YEAR ONE : STUDIO YEAR
MFA STUDIO 1 & 2 The MFA Studio core course is structured as a series of material-based modules that provide students with a very broad framework in which to expand their practice. The Studio Year begins with the Image Harvest Project, and ends with a Self-Directed Project that is a lead in to their Thesis Project.
IMAGE HARVEST This self-assessment focused project uses list-making and mind-mapping to discover key themes and ideas that are meaningful to the student. ILP students develop 10 new ideas through sketching and notation, then present them to the cohort for feedback before bringing one idea to final. This module helps the student understand what they love to draw, what topics are important to them, and how disparate elements can be formed into new ideas. This practice also yields many idea seeds that can be grown or developed later.
WORKSHOPS Year One ILP students are exposed in a variety of material-based workshops throughout their first year. The workshops last anywhere from 1 to 4 days where students learn new primary skills, then are asked to complete a Reaction Project that references something learned and combines it with their own exploration and experimentation.
Letterpress / Risograph
Paper Engineering
Patterning / Surface Design
Sewing / Digital Fabric Printing
Stop Motion Animation
Bookbinding / Self Publishing
Ceramics
File Archiving
Handletters
Lasercutting / 3D printing
WRITERS IN BALTIMORE SCHOOLS ILP is engaged with our community via a mentored partnership project with Johns Hopkins Writers in Baltimore Schools program. Their students write poetry that are illustrated by Year One ILP students. The poem and illustration are designed as posters and projected on the Baltimore LED Art Board. The student collaborators meet at a project launch reception. Other community outreach projects have included Words on Wheels (Baltimore City MTA) and Womanly Magazine.
SELF-DIRECTED PROJECT The Self-Directed Project is the guided capstone project for Year One which provides an opportunity for rising students to research a direction for their MFA Thesis project in Year Two of the program. This project leads to the research they do during the summer months prior to Year Two.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP This course engages students in conceiving, prototyping and fabricating a unique artist product. Students learn to write a creative brief, create a pitch, research materials and costs, and learn about branding, markets and promotion. Products are sold on platforms including MICA’s Art Market and MoCCA Fest in NY.
CONCEIVE / ARTICULATE / FABRICATE Students start with sketching, then they present their ideas to the cohort for feedback. Materials and suppliers are researched, and prototypes made. Students finish with the fabrication of 25 copies of their product.
BRIEF / PITCH / BRANDING Learning how to devise a brief and a pitch of the project translates later into making a concise description of the student’s Creative Brief and Elevator Pitch. Branding helps students locate the “story” of their product and bring clarity to their reason for creating it.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ART MARKET MICA’s 2-day winter marketplace is where students, faculty and staff sell artist products. MFA Illustration Practice has two specially designed kiosks to display their work. All ILP students are required to participate.
MOCCA FEST This 2-day comics and cartoon art festival held at the Metropolitan Pavilion in NY. ILP has a table there where students sell relevant artist products as well as attend talks, book signings and have vast networking opportunities.