Carolyn Campbell ’72, Interior Design BFA, says MICA in the late 1960s felt electric. “I was suddenly surrounded by painters, sculptors, writers, and filmmakers who were living and breathing their work,” she says. “That balance of intensity and humanity—that’s MICA.”

Andrea “Remmi” Franklin ’74, General Fine Arts BFA, remembers the closeness of a small campus with big ideas. “Everyone knew everyone,” she says. “Baltimore was gritty and real, but MICA felt like this oasis of creativity in the middle of it.”

And Frank Hyder ’72, General Fine Arts BFA, discovered a world of possibility. “At MICA, I met people who were incredibly imaginative and curious,” he says. “You’re born an artist and MICA allows you to find your voice.”

Different eras. Shared beginnings. One enduring truth: from their first days on campus, MICA students are invited into a creative community that stays with them for life.