The Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) is set to host an exciting contemporary art exhibition showcasing the work of Ford/Philip Morris Foundation Fellows for Artists of Color, spanning the years 1985 to 1999.
Titled Making America Again: So Strong, So Brave, So True, this exhibition will take place from August 28 to September 29, 2026. It will be held in the Sheila & Richard Riggs Gallery at MICA’s Fred Lazarus IV Center, which is located at 131 W. North Ave. in Baltimore.
The Ford/Philip Morris Fellowship initiative holds a unique place in American art history as the only program of its kind in the nation, established by MICA. Funded through the support of the Ford Foundation and the Philip Morris Foundation, this initiative expanded its reach to include four other independent art colleges: Cranbrook Academy, California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and Yale School of Art. This collaboration enabled approximately 200 artists of color to obtain Master of Fine Arts degrees, thus paving their paths into the mainstream art and cultural arenas of the United States. The artists featured in this exhibition embody diverse artistic styles and many of them have become significant figures in the art community with their works displayed in prestigious museums worldwide.
Selected artists from this distinguished cohort include renowned figures such as Candida Alvarez, Dawoud Bey, and Sanford Biggers, among others. Additionally, the exhibition will highlight works from artists who contributed to the program in its earlier years, including Joyce J. Scott, Oletha DeVane, and Lola Flash, as well as accomplished artists like Jerrell Gibbs, Monica Ikegwu, and Jeffrey Kent, who followed after the program’s inception, including the prominent Amy Sherald.
The exhibition’s name draws inspiration from Langston Hughes’ iconic 1935 poem, “Let America Be America Again.” The poem contrasts the promises of the “American Dream” with the harsh realities experienced by Black, Indigenous, and other marginalized communities.
Guest curators for this exhibition, Dr. Leslie King Hammond and Dr. Lowery Stokes Sims, bring a wealth of expertise to the project. Dr. Hammond, the graduate dean emerita, is also a pioneer of MICA’s former Center for Race and Culture. She previously held the position of senior fellow at the Robert W. Deutsch Foundation in Baltimore. Meanwhile, Dr. Sims is celebrated as an independent curator and art historian, and serves as curator emerita at the Museum of Arts and Design. During the 2021-2022 academic year, she was recognized as the Kress Beinecke Professor at the Center, National Gallery of Art, and was honored with an honorary degree from MICA in 1988.
This exhibition will be accessible to the public at no cost, operating daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visitors are also encouraged to attend a public reception scheduled for Thursday, September 3, from 5 to 7 p.m.
For additional information regarding the exhibition, please visit MICA’s official website.
