Visual, Performing, and Media Arts
Welcome to the Visual, Performing, and Media Arts area. We comprise three departments on the Rockville Campus (art, performing arts, and media arts and technologies), the Art Department on the Germantown Campus, and the Visual and Performing Arts Department on the Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus.
Through instruction and training in a variety of formats, including lecture, demonstration, and hands-on participation, students gain experience in art, music, dance, theatre, photography, film, graphic design, web design, animation and gaming, and television and radio. Associate of arts degrees and certificate programs expand employment opportunities or prepare students for transfer to four-year institutions.
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), and more recently, Faculty Associate in English and Reading serving as program director for the Montgomery College Minority Faculty Internship (McMFI) and Academic Support Innovation.
In addition to teaching and providing college leadership, Dr. Benton enjoys serving on collegewide committees and participating in MC ELITE’s many professional learning cohorts. Most recently, Dr. Benton has contributed to various collegewide committees: MC 2025 Strategic Plan, Virtual Campus Strategic Plan, Committee for Assessment and Placement of Developmental Issues (CAPDI), and the Employees Services Council. Dr. Benton has engaged in several professional learning fellowships at Montgomery College including Facilitative Leadership, MC Management, and the Presidential Innovation and Leadership Institute. Additionally, she is a member of two Maryland Affinity Groups for English Composition, as well as the Two Year Composition Association (TYCA) and the College English Association Mid-Atlantic Group (CEA-MAG).
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.
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.