MICA Students Present Rooted/Growing Bicentennial Exhibition; Opening Reception Feb. 5

A student-curated exhibition marking MICA’s bicentennial opened with a catered public reception on Thursday evening and will be on view through early March, bringing campus programming and community artists into the heart of the Bolton Hill campus. Rooted/Growing is presented by the Exhibition Development Seminar (EDS) cohort and staged in the Fox Building galleries with public hours every day from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Rooted/Growing is billed as a celebration of two centuries of creativity and the relationship between MICA and Baltimore. "Celebrating two centuries of creativity, the exhibition honors the intertwined histories of MICA and the city of Baltimore, whose relationship is defined by resilience and mutual transformation," reads exhibition copy. The student curators write that "Rooted/Growing aims to highlight the memories, stories, and histories of all peoples that have contributed to the shared experience of the college and all of those to come." MICA also frames the college as an incubator: "MICA has long acted as a launchpad for creatives, providing students the support and opportunity to plant their practice."

The exhibition was organized by the EDS 2025–2026 cohort under instructor Joo Yun Lee, History of Art, Design, and Visual Culture. The student curators are Izekiel Awen, Theo Addotta, Youngsoo Bae, Kalen Chowdhury, Khedvah Edwards, Deesha Lapasia, Vi Ngo, Citlali Patino, Anthony Plessl, Hannah Roberts, Archer Senft, Zitang Xu, and YooRa Yoo. Participating artists listed for Rooted/Growing include Devin Allen, REED Bmore, Phaan Howng, Joyce J. Scott, Ernest Shaw, Bria Sterling-Wilson, Jordan Tierney, René Treviño, Wickerham & Lomax, and Jen White-Johnson.

The opening reception on Feb. 5 ran 5:00–8:00 p.m. and included at least one scheduled performance connected to the program. Exhibition materials note, "The reception will feature a performance at 6:30pm in the Brown Center Atrium by Synesthesia Peabody X MICA." That performance, Eternal Horizon: The Sunrise and Sunset, "features a live musical performance and sculptural work exploring time, breath, and desire. Voices and woodwinds trace cycles of sunrise and sunset, forming an eternal horizon always just beyond reach," and was credited to Yoonjung Lee and Michelle Shengyu Li. Over the exhibition run organizers plan additional programming; a Poetry/Performance workshop with writer Unique Robinson is scheduled for Feb. 21, 2:00–4:00 p.m., in the Mosher Building, 1st Floor, with limited slots.

Logistics matter for visitors: admission is free, galleries are open daily 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., and "on weekends, outside visitors will need to be accompanied by a MICA community member with a MICA ID in order to swipe and gain access into respective buildings." The primary listing for Rooted/Growing places the show in Decker Gallery, Fox Building, 1303 W Mount Royal Ave, though a set of social posts and a separate LinkedIn listing reference an alternate bicentennial presentation titled Ouroboros and name the Joseph Meyerhoff Gallery and additional performances tied to opening night. Those differences suggest multiple campus events tied to the bicentennial; readers should consult MICA’s events calendar or gallery listings for any last-minute room or schedule changes.

For Baltimore, Rooted/Growing is both a cultural marker and a practical pipeline. Student curators gain hands-on exhibition experience that bolsters career trajectories in galleries and museums, while the exhibition’s roster of Baltimore-connected artists and public programs creates spillover opportunities for local businesses and arts organizations. The show’s framing as a civic exchange, "Each aspect of this exhibition invites viewers to encounter these histories not as static memories, but as cross-pollinations and active collaborations across generations and communities", positions the exhibition as part of a broader strategy to sustain Baltimore’s creative economy as MICA marks 200 years.

What comes next: Rooted/Growing remains on view through early March with artist talks, workshops, and campus performances planned; prospective visitors should note weekend access rules and verify specific times and locations with MICA before attending.