a strong foundation - Maryland Institute College of Art

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S H E I L A & D I C K R I G G S Although I have had a lifelong interest in art, I learned early
on that I was not myself an artist. So I went on to study art
history, but maintained a secret admiration, and perhaps a bit
of envy, for people who could really make art.This was fueled
by my studies at The Louvre and continues to this day.
Although my professional life took me in another direction,
Sheila Riggs has been a MICA Trustee since
1983, serving as Board Chair from 1985 to
I maintained my connection to art as a docent atTheWalters
1990 and currently as Treasurer. She has served
on or chaired a number of sub-committees of
the Board, most recently co-chairing, with her
Art Museum, and through my involvement with MICA.
husband Dick, the very successful 2005 Artafare
It has been very gratifying to be involved with MICA at a
gala. Her professional, community, and civic
activities have included serving on the boards or
time when this College has gone through an extraordinary
in volunteer leadership positions at Provident
period of constantly improving upon its already considerable
Bank, Baltimore Museum of Art, and Greater
Baltimore Medical Center, which led to her
involvement in health care organizations. She
strengths. Most of us who give to charitable organizations
find that there are many wonderful organizations which
has also worked on numerous political campaigns.
She has served as a docent at the Walters
Art Museum and studied art history at
deserve support—but only one or two for which we have a
passion. There have been certain milestones in my time at
The Louvre.The Riggs family’s 2002 commit-
MICA that have caused my passion for the place to solidify
ment to The Plan for the 21st Century was
recognized with the naming of the Meyerhoff
and grow. In my time on the Board, these milestones have
House reception area in their honor.
included the addition of The Commons, our first residence
hall, and then Bunting Center, which allowed us to bring
the library and the academic pro-
THERE ARE MANY WONDERFUL ORGANIZATIONS WHICH
grams to a new level and represented
DESERVE SUPPORT—BUT ONLY ONE OR TWO FOR
our evolution to a true college, and
WHICH WE HAVE A PASSION. THERE HAVE BEEN CERTAIN then of course Brown Center and
MILESTONES IN MY TIME AT MICA THAT HAVE CAUSED MY Cohen Plaza, which really turned the
PA S S I O N F O R T H E P L A C E TO S O L I D I F Y A N D G R O W.
place into a campus.
12 < M I C A ’ 0 5
I don’t think of myself as a bricks-and-mortar person. I’m
more a programmatic person, but here I find myself mentioning
nothing but bricks and mortar.The most recent gift
my husband Dick and I gave was to Meyerhoff House—
another building. But when you consider what these buildings
stand for that makes sense.Those bricks and mortar are
the visible sign of what is happening internally in the life of
the College. Providing endowment funding to ensure that
these physical spaces continue to help MICA meet its
programmatic goals is an investment in the students. It is so
gratifying to do something that is associated with these
young people who are such exemplars of what it means to
be an artist.