BALTIMORE--Members of Maryland Institute College of Art's (MICA) third graduating class of its groundbreaking MA in Community Arts (MACA) program will exhibit their personal work Friday, July 18-Saturday, Aug. 2 in Leidy Atrium (first floor) and Rosenberg Gallery (second floor) in the Brown Center, 1301 Mount Royal Ave.

This year's participating artists are Marissa Berk-Smith, Baltimore Clayworks and Creative Alliance at The Patterson; Rebecca Di Meo, Kids on the Hill and Planned Parenthood of Maryland; Maitreyi Doshi, Creative Alliance at The Patterson; Desiree Duell, BUILD/Child First Authority; Jamie Jones, Baltimore Clayworks; Sarah McCann, Operation ReachOut-SouthWest/Bon Secours of Maryland Foundation; Kursten Pickup, Refugee Youth Project and The Walters Art Museum; Christina Ralls, University of Baltimore; David Sloan, The Algebra Project and Peer-to-Peer Youth Enterprises; Nora Scheff, Baltimore Clayworks and Creative Alliance at The Patterson; and Marissa Yelnick, Kids on the Hill.

The work in the show represents the students' growth as artists during their time at MICA and with their community organizations.

A closing reception with the artists takes place Friday, Aug. 1 at 7 p.m. in Leidy Atrium, Brown Center.

The first program of its kind in the country, MACA attracts artists who wish to engage others in meaningful art-related experiences and promote community building initiatives in collaboration with community-based organizations, service providers, or civic and/or cultural institutions.

The 39-credit program, administered by MICA's nationally recognized Center for Art Education, spans two summers and one academic year. It prepares each student to work effectively with youth of all ages in a variety of settings, support youth and community development initiatives via the arts, manage the responsibilities of an arts project or program, and produce artwork reflecting an intensive engagement with "community."

For more information about the MACA program, visit the MACA Web site.

To learn more about the community artists or the exhibition, call 410-225-2300.

 

Founded in 1826, MICA is among the top visual arts colleges in the nation. It enrolls 1,714 undergraduate and 218 graduate students from 48 states and 52 foreign countries, offering programs of study leading to the bachelor of fine arts (B.F.A.), master of arts (M.A.), and master of fine arts (M.F.A.) degrees. It also offers post-baccalaureate certificate programs and a full slate of credit and noncredit courses for adults, college-bound students, and children. MICA is recognized as an important cultural resource for the Baltimore/Washington region, sponsoring many public and community-outreach programs-including more than 100 exhibitions by students, faculty, and nationally and internationally known artists annually-as well as artists' residencies, film series, lectures, readings, and performances.