November 9, 2020
Dear MICA Students, Staff, and Faculty,
Over the weekend, Joe Biden was named the winner of the U.S. presidential election by the vast majority of news outlets. Whenever the highly contentious race reaches its legal conclusion, its underlying differences in beliefs and values will persist as a divisive force. The United States does not feel united, and the honest reckoning and deep healing needed to make the country whole seems like a daunting task. Depending on individual perspectives, we could feel joy, hope, despair, or anger. While poised for change, our nation’s future remains uncertain.
MICA will continue to foster open dialogues and creative actions that advance our shared vision of “a just, sustainable, and joyful world.” The College’s unequivocal commitment to democracy, equal rights, and our domestic and international BI+POC members is more energized and relevant than ever.
I hope you will join me and MICA in choosing a path of optimism, resolve, and positive change to move forward. The creativity that defines the MICA community is innately generative and action-bound—“We make the world we imagine.” We alone cannot mend all ills, but each of us can play a role with our unique capability to help shape a reality of justice, empathy, understanding, and compassion.
Each of us can do our part in forging a better future for all of us.
I close by sharing the following post-election services that are available to support our campus community:
- For all MICA community members: Please check out MICA’s Election-Time Care page for helpful post-election programming and resources. Click on the Calendar section to view various forums and sessions that may interest you.
- For Students: The Student Counseling Center offers a daily open hour, 11/2-11/6, 3:00 to 4:00 p.m.
- For Faculty and Staff: The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provides free, confidential support 24 hours a day. You can reach the EAP by calling 1-866-799-2728 or visiting HealthAdvocate.com/members and providing the username "Maryland Institute College of Art."
This path ahead for our country calls for unity and collaboration, to which we understand and regularly demonstrate as a creative community that art, culture, and human-centered design can be mighty contributors.
Yours,
Sammy
Office of the President
Maryland Institute College of Art
1300 West Mt. Royal Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21217
officeofthepresident@mica.edu