Alumni News Highlight

Rubys Alumni across all four disciplines have continued on to achieve numerous career successes.  We are excited to highlight a few of these milestones in each of our newsletters going forward. 

Jackie Milad (Rubys 2019) was selected along with Nekisha Durette to make work in dialogue with Fred Wilson’s Artemis/Bast for the Baltimore Museum of Art’s open call and exhibition Histories Collide.  The exhibition was curated by Cecilia Wichmann and Dave Eassa (Rubys 2021), and the work was selected by a panel of curators and critics who’ve worked extensively in the Baltimore creative community, and advised by George Ciscle. 

Jung Yun (Rubys 2019 and 2023) published her second novel, O Beautiful, with St. Martin’s Press in 2021.  The book was featured in the New York Times’ Group Text column, and a review in the Washington Post. 

Phaan Howng (Rubys 2017) exhibited her work in a solo presentation at this year’s Armory Show in New York with Dinner Gallery.  She received a feature, in anticipation of the fair, from Artnet.

Tahir Hemphill (Rubys 2020) and his project The Rap Research Lab announced a new graphic, titled “Picasso, Baby!,” and its inclusion in The Culture, an exhibition on the history and influence of Hip Hop on contemporary art co-organized by the Baltimore Museum of Art and the Saint Louis Museum of Art.  

Savannah Wood’s (Rubys 2021) Rubys-funded project traces the history of the AFRO American Newspapers' founding to a former plantation in Montgomery County, Maryland. As Executive Director of Afro Charities, she is leading a capital campaign to redevelop Baltimore's historic Upton Mansion to become the permanent home and research center for the AFRO Newspapers' Archives, garnering support from local and national foundations, as well as city, state and federal governments. Afro Charities has just $1.5M left to raise for its $13.3M project. 

Kate Reed Petty (Rubys 2017) published her debut novel True Story in 2020 which was selected as a New York Times Book Review “Editor’s Choice.”