BALTIMORE, MD – Accomplished actress, artist, writer, and director Victoria Rowell will present her solo exhibition A Woman Becomes… at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) from September 25 to October 11, 2026. A Woman Becomes… is an intimate photographic essay that universally honors girls who perish and those who survive to become brave women. Rowell dedicates the show to the legacy of pianist Agatha Wooten Armstead, her primary foster parent who introduced her to the fine arts, photography, and nature as a child on Armstead’s farm in Maine.
A Woman Becomes… encompasses 26 black-and-white photographs, as well as ephemera that will be on display in cases.
An opening reception will be held Friday, September 25, from 5 to 7 p.m in the Main Building on MICA's campus. Rowell’s New York Times bestselling memoir, The Women Who Raised Me, featuring Mrs. Armstead, will be made available during the reception.
“A Woman Becomes… echoes the heavy lift that women are hardwired to do, often in graceful silence. These images may inspire thought around girls who grow up to be women, achievement, loss, expectations, limits, aging, motherhood, joy, strength, love, despair, trauma, beauty and peace,” said Rowell. “My footsteps follow all things artistic, shared wisdom, Mother Nature, movement, fellowship —replacing wounds and secrets with forgiveness and transformative self-
Artist Credit: Untitled, photo by Victoria Rowell
A Renaissance woman and the quintessential mentor, Armstead taught Rowell rudimentary ballet by following stick figures pictured in a found book. She also tutored Rowell in floral, garden, and interior design, and dressmaking, and she exposed her to opera and jazz, antiquing, and much more. Just about everything was photographed on her Kodak Brownie camera. Or on her 8mm movie camera.
“I inherited not only her camera but also her priceless passion for photography and life!” said Rowell.
Rowell is an Emmy-nominated and NAACP Award-winning actress best known for co-starring opposite Dick Van Dyke in the long-running television series Diagnosis: Murder for eight seasons, as well as for her acclaimed work in daytime television as a long-time cast member on The Young and the Restless. She also earned Golden Globe consideration for her performance opposite Samuel L. Jackson in Home of the Brave.
Rowell recently performed to astounding reviews in “Jason’s Lyric: Live.” This hit musical was the stage adaptation of Bobby Smith Jr.’s 1994 film, widely regarded as a classic in Black homes. Rowell starred as Gloria, the maternal role originally played by the late Suzzanne Douglas.
Additionally, Victoria works behind the camera as a director and producer for many projects through her company Days Ferry Productions.
Born in Maine, Rowell was raised on a 60-acre working farm, where she taught herself classical ballet from a book before eventually becoming a professional dancer. She performed with American Ballet Theatre II and several other professional ballet companies.
The exhibition A Woman Becomes… and the opening reception will take place at the Main Building at the Maryland Institute College of Art, 1300 W. Mount Royal Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland. For more information, visit mica.edu/rowell.
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Founded in 1826 and celebrating 200 years, the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) is a premier epicenter of art and design education and the nation’s oldest continuously degree-granting college of art and design. Based in Baltimore, MICA is entering its third century with renewed purpose and a deep commitment to its city and the wider world. MICA delivers an education that combines a rigorous fine arts foundation with design, liberal arts, and real-world experience—preparing students to apply art and design to real-world challenges. Through creative entrepreneurship, professional practice, and community and industry partnerships, MICA graduates build sustainable careers, launch ventures, and contribute meaningfully to the creative economy.
For more information, visit mica.edu. To learn more about MICA’s Bicentennial, visit mica.edu/200.