MICA is kicking off a year-long bicentennial anniversary celebration in January as it comes out of the doldrums of the COVID pandemic. The pandemic hurt enrollment and the school’s finances, and reduced international student enrollment. Meanwhile, enrollment for the 2025-26 school year is up.
Sara Warren, MICA’s representative on BHCA’s board, said this month that throughout the coming year MICA will be announcing art exhibitions, a distinguished speaker series, artistic performances, art tours and lectures, a fashion-show week, community art programming in Baltimore, and more – all part of its anniversary observance.
“We want the Bolton Hill neighborhood to get involved. We think of Bolton Hill residents as part of our family,” she said. The activities will lead up to a Bicentennial Weekend Oct. 9-11, 2026, connecting alumni, students, faculty, staff, and the community. It will include notable speakers, performances, workshops, a “parade of classes” by decade, hands-on art making, legacy exhibitions and more.
This year MICA enrolled 397 new undergraduates, an increase of 46 from last year. There are 167 new graduate students, an increase of two from Fall 2024. It continues an upward trend from last fall of 25 additional undergraduate and graduate enrollment to a total of 1,431. The five-year average enrollment before the pandemic was about 1,700. This year’s combined undergraduate and graduate enrollment of international students is 304. Cecelia McMcCormick was named president in June 2024.
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