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Former name | Maryland Institute for the Promotion of the Mechanic Arts |
|---|---|
| Type | Privateart school |
| Established | 1826; 199 years ago (1826) |
| Affiliation | AICAD |
| Endowment | $92.9 million (2020)[1] |
| President | Cecilia McCormick |
Academic staff | 178 full-time 433 part-time |
| Students | 2,128[2] |
| Undergraduates | 1,824 |
| Postgraduates | 379 |
| Location | ,, United States |
| Campus | Urban, 1.5 miles (2.4 km)[clarification needed] |
| Colors | Blue &Yellow (traditionally)Green &Brown (more recently) |
| Website | mica.edu |
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TheMaryland Institute College of Art (MICA) is aprivateart and design college inBaltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1826 as the Maryland Institute for the Promotion of the Mechanic Arts, it is regarded as one of the oldest art colleges in the United States.[3]
MICA is a member of theAssociation of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD),[4] a consortium of US art schools. The college hosts pre-college, post-baccalaureate, continuing studies,Master of Fine Arts, andBachelor of Fine Arts programs, as well as young peoples'studio art classes.
The Maryland Institute for the Promotion of the Mechanic Arts was established by prominent citizens of Baltimore, such asFielding Lucas Jr. (founder of Lucas Brothers - office supply company),John H. B. Latrobe (lawyer, artist, author, civic leader),Hezekiah Niles (founder of national newspaperNiles Weekly Register) andThomas Kelso.[3]
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. TheGeneral Assembly of Maryland 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 ofEast Lexington andSt. Paul Streets facing the secondBaltimore City/County Courthouse betweenNorth 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 abank riot due to the financial panic following the collapse of several Baltimore banks.[5]
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.[3]
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 thestate legislature 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 theU.S. Post Office Department in the "Merchants Exchange".[6]
TheCity Council 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,[5] and son of national architectBenjamin Henry Latrobe, (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 theJones Falls. 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 philanthropistGeorge Peabody, (1795–1869), (for which thePeabody Institute andGeorge Peabody Library is named) andB.& O. Railroad presidentThomas Swann, along with a School of Music.[6] 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 becameco-ed.[6]
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. In1852, it hosted both of the national political conventions to nominate presidential candidatesWinfield Scott and his opponentFranklin Pierce (who was later elected 14th president of the United States).[6]
During theAmerican Civil War, the institute was briefly an armory for theUnion and a hospital for soldiers wounded at the Battle ofAntietam.[6] On April 18, 1864, PresidentAbraham Lincoln gave his famous speech known as the "Baltimore Address" (or "Liberty Speech") during aSanitary Fair 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 theGreat Baltimore Fire.[6] 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 newBolton 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".[7]
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 theWalters Art Gallery were not founded and opened for regular public viewing until 1909 and acquired by the city in 1934, and theBaltimore Museum of Art, in 1914).
In 1923, the institute's galleries hosted the first known public showing ofHenri Matisse's work in the United States, brought from Europe by sisters Claribel and Etta Cone.[7] 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 followingCharles Lindbergh's flight over the Atlantic Ocean to Paris.
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 theJones Falls Expressway (Interstate 83).[7] The consolidation of MICA to the Mount Royal campus was furthered by the purchase of theMount Royal Station, a formerBaltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) train station, in 1964. In 1968, MICA was forced to close due to theBaltimore riot of 1968, which broke out two days after the April 4assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. inMemphis, Tennessee.
From 1972 to 1975, MICA was graced with the presence of artists and critics of the period, including composerJohn Cage, poetAllen Ginsberg, photographerWalker Evans, master printerKenneth E. Tyler, painterElaine de Kooning and art criticClement Greenberg.[8]
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 byAbbott Miller ofPentagram and is said to be a "visual reference to the architecture" found at the 1907 Main Building and 2003 Brown Center.[9]
MICA offers various undergraduate degree, graduate degrees and certificates includingB.F.A.,M.A.,M.A.T.,M.B.A.,M.F.A.,M.P.S.[10][11][12] Some of the degree programs are partially online or fully online.[10] The school has accreditation fromMiddle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) since 1967, andNational Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) since 1948.[2][10]
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.[2]
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.[2] The student body in Fall 2017 was 75% female and 25% male.[2] MICA has an acceptance rate of 62% in 2017.[13][14]
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.[citation needed]
From 2009 to 2017, 14 MICA graduates receivedFulbright awards for study abroad and five students earned theJacob Javits Fellowship for graduate study.[citation needed] 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 awardedElizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grants.[citation needed]
MICA's campus is a mixture of buildings from different periods of Baltimore's development.
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.[15] The State of Maryland, theCarnegie Foundation, and local benefactors contributed funds to build it. Michael Jenkins donated the land, stipulating that the new building not clash with the nearbyGothic Revival Corpus Christi Church.[15] 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 theGrand Canal of Venice, c. 1400. The exterior marble is carved from "Beaver Dam" marble, excavated from theBaltimore County quarry nearCockeysville, Maryland. It is the same marble used to build theWashington Monument in Baltimore designed byRobert Mills, and part of theWashington Monument inWashington, D.C.[6]
Mount Royal Station | |
 The former B&O station, now the Maryland Institute College of Art, in 2009 | |
| Location | 1400 Cathedral Street,Baltimore, Maryland |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 39°18′20″N76°37′14″W / 39.30556°N 76.62056°W /39.30556; -76.62056 |
| Built | 1896 |
| Architect | Baldwin, E. Francis; Pennington, Josias |
| Architectural style | Renaissance |
| NRHP reference No. | 73002191 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | June 18, 1973[16] |
| Designated NHL | December 8, 1976[17] |
Architectural features include the main entrance, offering a large marble staircase, stained-glass skylight and the names ofRenaissance 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 benefactorsAndrew Carnegie and Michael Jenkins.[15] 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.
The Mount Royal Station houses the undergraduate departments of fiber and interdisciplinary sculpture, 3D classrooms, and theRinehart School of Sculpture, as well as senior studios.[18] The railroad tracks underneath the train shed remain active asCSX Transportation's freight mainline toNew York City.
Built in 1896, the Mount Royal Station (now known as The Station Building) was theBaltimore and Ohio Railroad's showcase passenger station until it ceased operations in 1961.[18] 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.[19]Margaret Mead, 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".[19]
On December 8, 1976, the Station was added to the register ofNational Historic Landmarks, granting it full protection as an historic site.[20] The Mount Royal Station's gable-roofedtrain shed, one of the country's last remaining such structures,[20] 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).[18]
The Dolphin Building at 100Dolphin Street formerly housed MICA's Printmaking department and Book Arts and Printmaking concentrations, as well as the independent Dolphin Press. It had 15,000 square feet (1,400 m2) 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.[21][22] The building reopened in September 2017, and is now home to the Interactive Arts, Game Design, Product Design, and Architectural Design departments.[21][23]
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.[24] 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.
The Firehouse hosts the college's operations and facilities management department. The building has 7,224 square feet (671.1 m2) 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.
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 60,000 square feet (5,600 m2) 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.
The 120,000-square-foot (11,000 m2) building houses the post-baccalaureate certificate program, Hoffberger School of Painting, The Mount Royal School of Art, the Graduate Photographic and Electronic Media program, andSenior student studios. Although the official name isThe Studio Center, many students know it asThe Bank Building.
MICA purchased the formerJos. A. Bank 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.
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 theMaryland Film 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.[25] 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.[26]
The 61,410-square-foot (5,705 m2), 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 theDedalo Minosse Prize for Brown Center. Brown Center was the only American project among the finalists.
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.[27]
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.[28] 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".[28] In 2012, the building was renamed and renovated into the apartment-style by architecture firm,Ayers Saint Gross.[28]
Meyerhoff House is a residence forSophomore,Junior andSenior 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 seven years until MICA purchased it in January 2001.[29]
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 theJones Falls Expressway (I-83). Construction began on The Gateway in October 2006 and completed in August 2008. It was designed byRTKL Associates Inc.[30] In August 2008, the first students moved into the Gateway.
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Notable former students of the Maryland Institute College of Art include the following individuals, listed by field of work:
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