A Bollywood dance and handmade miniature diorama earn the top honors for performance and artwork, respectively, in the sixth annual show.
Photo: First-place winner Suparna Roy performs her Bollywood dance during the “UMB’s Got Talent” show at MSTF Leadership Hall. (Photos by Matthew D’Agostino)
For the sixth year, a group of performers delivered an entertaining exhibition of song, dance, and art at the annual “UMB’s Got Talent” show, which was held April 16 at MSTF Leadership Hall.
Briana Clark, MPA, director of research administration, University of Maryland School of Nursing, who co-chaired the event’s Planning Committee, said the event was “amazing.”
“It was an evening full of art, talent, community, and celebration,” said Clark, who emceed the show along with Rodney Urand, MS, instructional technologist, University of Maryland School of Social Work (UMSSW). “It was rewarding for these UMB students, staff, and faculty to let us see another side of them, as their talents are surprising and great.”
Once the performances concluded, audience members voted on their favorites as well as the artwork displayed in the Crafted Creations Art Gallery in the area just outside the venue.
In the performance category, Suparna Roy, a research assistant in the Polster Lab at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM), received first place for her Bollywood dance. Nickole Scroggins, MS, assistant director of stewardship and donor relations, UMSSW, took second place for her rendition of the classic Sam Cooke song “A Change Is Gonna Come.” Alfred Guy, training officer at UMSSW, earned third place for his self-composed music performance on a hang drum.
Photo: UMB President Bruce Jarrell’s metalwork was on display in the Crafted Creations Art Gallery.
In the Crafted Creations audience voting, Aaron Graham, JD, associate director of career development, University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, won first place for his handmade miniature diorama. Latisha Brown, security officer, UMB Police and Public Safety, was runner-up for her selection of paintings and drawings, and Nadia Khanam, a UMSOM student, took third place for her painting “The Cottage.”
The Crafted Creations Art Gallery included a piece of metalwork by UMB President Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS, that depicted a cornucopia. Jarrell is an accomplished metalsmith, a fact that was not known by a few audience members.
“It was surprising to some of the attendees that our school’s president had such a beautiful and delicate talent, but we had to remind everyone he is a surgeon as well … and then it made sense!” Clark said.
The event was sponsored by the UMB Staff Senate, Faculty Senate, Office of the Provost, Department of Environmental Services, Council for the Arts & Culture, and University Student Government Association.
Clark co-chaired the talent show’s Planning Committee along with Shari Christie of Maryland Carey Law. The other members were Sabrina Coppage, UMSOM; Colleen Knapp, School of Graduate Studies; Sophie Harper, UMSOM; Jamie Haskel, UMSSW; Matthew D’Agostino, UMB Office of Communications and Public Affairs (OCPA); and Dana Rampolla, OCPA.
Photo: Aaron Graham's handmade miniature diorama was voted best piece of art in the Crafted Creations Art Gallery by the “UMB’s Got Talent” audience.
