MICA celebrates alumna Amy Sherald ’04 (LeRoy E. Hoffberger School of Painting MFA) for being named to TIME’s 2026 Women of the Year list. This is a banner year for Sherald, who is breaking records with a sold-out exhibition at the Baltimore Museum of Art. She brought Amy Sherald: American Sublime to Baltimore after pulling out from a planned National Portrait Gallery solo exhibition because of concerns about censorship.
Bringing her show to Baltimore was almost like a homecoming. Sherald came to Baltimore for graduate school, but she continued to work in the city after earning her degree. At a February 2026 event for the MICA Bicentennial, Sherald reflected on her journey from graduate school to world-renowned painter.
“Coming into the art world depends on where, what part, and how. First and foremost, coming out of graduate school, it’s really important just to realize that your journey is yours alone and that things are going to be happening at different paces for other people.”
TIME Editor in Chief Sam Jacobs explained that the Women of the Year honor “offers needed perspective on the present and a spotlight for those who are shaping our future.” When selecting this year’s honorees, TIME chose “women working to create a more equitable world–leaders who we believe are addressing the most pressing issues confronting women and girls in 2026.”
“At a moment when global progress demands bold and decisive action, the 2026 Women of the year remind us that individual leadership remains one of the most powerful catalysts for change,” said TIME CEO Jessica Sibley.
Sherald has long been a catalyst in her field. In 2018, her dramatic official portrait of former First Lady Michelle Obama made news around the world when it was revealed at the National Portrait Gallery. Just two years prior in 2016, the National Portrait Gallery selected her portrait, Miss Everything, as the winner of the 2016 Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition. The win marked the first time that an African American and the first time that a woman took first place.
Read the full piece on TIME.com
Join the festivities as MICA honors its 200-year history, recognizes its present success, and looks forward to a bright future. Throughout 2026, the College will be sharing community stories and announcing one-of-a-kind events on campus, in Baltimore, and beyond.
