BALTIMORE, Oct. 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — Maryland Art Place (MAP), one of the State's leading support organizations for emerging and mid-career artists, announced today that Baltimore artist Claire Girodie was selected for a special commission. Girodie will be creating a new work of art for CyberPoint International's inaugural Women in Cyber Security reception, to be held on November 12^th, 2014 in Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Bringing together women from across the region and all different points on the career spectrum, the reception is aimed at creating connections among those working in the academic, government, business and technical arenas of cyber security.

Girodie was selected on October 16^th following MAP's September open call to female visual artists in the greater Baltimore metropolitan area. Both the MAP and CyberPoint selection committee members were impressed by Girodie's overall body of work and felt that the subject matter she explores as well as her creative process strongly relate to the themes of the event. Her imaginative explorations of the boundaries between order and chaos, and between what we perceive and the true nature of things, were particularly compelling to committee members. Her experimental approaches, bringing together both artistic and scientific sensibilities also played an important part in the decision.

"Being very new to the world of contemporary art, I did not know what to expect," said Sherri Ramsay, a senior advisor at CyberPoint. "But once I was able to see Claire's abstract visual explorations up close and hear the story behind them, I began to see powerful connections between her work and the ideas and issues faced by those working in our field. We too are exploring and experimenting to discover new ideas and fundamental truths. And we are working amid the chaos of a rapidly evolving, ultimately unknowable world where people, organizations and technology intersect—cyberspace."

"We're excited to have been able to create a connection of our own, by bringing together the arts and business communities," said Amy Cavanaugh Royce, Executive Director of MAP. "Claire's incredible work recently made a great impact through MAP's annual 'Recent Masters of Fine Art' graduate exhibition this past summer. We are delighted to have been able to bring additional visibility to her art through this opportunity, while simultaneously benefiting an important women's event hosted by CyberPoint."

Girodie's creation will be on display at the event on November 12^th and guests at the reception will receive a signed, limited edition fine art print of the new piece.

About Maryland Art Place

Maryland Art Place (MAP) inspires, supports, and encourages artistic expression through innovative programming, exhibitions, and educational opportunities while recognizing the powerful impact art can have on our community. MAP creates a dynamic environment for artists of our time to engage the public by nurturing and promoting new ideas. MAP has served as a critical resource for contemporary art in the Mid-Atlantic since 1981. Learn more at mdartplace.org.

About CyberPoint

At CyberPoint, we work to create a future where individuals and organizations from across the globe can operate safely and securely in cyberspace and benefit from the technological innovations that increasingly connect our world. A rapidly growing cyber security company, CyberPoint integrates and delivers innovative, leading-edge services, solutions, and products to protect what's invaluable to customers worldwide. We discover the threats and vulnerabilities that expose data, systems, and infrastructure to compromise, we quantify risks, and we design defenses that provide critical protection. Learn more at cyberpoint.com.

CONTACT: Paul Shortt, paul@mdartplace.org, +1 410 962 8565