One of the things I love about Bolton Hill is having the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) in our midst. The energy and creativity of our student neighbors, as well as the many opportunities to participate in MICA programs and events, add to the vitality of our neighborhood.
And my absolute favorite event is ArtWalk, held every year the weekend before commencement exercises. The dates for this year’s ArtWalk are Friday, May 16 through Monday, May 19. (Commencement is May 19.)
Giselle Pique from MICA’s Office of Advancement describes ArtWalk as a vibrant, campus-wide celebration of MICA’s graduating undergraduate class and their incredible achievements. To me, ArtWalk is an amazing transformation of nearly every MICA building into individual gallery spaces for graduating students to showcase their work, to interact with the public, and to offer their work for sale. For many Bolton Hill neighbors, it’s a great opportunity to buy artwork. A large painting in my living room, which I love, was purchased at one of the first ArtWalk events.
ArtWalk is an opportunity to see the breadth of artistic talent at MICA. Ms. Pique states that there will be over 2,400 original works on display from nearly 400 emerging artists, whose works range from fine art and animation to design and illustration. You will find artists who specialize in photography, painting, sculpture, fabric design, textiles, ceramics, animation and illustration; the range of work is remarkable!
I am intrigued by seeing firsthand the future of creative practices and new art trends. MICA graduates, such as Amy Sherald, who currently has a solo show at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City, are leading figures in the art world. Who knows? You might discover the next Amy Sherald at ArtWalk!
“This is one of Baltimore’s largest visual art showcases. We are especially excited to welcome everyone to the opening reception in front of the Brown Center on Friday, May 16, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.,” said Ms. Pique. The event is free and open to the public. Attendees will be able to sample fare from Baltimore’s top food trucks.
Make sure to wear your walking shoes! There is so much art to see, and it’s spread out over all the MICA buildings along Mt Royal Avenue. If you miss the opening on Friday or want to see more art at your leisure, the event details are shown below. All events are open to the public.
ArtWalk opening reception: Friday, May 16, 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.
ArtWalk exhibition: Friday, May 16, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday, May 17 to Monday, May 19, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Senior Animation BFA screening, Brown Center’s Falvey Hall: Sunday May 18, 1 p.m. Senior Film and Video BFAs screening, Brown Center’s Falvey Hall: Sunday, May 18, 4 p.m.
There’s more information at https://www.mica.edu/annual-events-series/artwalk/
–Sallye Perrin
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