By: Sophia Yodice

The University of Maryland’s Stamp Gallery hosted a reception on Monday to introduce “Lights Off at 8 pm,” a diverse group exhibition featuring artists who approach memory as inherently fluid and emotional; the event was free and open to the public. 

“I wanted the audience to be able to see how these emotions can show up in different media,” said Júlia Sodré, the exhibition’s curator and a second-year MFA student studying Latin American art.

Supported in part by the Maryland State Arts Council and The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, the exhibit features five artists who work in painting, sculpture, photography, video and interactive installations. Artists Jerell Gibbs, Lolo Gem, Margaret Walker, Jiangshengyu Nova Pan and Sara Dittrich draw on diverse artistic backgrounds to explore the idea that memory is never fixed, but constantly shifting, evoking love, grief, joy, anxiety and fear.

“Seeing the implications of memories and people you’ve lost and how they just kind of disappear over time, it’s really hitting home,” said Jocelyn Haenftling, sophomore English major and member of the Art Scholars program.

The relatively somber tone of the exhibition is reflected in pieces like Gibbs’ “All we are left with is peace lilies, teddy bears, and a balloon” and Gem’s “The Human Mind Can Stand So Much.” Their work is shown alongside Walker’s photography, Pan’s moving-image installations and Dittrich’s interactive, data-driven sculptures.

“There’s a juxtaposition between these pieces where you feel comforted and warm, but something may feel off,” said Trinitee Tatum, senior art history and American studies major and lecturer at the gallery. 

Sodré explained that her curatorial vision came in part from a personal place; a childhood book titled “Quem Conta um Conto, Aumenta um Ponto,” which roughly translates to, “who tells a tale, adds a tail.” Individuals experience new things through the act of remembering. 

“My grandpa has dementia, so I got to witness firsthand the process of forgetting, so that’s why I’m very attached to memory,” she said.

The gallery itself encourages visitors to engage with emerging art as a way of building dialogue on campus. Students, staff, and community members are urged to step outside of traditional academic spaces and experience contemporary works firsthand.

“I think the gallery definitely proves to the students here that you’re able to create art and you’re able to show it to other people. It’s not just going to get lost in your drafts and in your home,” Haenftling said. “You’re always gonna see yourself on these walls.”

“Lights Off at 8 pm” will remain in the Stamp Gallery through Oct. 11, 2025. Their next event will be an Artist Talk with Dittrich on Thursday, Oct. 9, in the Nanticoke Room in Stamp.

“It’s really empowering to be able to give this opportunity to other artists,” Sodré said.

Featured Image: Someone Viewing Art at “Lights Off at 8 pm” Photo by: Miller Rogers-Tetrick