Maryland Institute College of Art

Established in 1826, Maryland Institute College of Art is one of the oldest and most prestigious visual arts colleges in the US.

Originally Maryland Institute for the Promotion of the Mechanic Arts, the college has changed name five times over the years. It began evening classes as early as 1849, one of the first colleges to do so. Initially offering programmes such as history, chemistry and mineralogy, it phased out courses outside the arts in 1879.

Situated in the centre of Baltimore, Maryland’s most populous city, its main building is less than half a mile from the main station. Baltimore, home to a flourishing arts scene and countless galleries, also has lots of affordable studio space.

MICA has long attracted a vast selection of guest lecturers and critics, including poets Allen Ginsberg and Lawrence Ferlinghetti, composer John Cage and painter Sam Gilliam. A perennial high-achiever, MICA has long been considered one of the most decorated specialist colleges in the North East.

Alumni include Joan Bankemper, a visual artist well-known for her ceramics, and Abbi Jacobson, a comedian and actor who co-created sitcom Broad City.