By: Stella Henretta

On Sept. 15, the University of Maryland’s Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center organized an unveiling of a dynamic sculpture that intersects art with engineering. Hosted at the E.A. Fernandez IDEA Factory, this event was a part of UMD’s annual NextNOW Fest, typically hosted in mid-September.

The sculpture was created in collaboration with xFoundry, an organization that participates in projects and competitions “aimed at cultivating the mind and skills of a founder.”

In fall 2024, xFoundry partnered with UMD undergraduate students enrolled in Associate Professor of Latin American Art, Art History and Archaeology Abigail McEwen’s ‘Public Art’ class, ARTH262, to commission a new work of art for the IDEA Factory. 

“I developed my course on Public Art with an eye toward engaging UMD students from all disciplines in the study and practice of art history,” McEwen said.

McEwen’s course positions public art as a social good, able to reflect and shape the values of its community. An initial grant from the Dedalus Foundation allowed her to introduce a commission to the course in spring 2023. Additional funding from the Do Good Institute and xFoundry allowed her to refine the model and to establish best practices in accordance with UMD guidelines.

At first, McEwen’s team did not go into the project with the idea that a multidisciplinary artist was necessary. However, after receiving proposals from various candidates, the team latched onto a project proposed by graduate student Joshua Prince titled “Not So Random.”

“Joshua’s project impressed us last year with its site-specificity, detailed schedule of work and visual and conceptual ingenuity,” McEwen said.

Prince, a current MFA candidate, initially attended college in Boston, where he completed an ROTC program and emerged as a nuclear-qualified engineer. After being stationed overseas in Japan, Prince realized he wanted to switch careers to something he had not considered before: art. Prince enrolled at UMD to pursue an MFA after attending a one-year program in Philadelphia. 

“When UMD posted the ‘Public Art’ proposal flyers in the fall of 2024, I thought, ‘Okay, maybe the universe is telling me to try it.’ And then one day, the idea for my proposed project was there in my sketchbook,” Prince said.

The concept behind “Not So Random” is that it is a self-generating art piece. The sculpture consists of a plexiglass box into which a wire is continuously fed, creating a “doodle” in space. The rate at which the wire moves depends on environmental factors, like the amount of carbon dioxide and light in the building. The wire then turns a two-dimensional line into a three-dimensional form that is always changing and self-generating, based on input from sensors installed in the building.

Prince’s work started at the end of January 2025, and since then he and his team have been working on the project nonstop. Despite the unveiling being scheduled for Monday, Sept. 15, Prince predicts that his team has another month left to eliminate wiring issues, finalize the sculpture’s setting and add finishing touches. As of now, the sculpture will be located on the first floor of the IDEA Factory near the entrance to the building.

Phillip Alvarez, who joined xFoundry in July 2023 as the associate director of ventures and partnerships, assisted Prince and McEwen in orchestrating the project. Alvarez remarked that his time working with the “Not So Random” team was the best possible experience.

“Our team could get things done. It was a very smooth process; many projects can be bumpy, and people aren’t always engaged, but with the help of Abigail and Joshua’s work ethic, the project moved forward productively,” Alvarez said.

As a scientist by trade, Alvarez says that being able to see Prince’s artwork come together physically was an amazing opportunity– and a prideful one, too.

“I’m a huge fan of the mission of trying to leverage the fact that art is an amazing communication tool, and in this case conveys the message that multidisciplinary art is beautiful in solving challenges,” Alvarez said. “I’m happy that pretty much everything worked out, aside from a few hiccups. In these scenarios, we must consider that mistakes are a nature of the beast– things don’t always go the way they are supposed to.”

Prince shares similar pride regarding their success.

“I’m proud that we pushed the project over the finish line,” Prince said. “I’m also glad that we have a final product to showcase that gives back to the UMD community.”

The progression of Prince’s project has highlighted the power that a large public research university has to offer. The intersection of sophisticated arts and humanities departments, coupled with engineering, brings to the community the undeniable fact that students can make an impact right here on campus — they just have to follow through on it. 

“My hope is that my exhibit helps push people forward to do more ambitious work. People generally don’t pay attention to the arts at UMD, but when they do, this can change their perspective,” Prince said.

Prince also mentions that engineers might benefit from being surrounded by people who have different views about how to solve problems and believes artists provide this alternative perspective.

“I think as an artist now, I still ask the same sort of questions as an engineer would, but now I’m not as interested in finding answers– rather, I’m reaching for questions,” Prince said.

“Not So Random” underscores what UMD should be proud of: diversity, innovation and ingenuity.

“I want to see ‘Not So Random’ be an example of what we can do if we let students innovate on our campus,” Alvarez said. “We shouldn’t seek out external artists to make artwork; instead, we should cultivate a community on campus that spawns the creation of art. I hope this sculpture will open new avenues for students to express their artistic attitudes and create lasting change around campus.”

As for McEwen’s Public Art class, she plans to offer it every other year going forward.

“Students have a special opportunity to oversee the process of creating new art on campus, with all of its logistical and administrative challenges, and at the same time, we are proud to support the work of artists in a small but meaningful way,” McEwen said.

Featured Image: At the E.A. Fernandez IDEA Factory, the University of Maryland’s Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center organized an unveiling of a dynamic sculpture that intersects art with engineering. Photo by: Stella Henretta