Community Education & Professional Education
Convenient learning options for curious creatives, professionals, and degree-seekers.
Expand your career skills and options.
Advance your professional skills, pivot your career, or pursue competitive graduate degrees while building valuable creative connections for future collaborations. Our non-degree Professional Practice offerings are taught by industry experts and structured to make MICA’s rigorous art and design instruction accessible to working adults.
Cultivate your creative interests.
Explore new skills or deepen your practice with access to MICA’s specialized resources and equipment and personalized support from our experienced artist-instructors. You’ll get hands-on experience that results in finished pieces and plenty of interactive critique and feedback along the way.
Community Education
Beginner
How to Photograph Darker Skin Tones with Aundre Larrow
Thursdays, Apr. 6 through Apr. 20, 6:00 p.m. - 4/6: 7:00 p.m., 4/13: 9:00 p.m. 4/20: 8:00 p.m.
There is no secret to taking better photos of black and brown folks. Yet we often stare at underexposed, underlit, or over-exposed messes. Why is that? In this class, we will get hands-on to discuss how camera metering doesn’t always yield what we expect and how we can take better images, give feedback around equity in photography, and teach others to do so as well. Functional knowledge of photography is vital for life in this digital age. Let’s take 3 weeks and get better at it. Access to Adobe Creative Cloud will be available through the duration of the workshop, at no additional cost. Class meets synchronously on Thursdays, with prompts each week. Students will need access to an iPhone or digital camera. This course will be held online via Zoom. Cost: $99.
Register NowAundre Larrow
Community Education
Beginner
Exploring Watercolor
Tuesdays, Jan. 10 through Mar. 21 (no class Mar. 14), 6:00 p.m. - 9:15 p.m.
Students learn the fundamentals of watercolor and build a vocabulary of approaches to this versatile medium. The course begins with essential techniques, such as color mixing and the properties of transparent pigments, basic brush strokes, selecting paper and palettes, and analysis of techniques used by other artists. As students progress they explore transparent and wet and dry techniques, such as glazing, charging, wet-on-wet, negative painting and masking. Class instruction aims to meet the individual student at his or her level of experience, while building self-confidence with the medium and encouraging advancement. This course is held in-person at MICA. Cost: $695
This course has started.
David Little
Community Education
Beginner
Wheel Throwing
Mondays, Jan. 30 through Apr. 3, 6:30 p.m. - 9:45 p.m.
This class focuses on using the potter’s wheel to create a body of work. Students refine skills and may advance to larger and more complicated forms. Basic skills will be built and for advanced students, attachments, altering, and combining thrown forms are highlighted. Students will have the opportunity to explore various surface techniques to develop more complex and interesting surfaces through various firing processes. This is a fast-paced class with an emphasis on form and function. This is a class for innovation, risk taking, and creative development; not a course for production. Beginners as well as more advanced students will be supported and challenged in this course. Cost: $695. Materials Fee: $50. No Prerequisites.
This course has started.
Erik Zohn
Professional Practice
Intermediate
Intermediate Photoshop, Illustrator & InDesign
Thursdays, Feb. 16 through Apr. 27 (no class Mar. 16), 6:30 p.m. - 9:45 p.m.
An intermediate course for artists, designers and photographers who want to learn more about working with Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. Students will build their skills with weekly projects that include image correction & manipulation, creating graphics & illustrations, and designing page layouts for print and digital distribution. Digital file formats and best practices will also be covered. This course will be taught online using Zoom & Canvas and Adobe Creative Suite access is included for the duration of the course. Cost: $695
Register NowRandy Morgan
Community Education
Beginner
Etching in Color
Tuesdays, Jan. 31 through Apr. 11 (no class Mar. 14), 6:15 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
The etching medium allows artists to create effects from soft, almost imperceptible tones to deeply gouged lines. Students create colorful, multi-layered prints, and learn a range of intaglio printmaking techniques including line etching, aquatint, drypoint, and collagraph. Frequent group critiques give students the opportunity to learn from each other as they explore technical concerns and delve into the content and meaning of their prints. For beginner or advanced students. This course is held in-person at MICA. No class on March 14. Cost: $695
This course has started.
Ursula Minervini
Community Education
Beginner
Expressive Portraiture
Mondays, Jan. 23 through Apr. 3 (no class on Mar. 13), 6:00 p.m. - 9:15 p.m.
In this class students will explore different ways to convey feelings through color and facial expression. With an emphasis on personality and emotion, students in this course will paint expressive portraits while learning effective ways to apply paint that go beyond technique to evoke meaning. Examining the work of contemporary artists, students will receive color palette tips for painting various skin tones and facial structures. By the end of this course students will have a series of portraits that explore the relationship between people and space, narrative, and dramatic lighting. This course will be held online via Zoom and use Canvas. No class on March 13. Cost: $695
This course has started.
Chris Batten
Professional Practice
Beginner
Workshop: Design Your Personal Brand
Wednesdays, Apr. 12 through Apr. 26, 6:00 p.m. - 9:15 p.m.
Build the components of a professional identity in this short workshop—a resume, cold-call letter, and social media presence using LinkedIn and a template-based website like WordPress, Wix, and the like. With short presentations and in-class workshops, we will explore self branding to help you put your best foot forward with a cohesive set of materials that articulate your unique strengths. Access to the Adobe Creative Suite for the duration of classes is included in this workshop. This class will be held online via Zoom. Cost: $175
Register NowRonin Wood
Professional Practice
Beginner
Adobe Premiere Pro
Mondays, Jan. 23 - Apr. 3 (no class Mar. 13), 6:30 p.m. - 9:45 p.m.
Motion graphic or video artists will enhance their work with Adobe Premiere Pro. This course will cover the basics for creating motion graphics, animated titles, short videos, and visual effects. Working with timelines, keyframes, assets, effects, type, imported images, art from Adobe Illustrator, sound, and masking students will create their short videos with animated titles and subtitles or closed captions.This course is held in person at MICA. Cost: $695
This course has started.
Trish Moore
Professional Practice
Beginner
Animating Stories & Interviews
Tuesdays, Feb. 7 through Apr. 4, 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Learn to bring audio stories and interviews to life through creative illustration and animation! Students will learn animation techniques, character animation, editing scripts to finally build strong animations that communicates powerful stories. Students will use Adobe After Effects and any software of the artists choosing to illustrate. This workshop will be held online via Zoom. Cost: $695
Register Now
Kiran Joan
Professional Practice
Beginner
Workshop: Illustrating in Procreate
Saturdays, March 4 through March 18, 9:00 a.m. - 12:20 p.m.
Take your drawing tablet on the road and render artwork in pastels, painting and cartoons. Learn how to get the most out of this drawing tool that you can take anywhere. Images will be supplied but your own are encouraged. Requires Procreate on the iPad with an Apple Pencil. Cost: $175
Register NowTrish Moore
Professional Practice
Beginner
Workshop: Typography 101
Sundays, Mar. 12 through Apr. 2, 6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
This workshop will explore how to construct typographic compositions and systems, to create and appreciate typography as an expressive medium that conveys aesthetic, emotional, and meaning. You will be introduced to information hierarchy, digital typesetting, and page layout softwares as we explore all that typography has to offer. This workshop will be taught online via Zoom. Cost: $175
Register NowAnjali Nair
Professional Practice
Advanced
Workshop: Advanced Figma
Saturday, Jan. 28, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Online: Learn how to design and build interactive prototypes with Figma. In this workshop you’ll dive deep into creating responsive user interfaces at scale. You’ll learn how to create data-driven prototypes and utilize the vast amount of community-made plug-ins. Along with being an industry-standard design tool that creates high-fidelity prototypes, Figma is the ultimate collaboration tool and can help streamline your design process. Personal licenses are free. This workshop will be taught online using Zoom & Canvas. Cost: $95
This workshop has concluded.
Nitin Sampathi
What our students
are saying
“I actually love the remote delivery. I still have access to the instructor and peers, but I don’t have to cart all my painting supplies (and wet canvases) back and forth every week!”
“Superb balance of information, demonstration, peer sharing, and hands-on application.”
“I most liked the lectures and class critiques. The teacher is a master at eliciting class participation and gleaning the important points of the lessons through the works.”
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FAQs
Are payment plans available?
Open Studies offers payment plans for all offerings! Enroll now and pay later with equal payment installments. For more details and to begin the process, please contact Open Studies Registration Staff at openstudies@mica.edu.
How will I access the software needed for the class?
Once enrolled, you will receive a MICA email with a link to your Student Getting Started Guide. Please check the email that you used to register for the course or workshop.
To note: The email you receive once you are enrolled will also include login instructions to access tools and software necessary for your class such as Canvas, Adobe Creative Suite, Zoom, and Google Drive.
I'm interested in taking a class in person. What are the COVID-19 related guidelines?
We are in Operational Mode 5 to ensure everyone has a safe and enjoyable educational experience with MICA. See Operational Mode 5 webpage for more information; this info will also be included in the Getting Started Guide with your registration confirmation email. Masks are encouraged, but not required.
I’m not sure if this class is for me. How can I talk to someone?
Contact the Office of Open Studies at (410) 225-2219 or openstudies@mica.edu
How will I interact with classmates if I choose an online course?
Classes will be held synchronously via Zoom, where peer and instructor discussions and critiques will be conducted.
How will I get my materials?
A materials list is included in the Student Getting Started Guide (PDF) once a student is registered and enrolled in the course. Materials will also be available to purchase through the MICA Art Store at https://shop.mica.edu/art-supplies/.
I see this course is for credit. What’s this for?
Students enrolled in this course also receive non-degree credits. Some teachers may be able to apply these credits towards renewals of teaching certifications.
Will I be on zoom the entire time?
Class format and “zoom time” will be structured to accommodate the needs of each class. Most classes incorporate a mix of instructor-led discussion, critique and independent work time.
What time zone are the courses held?
All courses and workshops are scheduled for an EST time zone.
What if I need to drop the class, how can I get a refund?
Please fill out this form to drop the course you are enrolled in and then submit a written request for a refund to openstudies@mica.edu including your full name and course information before the start of the second class.
Questions?
Contact Us
Office of Open Studies
Baltimore, MD 21217
openstudies@mica.edu
