ROAD WORK
ROAD WORK - a condition of routine maintenance to a public roadway, resulting in a more-or-less temporary (and more-or-less inconvenient) detour
ROAD WORK - the labor done to maintain the road
ROAD WORK - (art)work made on, with, or about the road
ROAD WORK - the labor done to maintain the road
ROAD WORK - (art)work made on, with, or about the road
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 is open to the public 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. 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. Embedded within THE ROAD WORK 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 aburke44@umd.edu if you would like to attend.
EVENTS
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15
GALLERY RECEPTION
Join us for a gallery reception to celebrate the opening of ROAD WORK. Light refreshments will be provided. This event is open to the public. If you are driving from off-campus, hourly parking is available in the Mowatt Lane Garage or at the University Baptist Church.
THE ROAD WORK CAR SHOW @ NEXTNOW FEST
Head outside to Tawes Plaza to view a selection of well-loved, working, and storied vehicles, including vehicular art installations by UMD MFA candidates Andżelika Berestko and Jonah Brock. This event is also open to the public.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24
DRIFT STUDIES WORKSHOP WITH JULIE LIBERSAT
Exhibiting artist Julie Libersat will lead a participatory workshop on drifting as creative practice. Walking shoes encouraged. Space for this event is limited; if you are interested in attending, please email the curator at aburke44@umd.edu.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25
ARTIST LECTURE BY NANCY NOWACEK
Exhibiting artist Nancy Nowacek will give an artist lecture, including a behind-the-scenes look at her and Allison Rowe’s social practice demolition derby project Just Crushing, featured in ROAD WORK. Space for this event is limited; if you are interested in attending, please email the curator at aburke44@umd.edu.