CAT’s Cradle: New Narratives in Art History
Witness the next generation of art historians!
CAT’s Cradle: New Narratives in Art History
Wednesday, May 20, 2026, 1-3pm
CADVC
Join UMBC’s senior Art History students for a showcase highlighting their independent capstone projects, or Creative Art Theses (CAT), that pull at the threads of our visual past to weave new understandings of the present.
The projects span the reimagined lives of lost Ancient Greek artifacts and the socio-historical foundations of Castle Rising to the subversive power of women’s prison zines. These emerging scholars also turn a critical eye toward the institutions of art and culture by interrogating the accessibility of visual literacy, the cultural politics of Black identity in museum spaces, and an exploration of art that maintains an antagonistic relationship to the viewer. These presentations challenge traditional conventions of art historical discourse and demand a rigorous engagement with images and their environments.
Witness the next generation of art historians as they untangle the complexities of art, identity, and power.
Featuring projects by: Sarah Blackford, Brady Cavanagh, Melina Cavathas, Jamie Choi, Kirsten Floyd, and Kelsey Noll