- April 21, 2026
- By Jessica Weiss ’05 And Karenna Sarney ’21, M.A. ’22
A short film about the owners of a beloved College Park barbershop, a fragmented American flag painstakingly stitched back together and a chamber music piece meditating on melting glaciers were among the works recognized in the 2026 Sadat Arts for Justice and Peace Program.
The awards were celebrated at an April 20 reception at The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center that transformed the atrium into an immersive gallery featuring exhibitions, film screenings, live performances and opportunities to engage directly with student artists.
This year’s theme of democracy and civic responsibility was inspired by former President Jimmy Carter’s words: “In our democracy, the only title higher and more powerful than that of president is the title of citizen.”
Students from across the University of Maryland submitted work across visual art, music, poetry, and now film, introduced as a new category this year. Visual arts winners received $2,500 prizes; other categories offered $1,500 for first place.
“The continued expansion of this program reflects the incredible range of ways our students are using the arts to inspire dialogue, celebrate our differences and strengthen community,” said Craig Kier, executive director of the campuswide Arts for All initiative. “Their creativity is inspiring.”
A collaboration between the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences and the College of Arts and Humanities and co-sponsored by the Anwar Sadat Chair for Peace and Development and Arts for All, the competition showcases students from art, music, film and creative writing programs.
“When I envisioned the Art for Peace Program 28 years ago, my thought was to draw a wider segment of our university to the conversation about important issues of justice and peace, beyond social scientists,” said Shibley Telhami, Anwar Sadat Professor for Peace and Development and founder of the program. “Artists are intellectuals who engage these issues in innovative and powerful ways that speak to broader audiences. It’s been wonderful and rewarding to partner with the university's Arts for All program to go beyond paintings and sculpture to include other forms of art. The works are creative in their conception and aesthetically impressive.”
Below are the winners of the 2026 Sadat Arts for Justice and Peace Program:
Visual Art
- First Place: “It’s The American Way” by McCleary Gallagher ’26, studio art; ’25, electrical engineering
- Second Place: “Between Us” by Sofia Apgar ’26, biological sciences
- Third Place: “Silently Screaming” by Christine Nesseth ’26, immersive media design and studio art
- Honorable Mention: “Citizen (Abernathy)” by Ava Burke, M.F.A. student
Poetry
- First Place: “Renovated World” by Daniel Parada ’27, information systems and marketing
- Second Place: “Rinsed” by Laurine Dzossou-Mawule ’29, undeclared, Jiménez-Porter Writers’ House
- Honorable Mention: “Miss Etiquette” by Katie FitzPatrick ’26, English
Composition for Chamber Music
- First Place: “Future’s Passed” by John Pablo Rojas, M.M. student in cello performance
- Honorable Mention: “House Upon a Hill” by Lily Galihue ’26, vocal performance and music composition
Chamber Music Performance
- First Place: “I Dream a World” by Addison Littlefield, M.M. student in opera performance, and Hanako Duffie, graduate student in collaborative piano
Film
- First Place,“Today’s Hair” by Jack (Thomas) Brittan-Powell, graduate student in documentary filmmaking
- Second Place: Smoke Break” by Mason Vosmek ‘29, cinema and media studies
- Honorable Mention: “The Title of Citizen” by Haniyeh Pasandi, M.A. student in documentary filmmaking
Learn more about the winners and access all the winning works.