Maine College of Art

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Maine College of Art


Established	1882
Type	Private Art School
President	James Baker
Location	Portland, ME, USA
Website	www.meca.edu

The Porteous Building, a 1904 Beaux-Arts design historic building, which houses MECA's classrooms, libraries and galleries.

The Maine College of Art (MECA) is a fully accredited, degree-granting art college in the city of Portland, Maine. Founded in 1882, it is the oldest arts educational institution in Maine, and is not associated with any larger academic or arts institutions. In addition to offering Bachelor, Post-Baccalaureate in Art Education and Master of Fine Arts degrees, the school has a continuing studies program available to unenrolled adults and high school students. MECA is a member of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD), a consortium of thirty-six leading art schools in the United States. Located at the heart of Portland's vibrant contemporary art scene on the state's rugged coast, MECA educates artists at all stages of their creative careers.

1 Impact on Portland
2 Mission and Values
3 Timeline
4 Academic Programs
5 Facts About Maine College of Art
6 The Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) at MECA
7 Visiting Artists
8 Related links
9 External links

[edit] Impact on Portland

One way in which the school has directly aided the city is through the renovation of historic buildings. Its main facilities, for instance, are located in what was once the Porteous, Mitchell, & Braun department store (and had become one of the city's most daunting empty storefronts.) The school also acquired the Baxter Building, once the city's public library, now converted to a collection of photography and computer labs, in addition to various administrative offices.

Another contribution has been the annual influx of new students, with enrollment on the rise between 1998 and 2005. The Maine College of Art has become the largest employer of visual artists in the state of Maine. A sizeable chunk of Portland's downtown area is referred to as the Arts District due to its abundance of galleries and performance spaces.

[edit] Mission and Values

Maine College of Art educates artists and designers to think critically and to create. We are a small, student-oriented community led by outstanding artist-educators. All members of our community engage in a rigorous creative learning process grounded in a multidisciplinary educational philosophy. Our professional baccalaureate and graduate degree curricula, together with our continuing studies programs, educate students of all ages and stages of creative development. Through the activities and achievements of our students, graduates, faculty and staff, we advance excellence in the fields of art and design.

Values

In a world transformed by technologies, communities and cultures, we believe that artists and designers are best educated in a learning environment where students:

♦ Shape their own educational experiences, and live and learn in a nurturing and diverse environment
♦ Learn the fundamentals of art, design and critical thinking across multiple disciplines and emerging art forms
♦ Excel when challenged by outstanding working artists, designers and scholars who teach at all levels of the curriculum
♦ Explore their individual visions and define their creative voices
♦ Encounter classroom teaching integrated with experiential learning and connected to communities, professions and issues of our times

Further, we believe that the College can best provide this rich learning environment when we:

♦ Assess and revitalize our programs, focusing on what we can do with distinction
♦ Work to broaden our communities' involvement in, and understanding of, the arts and design
♦ Maintain strong finances to support the highest educational standards

[edit] Timeline

1882 - Founded as part of the Portland Society of Art
1911 - First organized curriculum
1920s - First diplomas awarded by School of Fine & Applied Arts
1972 - Name changed to Portland School of Art
1973 - NASAD and NEASC accreditation received
1975 - First BFA degrees awarded
1982 - School separated from Portland Society of Art
1983 - School acquires Baxter Building
1992 - Name changed to Maine College of Art
1993 - Porteous Mitchell & Braun department store building purchased
1996 - 4th and 5th floors of Porteous Building completed
1997 - Institute of Contemporary Art at MECA opened in Porteous Building
1998 - MFA in Studio Arts program launched
2001 - Joanne Waxman Library opened on 2nd floor of Porteous Building/Media Department created
2002 - New Mission & Values Statement adopted/Strategic Plan Framework adopted
2004 - Program approval for new majors in Illustration and Woodworking & Furniture Design as well as Post-Bacc in Arts Education and Post-BAcc in Studio Arts
2005 - Secured new residence hall at 51 Oak Street
2006 - Secured Shepley Apartments residence at Shepley Street

[edit] Academic Programs

All members of our community engage in a rigorous creative learning process grounded in multidisciplinary educational philosophy. Our professional baccalauereate and graduate degree curricula, together with our continuing studies programs, educate artists and designers in all stages of creative development.

Undergraduate Program

MECA is noted for its strong foundation program in drawing and design, which precedes study in the major. During the first two years students acquire the broad grounding they need to excel in their chosen field, diversify their skills, and explore interdisciplinary connections and possibilities. Critiques each semester provide valuable feedback, helping students to understand and evaluate their strengths and areas for growth, as they develop your individual voice in its most inventive and powerful form.

MECA awards a four-year professional Bachelor of Arts (BFA) degree in eleven studio disciplines: Majors are Ceramics, Graphic Design, Illustration, Metalsmithing & Jewelry, New Media, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture, Woodworking & Furniture Design, and Self-Design. Minors are Art History, Drawing and Illustration.

MECA students enjoy 24/7 access to professional quality studio space, individual studio spaces for all majors, a 10:1 student ratio, and an average class size of 17.

Graduate Program

The Master of Fine Arts in Studio Arts program at Maine College of Art (MECA) is a two year program designed for emerging artists. The MFA in Studio Arts is based upon an open interdisciplinary approach that encourages students to think across boundaries and integrate studio practice with conceptual and interdisciplinary theory. It has three main components:

1) Each student pursues an individualized studio curriculum in their chosen area of concentration.

2) Semesters are comprised of highly intensive residencies and sustained non-residency study. An eight-week summer intensive and a ten-day January intensive are held in both the first and second year; a five-day spring residency is held for graduating students. The curriculum is supported by an extensive roster of internationally recognized visiting artists and scholars. Fourteen-week non-residency periods include studio practice which is individually guided by non-resident instructors and coursework in interdisciplinary theory directed by MECA’s graduate faculty.

3) The interdisciplinary graduate theory program provides an integrated approach to developing a complex dialogue between forms of making and critical thinking. The program offers a close-knit working environment for students and faculty. The overall educational objective is to help the student critically and creatively engage their work within a larger context, and to participate in emergent personal, social, cultural, and historic forces.

Art Education K-12 Certification

The Post Baccalaureate Art Education Program at MECA is an accredited, full time, 10-month residency, which blends the worlds of artist and educator. Students will gain an in-depth, comprehensive understanding of how artistic and educational skills intersect through the exploration of theories of artistic development and engagement in educational practices in a cooperative learning environment, and in residency in the Institute of Contemporary Art, Portland’s public and private schools, and community-based organizations.

Students who have obtained a BFA or BA degree, including 30 studio art credits and 12 art history credits from an accredited institution, may apply. Upon successfully completing the program and passing the Praxis exams, students will be eligible to be certified art educators in Maine and forty other states.

Continuing Studies Program

The Continuing Studies Department of the Maine College of Art offers open-enrollment courses for adults, youth and children. Adult Continuing Studies courses and classes for young artists are offered in fall, winter/spring and summer semesters. An art-focused travel program takes adults to far off places. Many classes fill quickly, so early enrollment is advised! Examples of classes include Faux Finish, Blacksmithing, Basic Glassblowing, Wheelthrown Ceramics, Polaroid Image Transfer, Introduction to Pastel and many others.

[edit] Facts About Maine College of Art

♦ Roughly 40% of MECA students come from Maine and 80% are from New England.
♦ 500 teenagers and children participate in MECA's Saturday School and summer classes for grades 4-12.
♦ MECA's Early College program is a four-week summer residential intensive for advanced high school students that awards college credit.
♦ MECA is a regional sponsor of the national Scholastic Art Awards, a juried exhibition of artwork from high school and middle school students across Maine.
♦ The ICA at MECA offers several programs to deliver contemporary art education to grades K-12.
♦ MECA's innovate Creative Community Partnerships program, begun in 1989, links undergraduate students with organizations to bring opportunities for artistic creativity to underserved communities, youth-at-risk, disabled adults and rural schools.
♦ MECA at Cathedral School is a unique collaboration where MECA students design and implement all arts curriculum for a private K-8 school.
♦ MECA's public Summer Lecture Series, sponsored by the MFA program, features leading figures in contemporary art -- distinguished artists, curators, designers, and scholars from around the country.
♦ The Joanne Waxman Library is the only year-round art library in Maine whose holdings are specifically dedicated to the professional study of studio art and design. The Library is open to the public, and is regularly utilized by museum and gallery professionals, scholars, historic preservationists, K-12 art teachers, and area artists.
♦ MECA's renovation of the landmark Porteous Building at the center of Portland's Arts District has been a major catalyst for downtown revitalization and received national attention as a model of urban renewal. New classrooms and studios feature panoramic views of Casco Bay. Total campus square footage: 150,000.
♦ MECA's primary facilities are all lsited on the National Register of Historic Places. The Porteous Building, Baxter Building and Clapp House -- all works of art themselves -- are important pieces of Portland's architectural history and vitality.
♦ MECA provides housing for nearly 200 students in two dorm buildings in downtown Portland: The Shepley and 51 Oak Street.

[edit] The Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) at MECA

The Institute of Contemporary Art at Maine College of Art (ICA at MECA) features leading-edge exhibitions and public programs that showcase new perspectives and new trends in contemporary art. Located in stunning galleries in MECA's landmark Porteous Building in downtown Portland, the ICA presents innovative work in a range of media by influential national and international artists as well as emerging artists. A rich array of public programs enhance the ICA's exhibition schedule, including provocative talks by leading artists and critics, timely forums on current issues in art and design, and interactive workshops for young people. The ICA is an essential part of MECA's educational resources for students and faculty, providing opportunities to engage visiting artists and to explore new approaches in curatorial practice and museum education.

Recent exhibits include:

2006

Robert Indiana and MECA Prints

From Baja to Bar Harbor: Transnational Contemporary Art

The Body Eclectic: Selections from the RBC Dain Rauscher Collection

2005

Michael Queenland: Photographs, Sculptures and Shaker Classics

Back From Nature: The Sportsman Redux

2004

Living Green: Examining Sustainability

Wenda Gu: Middle Kingdom to Biological Millennium Curators' Intuition

[edit] Visiting Artists

Each year MECA brings a diverse assortment of visiting artists from a variety of disciplines to the College. In past years visiting artists have included: Elliot Earls, J. Morgan Puett, Mark Dion, Harrell Fletcher, Stefan Sagmeister, Tim Rollins, Alexis Rockman, Alison Knowles and Rick Lowe. This year’s roster includes Andrea Fraser, Nina Katchadourian, Angela Dufresne and Laylah Ali.

[edit] Related links

Visit MECA's Online Student Galleriesand Friedman Student Gallery at the College.
Visit MECA's Student Blogs

   Katie Diamondis an Illustration Major (’07) and a Radical Feminist Comic Artist who
   strongly believes it is the responsibility of the artist to comment and transform the world. She also loves chocolate
   chip cookies and Sesame Street.

   Maisie Broomeis a second semester sophomore at Maine College of Art. She is spending
   2006-2007 abroad, studying sculpture at the La Salle-Sia College of Art and Design in Singapore. She is the first
   American to study there.This monthly blog follows her studies and travels in Asia.