---
title: 10 Creative Ways to Celebrate NextNOW Fest’s First Decade
date: 2023-09-05T05:30:00-04:00
author: University of Maryland
canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/10-creative-ways-to-celebrate-nextnow-fests-first-decade"
section: Articles
---
# 10 Creative Ways to Celebrate NextNOW Fest’s First Decade

*September 5, 2023* — by [Jessica Weiss ’05](/author/jessica-weiss-05)


> Terps-Centric Arts Extravaganza to Feature Nearly 60 Exhibitions, Performances, Activities

*220910 Dylan Singleton Next Now Fest Early Selects 26 1920x1080 — A crowd at 2022's NextNOW Fest bounces and gyrates in silence to a variety of beats from three separate live DJs. The nine-day arts festival, starting today, features a wide range of performances and exhibitions both on and off campus.*

“Bathe” in the meditative sound of gongs. Lose yourself in artistically crafted virtual worlds. Take in comedy and music by emerging and breakout touring artists.

These are just a few of the ways to experience [NextNOW Fest](https://theclarice.umd.edu/nnf), the University of Maryland’s arts experience that begins today. To mark the festival’s 10th anniversary in 2023, staff and students have planned nearly 60 free performances, art installations and activities on and off campus over the next two weeks.

“It’s multifaceted, multidimensional—a way to start the year off with a bang in a creative fashion,” said Nyomi Fox ’24, a psychology major and arts leadership minor who’s one of four student artistic planning fellows helping to curate the event alongside professional staff. “Art takes so many forms and NextNOW is so interdisciplinary. Anyone will be able to see themselves in an artistic space at the festival.”


*Raveena — Raveena*


*Ricky Montgomery — Ricky Montgomery*


*Sudan Archives — Sudan Archives*




**Topics:** [Arts & Culture](https://today.umd.edu/tags/arts-culture)


**Tags:** [Music](https://today.umd.edu/topic/music), [Visual Arts](https://today.umd.edu/topic/visual-arts), [Arts](https://today.umd.edu/topic/arts)


**Units:** [Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center](https://today.umd.edu/topic/clarice-smith-performing-arts-center), [College of Arts and Humanities](https://today.umd.edu/topic/college-arts-and-humanities)