The University of Maryland presents the 2026 John Dorsey Prize Exhibition ROAD WORK, a multimedia exhibition and accompanying event series curated by Ava Burke, MFA candidate in Studio Art and winner of the 2026 John Dorsey Prize for Outstanding Curatorial Practice. ROAD WORK examines road infrastructure, maintenance labor, and car culture as sites of contemporary artistic inquiry. Featuring installation, sculpture, social practice, sound, and video, the exhibition brings together artists Julie Libersat, Julia Reising, Jeffery Hampshire, and WorkingWorking Group (Nancy Nowacek and Allison Rowe). Their work considers the road as a shared space of obstacle, detour, and repair, and the vehicle as an extension of the body it carries.
ROAD WORK will be on view September 7-25, 2026 at the Herman Maril Gallery on the University of Maryland’s College Park campus. A public gallery reception will take place from 5-7 PM on Tuesday, September 15. Alongside the reception and presented in collaboration with NextNOW Fest will be THE ROAD WORK CAR SHOW in Tawes Plaza adjacent to the gallery. This pop-up exhibition will feature a curated selection of beloved vehicles, from the road-tested daily drivers of UMD student-commuters, to restored-to-a-tee vintage sportscars and decked-out art cars, to working utility vehicles and UMD Chemical Engineering’s own ChemE Car prototype…you might even spy a vintage fire truck! Embedded within the CAR SHOW will be site-specific vehicular art installations by UMD Studio Art MFA candidates Andżelika Berestko and Jonah Brock.
ROAD WORK will culminate with a workshop on drifting as creative practice by exhibiting artist Julie Libersat on Thursday, September 24 at 6 PM, and a lecture by exhibiting artist Nancy Nowacek on Friday, September 25 at 5 PM. Space is limited for these events, so please reach out to the curator directly at [email protected] if you would like to attend.