Community Education & Professional Practice
Convenient workshops and courses for arts professionals and curious creatives.
We provide Baltimore’s creative community (and beyond!) with access to a wide range of online and in person interactive art and design courses, taught by MICA adjunct faculty.
Explore new paths for creative expression.
Take your professional practice to the next level.
Learn from the best: MICA’s world-renowned faculty.
Beginner
_ PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
Workshop: Design Your Personal Brand
Wednesdays, Apr. 13 through Apr. 27, 6 pm - 9:15 pm
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: $170
Register NowBrockett Horne
Beginner
_ PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
Photoshop 101
Mondays, Apr. 4 through Apr. 25, 6:30 pm - 9 pm
A workshop for artists, designers and photographers getting started with Photoshop. The basics of color correction, retouching, image manipulation, layers & masks, and Smart Objects & Smart Filters will be covered. 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 workshop. Cost: $170
Register NowRandy Morgan
Beginner
_ PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
Workshop: Product Management for Designers
Tuesdays, Mar. 22 through Apr. 12, 6:30 pm - 9 pm
Product is all about value, and product management is value management. In this workshop series, we will cover roadmapping, prototyping, and effective habits you can adopt to create sustainable systems of innovation. Tools we will use Figma, GitHub, and VS Code (all free resources). This workshop will be held online. Cost: $170
Register NowJesse Alton
Beginner
_ PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
Workshop: Animating Stories & Interviews
Thursdays, Mar. 24 through Apr. 28, 6:15 pm - 8 pm
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 a strong animation that communicates a powerful story. Students will use Adobe After Effects and any software of the artists choosing to illustrate. This workshop will be held online. Cost: $170
Register NowKiran Joan
Intermediate
_ PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
Intermediate Photoshop, Illustrator & InDesign
Thursdays, Feb. 17 through Apr. 28 (no class Mar. 17), 6:30 pm - 9:45 pm
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: $675
Register NowRandy Morgan
Beginner
_ PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
Graphic Design Basics
Wednesdays, Feb. 16 through Apr. 27 (no class Mar. 16), 6 pm - 9 pm
Graphic Design is the visual communication of ideas, meanings, and concepts. In this course, we will dive into the vocabulary of graphic design and understand how to effectively use it to translate our ideas into comprehensive, tangible visual objects. This course will cover the basics of typography, layouts, mark-making, color, and grids, and set you up for working with images and text. This course will be held online. Cost: $675
Register NowAasawari Kulkarni
Beginner
_ COMMUNITY EDUCATION
Workshop: Cyanotype In-Depth
Saturdays, Apr. 23 through May 7, 10:30 am - 1 pm
The 3-day in-person Cyanotype Workshop will introduce students to image making with the cyanotype process through a variety of means. We will cover the traditional process and consider historical, technical, and contemporary elements associated with the cyanotype process. By covering a broad range, such as photograms, digital negatives, toning/staining, and alternative materials, the students will leave the workshop with the technical foundation, invigorated creativity, and confidence to incorporate the cyanotype process into their own artistic practices. This class will be held in person at MICA. Cost: $255
Register NowPat Galluzo
Beginner
_ COMMUNITY EDUCATION
Workshop: Drawing Techniques
Wednesdays, Apr. 6 through Apr. 27, 6 pm - 8:30 pm
This introductory workshop teaches foundational skills in drawing from observation. Students will learn about sighting techniques, measuring and mapping. These tools of planning and composing are essential techniques for an artist to draw a subject with accurate proportion. Students will learn how to measure, compare and locate landmarks to help create more precise drawings. In addition, this workshop will teach students how to place their subject in an effort to avoid awkward cropping and focus on the composition of their piece. This class will be held in person at MICA. Cost: $170
Register NowDavid Little
Beginner
_ COMMUNITY EDUCATION
Watercolor Basics
Thursdays, Feb. 10 - Apr. 21 (no class on Mar. 17), 6 pm - 9 pm
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. They learn to create different textures in watercolor, how to incorporate related media such as gouache and opaque watercolor, and the more advanced techniques of mid-tone, grisaille, and tiling. Subject matter emphasizes direct observation from life but students may also experiment with photographic sources and invented motifs. 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 class will be held in person at MICA. Cost: $675
Register NowDavid Little
Beginner
_ COMMUNITY EDUCATION
Figure Painting
Wednesdays, Feb. 9 through Apr. 20 (no class on Mar. 16), 6:30 pm - 9:45 pm
This course focuses on building proficiency for painting the human figure. Working from a live nude model, students learn proportion and anatomy as well as paint formal/expressive elements such as paint form, texture, movement, color, composition, and their application to the execution of students’ personal artistic vision. Students produce a portfolio that includes ambitious artwork that confronts the demands of large-scale format painting, portraiture, narrative painting, and the intensity with which paint expresses ideas. Students will work primarily with acrylic paints in this 10-week, 1.5 credit course. This class meets in person at MICA. Cost: $675
Register NowChristopher Batten
Beginner
_ COMMUNITY EDUCATION
Wheel Throwing
Mondays, Feb. 7 through Apr. 18 (no class on Mar. 14), 6:30 pm - 9:45 pm
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. This course is meant to open the MICA ceramics studio to the broader community and is not ideally designed for undergraduate or graduate students. Cost: $675 + additional $50 material fee. 1.5 credits.
Register NowSamantha Briegel
Beginner
_ COMMUNITY EDUCATION
Open Studio Model Session
Sundays, Jan. 30 - April 10 (no class Mar. 13), 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm or Tuesdays, Feb. 1 - April 12 (no class Mar. 15), 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Sessions are offered for those who want to draw or paint from the live figure. Each section includes two models—one for quick poses for sketching and one for sustained drawing or painting. A class coordinator will ensure the quality of each session. No formal instruction is offered and there are no prerequisites. This class will be held in person at MICA. Cost: $120
Register NowMax Cortes
Intermediate
_ COMMUNITY EDUCATION
Painting Techniques II
Thursdays, Feb. 10 - Apr. 21, 6:30 pm - 9:45 pm
This online course will begin with a review of basic skills. Session goals will revolve around understanding form, the interaction of color, compositional structure, light, shadow, and space. Students will be presented with weekly, instructor-guided methods and practices to broaden learner skills and flesh out creative concepts. The course focuses on contemporary issues in representational painting and encourages students to explore personal themes in a series of related weekly objectives. Students paint from their own setups, experiences, and ideas, with an emphasis on exploring a personal signature. Attention is given to issues of content, narrative, and symbolism as we investigate how the properties of perception skirt the narrow boundary between realism and abstraction. Formal demonstrations and slide discussions are used throughout the class. Personal access to a reliable broadband connection and a computer or device is required. This course is open to painters of all levels and skills. It is recommended for students interested in gaining further Painting Techniques or with equivalent experience. This course will be taught online using Zoom and Canvas. Cost: $675
Register NowDuane Lutsko
Beginner
_ COMMUNITY EDUCATION
Monoprint/ Monotype Printmaking
Tuesdays, Feb. 1 through Apr. 12 (no class on Mar. 15) , 6:30 pm - 9:45 pm
Monotype printmaking allows the artist to create one-of-a-kind prints that may be painterly or graphic, colorful or monochromatic. The direct nature of the process invites exploration, experimentation, and discovery. Through technical demonstrations and the study of historical and contemporary printmakers, students are introduced to the many possibilities offered by this unique medium. Individual and group critiques support each student’s progress as they apply new techniques to develop a thematic body of work. This class will be held in person at MICA. Cost: $675. 1.5 credits
Register NowUrsula Minervini
Beginner
_ PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
Workshop: Illustrating in Procreate
Tuesdays, March 22 through April 19, 7 pm - 9 pm
Take your drawing tablet on the road and render artwork in pastels, paintings, and cartoons. Learn how to get the most out of this drawing tool that you can take anywhere. Requires Procreate on the iPad with an Apple Pencil. Cost: $170
RegisterTrish Moore
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.”
Stay in touch!
Sign up for our newsletter to be the first to know about new course offerings.
FAQ
How will I access the software needed for the class?
Once enrolled, you will receive a MICA email with a link to your Student Welcome 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’re excited to welcome you back to campus. We are currently in Operational Mode 4 to ensure everyone has a safe and enjoyable educational experience with MICA. See Operational Mode 4 webpage for more information; this info will also be included in the Getting Started Guide with your registration confirmation email.
What are MICA’s current cleaning protocols?
Facilities Management has implemented enhanced cleaning and sanitizing protocols due to the pandemic that are consistent with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance for higher education institutions, including a focus on high-touch areas and sanitizing frequency. EPA N-List antimicrobial products for use against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) are being utilized such as:
-SOP Green Klean Chlorinated Disinfectant
-Clarion25 with Microban cleaning solvent
-Floor wax which contains Microban with Clarion25
Microban Professional kills 99.9% of bacteria in just 60 seconds and provides up to 24 hours of protection from bacteria growth — even after multiple touches. Areas that are cleaned, disinfected and sanitized by Facilities Management include public areas, restrooms, stairs, railings, elevators, door handles, office corridors, conference rooms (public), classrooms, lobbies, kitchenettes (not including appliance interiors, utensils and dishes). Departments/individuals are responsible for cleaning: studio lab equipment, office interiors (furniture, display boards) and personal items (computers, screens, phones).
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.
I am registering for a Community Education course. How will I get my materials?
A materials list is included in the Student Welcome 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.
Are payment plans available?
Payment plans are available. Please contact the Office of Open Studies for more information and to set this up: (410) 225-2219 or openstudies@mica.edu
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
