HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) is a
private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...
art and design college in
Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...
,
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean t ...
. It was founded in 1826 as the Maryland Institute for the Promotion of the Mechanic Arts, making it one of the oldest art colleges in the United States. MICA is a member of the
Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design The Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD) is a non-profit consortium of 36 art and design schools in the United States and Canada. All AICAD member institutions have a curriculum with full liberal arts and sciences requir ...
(AICAD), a consortium of 36 leading US art schools, as well as the
National Association of Schools of Art and Design The National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), founded in 1944, is an accrediting organization of colleges, schools and universities in the United States. The organization establishes standards for graduate and undergraduate degrees ...
(NASAD). The college hosts pre-college, post-baccalaureate, continuing studies,
Master of Fine Arts A Master of Fine Arts (MFA or M.F.A.) is a terminal degree in fine arts, including visual arts, creative writing, graphic design, photography, filmmaking, dance, theatre, other performing arts and in some cases, theatre management or arts ...
, and
Bachelor of Fine Arts A Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) is a standard undergraduate degree for students for pursuing a professional education in the visual, fine or performing arts. It is also called Bachelor of Visual Arts (BVA) in some cases. Background The Bachel ...
programs, as well as young peoples' studio art classes.


History


Maryland Institute for the Promotion of the Mechanic Arts

The Maryland Institute for the Promotion of the Mechanic Arts was established by prominent citizens of Baltimore, such as Fielding Lucas Jr. (founder of Lucas Brothers - office supply company), John H. B. Latrobe (lawyer, artist, author, civic leader),
Hezekiah Niles Hezekiah Niles (October 10, 1777 – April 2, 1839), was an American editor and publisher of the Baltimore-based national weekly news magazine, ''Niles' Weekly Register'' (aka ''Niles' Register'') and the ''Weekly Register''. Niles was born in ...
(founder of national newspaper ''Niles Weekly Register'') and
Thomas Kelso Thomas Kelso (1784 – July 26, 1878) was an Irish-American philanthropist and businessman, who was born in Clones, a market town in the north of Ireland, August 28, 1784. He died on the morning of July 26, 1878 at his home of many years on Ea ...
. Other leaders and officers in that first decade were William Stewart (president), George Warner, and Fielding Lucas Jr. (vice presidents), John Mowton (recording secretary), Dr. William Howard (corresponding secretary), as well as James H. Clarke and D.P. McCoy (managers), Solomon Etting (local merchant/political leader), Benjamin C. Howard, William Hubbard, William Meeter, William Roney, William F. Small, S.D. Walker, John D. Craig, Jacob Deems, William H. Freeman, Moses Hand, William Krebs, Robert Cary Long, Jr. (architect), Peter Leary, James Mosher, Henry Payson (founder of First Unitarian Church), P. K. Stapleton, James Sykes and P. B. Williams. The
General Assembly of Maryland The Maryland General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland that convenes within the State House in Annapolis. It is a bicameral body: the upper chamber, the Maryland Senate, has 47 representatives and the lower chamber ...
incorporated the institute in 1826, and starting in November of that year (Tuesday, November 7, 1826), exhibitions of articles of American manufacture were held in the "Concert Hall" on South Charles Street. A course of lectures on subjects connected with the mechanic arts was inaugurated, and a library of works on mechanics and the sciences was begun. The school operated for a decade at "The Athenaeum" (the first of two structures to bear that name, a landmark for educational, social, cultural, civic and political affairs) at the southwest corner of East Lexington and
St. Paul Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...
Streets facing the second Baltimore City/County Courthouse between North Calvert and St. Paul Streets. This first Athenaeum was destroyed by fire on February 7, 1835, along with all of its property and records. The fire was caused by a bank riot due to the financial panic following the collapse of several Baltimore banks. In November 1847, Benjamin S. Benson and sixty-nine others (including many of the original founders of the former institute), issued a call for a meeting of those favorable to the formation of a mechanics' institute, which resulted in the reopening of the institute on January 12, 1848. The first annual exhibition was held at "Washington Hall" in October 1848, followed by two more. The 1848 officers were John A. Rodgers – president, Adam Denmead – first vice president, James Milholland – second vice president, John B. Easter – recording secretary, and Samuel Boyd – treasurer. The institute was reincorporated by the
state legislature A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system. Two federations literally use the term "state legislature": * The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United Sta ...
at their December session in 1849 and was endowed by an annual appropriation from the State of Maryland of five hundred dollars. In 1849, the Board of Managers extended the usefulness and broadened the appeal of its programs to ordinary citizens by opening a School of Design and an additional Night School of Design was extended two years later in the new hall and building, under William Minifie (from the Faculty of the old Central High School of Baltimore) as principal of the reorganized institute. Classes resumed in rented space over the downtown Baltimore branch of the
U.S. Post Office Department The United States Post Office Department (USPOD; also known as the Post Office or U.S. Mail) was the predecessor of the United States Postal Service, in the form of a Cabinet department, officially from 1872 to 1971. It was headed by the postm ...
in the "Merchants Exchange". The
City Council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural coun ...
in 1850 passed an ordinance granting the institute permission to erect a new building over a reconstructed "Centre Market", laying the cornerstone on March 13, 1851, with John H. B. Latrobe, and son of national architect
Benjamin Henry Latrobe Benjamin Henry Boneval Latrobe (May 1, 1764 – September 3, 1820) was an Anglo-American neoclassical architect who emigrated to the United States. He was one of the first formally trained, professional architects in the new United States, dra ...
, (1764–1820). In 1851, the institute moved to its own building, built above the old Centre Market on Market Place (formerly Harrison Street) between East Baltimore Street (to the north) and Water Street (to the south) alongside the western shore of the
Jones Falls The Jones Falls is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 stream in Maryland. It is impounded to create Lake Roland before running through the city of Baltim ...
. Centre Market continued to be known in the city as "Marsh Market" after the former Harrison's Marsh from colonial times. The building covered an entire block and had two stories built on a series of brick arches above the market, with two clock towers at each end. The second floor with the institute, housed classrooms, offices, shops and studios and one of the largest assembly halls/auditorium in the state. During this period the institute added a School of Chemistry, thanks in part to a bequest from philanthropist
George Peabody George Peabody ( ; February 18, 1795 – November 4, 1869) was an American financier and philanthropist. He is widely regarded as the father of modern philanthropy. Born into a poor family in Massachusetts, Peabody went into business in dry g ...
, (1795–1869), (for which the
Peabody Institute The Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University is a private conservatory and preparatory school in Baltimore, Maryland. It was founded in 1857 and opened in 1866 by merchant/financier and philanthropist George Peabody (1795–1869) ...
and
George Peabody Library The George Peabody Library is a library connected to the Johns Hopkins University, focused on research into the 19th century. It was formerly the Library of the Peabody Institute of music in the City of Baltimore, and is located on the Peabody c ...
is named) and B.& O. Railroad president
Thomas Swann Thomas Swann (February 3, 1809 – July 24, 1883) was an American lawyer and politician who also was President of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad as it completed track to Wheeling and gained access to the Ohio River Valley. Initially a Know-N ...
, along with a School of Music. Night classes for Design are added for men who work during the day, but would like training in Architecture and Engineering at night. In 1854, a Day School of Design opened for women—one of the first US arts programs for women. In 1860, the Day School for men opened, and in 1870, the Day school became
co-ed Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to t ...
. For 79 years the institute remained in the location above the Centre Market, and its "Great Hall", large enough to accommodate 6,000, attracted many famous speakers and lecturers. It hosted events and shows related to the arts, and as one of Baltimore's largest halls, it hosted important events to the city and the region. In
1852 Events January–March * January 14 – President Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte proclaims a new constitution for the French Second Republic. * January 15 – Nine men representing various Jewish charitable organizations come tog ...
, it hosted both of the national political conventions to nominate presidential candidates
Winfield Scott Winfield Scott (June 13, 1786May 29, 1866) was an American military commander and political candidate. He served as a general in the United States Army from 1814 to 1861, taking part in the War of 1812, the Mexican–American War, the early s ...
and his opponent
Franklin Pierce Franklin Pierce (November 23, 1804October 8, 1869) was the 14th president of the United States, serving from 1853 to 1857. He was a northern Democrat who believed that the abolitionist movement was a fundamental threat to the nation's unity ...
(who was later elected 14th president of the United States). During the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...
, the institute served briefly as an armory for the Union and a hospital for soldiers wounded at the Battle of
Antietam The Battle of Antietam (), or Battle of Sharpsburg particularly in the Southern United States, was a battle of the American Civil War fought on September 17, 1862, between Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and Union G ...
. On April 18, 1864, President
Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation throu ...
gave his famous speech known as the "Baltimore Address" (or "Liberty Speech") during a
Sanitary Fair Sanitary fairs were fund-raising events held in various cities on behalf of the United States Sanitary Commission to raise funds and supplies for the Union Army during the American Civil War. Established in 1863, the last major event was held in ...
held in the Great Hall to benefit Union soldiers and families. On February 7–8, 1904, the Centre Market and the Maryland Institute burned down along with 1,500 other buildings in downtown Baltimore during the Great Baltimore Fire. Temporarily, classes moved to spaces above other covered municipal markets in the city, while construction was ongoing in two locations. Michael Jenkins donated the future site of the "Main Building" on Mount Royal Avenue near the new Bolton Hill neighborhood in the northwest, which opened in 1908. It was to house the School of Art and Design, and the City of Baltimore offered the old site and funding to rebuild the Centre Market as a location for the Drafting school and "mechanical arts". Upon opening, the Main building had spaces for pottery, metal working, wood carving, free-hand drafting and textile design, as well as a library, galleries and exhibition rooms. The galleries and exhibition rooms were important, because at the time of construction, Baltimore had no public art museum (institutions such as the
Walters Art Gallery The Walters Art Museum, located in Mount Vernon-Belvedere, Baltimore, Maryland, United States, is a public art museum founded and opened in 1934. It holds collections established during the mid-19th century. The museum's collection was amass ...
were not founded and opened for regular public viewing until 1909 and acquired by the city in 1934, and the
Baltimore Museum of Art The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) in Baltimore, Maryland, United States, is an art museum that was founded in 1914. The BMA's collection of 95,000 objects encompasses more than 1,000 works by Henri Matisse anchored by the Cone Collection of ...
, in 1914). In 1923, the institute's galleries hosted the first known public showing of
Henri Matisse Henri Émile Benoît Matisse (; 31 December 1869 – 3 November 1954) was a French visual artist, known for both his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. He was a draughtsman, printmaker, and sculptor, but is known prim ...
's work in the United States, brought from Europe by sisters Claribel and Etta Cone. In 1928, the new Centre Market building, now known as "The Market Place" building, offered a course in Aeronautics theory and drafting following the great excitement and increase in interest in the industry following
Charles Lindbergh Charles Augustus Lindbergh (February 4, 1902 – August 26, 1974) was an American aviator, military officer, author, inventor, and activist. On May 20–21, 1927, Lindbergh made the first nonstop flight from New York City to Paris, a distance o ...
's flight over the Atlantic Ocean to Paris.


Maryland Institute, College of Art

The institute legally changed its name to the "Maryland Institute, College of Art" in 1959, and the "Market Place Building" was razed to make room for the extension south of the Jones Falls Expressway (Interstate 83). The consolidation of MICA to the Mount Royal campus was furthered by the purchase of the Mount Royal Station, a former
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was the first common carrier railroad and the oldest railroad in the United States, with its first section opening in 1830. Merchants from Baltimore, which had benefited to some extent from the construction of ...
(B&O) train station, in 1964. In 1968, MICA was forced to close due to the
Baltimore riot of 1968 The Baltimore riot of 1968 was a period of civil unrest that lasted from April 6 to April 14, 1968, in Baltimore. The uprising included crowds filling the streets, burning and looting local businesses, and confronting the police and national gua ...
, which broke out two days after the April 4
assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr., an African-American clergyman and civil rights leader, was fatally shot at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968, at 6:01 p.m. CST. He was rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital, where he died at ...
in
Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mo ...
. From 1972 to 1975, MICA was graced with the presence of artists and critics of the period, including composer
John Cage John Milton Cage Jr. (September 5, 1912 – August 12, 1992) was an American composer and music theorist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one of the leading f ...
, poet
Allen Ginsberg Irwin Allen Ginsberg (; June 3, 1926 – April 5, 1997) was an American poet and writer. As a student at Columbia University in the 1940s, he began friendships with William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac, forming the core of the Beat Gener ...
, photographer
Walker Evans Walker Evans (November 3, 1903 – April 10, 1975) was an American photographer and photojournalist best known for his work for the Farm Security Administration (FSA) documenting the effects of the Great Depression. Much of Evans' work from ...
, master printer Kenneth E. Tyler, painter Elaine de Kooning and art critic
Clement Greenberg Clement Greenberg () (January 16, 1909 – May 7, 1994), occasionally writing under the pseudonym K. Hardesh, was an American essayist known mainly as an art critic closely associated with American modern art of the mid-20th century and a formali ...
. In the following years, MICA expanded along Mount Royal Avenue, adding the "Fox Building" in 1978, the "College Center" (now the "Art Tech Center") in 1986, a renovation of the "Main Building" in 1990, "The Commons" (added 1992), "Bunting Center" (1998), the "Meyerhoff House" (2002), the "Brown Center" (2003), the "Studio Center" (2007) and "The Gateway" (2008). During that time, the college focused on increased interaction with the international art world—offering study abroad programs and residences in numerous countries around the world. The school's logo was redesigned in 2007 by Abbott Miller of
Pentagram A pentagram (sometimes known as a pentalpha, pentangle, or star pentagon) is a regular five-pointed star polygon, formed from the diagonal line segments of a convex (or simple, or non-self-intersecting) regular pentagon. Drawing a circle arou ...
and is said to be a "visual reference to the architecture" found at the 1907 Main Building and 2003 Brown Center.


Academics

MICA offers various undergraduate degree, graduate degrees and certificates including B.F.A.,
M.A. A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...
, M.A.T., M.B.A., M.F.A., M.P.S. Some of the degree programs are partially online or fully online. The school has accreditation from
Middle States Commission on Higher Education The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (abbreviated as MSCHE and legally incorporated as the Mid-Atlantic Region Commission on Higher Education) is a voluntary, peer-based, non-profit membership organization that performs peer evalua ...
(MSCHE) since 1967, and
National Association of Schools of Art and Design The National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), founded in 1944, is an accrediting organization of colleges, schools and universities in the United States. The organization establishes standards for graduate and undergraduate degrees ...
(NASAD) since 1948. In the Fall 2017 term, there were 433 part-time faculty and 178 full-time faculty, with an 8 to 1 student-to-faculty ratio.


Students and alumni

In Fall 2017, the total student enrollment was 2,128, with 1,824 undergraduate students and 379 graduate students hailing from across the US and foreign countries. The student body in Fall 2017 was 75% female and 25% male. MICA has an acceptance rate of 62% in 2017. 86% of B.F.A. graduates who take jobs immediately after graduation are working in art related fields; 23% of MICA's B.F.A. graduates pursue graduate study immediately after graduation. From 2009 to 2017, 14 MICA graduates received
Fulbright The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people ...
awards for study abroad and five students earned the Jacob Javits Fellowship for graduate study. Since 2003, two alumni have received the national Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Graduate Scholarship and three Jack Kent Cooke Foundation scholars chose to study at MICA. Additionally, four alumni were awarded
Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation The Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation (formerly The Elizabeth T. Greenshields Memorial Foundation) is a private Canadian charity that provides grants to young artists working in representational painting, sculpture, drawing and/or printmaking ...
Grants.


Facilities

MICA's campus is a mixture of buildings from different periods of Baltimore's development.


Main building

The Main Building houses painting and drawing studios, undergraduate photography department, foundation department, two departmental galleries, undergraduate admissions and the President's Office. Construction began on a new campus in Bolton Hill when its Centre Market building was destroyed. Construction was completed in 1908. The State of Maryland, the Carnegie Foundation, and local benefactors contributed funds to build it. Michael Jenkins donated the land, stipulating that the new building not clash with the nearby
Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...
Corpus Christi Church. The Main Building was the first to be designed by New York-based architects Pell & Corbett, who were awarded the contract when they won a $500 design contest sponsored by the New York Association of Independent Architects. Otto Fuchs designed the interior studio plans. The architecture was intended to evoke a feeling of the
Grand Canal of Venice The Grand Canal ( it, Canal Grande ; vec, Canal Grando, anciently ''Canałasso'' ) is a channel in Venice, Italy. It forms one of the major water-traffic corridors in the city. One end of the canal leads into the lagoon near the Santa Luc ...
, c. 1400. The exterior marble is carved from "Beaver Dam" marble, excavated from the
Baltimore County Baltimore County ( , locally: or ) is the third-most populous county in the U.S. state of Maryland and is part of the Baltimore metropolitan area. Baltimore County (which partially surrounds, though does not include, the independent City ...
quarry near
Cockeysville, Maryland Cockeysville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 20,776 at the 2010 census. History Cockeysville was named after the Cockey family who helped establish the town. Thomas Cockey (1676 ...
. It is the same marble used to build the Washington Monument in Baltimore designed by Robert Mills, and part of the
Washington Monument The Washington Monument is an obelisk shaped building within the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate George Washington, once commander-in-chief of the Continental Army (1775–1784) in the American Revolutionary War and ...
in Washington, D.C. Architectural features include the main entrance, offering a large marble staircase, stained-glass skylight and the names of
Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ide ...
masters surrounding the entrance to the second floor. The exterior of the northeast façade features four stone memorial medallions: one for the city, one for the state and two others honoring institute benefactors
Andrew Carnegie Andrew Carnegie (, ; November 25, 1835August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century and became one of the richest Americans in ...
and Michael Jenkins. Throughout the Main Building plaster replicas of Greek and Roman statues offer students study targets for their Foundation year. In 1908, the New York Association of Independent Architects awarded the building a gold key, the highest award in architecture at the time. From 1990 to 1992, the building underwent a $5.1 million renovation under the direction of the Grieves, Worrell, Wright & O'Hatnick, Inc (GWWO) architectural firm. The renovation upgraded the building's facilities and created additional academic and office space while retaining much of the original design and décor.


Mount Royal Station

The Mount Royal Station houses the undergraduate departments of fiber and interdisciplinary sculpture, 3D classrooms, and the Rinehart School of Sculpture, as well as senior studios. The railroad tracks underneath the train shed remain active as
CSX Transportation CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The railroad operates approximately 21,000 route miles () of track. ...
's freight mainline to
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. Built in 1896, the Mount Royal Station (now known as The Station Building) was the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was the first common carrier railroad and the oldest railroad in the United States, with its first section opening in 1830. Merchants from Baltimore, which had benefited to some extent from the construction of ...
's showcase passenger station until it ceased operations in 1961. MICA purchased the building in 1964 and renovated it in 1966 under the direction of architect Richard Donkervoet, retaining as much of the building's exterior and interior as possible, including vaulted ceilings, columns and mosaic floor.
Margaret Mead Margaret Mead (December 16, 1901 – November 15, 1978) was an American cultural anthropologist who featured frequently as an author and speaker in the mass media during the 1960s and the 1970s. She earned her bachelor's degree at Barnard C ...
, in a lecture given at the Station, commented that the renovation "is perhaps the most magnificent example in the Western World of something being made into something else". On December 8, 1976, the Station was added to the register of
National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places liste ...
s, granting it full protection as an historic site. The Mount Royal Station's gable-roofed
train shed A train shed is a building adjacent to a station building where the tracks and platforms of a railway station are covered by a roof. It is also known as an overall roof. Its primary purpose is to store and protect from the elements train car ...
, one of the country's last remaining such structures, was renovated in 1985. Between 2005 and 2007, MICA accomplished a two-phased, $6.3 million renovation by the architectural firm Grieves, Worrall, Wright & O'Hatnick, Inc. (GWWO).


Dolphin Building

The Dolphin Building at 100
Dolphin Street This is a list of notable streets in the city of Baltimore, Maryland, United States. A B C D E F G H Heath St. Route 64. (MTA Maryland) K L M N O P R Ramsay st S U W Y Numbered streets In Balt ...
formerly housed MICA's Printmaking department and Book Arts and Printmaking concentrations, as well as the independent Dolphin Press. It had of working space divided into three floors. In 2016, MICA demolished the Dolphin Building in preparation of a five story/25,000 square feet structure, designed by Baltimore architectural firm GWWO. The building reopened in September 2017, and is now home to the Interactive Arts, Game Design, Product Design, and Architectural Design departments.


Bunting Center

Bunting Center houses Liberal Arts departments (art history and language, literature, and culture), the campus Writing Center, academic advising and the registrar. Bunting Center also houses a restaurant, Java Corner. The first floor and basement level house the Decker Library, which includes a collection of over 600 art books in its Special Collections area. Students are allowed to view any Special Collections item by requesting it from library staff. The library also includes an oversized Folio section and a wide collection of video and film materials, including DVD and Blu-ray. It hosts display cases for monthly exhibits, a private Screening Room for viewing films and holding meetings, and a classroom for instruction. Bunting Center contains the Pinkard Gallery and Student Space Gallery. The acquisition and renovation of Bunting Center increased MICA's academic space by 20% when it opened in 1998. It was named for trustee George Bunting, who was also instrumental in the development of the Fox Building, among other projects. The Bunting Center received the Grand Design Award and Honor Award from AIA Baltimore in 1998. In 2007, architect Steve Ziger headed the building's $5.5 million renovation, seeking to create "a real sense of neighborhood" for the college.


Firehouse

The Firehouse hosts the college's operations and facilities management department. The building has of space. MICA purchased a historic Firehouse along North Avenue in 2001 and renovated the building in 2003. As part of the redevelopment agreement, MICA maintained the station's front façade in accordance with Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation standards. The renovation architect was Cho Benn Holback + Associates, Inc. Kajima Construction Services was the contractor. The Firehouse won an award from the Baltimore Heritage Foundation for preservation in 2004.


Fox Building

The building houses Decker Gallery, Café Doris, Meyerhoff Gallery, the Center for Art Education, the Division of Continuing Studies, as well as Ceramics, Illustration, Environmental Design, GFA, Drawing and Painting departments, the woodshop, the nature library, and Graphic Design MA (formerly Graphic Design Post-Baccalaureate). The Fox Building offers more than of usable space. Built in 1915 as the Cannon Shoe Factory, the Fox Building was purchased in 1976. After two years of planning by architects Ayers/Saint/Gross, work began in 1979 and the newly renovated building opened in 1980. This renovation retained most of the warehouse character of the building, including exposed ductwork and framing and the original exterior—The renovations cost $2.5 million, and the building was named for architect Charles J. Fox, a 1965 graduate of MICA whose family contributed over $1.5 million of the renovation cost. After the conversion, the Mount Royal Improvement Association granted MICA an Award of Merit for its contribution to the community. In 2005, a second renovation added another gallery and cafe.


Bank Building (Studio Center)

The building houses the post-baccalaureate certificate program, Hoffberger School of Painting, The Mount Royal School of Art, the Graduate Photographic and Electronic Media program, and
Senior Senior (shortened as Sr.) means "the elder" in Latin and is often used as a suffix for the elder of two or more people in the same family with the same given name, usually a parent or grandparent. It may also refer to: * Senior (name), a surname ...
student studios. Although the official name is ''The Studio Center'', many students know it as ''The Bank Building''. MICA purchased the former
Jos. A. Bank Jos. A. Bank is an American retailer of men's furnishings, specializing in suits. Established in 1905 by Charles Bank and Joseph Alfred Bank, it operates over 180 retail locations, three distribution centers (Atlanta, Houston, and Jenkins) and ...
sewing plant on North Avenue in August 2000. The all-brick building dates to the early 20th century and was home to Morgan Millwork for most of the century.


Brown Center

The Brown Center houses MICA's digital art and design programs, as well as the 525-seat Falvey Hall, which, in addition to hosting school-related functions, has also played host to events like the
Maryland Film Festival The Maryland Film Festival is an annual five-day international film festival taking place each May in Baltimore, Maryland. The festival was launched in 1999, and presents international film and video work of all lengths and genres. The festival ...
and National Portfolio Day. It houses the Video, Animation, and BFA and MFA Graphic Design departments. It also has an art gallery, a secondary hall for lectures ("Brown 320"), and a "Black-Box" area for Interactive Media installations. The first newly constructed academic building for the college in nearly a hundred years, Brown Center was dedicated on October 17, 2003, and became fully operational in January 2004. It was bolstered by a $6 million gift from Eddie and Sylvia Brown, the largest gift ever received by the institute. The building was designed by architect Charles Brickbauer and Ziger/Snead. The , five-story contemporary structure garnered acclaim as an architectural landmark. Awards have included the AIABaltimore 2004 Grand Design Award, AIA Maryland 2004 Honor Award of Excellence, regional award of merit in 2004 in the International Illumination Design Award competition, and several awards for excellence in construction. In addition, MICA president Fred Lazarus traveled to Italy in June 2006 to receive the Dedalo Minosse International Prize for Brown Center. Brown Center was the only American project among the finalists.


Additional facilities

Additional buildings making up MICA's campus include the Maryland Institute College of Art shop (known simply as "The MICA Store") at 1501 W. Mount Royal Ave. selling art supplies and books, and official MICA merchandise.


Student housing

The Meyerhoff and The Gateway buildings increased MICA student housing 90% between 2002 and 2009, allowing more students to stay on campus.


Founder’s Green

Founder's Green is a three-building, four-story student apartment complex. Among the first student residences to be constructed on the apartment-living model, it houses approximately 500 students. When MICA proposed purchasing a lot on McMechen Street that had been vacant for more than 30 years, to build student housing, and the Bolton Hill neighborhood approved the purchase and donated $50,000. Built in 1991, and previously named "The Commons". In 2012, the building was renamed and renovated into the apartment-style by architecture firm,
Ayers Saint Gross Ayers Saint Gross, Architects and Planners is an architectural firm in Maryland, U.S. specializing in master plans and building designs for higher education institutions.Walker, Childs. “Expansion of Baltimore architectural firm fueled by fo ...
.


Meyerhoff House

Meyerhoff House is a residence for
Sophomore In the United States, a sophomore ( or ) is a person in the second year at an educational institution; usually at a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of post-secondary educational institutions. In ...
, Junior and
Senior Senior (shortened as Sr.) means "the elder" in Latin and is often used as a suffix for the elder of two or more people in the same family with the same given name, usually a parent or grandparent. It may also refer to: * Senior (name), a surname ...
students. The building includes the college's main dining facility, student life center and recreational amenities. Originally built as the Hospital for the Women of Maryland, the building was used as nursing home for some time until it closed in 1994. The building was vacant for 7 years until MICA purchased it in January 2001.


The Gateway

The Gateway includes apartments to accommodate 217 student residents, a translucent studio tower, a multi-use performance space, the college's largest student exhibition gallery, and a new home for the Joseph Meyerhoff Center for Career Development. The Gateway is located at the intersection of Mount Royal and North avenues, alongside the Jones Falls Expressway (I-83). Construction began on The Gateway in October 2006 and completed in August 2008. It was designed by RTKL Associates Inc. In August 2008, the first students moved into the Gateway.


Notable alumni

Notable former students of the Maryland Institute College of Art include the following individuals, listed by field of work:


Academia

* Earl Hofmann (B.F.A. 1953), painter, educator * Mark Milloff (M.F.A.), multidisciplinary artist and educator at Rhode Island School of Design *
Andrew Cornell Robinson Andrew Cornell Robinson (born 1968) is an American artist and designer. He is based in New York City. Career Robinson's work spans various media from ceramics and painting to printmaking and sculpture. His work combines humor, history, and sculpt ...
(B.F.A.1991), professor at
Parsons The New School for Design Parsons School of Design, known colloquially as Parsons, is a private art and design college located in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City. Founded in 1896 after a group of progressive artists broke away from established Manha ...
, painter, printmaker, and sculptor * Dorothy Cavalier Yanik (Painting M.F.A. 1975) professor at Carnegie Mellon University and various other schools


Actors

*
Tamara Dobson Tamara Janice Dobson (May 14, 1947 – October 2, 2006) was an American actress and fashion model. Beginning her career in modeling during the late 1960s, Dobson became best known for her title role as government agent Cleopatra "Cleo" Jones the 1 ...
(Fashion Illustration B.F.A. 1970), actress in ''
Cleopatra Jones ''Cleopatra Jones'' is a 1973 American blaxploitation film directed by Jack Starrett. Tamara Dobson stars as an undercover government agent who uses the day job of supermodel as her cover and an excuse to travel to exotic places. Bernie Casey, S ...
'' and fashion model. *
Abbi Jacobson Abbi Jacobson is an American comedian, writer, actress, illustrator and producer. She co-created and co-starred in the Comedy Central series ''Broad City'' (2014–2019) with Ilana Glazer, based on the web series of the same name. Her ...
(General Fine Arts B.F.A. 2006), comedian, writer, actress, and illustrator known for her work on the TV series ''
Broad City ''Broad City'' is an American television sitcom created by and starring Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson. It was developed from their independent web series of the same name, which was produced between 2009 and 2011. The sitcom, like the web series ...
'' *
Colby Keller Richard John Sawka II, better known as Colby Keller (born October 18, 1980) is an American visual artist and pornographic actor. His career in porn film started in 2004 at Sean Cody and subsequently expanded to include such studios as Cocksure ...
(M.F.A. 2007), pornographic film actor, visual artist, and blogger *
Susan Lowe Susan Lowe (born Laura Susan Lowe on January 19, 1948 in Reidsville, North Carolina) is an American actress, educator and painter. She has appeared exclusively in the works of John Waters for most of her career, starring in ten of his films. Abo ...
(B.F.A.) actress and one of the
Dreamlanders Dreamlanders are the cast and crew of regulars whom John Waters has used in his films. The term comes from the name of Waters' production company, Dreamland Productions. Many of the original Dreamlanders were friends of Waters from his native Bal ...
*
Maelcum Soul Patricia Ann Soul (September 22, 1940 – April 5, 1968), known professionally as Maelcum Soul, was an American bartender, artist's model, and actress. In the 1960s, she portrayed leading characters in two of filmmaker John Waters' earliest wor ...
, (Painting B.F.A.) actress and painter


Architects

*
Richard Armiger Richard Armiger is a professional architectural model maker and the founder of Network Modelmakers. He is the Director of House Portrait Models, a brand established in 1998 within the studio to market Handicraft, handcrafted ‘model portraits’ ...
(1970), architectural model maker *
Wright Butler Wright Butler was a prominent architect in Cumberland, Maryland, United States. Born as the son of a furniture manufacturer, Butler studied architecture at the Maryland Institute of Baltimore for three years beginning in 1888. At the Institute, ...
(1891), architect * John Jacob Zink (B.F.A. 1904), architect of movie houses


Business

* Heather Day (B.F.A. 2012), abstract painter and entrepreneur of the culinary-art startup, Studio Table * Deana Haggag (Curatorial Practice M.F.A. 2013), President and CEO of the national arts funding organization
United States Artists United States Artists (USA) is a national arts funding organization based in Chicago. USA is dedicated to supporting living artists and cultural practitioners across the United States by granting unrestricted awards. Mission The organization' ...
* Dana Veraldi (Photography B.F.A. 2007), designer, artist, and entrepreneur known for her t-shirt line


Designers

* Cheryl D. Miller (B.F.A. 1974), AIGA Medalist 2021 * Zach Richter (B.F.A. 2007), creative director of digital and VR experiences, designer


Film

* John Carter (B.F.A. 1992), film director and conceptual artist


Musicians

*
David Byrne David Byrne (; born 14 May 1952) is a Scottish-American singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, writer, music theorist, visual artist and filmmaker. He was a founding member and the principal songwriter, lead singer, and guitarist of ...
(never graduated, attended 1971–1972), singer, member of
Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.Talki ...
band *
Frances Quinlan Christine Frances Quinlan (born May 7, 1986) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and visual artist best known for fronting Philadelphia indie rock band Hop Along. They have painted all the band's album art. Career Early life Quinl ...
(Painting B.F.A. 2008) in the indie band, Hop Along


Fine Arts


Illustrators

* Jeremy Caniglia (M.F.A. 1995), illustrator of book cover art for fantasy and horror genres * Jennifer Daniel (illustrator) (B.F.A. 2000), emoji subcommittee chair *
ND Stevenson Nate Diana Stevenson or simply ND "Indy" Stevenson (formerly Noelle Diana Stevenson; born December 31, 1991) is an American cartoonist and animation producer. He is the creator, showrunner, and executive producer of the animated television ser ...
(B.F.A. 2013), illustrator and cartoonist *
Babs Tarr Barbara Tarr (also known as Babs Tarr) is an American freelance comic book artist who has worked for DC Comics and Image Comics. She is best known for her work on ''Batgirl'' and for her Japanese-style illustrations. Early life Babs Tarr gre ...
(B.F.A. 2010), illustrator * Annie Wu (B.F.A. 2010), illustrator and comic book artist


Multimedia, mixed media and installation

* Jim Condron, (M.F.A. 2004), painter and mixed media artist * Michael Corris (M.F.A. 1972), conceptual artist and writer on art. *
Jane Frank Jane Schenthal Frank (born Jane Babette Schenthal) (July 25, 1918 – May 31, 1986) was an American multidisciplinary artist, known as a painter, sculptor, mixed media artist, illustrator, and textile artist. Her landscape-like, mixed-media ab ...
(B.F.A. 1935), painter, sculptor, mixed media artist, and textile artist *
Gaia In Greek mythology, Gaia (; from Ancient Greek , a poetical form of , 'land' or 'earth'),, , . also spelled Gaea , is the personification of the Earth and one of the Greek primordial deities. Gaia is the ancestral mother—sometimes parthen ...
(B.F.A. 2011), street muralist and artist. *
Jeff Koons Jeffrey Lynn Koons (; born January 21, 1955) is an American artist recognized for his work dealing with popular culture and his sculptures depicting everyday objects, including balloon animals produced in stainless steel with mirror-Surface fi ...
(B.F.A. 1976), sculptor and painter * Jenni Lukac, contemporary artist *
Jimmy Joe Roche Jimmy Joe Roche is an American visual artist and underground filmmaker, based in Baltimore, Maryland. He is a long-time collaborator with Baltimore-based musician Dan Deacon. Career Roche's works have been screened in venues and museums all ove ...
(M.F.A. 2008), visual artist and underground filmmaker * Shinique Smith (General Fine Art B.F.A.1992, Mount Royal School Of Art M.F.A. 2003), painter, sculptor, and installation artist *
Jen Stark Jen Stark (born 1983 in Miami, Florida) is a multi-media American artist who lives and works in Los Angeles, California. Stark is best known for creating optical art using psychedelic colors in patterns and drips that mimic intricate motifs foun ...
(2005), paper sculptor, drawer, and animator * St. Clair Wright (1932), preservationist and gardener


Painters

*
Dhruvi Acharya Dhruvi Acharya (born in 1971) is an Indian artist known for her psychologically complex and visually layered paintings. She is based in Mumbai, India. Early life and education Dhruvi Acharya was born in 1971 in India and she was raised in Mumb ...
(Painting M.F.A., 1998) *
Kamrooz Aram Kamrooz Aram (born 1978 in Shiraz, Iran) is a contemporary artist whose diverse artistic practice engages the complicated relationship between traditional non-Western art and Western Modernism. Through a variety of forms including painting, colla ...
(B.F.A. 2001), painter. * Florence Hochschild Austrian, painter *
Donald Baechler Donald Baechler (November 22, 1956 – April 4, 2022) was an American painter and sculptor associated with 1980s Neo-expressionism. He had lived in Manhattan and Stephentown, New York. Early life and education Baechler was born in Hartford, ...
(B.F.A. 1977), painter * Angie Elizabeth Brooksby (1988), painter * Larry Poncho Brown (1984), painter and sculptor * Jeremy Caniglia (1995), figurative painter *
Lesley Dill Lesley Dill (born 1950) is an American contemporary artist. Her work, using a wide variety of media including sculpture, print, performance art, music, and others, explores the power of language and the mystical nature of the psyche. Dill curre ...
(1980), contemporary artist * William Downs, (2003), painter * Danielle Eckhardt, painter * John Ennis (1976), painter * Brock Enright (1998), painter *
Joan Erbe Joan Erbe Udel (1926 – August 21, 2014) was a Baltimore painter and sculptor. She was best known for using bright colors and was called "The Grand Duchess of Baltimore Painters" by Ned Oldham as quoted by Rebecca Hoffberger in ''Baltimore Mag ...
(1950), painter, sculptor * Amir H. Fallah (born 1979, Painting B.F.A. 2002), painter and magazine publisher * Joshua Field (1996), painter *
Lee Gatch Harry Lee Gatch (September 10, 1902 – November 10, 1968), was a twentieth-century American artist known for his lyrical abstractions and his ability to find "a fresh approach" to painting the figure and nature "through interwoven patterns of ...
, painter * Gladys Goldstein, painter * Elaine Hamilton (1945), painter and muralist * Douglas Hoffman (1968), painter and printmaker * Earl Hofmann (1953), painter and educator * Kika Karadi (1997), painter *
Morris Louis Morris Louis Bernstein (November 28, 1912 – September 7, 1962), known professionally as Morris Louis, was an American painter. During the 1950s he became one of the earliest exponents of Color Field painting. While living in Washington, D. ...
(1933), painter * Ted Mineo (Painting B.F.A. 2002), painter * Karin Olah (1999), contemporary painter, collage, and fiber artist * Selma L. Oppenheimer, painter *
Amalie Rothschild Amalie Rothschild (1916–2001) was an American artist who lived and worked within the art community of Baltimore, Maryland. An accomplished painter and sculptor, she was also an art teacher, philanthropist, patron, and cultural advocate. Over ...
(1934) painter and sculptor * Shelby Shackelford (1921), painter, printmaker, illustrator *
Amy Sherald Amy Sherald (born August 30, 1973) is an American painter. She works mostly as a portraitist depicting African Americans in everyday settings. Her style is simplified realism, involving staged photographs of her subjects. Since 2012, her work h ...
(M.F.A. 2004), painter *
Lee Woodward Zeigler Lee Woodward Zeigler, also known as Albert Lee Zeigler, (May 7, 1868—June 16, 1952) was an American artist who began his career as an illustrator and later worked as a muralist. Early life and education Born Albert Lee Zeigler, on May 7, 1 ...
(1885), muralist and illustrator


Photographers

* Elle Pérez (1989), photographer * Joan Cassis (1974), photographer * Linda Day Clark (B.F.A. 1994), photographer * Lola Flash (1981), photographer *
Marilyn Nance Marilyn Nance (born November 12, 1953), also known as Soulsista, is an American multimedia artist known for work focusing on exploring human connections, African-American spirituality, and the use of technology in storytelling. Nance's photojou ...
(1996), photographer


Sculptors

*
Nina Akamu Nina Akamu (born 1955) is a Japanese-American artist known for her sculpture. She is presently living in Rhinebeck, New York. Early years and education Nina Akamu was born in 1955 in Midwest City, Oklahoma. Her father was a career Air Force se ...
(B.F.A. 1977), sculptor * Matt Johnson (2000), sculptor * Ernest Keyser, sculptor * Gwen Lux (attended 1926–1927), sculptor and Guggenheim fellow in 1933 for Fine Arts *
James Earl Reid James Earl Reid (September 9, 1942 – July 18, 2021) was an American sculptor, best known for the statue of Billie Holiday in Baltimore, Maryland, and for the sculpture ''Third World America'' that was at the center of the 1989 U.S. Supreme Cou ...
(1942–2021), sculptor *
William Henry Rinehart William Henry Rinehart (September 13, 1825 – October 28, 1874) was a noted American sculptor. He is considered "the last important American sculptor to work in the classical style." Biography The son of Israel Rinehart (1792–1871) and Mary ...
, sculptor *
Jacolby Satterwhite Jacolby Satterwhite (born 1986 in Columbia, South Carolina) is an Americans, American contemporary artist recognized for fusing performance art, performance, Computer animation, digital animation, and personal ephemera to create immersive installa ...
(2008,) video artist *
Hans Schuler Hans K. Schuler (May 25, 1874 – March 30, 1951) was a German-born American sculptor and monument maker. He was the first American sculptor ever to win the Salon Gold Medal. His works are in several important museum collections, and he als ...
(1899), sculptor *
Joyce J. Scott Joyce J. Scott (born 1948) is an African-American artist, sculptor, quilter, performance artist, installation artist, print-maker, lecturer and educator. Named a MacArthur Fellow in 2016, and a Smithsonian Visionary Artist in 2019, Scott is bes ...
(1970), sculptor, beadworker


Notable faculty


References


External links

*
Official website
{{authority control Bolton Hill, Baltimore Universities and colleges in Baltimore Art schools in Maryland Educational institutions established in 1826 Graphic design schools in the United States Art museums and galleries in Maryland 1826 establishments in Maryland
Maryland Institute College of Art The Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) is a Private university, private art school, art and design college in Baltimore, Maryland. It was founded in 1826 as the Maryland Institute for the Promotion of the Mechanic Arts, making it one of t ...