ART ACTIVISM WHERE MEETS

The Power Of Art

Mia Rickenbach believes the disciplines of art and social justice are undeniably interconnected. That’s why she founded Create Freedom, a Baltimore non-profit that uses the arts to increase public awareness of human trafficking— because she wanted to make a difference and to help others to do the same.

Honing Her Skills

Mia’s mentor, Assistant Professor Nate Sinnott, helped Mia dig into the art she loves—scenic painting. This evolved into an opportunity with Cobalt Studios, where she honed those skills and began to envision using them to create a large-scale mural project for UMBC’s Undergraduate Research and Achievement Day (or URCAD, to those in the know) to raise awareness of human trafficking.

Art And Entrepreneurship

As Mia was looking for ways to continue that work, she found her opportunity in the Entrepreneurship Undergraduate Research Award. Granted by UMBC’s Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship, it gave her the opportunity to complete a feasibility study and develop a business plan.

Bringing It All To Life

Now, her vision has become a reality, thanks to the tools and support that allowed her to channel her passion into action. She credits people like Sinnott, Dr. April Householder, and Professor Stephen Bradley for helping her create a space where she could get creative—literally— with her research and do work that crossed disciplinary boundaries.

Art overrides the logical part of our brain where unnecessary walls get put up.

– MIA RICKENBACH

Celebrating Research And Creativity

We know that research and creative work are the gateway to what many students go on to do in their careers. That’s why we created URCAD, or Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement Day, a celebration of all the amazing work our students create alongside their fellow students and professors.