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Ruby Grant Awardees

Clockwise from top left: Carolyn Case ’97 (Mount Royal School of Art MFA; faculty), Katie O’Keefe ’14 (Fiber BFA; faculty), Ashley DeHoyos Sauder ’16 (Curatorial Practice MFA; staff), James Williams II ’09 (Mount Royal School of Art MFA; faculty)

Four members of the MICA community have been recognized through the Rubys Artist Grants, a program of the Robert W. Deutsch Foundation that provides direct funding to Baltimore-area artists for the creation of new and innovative work.

Launched in 2013 and named in honor of Creative Capital founder Ruby Lerner, the Rubys support experimentation, risk-taking, and creative exploration across artistic disciplines. Grants provide up to $15,000 in direct project support, with the program shifting to a rotating two-discipline structure beginning in 2026.

MICA recipients include Carolyn Case ’97 (Mount Royal School of Art MFA; faculty), Katie O’Keefe ’14 (Fiber BFA; faculty), and James Williams II ’09 (Mount Royal School of Art MFA; faculty). Ashley DeHoyos Sauder ’16 (Curatorial Practice MFA; staff) served on the jury panel.

 

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At the Fête of Lights: Bicentennial Gala, Aidan Leizerov ’28 (Interdisciplinary Sculpture BFA) wore their wax soldier costume created in the Mask and Headdress course taught by Valeska Populoh, faculty in the Fiber, Fashion, and Textile program. On the upper landing, Martin Knuppel ’26 (Illustration and Printmaking BFA) is dressed as a modern version of the First Lord of Baltimore. Leizerov and Knuppel were part of a larger student interpretation of the Main Building’s Maryland painting. Students created a living mural that was more representative of MICA's students today. + Enlarge

On The Cover: Fall 2026
At the Fête of Lights: Bicentennial Gala, Aidan Leizerov ’28 (Interdisciplinary Sculpture BFA) wore their wax soldier costume created in the Mask and Headdress course taught by Valeska Populoh, faculty in the Fiber, Fashion, and Textile program. On the upper landing, Martin Knuppel ’26 (Illustration and Printmaking BFA) is dressed as a modern version of the First Lord of Baltimore. Leizerov and Knuppel were part of a larger student interpretation of the Main Building’s Maryland painting. Students created a living mural that was more representative of MICA's students today.

On The Cover: Fall 2026

At the Fête of Lights: Bicentennial Gala, Aidan Leizerov ’28 (Interdisciplinary Sculpture BFA) wore their wax soldier costume created in the Mask and Headdress course taught by Valeska Populoh, faculty in the Fiber, Fashion, and Textile program. On the upper landing, Martin Knuppel ’26 (Illustration and Printmaking BFA) is dressed as a modern version of the First Lord of Baltimore. Leizerov and Knuppel were part of a larger student interpretation of the Main Building’s Maryland painting. Students created a living mural that was more representative of MICA's students today.

+ Enlarge

First Impression: Fall 2026

First Impression: Fall 2026

Visitors explore students’ work during the final exhibition of MICA’s 2026 Pre-College Summer Intensive. Featuring work across painting, photography, sculpture, animation, illustration, and game design, the final exhibition brings together students, families, and art lovers to celebrate the next generation of creatives.

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