To enrich your Summer Session experience, we offer faculty-led special events and activities that will take you beyond the classroom and help you immerse yourself in Baltimore’s unique history, art, politics, neighborhoods and culture. These events are specifically planned for students enrolled in UMBC’s Special Programs courses.

• Thursday, June 15: Get to Know West Baltimore with Eli Pousson & Kate Drabinski 
  Join Summer Session faculty members Eli Pousson and Kate Drabinski for a walking tour of West Baltimore and get to know UMBC’s newest neighborhood. Topics will include the industrial history of West Baltimore, processes of urban renewal and displacement, and recent efforts to change the neighborhood through tourism, education, and other forms of investment. What makes West Baltimore “West Baltimore,” and whose voices shaped and continue to shape its past, present, and future? The tour will leave from the Lion Building at 6:00pm and return by 7:45pm.
• Monday, June 26: Tour Baltimore’s Food Markets with Kate Drabinski. 
  Baltimore boasts one of the oldest public markets in the country—Lexington Market, open since 1782—and a variety of markets, both public and private, all over the city. Join Kate Drabinski for an introduction to Baltimore’s food markets. This tour will start from the Lion Building and visit Hollins Market and then pop over to Lexington Market before heading up to Mount Vernon to visit one of the city’s newest private market. Topics will include food justice in Baltimore, public versus private developments, and the role of markets in the future of city neighborhoods. The tour will leave from the Lion Building at 1pm and return by 4:00pm.
• Friday, July 14: Behind the Scenes at Camden Yards with Kate Drabinski. 
  Camden Yards is best known to today’s Baltimoreans as the home of the Baltimore Orioles, but it has a colorful history that long predates our home team. Before hitting the game join Kate Drabinski for a tour of Camden Yards and the surrounding neighborhoods. Topics will include the role of the B&O Railroad in building Baltimore, the Pratt Street Riots and Baltimore’s role in the Civil War, and the Great Railroad Strike of 1877, a signature moment in the growth of the country’s labor movement. We will meet on the campus shuttle at 5:00pm, or at Pratt & Penn at 5:30 and will be at the gates and ready for the first pitch against the Chicago Cubs at 7:05pm. Tickets will be available through the Student Events Board (SEB). Check back for more details.

Nintendo looked to the prehistoric civilization of Jomon as inspiration for its newest game in The Legend of Zelda series: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Intricate flame-like patterns, one of Jomon’s signifying visual features, can be found all over the game on guardian robots, in dungeons, and on Link’s Sheikah Slate. Another relic from the Jomon era, Dogu (clay figurines), appears in the form of an oven named Cherry, who provides Link with armor and weapons for his journey.

This summer, students will visit Baltimore’s renowned museums and go on their own historic journey in ART 216: Studies in Visual Culture (Prehistory through the 1750s). This course aims to provide students with an understanding of how societies and their histories are shaped by art and visual culture. While experiencing the great collections of the Walters Art Museum and the Baltimore Museum of Art, students will explore several significant moments in the history of world art dating from prehistory to the mid-eighteenth century. Architecture, painting, sculpture, religion, and philosophy are potential topics that may be discussed.

ART 216 is a six-week course offered during summer session 1. Classes will be held at the Lion Brothers Building in Baltimore.

Baltimore is home to many sites tied to important moments in American history. From the Battle of Baltimore at Fort McHenry, which inspired the Star Spangled Banner, to the Edgar Allen Poe house, to the Pratt Street Riot at Camden Yards that lead to the first casualties of the Civil War.

This summer, students will have the opportunity to tell stories about Baltimore’s history in HIST 411: Public History Methods – Explore Baltimore Heritage. Using research, writing, and visual design skills, students will create compelling short stories about a historic site in Baltimore of their choosing. These stories will be featured on the Explore Baltimore Heritage website and app, to be enjoyed by residents, students, and visitors. This service learning opportunity is supported by Baltimore Heritage, a local nonprofit advocate for historic preservation and heritage education, and a variety of neighborhood-based partner organizations.

HIST 411 is a course offered during Summer Session I. HIST 411 is open to all majors. Prior HIST course prerequisite requirements will be waived for this class. For a waiver, please contact Carla Ison at ison@umbc.edu.

Classes will be held at the Lion Brothers Building in Baltimore. More information, including transportation options, can be found on the Special Programs website.

Get off campus (and earn credits!) this summer as you immerse yourself in Baltimore’s unique history, art, politics, and culture.

Lion Brothers Building

The Neighborhood & Special Events