BMA Announces Murjoni Merriweather and Rodney Jermaine Elliott (Qrcky) Selected as 2025 JJC Summer Artists-in-Residence at MICA

Merriweather (b. 1996, Temple Hills, MD) creates sculpted beings that are based around real people and real experiences. Her clay portraits and videos uplift the community by addressing and eliminating stereotypes and normalizing what is natural about black bodies. Merriweather is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) with a B.F.A. in ceramics and concentration in film/video and has continued her education with residencies at the Creative Alliance in Baltimore, Fountainhead Residency in Miami, the Alma | Lewis Residency in Pittsburgh, and Mass MoCA Studio in North Adams, Massachusetts. Her work has been featured in exhibitions at the Baltimore Museum of Art, Creative Alliance, Eubie Blake Cultural Center, and The Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, as well as at the Saint Louis Art Museum in Missouri and Rubell Museum in Miami, among others.

Qrcky (b. Virginia) grew up in southern Virginia where the art world seemed distant and disconnected from his family’s experience. He became captivated by the creative genius of Chuck Jones, Norman Rockwell, and Bob Ross and spent endless hours emulating their techniques and immersing himself in cartoons. Two decades later, after facing the challenges of a difficult marriage and turbulent relationships, Qrcky reconnected with art as a powerful outlet for self-expression. This return to his creative roots brought forth a newfound clarity and passion, allowing him to carve out a style unmistakably his own. To fully embrace his artistic vision, Qrcky chose solitude, temporarily distancing himself from friends and family. This deliberate seclusion became a sanctuary, providing the focus and freedom to produce some of his most impactful works. Through this deep, introspective process, Qrcky discovered a unique artistic voice and a profound sense of peace and fulfillment.

Tracey Beale, Director of Public Programs, Baltimore Museum of Art; Benjamin Kelley, Director of Fabrication Studios and Adjunct Faculty at the Maryland Institute College of Art; Gwendolyn Statham, Joshua Johnson Council member; Ainsley Burrows, 2024 JJC Artist-in-Residence; Vetiver (Vonne Napper), 2024 JJC Artist-in-Residence. 

The Joshua Johnson Council (JJC) is an affiliate group of the BMA and one of the oldest museum support groups dedicated to Black Diaspora artists and their art.  Named after an 18th-century African American portrait painter, the JJC has 40 years of furthering its mission of forging meaningful connections between the BMA and Baltimore’s African American communities. JJC members are artists, administrators, museum professionals, collectors, and others who share the same goals. The group supports artists through programming initiatives in conjunction with the BMA, its virtual platform JJC Talks, museum internships, and by supporting acquisitions. The directives of the JJC have seen over three decades of artist support and development, creating a body of work that is truly visionary, intergenerational, and responsive to the needs of the moment.

The Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), founded in 1826, is consistently ranked in the very top tier of visual arts colleges in the nation and enrolls approximately 1,400 undergraduate students and 300 graduate students. MICA offers programs of study leading to the BFA, MA, MAT, and MFA degrees, as well as post-baccalaureate certificate programs and a full slate of credit and noncredit courses for adults, college-bound students, and children. Located in the City of Baltimore, MICA is committed to an expanded understanding of the role of creative citizens in communities and unique approaches to cross-cultural, economic, and political contexts and partnerships. MICA accelerates the knowledge, skills, habits, and work of creatives who are self-reflexive, visionary, and entrepreneurial. MICA is also recognized as an important cultural resource for the Baltimore/Washington region, sponsoring many public and community-based programs, including more than 100 exhibitions by students, faculty, and nationally and internationally known artists annually, as well artists’ residencies, film series, lectures, readings, and performances. Visit the College’s website at www.mica.edu.