Bowen has been a staple of Maryland Hall and Annapolis almost since its modern beginning, with some describing her as a "force of nature" and an "institution." Before it was the Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, it was Annapolis High School. Constructed in 1932, the all-white high school lasted until the new high school was built in the mid 1970s. It became the arts center in 1979. Bowen attended the high school and came back to work as a teacher. She accepted the president and CEO position in 1996.