Visual, Performing, and Media Arts
Welcome to the Visual, Performing, and Media Arts Area. Our inspiring and dedicated faculty members guide students and community members to experience the arts through our many programs ranging from animation to jewelry making, from the history of art to the experience of modern dance. Our faculty and staff members lead with courage, curiosity, and care, guiding students and community members through program pathways, credit and beyond credit learning, and transfer and career readiness.
We partner with four-year institutions to support seamless transfer. We provide experiential learning in arts management and performing arts. We collaborate with Community Arts, our beyond credit department, to engage students in learning that meets their immediate and lifelong needs. We are proud of our brilliant scholars and artists who bring up-to-date, student-centered learning to the classroom, supporting our students as they flourish at MC.
Dr. Elizabeth Benton began her career in education over twenty years ago. After teaching high school English for nine years, she began teaching college-level course work, first as an adjunct professor of English and education at Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas. In 2004, Dr. Benton and her family relocated to the Washington, D.C., area where she joined Montgomery College as an adjunct professor before joining the College full-time in January 2007. During her tenure as an English faculty member, she served in various roles including course coordinator, department chair of the English and Reading department (Rockville), Faculty Associate in English, serving as program coordinator of programs and partnerships, and dean of English of reading.
In addition to teaching and providing college leadership, Dr. Benton enjoys serving on collegewide committees and participating in the Center for Teaching and Learning professional learning cohorts, as well as the Presidential Innovation and Leadership Institute. Most recently, Dr. Benton has contributed to various collegewide committees: MC Academic Master Plan, Middle States Workgroup on Ethics and Compliance, MC 2025 Strategic Plan, and Committee for Assessment and Placement of Developmental Issues (CAPDI). Dr. Benton founded the Maryland State Affinity Group for Deans of Arts and Humanities and convenes the Collegewide Dean Committee. Dr. Benton has engaged in several professional learning fellowships, outside of MC, including Leadership Montgomery’s Racial Equity Action Leadership and E-Cornell Organizational Design.
Dr. Benton earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Baylor University in Waco, Texas. A few years later, Dr. Benton received her Master of Arts degree from Columbia Teacher’s College in New York, New York. She completed her Doctor of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Her scholarly work focuses on teacher lived experience and improving access to college.
Professor Erik Swanson is an educator, artist, and academic leader who has served Montgomery College since 2008. As Acting Associate Dean for Visual, Performing, and Media Arts, he brings extensive experience in academic leadership, faculty development, curriculum coordination, and program administration, including prior service as Chair of the Department of Media Arts & Technologies and coordinator of the digital animation program.
He previously directed the Institute for Part-Time Faculty Engagement and Support, where he revitalized faculty development initiatives and supported more than 1,000 part-time faculty across four campuses. Professor Swanson holds a BFA from Temple University and an MFA in 3D Modeling and Animation from the Art Academy University in San Francisco, and has received multiple honors, including the NISOD Award of Excellence and Outstanding Faculty Service awards.
Support Staff
Academic Departments
Art Department - Germantown
Department Chair: Tendai Johnson
Art Department - Rockville
Department Chair: Tendai Johnson
Media Arts & Technologies Department - Rockville
Department Chair: Katherine Hubley
Performing Arts Department - Rockville
Department Chair: Justin Boyer
Visual and Performing Arts Department - Takoma Park/Silver Spring
Department Chair: Norberto Gomez
Degrees and Certificates
More Programs and Courses
Noncredit Classes
Community Arts provides noncredit classes for professional and aspiring artists, taught by working artists. We build our schedule based on community needs and interests, so we'd love to hear from you. Find out more.