The University of Maryland President’s Outreach Council will host its 5^th Annual Community Partner Art Exhibit and Silent Auction from Friday April 19^th through Friday May 10^th.

This exhibit features artwork created by students attending George Washington Elementary and Southwest Baltimore Charter schools where UMB runs CLUB UMB, a free after-school mentoring and youth leadership program.  CLUB UMB links UMB faculty, staff and students with children participating students to promote academic achievement, personal health and wellness and career exploration opportunities.

Proceeds from the silent auction will support activities of CLUB UMB and its partner schools.

The University will host the exhibit, Aging Across America, a series of photographs by geriatrician  and acclaimed photographer, Jeffrey Levine, MD, at the Health Sciences and Human Services Library (HS/HSL) Frieda O. Weise Gallery from February  4 to March 15, 2013. The exhibit, supported by a grant from MetLife Foundation and sponsored by the Global Alliance for Arts and Health in Washington, D.C., will visit six teaching hospitals across the U.S. The exhibit at HSHSL is sponsored by the library and the campus’ Geriatrics and Gerontology Education and Research Program of The Graduate School.

“The exhibit calls to attention the demographic and medical aspects of aging that are not high on society’s agenda. This includes the need for growth in several aging-related fields such as geriatric medicine, nursing, and social work,” says Levine, attending physician at Beth Israel Medical Center – Petrie Division and assistant clinical professor of medicine at the Albert Einstein Medical Center in New York City.

An educational program on the aging population and how to grow old successfully will accompany the exhibit.

“The photographs in Aging Across America serve as a necessary reminder of the presence of older adults in this country—documenting the health issues and stigmatization they face while also providing a stunning record of their vitality and diversity,” says Anita Boles, MPA, executive director of Global Alliance. “By embracing these complexities, the show exemplifies how art forces us to interrogate our own ideas and perceptions. It is our belief that the images will spark conversations rooted in compassion that lead to action.”

Levine also will present a lecture emphasizing the importance of humanistic medicine at HS/HSL on Feb. 19. The lecture, Aging Across America:  A Personal Perspective,  will be held in the Gladhill Board Room at 4 p.m.  A reception will be held in the Gallery following the lecture.

“This demographic change is unparalleled in history,” says Levine. “We’ve never had so many people in this age range. That’s a result of public hygiene, elimination of many contagious diseases, as well as medical advances and awareness of healthy habits. They’ve brought us a longer lifespan—now we have to deal with that. I hope my exhibit will serve as a starting point for discussion.”

Levine has practiced geriatrics in New York City (NYC) for the past 25 years. He also has studied at the International Center of Photography, the Art Students League, and the School of Visual Arts in NYC. Now on his second exhibit tour, Levine’s photographs have been featured in textbooks and journals and are part of permanent collections across the country.

For more information, visit www.levinemdphotos.com.

What is open access and why should you care?  Because of the high cost of journals, much of the scientific research reported is only available to individuals and institutions with deep pockets, while financially disadvantaged individuals, organizations, and countries do without. Many of us are aware of the cost of accessing scientific and biomedical information, but may not know that there are alternatives that can make these publications less expensive and widely available around the world.

October 22 – 28 marks Open Access Week, an annual global event dedicated to raising awareness of open access to information – “the free, immediate, online access to the results of scholarly research, and the right to use and re-use those results as you need.”

Join the Health Sciences & Human Services Library in celebrating Open Access Week!

• An exhibit will be on display in the Health Science & Human Services Library’s Weise Gallery, highlighting the high cost of scientific information and presenting Open Access as an alternative to expensive journals.
• The HS/HSL will also host an exhibit reception on Wednesday, October 24th from 3:00-4:00, in the Weise Gallery on the main floor of the library.  Enjoy free food and an Open Access quiz with prizes!

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The HS/HSL’s Weise Gallery is showcasing the wonderful artwork created by students from George Washington Elementary School and Southwest Baltimore Charter School. The students from Southwest Baltimore Charter School will be mirroring the artwork of Matthew Courtney, an artist who uses newspaper print as a background. Students from both schools created art with a “healthy living” theme.

A silent auction of the artwork will run from the opening reception on Friday, April 13th at 6:00 p.m. through the April 27th closing reception. Proceeds will support CLUB UMD, a youth leadership program. Come to the Gallery to enjoy the artwork and place your bids!

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Katie Marie Klos is an honor student in her third year at Liberty High School. Art and music are the biggest parts of her life. Most of her spare time is spent behind the camera, drawing, writing, singing, playing volleyball and teaching herself how to play her favorite songs on the guitar and piano. She aspires to have a successful career in photography after graduating from the University of Maryland.

A self-taught photographer, she received her first camera at the age of twelve. Being behind the camera lens wasn’t something Katie ever planned on doing; from a young age, she preferred to be in front of the camera. It wasn’t until she was fourteen, when she started a personal 365 photography project, that she began taking pictures on a daily basis.

What started as normal everyday objects of life has turned into constant inspiration for Katie’s photography. She loves to give ordinary things a new perspective.

Rewriting the Book of Nature: Charles Darwin and the Rise of Evolutionary Theory explores Charles Darwin’s vision—“from so simple a beginning, endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being evolved”—a vision that now forms the foundation of the biological sciences. Radical in sweep, Darwin’s idea of naturally innovating and endlessly changing webs of life undercut all previous sciences.

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The perspectives of surgeons, physicians, and nurses are richly documented in the history of Civil War medicine, which highlights the heroism and brutality of battlefield operations and the challenges of caring for the wounded during wartime. Yet the experiences of injured soldiers during the conflict and in the years afterwards are less well-known. Life and Limb: The Toll of the Civil War focuses on disabled veterans and their role as symbols of the fractured nation.

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Harry Potter is coming to UM! Visit “Harry Potter’s World: Renaissance Science, Magic, and Medicine”, an exhibit on display at the Health Sciences & Human Services Library from September 18 – November 5, 2011. The exhibit uses the National Library of Medicine’s History of Medicine collections to explore the world of Harry Potter, its roots in Renaissance science, and the ethical questions that affected not only the wizards in J.K. Rowling’s books, but also the historical thinkers featured in the series. Exhibit panels present the works of 15th- and 16th-century scholars and explore their perceptions of natural philosophy, medicine, and magic. Renaissance texts are used to highlight some of the fantastic creatures and plants featured in the novels.

For information on the exhibit and related programs, call 410-706-7996.

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Regina Tumasella is from the Catskill Mountains of New York where she spent most of her time observing the natural world around her. She resides in Baltimore and earned a BFA in Painting from the Maryland Institute College of Art (1999). Regina’s paintings were featured in the New York Times article “Art by the Rails in Baltimore”.

From the Artist
“In my paintings I try to uncover emotional landscapes that shift from day to day. I map my perceptions of specific places through the mingling of color in layers of paint. The aspiration of my work is to continuously arrive at a more clear vision and understanding of my place.”