Young People's Studios and High School Studios
Nurture the creative journey.
Help K-8 graders jumpstart their lifelong connection to creativity. With support from professional instructors, these weekend and summer classes can help young people learn to express themselves, think critically, and build confidence through artistic exploration.
High school students can hone their creative voices and prepare to apply to competitive undergraduate art and design programs with dedicated support from MICA faculty. These programs and courses provide a pathway for young artists to explore their creative interests and grow as artists and designers.
Young People's Studios
Grades 6-8
Drawing from Observation
Grades 6-8: This course is designed to help students refine their skills in observational drawing and painting, making purposeful choices about lines, form, and color. Students will experiment with materials as they learn to make decisive lines and cohesive color palettes and apply both realistic and expressive colors to their pieces. Art exemplars will be used to emphasize the incredible diversity of styles and expressiveness that can be achieved with color, line, and texture.
Cost: $415. In-person @ MICA.
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Young People's Studios
Grades 6-8
Poetry and Visual Art
Grades 6-8: Students will explore the synergy between poetry and visual art in this course. They will craft poems and experiment with drawing and painting to convey their words visually. Guided by thematic exploration, students will create impactful works that communicate visually and audibly, honing their artistic voices. This course bridges the gap between words and images, empowering students to convey powerful messages in their art.
Cost: $415. In-Person @ MICA.
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Young People's Studios
Grades K-2
By the Sea (Grades K-2)
Grade K-2: In this course, students step into the roles of undersea explorers and artists, embarking on a journey to discover and respond to the myriad facets of the sea. Activities encompass crafting sea creatures, constructing undersea dioramas, utilizing various media to respond to stories, and exploring how illustrators of children’s books and artists drew inspiration from water for their artwork.
Cost: $415. In-person @ MICA.
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Young People's Studios
Grades 3-5
Visual Storytelling
Grade 3-5: This course offers students the opportunity to be both creator and performer! Students will explore a variety of 2-D and 3-D processes as they create books, objects, puppets and masks that can be incorporated into an original narrative. In addition to generating ideas and creating characters, students learn how images and props can be used to tell a story. Emphasis is on creating a unique and expressive language of object, gesture, and story, with equal attention given to the artistic/visual qualities of the art objects themselves and the purposeful use of these objects in student-designed performances.
Cost: $410. In-Person @ MICA.
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Young People's Studios
Grades 6-8
"I'm a Gamer!"
Grades 6-8: In this course, students will engage in discussions about their favorite games, collaborate effectively in teams, and develop the confidence to express their ideas openly. They will delve into character design, and storytelling, and sharpen their drawing skills while acquiring the foundational principles of crafting a successful game. By the course’s conclusion, students will have experienced the process of brainstorming, prototyping, and testing their concept for a board, card, or role-playing game. Please note that this course does not focus on video game production.
Cost: $415. In-person @ MICA.
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Young People's Studios
Grades 6-8
Creating Art with Adobe Photoshop
Grades 6-8. This course involves students using digital imaging programs to create and manipulate images pixel by pixel! Students learn to use the Adobe Photoshop suite and scan images as they explore the potential of the medium and create personally meaningful compositions. Using various created and found images, students then learn how to make complex compositional decisions and visual effects via filters, the graphics drawing toolbox, color effects, and artful use of text.
Cost: $415. In-person @ MICA.
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Young People's Studios
Grades 3-5
Life Drawing for Kids
Grades 3-5: This course is an exciting balance of learning how to see and how to capture contours, apply tones, and develop shading to make objects ‘pop’ off the page. With the basic understanding that in order to draw well, one must first learn how to see, students are engaged in fun-looking exercises that challenge them to use their eyes and minds to collect information about the objects, people, and places around them. They will discover how to see the world in a fresh, new way! Different approaches, tools, materials, and techniques are presented and explored using a diverse range of media, from pen and pencil to color explorations in pastel and paint.
Cost: $415. In-person @ MICA.
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High School Studios
Grades 9-12
Expressive Portraiture
Grades 9-12: In this class, students will work with diverse artistic media such as oil pastels, ink, and collage in order to refine their technical drawing skills. Students will focus on facial anatomy to capture likeness and composition while also exploring the narrative power of facial expressions to create expressive portraits that tell compelling stories.
Cost: $415. In-person @ MICA.
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Young People's Studios
Grades 6-8
Unconventional Painting
Grade 6-8: In this course, students will use acrylic paint to explore expressive uses of color, color mixing, and color theory. Using a variety of painting surfaces, students will paint in both traditional and unconventional ways, with brushes of various sizes and unconventional tools such as spatulas, squeegees, and combs. Through critique and peer feedback, this course offers opportunities for students to think deeply about their work and the meaning behind their paintings.
Cost: $415. In-person @ MICA.
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Young People's Studios
Grades K-2
Art and Community
Grade K-2: Art is a way for us to connect with our community. Looking at art work by contemporary artists in Baltimore students in this course students will use painting techniques and collage to explore the relationship between people, memory and place. Students will create work about the places people go in their community, draw and paint their favorite memories of their community and use imaginative thinking to develop new areas in their community that people can enjoy.
Cost: $415, In-Person @ MICA
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High School Studios
Grades 9-12
Digital Illustration
Grades 9-12: In this class, students will explore how to use Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator for a variety of drawings and designs! Students will learn about character development, portraiture, settings and environments, design, and metaphorical approaches to making. Access to the Adobe Creative Suite is included for the duration of this course.
Cost: $415. In-Person @ MICA.
Register Today
High School Studios
Grades 9-12
Painting in Oil
Grades 9-12: In this course, students will use oil paint to explore expressive use of color mixing, and color theory. Using a variety of painting surfaces, students will learn the unique qualities of oil paint and have an opportunity to explore formal and expressive elements of form, texture, movement, color, and composition.
Cost: $415. In-person @ MICA.
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High School Studios
Grades 9-12
Make Your Own Comic Book
Grades 9-12: Enter the World of Visual Storytelling! In this course, students will breathe life into their imaginative tales using captivating imagery while refining their narrative skills. They will uncover the art of crafting compelling storylines and characters, nurturing their observation skills to master drawing figures in motion. Students will experiment with animation techniques and showcase their abilities by creating multi-frame comic strips and multi-page comic books.
Cost: $415. In-person @ MICA.
Register Today
What our families
are saying
“The program is great because it nurtures hidden talent as well as providing a space for them to explore new ideas and techniques!” – YPS Parent, Summer 2023
“I feel this is the greatest opportunity for any student thinking about art seriously.” – HSS Parent, Fall 2022
“The YPS program was excellent for my child and they had lot’s of fun being included and create new artwork.” – YPS Parent, Fall 2022
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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.
Where will the classes be held?
In-person YPS and HSS classes will be held on campus in MICAs Fox Building and at The Ward Center for the Arts at The St. Paul’s Schools in Brooklandville, MD.
Click here to view a map in Google Maps of the current offerings at MICA and at The St. Paul’s Schools.
Click here to view an overview of The St. Paul’s Schools campus Map.
I’m interested in taking a class in person. What are the COVID-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 optional.
How will I access the software needed for the class?
Once enrolled, you will receive a MICA email with a link to your Getting Started Guide. Please check the email that you used to register for the class.
To note: The email you receive once you are enrolled will also include instructions to create your MICA credentials as well as login instructions to access tools and software necessary for your class such as: Canvas, Adobe Creative Suite, Zoom, and Google Drive.
I’m enrolled in an in-person class. What should I bring? Are materials included?
We recommend that students wear a smock or clothes that can get messy! Materials will be provided for in person learning. Students should also bring a personal water bottle.
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
Are there scholarships available for youth and teens?
The scholarship deadline for Young People’s Studios and High School Studios are:
- January 1 for Spring classes
- April 1 for Summer Art Camp
- September 1 for Fall classes
Please visit mica.edu/ypsscholarship for more information and to submit your application.
Questions?
Contact Us.
Office of Open Studies
Baltimore, MD 21217
openstudies@mica.edu
