ALYSE RONAYNE
Class: Senior
Major: Printmaking
Hometown: Bloomfield, Michigan
Why Alyse Likes Her School So Much
"One of my favorite classes at MICA has been Urbanism"
My teacher is an urban planner from Brooklyn and commutes once a week to teach this class. I liked taking it because a lot of the assignments were open ended and allowed me to approach them from a more artistic standpoint than my other, traditional academic classes have. Some of the assignments forced you to go out into Baltimore and explore a new space. For my final paper I wrote about the new architecture built in Detroit (where I'm from) for the Super Bowl in 2006.
"It's like a rotating sculpture garden for MICA."
When it's nice outside I like to sit in Cohen Plaza or the medians on Mount Royal. Our campus is pretty small and mostly comprised of buildings, but the addition of Cohen Plaza in 2004 is really important. It gives the students, and faculty, a place to be outside together. Every summer for ArtScape new public sculptures are installed in the medians of Mount Royal; it's kind of like a rotating sculpture garden for MICA and the community. Most of us don't have yards so it's a great place to go and sit on grass and relax in the sun.
"[I've]...learned a lot about how professional presses are run."
I work with our Admissions offices giving tours to prospective students. I've also been involved with projects through the Dolphin Press, a professional Press and Print Shop housed in the MICA printmaking department. Through Dolphin Press I've worked with visiting artists on collaborative projects and learned a lot about how professional presses are run.
"It's great to have other specialized schools in the area."
The Peabody Conservatory has a MICA printmaking show every year that I've participated in. We hang prints in the galleries and the Peabody students perform at the opening.
Why Alyse Likes Going to School in Baltimore
"I'm always meeting new people but I still see the same people everyday."
I really wanted to be at MICA, and it fits perfectly into Baltimore. The school, and the city, are busy but small. There's always things going on but it's manageable. I'm always meeting new people but I still see the same people everyday. You can walk places and run into friends often.
"Baltimore's great because there's a lot going on, but you're also in proximity to New York, Philadelphia and D.C."
I travel a lot to see different museum and gallery shows and it seems like those cities are really busy, but when I come back to Baltimore it's a good feeling, because I have time and quiet to be able to work. There's a really good balance of that here; there's always events to attend but I still have ample time and facilities to complete my work. Baltimore may not be as bustling as those other cities, but I think that's a good thing for me, as a college student. Baltimore provides a really good work zone, because since the city's not too big, MICA has more space than other schools. I spend the majority of my on-campus time in my studio, which is spacious and quiet. I definitely thought about that when looking at colleges.
"It's a really eclectic town."
I like that Baltimore has a lot of art events to attend. A lot of new galleries have opened in the last couple years and that gives a lot of opportunity to the art students. My junior year I put together a proposal with three of my friends for a group show off-campus; we were selected, and I feel like approaching gallery owners in other cities just doesn't happen as accessibly as it does here. There are a lot of festivals that come through Baltimore also.
"Just grab your friends and walk around."
Walking on Charles and St. Paul Streets helped me to get to know the area. There's a ton of restaurants, shops, parks, clubs and a movie theater on Charles, there's where most people go out.
"There are a lot of good schools in Baltimore, and for me it's been an awesome cultural experience"
So I would definitely recommend coming to school in Baltimore to a friend.
"I think everyone knows The Wire is filmed here but they also shoot a lot of movies in our neighborhood."
I thought that was exciting - especially coming from Michigan, I never thought I'd see Nicole Kidman shooting a movie a couple blocks down. Also John Waters is a Baltimore hero, and it's always fun to see him in random places around the city.
"Baltimore is exciting for college students because there are a lot of opportunities available in the city."
A lot of galleries will show students, which is something you won't find everywhere. Earlier this year four friends and I organized a group show off-campus which we curated, installed and promoted. We had a fun opening that a lot of students and teachers attended.
Alyse's Favorites of Baltimore:
Nightspot - The Depot
Live Music Venue - The Ottobar (I actually designed a poster for a touring band there for one of my graphic design classes)
Movie Theater - The Charles Theater
Extracurricular or co-curricular activities - Lectures
Museum or Cultural Attraction - The Contemporary Museum
Restaurant - The Yabba Pot
Coffee Shop - Spoons
Bar - Holy Frijoles
Place to relax outdoors - Robert E. Lee Park
Place to spend a Sunday afternoon - Painting in my studio
Way to Spend a Friday night - Lithuanian Dance Hall
Attraction - ArtScape in the summers
