It’s an exciting year at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) in Baltimore, where a bicentennial celebration is in full swing throughout 2026. Some events look back at MICA’s rich history in design and fine art, while others, like ongoing work at the campus Center for Creative Impact (CCI), look to a future where artistic perspectives help to address some of society’s most pressing issues.

At the CCI, staff and students collaborate with community and industry partners to bring design-centered thinking to projects across the business and social sectors. The goal is to demonstrate the value of creative problem-solving through art and design, and to introduce young artists and designers to careers they might not have initially considered.

“The CCI is the enabler for social innovation,” said Co-Executive Director Lee Davis. “Part of what we’re doing is helping to create these professional pathways for creatives.”

From its space at 1200 West Mount Royal Avenue in Baltimore, the CCI operates in four areas of focus: healthcare, food systems, transportation, and urban ecosystems. Davis noted that the designer’s role in this mix is to help community and industry partners think beyond their prescribed ways of doing things. An example is the reclamation of an alleyway on Trenton Street, in Baltimore’s Station North neighborhood. There, the CCI is drawing from creative placemaking methods to include best practices in stormwater management, improved lighting for public safety, and the addition of creative installations for what Davis described as “an open-air gallery for art and ecology.”

The Trenton Street improvements are part of a broader effort to promote and protect the health of the nearby Jones Falls River and its watershed, which stretches far into Baltimore County. For Davis, it’s also an opportunity to reflect on MICA’s bicentennial.

“Our 200-year history is very much intertwined with the Jones Falls,” he said. “It traverses our campus and was a primary engine for Baltimore City’s growth.”

In many ways, the CCI mirrors MICA’s earliest days. Founded in 1826, MICA was first known simply as the Maryland Institute, promoting education and innovation for industry. It then expanded its service to include fine arts and design, with training offered in disciplines that met the demand of incoming students. Today, the CCI has emerged as a resource for building the creative economy and for preparing those seeking to apply their creative talents outside traditional settings.

Activities at the CCI and across MICA’s campus are supported by the Maryland Department of Commerce, in keeping with its mission to stimulate private investment, provide workforce training, and maintain a high quality of life through a strong, stable arts infrastructure. An annual grant from the Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) assists with MICA’s public-facing arts programming. In addition, the CCI has received funding from the Maryland E-Nnovation Initiative Fund (MEIF), which matches privately-raised funds to attract and retain talent at the state’s higher education institutions.

The CCI has leveraged MEIF funds to secure Davis’s position, as well as create a small endowment for future projects and support for student fellowships. Davis said the MEIF awards have been important.

“There’s something very special about the MEIF program,” he said. “I haven’t seen it in other places, so I think it’s something that Maryland should be proud of.”

MEIF has awarded funds to support scientific and technical activity at Maryland colleges and universities since 2014. MSAC, the state’s largest arts funder, awarded more than 1,100 grants in 2025.

The CCI is part of MICA’s Design + Innovation Hub, a cross-institutional initiative that connects campus units using art and design to advance commercial and social innovation and strengthen the creative economy.