Medals at MICA 1852-1950
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This exhibition delves into the medallic art history of the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) as well as the leaders of the medal-making industry such as the Medallic Art Company and community organizations like the Society of Medalists. Today some of these medals are housed in MICA Decker Library’s Special Collections.
A medal is a thin disc of metal with engravings and relief imagery. For the most part, medals have historically been done in low relief. They were made through a process called die striking in which two engraved discs, also called dies, made of a hard metal would surround a disc of softer metal. Using force the outer metals would be struck transferring the design onto the softer metal within. Medals can also be cast by pouring molten metal into a mould, typically made of beeswax, stone, wood, or even plaster.
Medal-making, as an art form, gained the most traction in the nineteenth century, as more independent artistic medals were produced in addition to the existing commissions for events and organizations. This continued into the early twentieth century, though participation in the industry has faded in more recent years due to higher costs.Medals are still made today, but are less popular than when these organizations were in their hayday.
Many medals in the Decker Library Special collections were collected within The Rinehart School of Sculpture, mainly artistic medals such as the Augustus St. Gaudens’ piece commemorating the Cornish Marquee. Other artistic medals include designs from the Society of Medalists’ yearly contest. These medals have a higher relief than the more mass-produced medals, since they only needed to make one for the purpose of the Society’s contest. They had some more weight to them compared to other medals in the exhibition, as many artists got into detail by building up a higher relief and outlining as many interesting textures as they could. The allegory attached to each one instantly draws in the viewer, while the text tempts viewers to flip the medal over to finish the phrase that would often begin on the first side and continue on the back.
MICA was established in 1825 under the name of the Maryland Institute for the Promotion of the Mechanic Arts and was later rebranded in 1959. While under its first name, Arts and Mechanics fairs were held and students exhibited their skills in various areas. Each student had a booth and a panel of judges decided the best prize in each area. These areas include diverse skills across both the arts and mechanics, from the engineering of oscillating steam engines to corn shelling. Those who excelled in their area of expertise were awarded with a medal engraved with their name and talent. In addition to these fairs, MICA would also award medals to students who showed improvement or mastery in their class subjects.
The central piece of this exhibition is the MICA Centennial medal, created by Rinehart alumni Hans Schuler, to celebrate the first one hundred years of the school’s operation. Honorable mention awards to MICA alumni in that year were given medals engraved with their name as well as text commemorating the centennial. With the bicentennial approaching in 2025, it is interesting to see the medal’s designs and think about how they might hold up today.
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