Guenet Abraham, Professor, Department of Visual Arts
Professor Abraham will initiate the first phase of a multi-year project Crafting The Future: Exploring and Bridging Ethiopia’s Indigenous Art, Design, and Innovation. This project is a multi-phase collaboration with Dr. Teferi Abate, a Senior Research Anthropologist with Human Relations Area Files (HRAF) at Yale University. This interdisciplinary exploration will encourage a dialogue bridging cultural, economic, and artistic boundaries in Ethiopia, institutions, and communities. This project challenges the notion that indigenous everyday objects traditionally identified as craft are static, obsolete, or quaint. They will reassess and reposition these objects as vital, innovative, and central to both cultural and economic development. Creativity, technical training, material knowledge, proportional understanding, form studies, production methodologies, functionality, cultural context, and innovation underpin the creation of everyday objects like those shown below. Design, therefore, is not just about reproducing familiar artifacts or preserving the status quo; it serves as a catalyst for lifestyle transformations, cultural shifts, and the democratization of social practices and in the end, the engine of economy and cultural identity. By presenting these objects on equal footing with Western designs and employing the same critical visual, verbal, academic and industry language to identify, credit, archive, and study them, they will reframe perceptions of traditionally labeled ‘craft’ items—such as the jebena —and elevate their significance. This approach acknowledges their inherent design values and creates new conversations and pathways for innovation within the context of the local culture comparable to what is often celebrated in Western design practices.
Brian Kaufman, Associate Professor, Music
Professor Kaufman will complete work on his Brass for Uncommon Times album. Brass for Uncommon Times presents debut recordings of works for brass and percussion that wrestle with how to live in a world that’s unraveling. This album confronts the pressing social challenges of now, from gun violence and race relations to global health issues and war. Seven distinct composer voices respond to the suffering and injustice around us and seek out paths towards hope and positive collective action. Conductor Brian Kaufman brings the messages of these composers together in an effort to engage listeners through music in the humanity and urgency of the social challenges of our time. International tuba artist Velvet Brown, critically acclaimed multi-percussionist Fran Vielma, Latin Grammy-winning drummer Daniel Prim, and celebrated vocalist Hiram Diaz are featured alongside an all-star brass and percussion ensemble. The album was recorded by UMBC’s Alan Wonneberger in August 2024. The funding will support Alan’s time to edit, mix, and master the final version of each piece for the album—the final step before the album can be published.