for Development
Susan Berkun, Assistant Director of Institutional Giving
Norah Quinn McCormick, Assistant Director of Development
Angela Smith, Development Coordinator
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
Monique Everette, Assistant Dean for Marketing & Communications
Rika Dixon White, Director of Marketing & Guest Experience
David Andrews, Photographer & Videographer
Zach Bryant, Graduate Assistant
Deja Collins, Graduate Assistant
Roxene Edwards, Digital Experience Coordinator
Piama Habibullah, Assistant Director–Creative Strategy
Carlos Howard, Marketing Communications Coordinator–Artist Partner Programs
Mary Loutsch, Marketing Assistant
Heather Markle, Creative Coordinator
Charlene Prosser, Graphic Designer
Sarah Snyder, Assistant Director–Communications