Madeline Arbutus Arts Coordinator at OCA Mocha

As Arts Coordinator at OCA Mocha, I plan, curate, and install our monthly art galleries and also organize monthly Kids Club Crafts. So far, I’ve exhibited two galleries— our October exhibition, “The Art of the Process” and our November exhibition,“SPACES: Co-Creating Communities at UMBC.” “The Art of the Process” was all about the artistic process and how a work of art is more than just the final piece. It was intended to have the audience consider the act of making art as art itself and, therefore, demystify the final work.

“SPACES,” which is on view now, is actually a collaboration with UMBC’s Center for Democracy and Civic Life (CDCL) and features the artwork of a good friend and fellow humanities scholar, Tess McRae. This gallery celebrates all the student-made spaces at UMBC (including OCA and CDCL) that strive to build relationships between UMBC and Arbutus (the town) and be advocates for and creators of community. I’m also really looking forward to our upcoming December gallery, Advocacy Through Art. This gallery will explore how art empowers us to creatively address the challenges of inequity, hate, discrimination, and oppression that have been fundamental in shaping our reality and that effect us and the people we care about everyday.

Running the art gallery at OCA Mocha has been such a rewarding experience because through it, I’m able to stay connected to so many talented artists in the Baltimore area and learn more about how and why people in our community are inspired to create art.It’s also just really incredible to see how we can continue to build a sense of community, even during such isolating times. So, if you’re by campus or in the Arbutus area, I hope you stop by the shop to visit the gallery, support our local artists, and, of course, buy a coffee.