BALTIMORE--Recent MICA graduate Kate Dervishi '09 (BFA, painting) has been awarded a Fulbright U.S. Student Program scholarship to Germany for the 2009-10 academic year. Dervishi will spend a year in Berlin to study German Expressionist cinema and its relationship to painting.

"My painting is extremely theatrical," Dervishi said. "I hope that my Fulbright experience will lead to some sort of conclusion about the drama that is already present in my work."

Dervishi, the daughter of Randall Dervishi of Grosse Pointe, Mich., will conduct research at the archives of The Deutsche Kinemathek, which contains images and other rare material, and work with a faculty mentor at Universität der Künste, where she will informally audit a class.

"This experience will breathe a whole new life into my work, completely rejuvenate it," Dervishi said. "Thanks to the Fulbright, my only responsibility is to my painting, which is such a rare opportunity."

MICA has a strong track record of Fulbright success. In 2008, the College was ranked first nationally among specialty schools as a producer of Fulbright Scholars in an analysis by the Chronicle of Higher Education.

Recent winners included Andrea Chung '08 (MFA, Mount Royal School of Art), Kathryn Dambach '07 (BFA, painting), Rachel Faller '08 (BFA, fiber), Michael Sandstrom '07 (MFA, Mount Royal School of Art), Rose Cromwell '05 (BFA, photography), Eric Dyer '04 (MFA, Mount Royal School of Art), Iris Litwin '04 (BFA, printmaking), Nathlie Provosty '04 (BFA, painting), Marcus Ahlers '02 (MFA, Rinehart School of Sculpture), Rita Natarova '02 (BFA, painting), Andrea Skyberg '00 (BFA, fiber), Joanna Schwarz '99 (MFA, Hoffberger School of Painting), Christine Petersen '98 (BFA, general fine arts), Paul Gregg '95 (MFA, Rinehart School of Sculpture), and Thomas Xenakis '94 (MFA, Hoffberger School of Painting).

MICA students and alumni who are interested in applying for a Fulbright should e-mail Janet Mathias, MICA's Fulbright Program Advisor: jmathias@mica.edu.

For more information about MICA's Fulbright winners, call 410-225-2300.

Image caption: Kate Dervishi ’09, Untitled, oil on linen, 2008.

 

 

 

Founded in 1826, MICA is among the top visual arts colleges in the nation. It enrolls 1,714 undergraduate and 218 graduate students from 48 states and 52 foreign countries, offering programs of study leading to the bachelor of fine arts (B.F.A.), master of arts (M.A.), and master of fine arts (M.F.A.) degrees. It also offers post-baccalaureate certificate programs and a full slate of credit and noncredit courses for adults, college-bound students, and children. MICA is recognized as an important cultural resource for the Baltimore/Washington region, sponsoring many public and community-outreach programs-including more than 100 exhibitions by students, faculty, and nationally and internationally known artists annually-as well as artists' residencies, film series, lectures, readings, and performances.