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Woodworking & Furniture Design Department in Print, On View

Congrats to the Woodworking & Furniture Design department for their inclusion in the latest Lark publication “500 Cabinets”. The book includes work by alumni Oliver Percival, Kelly Rudman and Ted Lott as well as faculty member Reagan Furqueron and former artist-in-residence J.P. Vilkman.

Alum Erika Hoffman worked on the fabrication and joinery for a climbing pavilion which is currently displayed at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Sculpture Student Wins Award

Sculpture student Jason Turgeon received honorable mention in the 2009 Outstanding Student Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award. He will be featured in the October 2010 issue of Sculpture magazine.

http://jasonturgeon.com/

Faculty Work on View this Summer

MFA Faculty Member Peter Simensky is included in the exhibition “Multiple Pleasures” at the Tanya Bonakdar Gallery in New York.

Metalsmithing & Jewelry faculty member Jeffrey Clancy has an exhibition at Gallery 37A in Portland, run by alums Daniel Pepice and Brook DeLorme. Opening reception on August 6. On view through Sept. 26.

Woodworking & Furniture Design Faculty member Matt Hutton is teaching at Haystack Mountain School of Craft in Deer Isle and exhibiting at their Center for Community Programs. Board/Board, on view from July 25–September 5, features work by Haystack’s artist board members, created with recycled wood from the lower half of Haystack’s main stairs, which were replaced this spring.

MECA Faculty Member in Two Boston Exhibitions

Woodworking & Furniture Design faculty member Reagan Furqueron has work in two Boston exhibitions this summer. His work will be on view at the Mobilia Gallery through July 31 and at the Society of Arts and Crafts through August 14.

Furqueron earned an MFA from Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). A former Anderson Ranch resident, he divides his time between teaching at Maine College of Art and his own studio practice. He has taught previously at Rhode Island School of Design, Herron School of Art and Anderson Ranch Arts Center.

Reagan's web site

MECA Alums Win Awards

Alum Larissa Mellor ’04 was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study drawing in Germany from September 2010 through July 2011. After graduating from MECA, Mellor earned her graduate degree at Ohio State University. This summer, she is participating in an exhibition in Russia presented by the Moscow Biennale for Young Art. (Image at right)

MFA alum Michel Droge '10 was one of 15 recent MFA graduates nationwide to receive a $15,000 grant from the Joan Mitchell Foundation. The annual MFA Grant Program was created in 1997 to help MFA painters and sculptors in furthering their artistic careers and to aid in the transition from academic to professional studio work upon graduation. These grants are given in recognition of artistic quality to artists chosen from a body of candidates put forth by nominators from the academic art community across the United States.

Alumni Randy Regier MFA '07 and Patti Sandberg '02 (image at right) both received Emerging Artist Awards from the St. Botolph Club Foundation in Boston. The purpose of the $2500 award is to encourage artists at an earlier stage in their career. Since its inception, this program has provided support to more than 450 emerging artists across New England. The Foundation seeks to identify individuals to whom it can “make a difference” through the combination of financial support, recognition, and endorsement.

MECA Wins Maine Campus Compact Award

The Maine Campus Compact 2010 President's Campus Leadership Award was awarded to MECA's FY-In: Involve/Infuse/Inspire Team "in recognition of the College's valuable commitment to Civic Endeavors within the Maine College of Art Community and beyond."

FY-In orients first-year students to MECA, college life, and the greater Portland community; it also helps them learn the critical importance of combining research and practice, and serves as an introduction to collaborating with one another and with a community partner. Students read, write, research, make art, discuss and critique in relation to the specific project-based work of their section.

This is the second year Cultivating Community has partnered with FY-In. Cultivating Community is a non-profit organization dedicated to growing sustainable communities. Based in Portland, Maine, they use organic, sustainable practices to grow food locally at school gardens and partnering farms. The food grown in these local gardens provides fresh, locally grown produce to some of Portland’s most vulnerable communities.
FY-In photos

Metalsmithing & Jewelry Alumni Exhibition

The Metalsmithing & Jewelry alumni group, the Coastal Metalsmith Collective, will present A Show of Absinthe Spoons at The Bar of Chocolate Cafe in Portland to showcase over a dozen handcrafted absinthe spoons in precious metals. Each spoon, uniquely functional and beautiful, was made by a Maine artist of the Coastal Metalsmiths Collective.

The show opening is Thursday evening May 27th from 6 to 9pm at The Bar of Chocolate Cafe. All pieces will remain available for viewing and purchase during business hours through December 2010. The show is included in in Portland’s First Friday Artwalk beginning June 4th, 2010.

For more information, visit the Coastal Metalsmiths Collective website at metalheadsredux.com

MECA Alums Screen Canvasman at Osher Hall

MECA New Media alum Gary Robinov will be showing his new documentary film "Canvasman" in Osher Hall on June 11 at 7pm. Daniel Davis, a photography alum from MECA, served as the director of photography. The film chronicles the dual lives of Rob Elowitch, art collector and owner of the prestigious Barridoff Galleries, who for the last forty years has also wrestled professionally under the “mat name” Robbie Ellis.

Following the screening, there will be a Q & A session with the director and a gathering of New Media alumni and friends. Admission is pay-what-you-can with a suggested fee of $10. Proceeds to benefit the New Media department.

Commencement 2010

On May 9, 2010 Maine College of Art held their 99th undergraduate and graduate commencement exercises at Merrill Auditorium. The commencement speech was delivered by Donna McNeil, Director of the Maine Arts Commission. Students Edwige Charlot, Allen West and Trevor Moody spoke on behalf of the BFA class, Alethea Beeker spoke on behalf of the MFA class and Dana Sawyer delivered the faculty address. Graduating student Edwige Charlot '10 received the Eudolia Gross Award, staff member Colleen Kinsella and faculty member Charles Melcher both received the Roger Gilmore Award and photography major Diane Wren '10 was presented with the Maine Campus Compact Pillar Award.

Read Donna McNeil's commencement speech

View photos of commencement

Alternative Spring Break

In 2010, MECA launched its inaugural Alternative Spring Break. The goal was to create an exciting and meaningful experience for students that would engage and challenge them in new ways while strengthening their connection to and understanding of the community around them. This year, the College focused on building partnerships with organizations whose missions promote sustainability, local food initiatives, and youth programs in Portland. MECA collaborated with Cultivating Community to design this program and to facilitate leadership and direction while serving programs at Local Sprouts Cooperative, The East End Community School, and Cultivating Community. This vision successfully strengthened new and existing community partnerships, served over 150 children, utilized the valuable skills of seven MECA students for over 150 volunteer hours, and established a new direction in community and civic engagement at Maine College of Art.

Read more

Geary's Summer Ale Features Student Design

Each year, the D.L. Brewing Company sponsors a competition for the design of their summer ale label. Undergraduate students compete for a prize of $5000. The winning design is featured on nearly one million bottles of beer and related packaging. This year’s winner is Jason Roberge, a freelance photographer and graphic design senior at MECA, who was born and raised in Maine. His creative inspiration comes from his love for traveling and exploring the many natural treasures Maine has to offer; from its miles of seashore, scenic lighthouses, and stunning sunrises on the horizon, to the quiet and peaceful inland lakes and rivers. Jason plans to continue traveling and sharing his experiences through his work as a designer.

See all the entries

Drive By Press Returns to MECA

Join Maine College of Art students and guerilla DIY printmaking kings Drive By Press on First Friday Artwalk, April 2 from 5-8pm. The Drive By Press van will be parked outside of MECA on Congress Street. Commission your own one-of-a-kind t-shirt from a selection of hand-carved designs, and see it printed before your very eyes on a 14th-century style press. The cost of $20 includes t-shirt and print of your choice. Half price if you bring your own t-shirt.

Photos of the Drive By Press in Fall 2009

ICA Focuses on Wearable Art

The Institute of Contemporary Art at Maine College of Art presents Thinking Outside the Body, a series of events in April 2010 focused on “wearable art.” MECA students, alumni and visiting artists will engage community partners and the public in conversations and art making processes that explore the personal and cultural meanings behind what we wear.  A suggested donation of $5 benefits MECA students and and ICA educational programming.

Alumni Panel: Daniel Pepice of Rogues Gallery & Brook DeLorme of Brook There

April 6, 12:30-2:00 Osher Hall
Two MECA alums talk about how they turned their artistic practice into fashion
businesses.

Faculty & Alumni Panel: Genevieve Levin of Remarkable Blackbird, Genevieve Drzewianowksi of Akari Salon and MECA Faculty Alex Rheault

April 15, 12:30-2:00 Osher Hall
Faculty and alumni discuss cultural variations of body art.

On view in the ICA: April 21, 22, 23
Gallery visitors are invited to explore works on display, observe demonstrations, create and purchase wearable art.

April 21

12-3 pm Form and Function Sculpture students and Faculty Ling-Wen Tsai critique their final projects: wearable and portable constructions crafted from recycled medical fabric.

2-5 pm Patterning and Sewing MECA Director of Continuing Studies and apparel designer, Cheslye Ventimiglia leads pattern making and sewing technique demonstrations.

3-6 pm MECA Metalsmiths MECA Metalsmithing and Jewelry students and Faculty Jeffrey Clancy demonstrate deconstruction of old jewelry, reconstructing new forms.

April 22

2-5 pm MECA Printmakers MECA Printmaking students and Faculty Adriane Herman lead silkscreen demonstrations, creating various wearable items.

2-5 pm Patterning and Sewing MECA Director of Continuing Studies and apparel designer, Cheslye Ventimiglia leads pattern making and sewing technique demonstrations.

April 23

6-8 pm MECA Runway Show MECA students strut their stuff in an end-of-semester culminating event. $5 donation suggested.

Artist-in-Residence Exhibition

Each year, the Woodworking & Furniture Design department hosts an artist-in-residence. The selected artist is provided studio and living space in exchange for assisting in the department. This year's seleted artist is J.P. Vilkman of Helsinki, Finland. A furniture maker, Vilkman has studied furniture design extensively in Finland and has earned several degrees in the field.

In addition to numerous exhibitions, publications and prizes, he was recently awarded a significant scholarship to aid in his time at MECA. He is the first furniture maker to ever receive this Finnish, government-funded stipend.

His exhibit Finnished is a display of work created during his residency. It wil be on view in n the Free Street Gallery from March 27 to April 23. An opening reception for Finnished is scheduled for April 2 from 5pm to 8pm.

Continuing Studies Photo Exhibition

Students in Joseph DellaValle's Continuing Studies intermediate and advanced Photography classes will exhibit their work in the Free Street lobby from April 2 to 23. There will be a First Friday Art Walk opening reception for That Old Black & White Magic on April 2 from 5pm to 8pm.

Photography Department Studio Warming Party

Please join us from 5pm to 8pm on April 15 for a Studio Warming for MECA's new Photography Department, now located in the Porteous Building at 522 Congress Street in the heart of Portland's Arts District. This is a family friendly event showcasing the Photography Department’s new digital printing facility, studio and the Verner Z. Reed Photography Lab. Formerly located in the Baxter Building, the Photography Department moved into Porteous in January 2010, completing the College's vision to house all studio departments under one roof.

MECA Commencement

Maine College of Art will hold Commencement at 2pm on Sunday, May 9, 2010 at the Merrill Auditorium in Portland. The ceremony marks the graduation of students in the Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Fine Arts programs. The 2010 commencement speaker is Donna McNeil, the Director of the Maine Arts Commission. Immediately following the event, there is a reception for the BFA and MFA thesis exhibitions at the Porteous Building. Both the commencement exercises and the exhibition reception are free and open to the public.

Maine College of Art Names New President

The Board of Trustees of Maine College of Art today announced that Donald Tuski has been elected as the 17th president. A 17-member search committee selected Tuski from an impressive field of more than 30 applicants. He will begin on July 1, 2010.

Tuski is currently the president of Olivet College in Michigan. An alumnus of the College, he served as a faculty member at Olivet and was promoted to assistant vice-president for academic affairs, then vice-president of academic affairs before he was entrusted the role of presidency in 2001. Under his leadership, the College experienced record enrollment and a variety of campus improvements as well as increased alumni giving and participation. His legacy includes helping to develop of the Olivet Plan, an educational vision that focuses on individual and social responsibility, character as well as competence, and service as well as career. He sits on the board of three higher education organizations in Michigan.

"Donald Tuski's experience and accomplishments as a college president are exactly what MECA needs as we move forward. Don will bring academic and administrative leadership, fundraising acumen and a deep background in the operations of higher education," said Candace Pilk Karu, Chair of the MECA Board and of the Presidential Search Committee.

Tuski received his undergraduate degree at Olivet and then earned both his master's degree and a doctorate in anthropology from Michigan State University. In 1990, he returned to his alma mater where he has held a variety of posts in both the faculty and administrative departments. In response to his new post Tuski said, "I am very excited about the opportunity to lead such an important college. All throughout the search process I felt a connection with the faculty, staff, students, trustees and the wonderful Portland community. Maine College of Art is indeed a special and important place and together we will let more people know it. My wife Louise and I are looking forward to getting started!"

MECA recently completed a $10.2 million capital campaign to complete the renovations of the Porteous Building. Located in the heart of the downtown Arts District, the Porteous Building is a five-floor vertical campus serving the art education needs of nearly 2500 students in four academic programs. MECA offers a BFA degree in 10 studio majors, an MFA in Studio Arts, a Post-Baccalaureate in Art Education and continuing studies for youths and adults.

Tuski will replace outgoing president James Baker, who after four years, is leaving the College.

Tuski will move to Maine this summer with his wife, Louise, an adjunct professor in the Olivet College's theatre program. Both Don and Louise are advocates for being accessible to students and plan on locating within walking distance to the College. The couple has two children, Ian and Kenna, both attending colleges for the performing arts.

Illustration Alum Wins Fleuvog Contest

Phoenix Zoellick, a graduate of the Illustration Department at MECA, won a design competition sponsored by Fluevog shoes. The founder of the shoe company put out a call out for artists to design an ad for a new line of shoes. After reviewing all the submissions, the founder selected four finalists that he then presented for an on online voting contest.

As the winner, Phoenix's work will appear in national magazines and she was awarded a $1000 gift certificate for Fluevog shoes.

Read the Fluevog interview with Phoenix

MFA Alums Exhibit at USM

The exhibition, “Patches Within Proximity: Cole Caswell and Jessica George,” will be on display at the USM Area Gallery, Woodbury Campus Center, Portland, from Friday, March 12 through Friday, April 30.

Visiting artists Cole Caswell and Jessica George will also give an ArtTalk at 1 p.m., Friday, April 9, in the Burnham Lounge of USM’s Robie Andrews Hall, Gorham. Both the exhibition and the talk are free and open to the public.

Using photographic, painterly, drawing, and design processes, Cole Caswell and Jessica George explore the dynamic shape of ecosystems within our local landscapes. Caswell states: “Using technology and mobile data I engage and record the contemporary landscape through a practice, which considers the evolution of the landscape’s conditions.”

Caswell and George each received an interdisciplinary MFA from the Maine College of Art, and have been working, living, and observing on Peaks Island. Over the last few years they co-founded The Geographic Observatory. The Geographic Observatory uses systems of observation, perception, and exploration to form cross discipline perspectives on relationships between community and the landscape. For more information on the artists, visit their Web site at http://www.colecaswell.com.

MECA Partners with Museum of African Culture for Spring Parade

Maine College of Art will once again partner with The Museum of African Culture to present Ebune: The Procession of the Ram on April 11. Held annually in Portland, Maine, Ebune is a cultural parade and celebration traditionally held in Western Africa to celebrate the renewal of spring. The public is invited to make masks and other wearable art during the First Friday Art Walk on April 2 in the lobby of MECA.  Materials are provided and the workshop is free. A second workshop will be held on April 3 from 10am-3:30pm. Parade participants will gather at 11:30am on April 11, in front of MECA for a noon departure up Congress Street to the Eastern Promenade.

Article in Press Herald

MECA Alums Screen Film at Festival

MECA New Media alum Gary Robinov will be showing his new documentary film "Canvasman" in the Maine Jewish Film Festival. Dan Davis, a photography alum from MECA, served as the director of photography. The film chronicles the dual lives of Rob Elowitch, art collector and owner of the prestigious Barridoff Galleries, who for the last forty years has also wrestled professionally under the “mat name” Robbie Ellis. The screening will be at the Nickelodeon Cinemas at 7pm on March 24. Admission for students is $6. An artist's reception at Salt Institute for Documentary Studies will follow.

MECA in Texas

Graphic Design faculty member Margo Halverson was in Texas as a visiting artist at the University of Texas in Austin in March. Her talk, "Mapping the Cadre," presented design-negotiation challenges that offer new relational subsets and ultimately become the ultimate design problem. Also while in Texas, Halverson organized the event DesignInquiry: Marfa on the topic of "Being Here."

DesignInquiry, founded by Halverson, is a non-profit educational organization devoted to researching design issues in intensive team-based gatherings. An alternative to the design conference, it brings together practitioners from disparate fields to generate new work and ideas around a single topic.

DesignInquiry selects a topic to explore at an intensive gathering of presentations, discussions, and workshops. Professionals, educators and students of diverse disciplines are invited to contribute to the topic in any way they think is appropriate. In addition to the March gathering in Marfa, there is a second gathering off the coast of Maine in the summer.

DesignInquiry website

Building Refuge: MECA Students Respond to Haiti

Undergraduate students from Maine College of Art are organizing a response and fundraiser for victims of the humanitarian crisis in Haiti.  “As artists we feel a responsibility in bringing awareness to the public, not only of those who are victims of disaster, but to acknowledge that even through cultural, lingual, and conceptual barriers, we share a bond in our connection as human beings,” said student Carina Romo.

Partners for World Health is supplying blue medical cloth that students will use as a primary construction material for temporary public art installations in downtown Portland. Located in Portland Maine, Partners for World Health is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to salvage discarded yet useable medical supplies from Maine's hospitals, to later be distributed to hospitals and clinics in Third World countries.

Students form the classes Public Art Studio, Intermediate Photography and The Decorated Body will collaborate to offer henna body painting, digital photographs and functional art goods as sale items.  All profits and donations go directly to the nonprofit organization CARE, a leading organization fighting global poverty through humanitarian aid including waterproof shelter and sanitation.  For more information please visit: www.care.org

The installations and art sales will takes place during the First Friday Art Walk on March 5, from 5-8 p.m. Students will construct temporary locations throughout the city, easily identified by the blue medical cloth.

Alum Holds Solo Show in Paris

Matt Moore '06 travelled to Paris for one month to prepare, from scratch, for his first Paris solo exhibition. He arrived with no art, no supplies, and no firm plan for this new series of canvas paintings. The ideas for the artworks have actualized while processing time spent absorbing French Culture, exploring the city, the vibrant colors, the exaggerated geometry, and the diverse architecture and fashion of Paris.

His show, Crystals & Lasers, explores and celebrates the convergence of his dedication to various disciplines of design and fine art. The paintings are created entirely with spray paint, one of Matt's favorite mediums. But the designs are very clean, and appear almost digital in their precise details and craft. An honest, analog attempt to achieve the same depth and abstract geometry of his digital "Vectorfunk" style. The goal with each work is to have the viewers eye fall into the piece and get lost in the optical illusions, trying to figure out what is up, down, left, and right.

Matt Moore's website

Maine Sunday Telegram article on Matt

Faculty Exhibitions

Ceramics faculty members Mark Johnson and Marian Baker are exhibiting in the Maine Craft Association's Biennial Juried Members Exhibition

The Inspired Hand IV at the Atrium Art Gallery of University of Southern Maine in Lewiston/Auburn through March 26.

Painting faculty member Gail Spaien is exhibiting at Miller Block in Boston through March 2.

Read the review in the Boston Globe.

Painting faculty member Meg Brown Payson is included in shows at St. Anselm College and the Portsmouth Museum of Art.

Read the review in Yankee Magazine.

Three Continuing Studies Landscape Painters Exhibit at Free Street Gallery at MECA

MECA to Screen “Stephen Pace: Maine Master” at Osher Hall

MECA will screen the Portland premier of the film “Stephen Pace: Maine Master” on March 19, 2010 in Osher Hall at 7pm. Curator Bruce Brown and film director Richard Kane will present an introduction to the film. The screening is free and open to the public.

Pace was a second-generation abstract expressionist who painted in New York and later in Maine, specializing in the figure and landscapes. His work is in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Hirschhorn Museum, Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the Whitney Museum.

Stephen and his wife Pam lived in Stonington, ME for extended summers and became integral members of the Blue Hill arts community.  They spent their last summer in Maine in 2007 and have since retired to Stephen’s boyhood home of Indiana. At the age of 91, the Paces opened their own gallery with a studio on the second floor where Stephen Pace continues to paint. In 2008, the Pace’s contributed their Stonington home to MECA to create an alumni residency program and a summer museum of Stephen Pace’s work.

Director Richard Kane first met the Paces in 1977 in Indiana and promised himself that someday he would make a documentary about this extraordinary painter.  More than 30 years later the dream became reality with the recent release. The filming took Kane from the Pace’s home in Stonington to their New York City apartment and studio where they had lived for 50 years to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, where Stephen Pace studied at Belles Artes in 1947 under the GI Bill.

More about the Maine Masters series

MECA Viewbook Wins Design Award

The Maine College of Art viewbook won a Communication Award from CASE (Council for Advancement and Support of Education). The CASE District I Communication Awards recognize outstanding achievement in higher education, independent school, and non-profit organization communications. Judges assess overall design, content and writing, and use of photography, graphics, and technology. The viewbook won a silver award in the Viewbooks and Recruitment Packages category. The publication, which outlines the Bachelor of Fine Arts program, was designed by Janet Friskey of Friskey Design, with copy by Gabe Goldberg, photography by Richard Howard and project management by Molly Hunt. The award ceremony was held in January in Boston.

Request a copy of the viewbook

MECA Receives Grants for the Joanne Waxman Library

Maine College of Art recently received a $2,500 grant from the Maine Charity Foundation Fund of the Maine Community Foundation and a $5,000 grant from the Morton-Kelley Charitable Trust to support the reinvigoration of the holdings of the Joanne Waxman Library to better serve the College's curriculum.  These grants contribute significantly to a fundraising effort to purchase 500 new titles to replace important areas now missing from the collection in fine art, design and photography.

 “This grant will increase the opportunity for students and faculty to access important and relevant sources in the College Library for teaching and learning, and for the College to provide a richer set of resources for the broader community that is served by the Library,” said Moira Steven, Director of the Joanne Waxman Library.

MECA's Joanne Waxman Library is one of the largest independent visual art libraries in Northern New England and a major resource for the region. Its collections number approximately 30,000 volumes, 100 periodicals, as well as videos and other materials. In addition, the Library maintains a specialized collection of 19th century publications in the arts, a small collection of artists' books and a collection of 52,000 slides. The Library provides access to a suite of online resources, which include online periodical indices and image resources, at library.meca.edu.

The Library aspires to promote information literacy and life-long learning in a changing information environment and to foster cooperative endeavors and resource sharing within the artistic and educational community. Use of the Joanne Waxman Library is free and open to the public. Members of the community can obtain a library card with lending privileges for an annual fee of $50 for the general public and $25 for senior citizens, educators and non-college students.

From the Inside VI

For the past six years, MECA staff have organized their own exhibit at the June Fitzpatrick Gallery at MECA.  Participating artists include Kori Handwerker '08, Rachel Katz MFA '00, Grace Hopkins-Lisle, Phil Stevens '91, Alissa Lane '07, Jesse Lane, Stephen Quirk '00, Patricia Sandberg '01, Lilly Morrow '04, Jessica Sheldon, Colleen Kinsella, J-P Vilkman, Jeff Waites MFA '05 and Annie Sekonia.The show is on view from January 1 to January 23, 2010. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday from 9am to 5 pm and Saturdays 12pm to 5 pm.

MECA Painters: 10 Years Later

Each January, Maine College of Art organizes an exhibition of work by alumni who graduated with a painting degree 10 years ago. This is the eigth annual exhibition. Participating alumni artists from 2000 are John Alexander, Matt Cote, John Foddrill, Erica Hansen, Cheryl Johnson, Elizabeth Prescott. The show is held at the June Fitzpatrick Gallery on High Street from January 1 to January 30. An opening reception will be held on January 1 from 5pm - 8pm. Gallery hours are Thurs 12–4pm, Fri–Sat 12–5pm.

Dress Code: A juried exhibition of clothing, attitude, and meaning

Dress Code is a curated exhibition by MECA faculty member Alex Rheault that explores the relationships of clothes to our bodies and the body of humanity. The artists represent, interrogate, and experiment with gender, memory, presence, absence, power, and experiences of clothing. They draw upon inherent energy, humor, entropy, loss, and pathos within. Among the works selected by a jury of three, a mother’s fancy dress is accompanied by a black and white photograph of the owner in 1944 with a recording of her reminiscing fifty years later; an impossible knitted undergarment pokes at our squeamishness and fascination with the body; and two suspended figureless trench coats pose questions about authority. This work challenges notions of beauty, function, and meaning, and brings us to new perceptions of ourselves. A jury selected the seven artists include Continuing Studies instructor Crystal Cawley and BFA and MFA alumni Jill Dalton '99, Lea DeForest '07, Tiffany Langis ‘09, Marilyn Lucey ‘09, Berry Manter ‘92 and Lauren O’Neal MFA '04. The work is on view in the Free Street Gallery from January 18 to February 5 with a closing reception on February 5 from 5pm to 8pm.

View images

Review

MECA Receives Three Grants to Complete the Restoration of the Porteous Building
MECA recently received three grants to complete the restoration of the Porteous Building. The Maine Arts Commission provided $15,000 to equip Osher Hall, MECA’s 112-seat lecture hall with ADA technology to ensure full accessibility. The Quimby Family Foundation supported the overall Porteous project with a $40,000 gift, and the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation has issued a $200,000 challenge to the College to raise the final funds to complete renovations on the third and fourth floors to accommodate the move of the Photography Department from the recently sold Baxter Building. These grants provide capstone funding for a $10 million initiative begun in 2004, which raised $4.3 million in new endowed funds and $5.7 million for the Porteous project. The Sewall Challenge requires the College to raise an additional $300,000 to finish renovations to the Porteous building to bring all academic studios and administrative offices within the former department store at 522 Congress Street, in the heart of Portland’s downtown Arts District. MECA will continue to make capital improvements to Porteous as programs expand. Twenty-five thousand square feet of undeveloped space remains on the lower level of the six-story, 148,000 square foot building.

UMF Exhibition Features MECA Faculty

University of Maine at Farmington presents “HORIZON: Poetics of the Post-Heroic Landscape,” a UMF Art Gallery exhibit of original works by Jennilie Brewster and Honour Mack. Mack is a member of the painting faculty at MECA. The show will open with an artist presentation at 4 p.m., followed by a reception from 5-7 p.m., on Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009. The gallery events are free and open to the public. The exhibit will run from Thursday, Nov. 19 to Tuesday, Dec. 15.

MECA Alum Commissioned for Temple Sculpture

Ed Friedman '08 was commissioned by Temple Beth El in Portland to create an eternal light sculpture. Titled "Let There Be Life," the piece is made of hand forged steel and hot formed glass with an LED light source. The steel represents a nest of olive branches made by a dove as a metaphore for peace. The olive branches are with buds in Spring as a symbol for the promise of new life. The eternal light in Judiasm represents God's eternal presence.

Public Art by MECA Alumni

The Maine Sunday Telegram reviewed the public art of Portland, including pieces made by MECA alums Vivian Beer '00, Pat Plourde '76, Aaron Stephan MFA '02 and John Raimondi (attended '76) as well as MECA staffer Sandy MacLeod, who works as the studio technician for the Sculpture Department.

Read the story, see the work and hear an audio slideshow.

Portland Public Art

Student Exhibition: FY-In: Involve, Infuse, Inspire

This exhibition is a celebration of the work done by students in MECA’s innovative first year seminar: FY-In.
FY-In is a seminar course designed to orient first-year students to MECA, college life, and the greater Portland community. The class teaches the critical importance of combining research and practice, and serves as an introduction to collaborating with one another and a community partner. For the second year in a row, MECA has worked with Cultivating Community as a collaborative parnter. Students read, write, research, make art, discuss and critique while working on a specific project in their section. Sections include: Graphic Agitation, Design Compact, The Sound of Now, Crossing Borders, From Here to There. Garden stakes, cold frames, posters, and public art totems are on view on the second floor of Porteous from November 19 to December 2, 2009.

Student Exhibition: Performance Feast 2009

Fourteen MECA students in the Beginning Performance Art class will present live performances and performance-based works in photography, video, sculpture, and installation at the Two Point Gallery in Portland. The exhibition is on view from November 30 to December 4, 2009. Two Point Gallery, located at 564 Congress Street and operated by MECA alum Chris Shaw '08, is open Monday through Friday from noon to 5pm and First Friday until 9 pm.

Live Performances: Free and open to the public
Monday (11/30) 12-3pm (live performances + discussion)
Tuesday (12/1) 12-2pm (live performances)
Wednesday (12/2) 12-3pm (live performances + discussion)
First Friday (12/4) 5-9pm (live performances + reception)

Student Exhibition: Ceramics Seniors

Students Adam Chau '10, Sarah Cilley '10, Elyssa Hanson '10 and Heather Vaillancourt '10 will showcase their wheelthrown, cast and handbuilt work in "Just a Taste," an annual exhibition of work by Ceramics majors.

For their tableware theme, they will display bowls, plates, cups, pitchers and cakestands. Held at the Free Street Gallery, the show will be on view from November 21 to 28 with an opening reception on November 21 from 5pm to 8pm. Pictured: Adam Chau '10, "Shot Glasses", 2009, Slipcast porcelain with various decoration techniques.

35th Annual Art Auction Exceeds Goal

Maine College of Art's 35th annual art auction on November 7 exceeded th College's fundraising goal. Thanks to the 130 artists who donated artwork and the 400 attendees and buyers, MECA sold nearly $100,000 of artwork during the silent and live auctions held in the ICA at MECA. Nearly $30,000 was awarded back to participating artists in the form of commissions. As a college of art and design, we have a strong belief that giving artists the opportunity to be fairly compensated for their work is important. Funds from the auction support the mission of the College.

View event photos.

Simon Adams, Art Ed '09

MECA President James Baker Resigns

James Baker, president of Maine College of Art, announced his resignation effective May 9, 2010. Baker, now in his fourth year as MECA’s president, came to the College in 2006 having previously served for eleven years as Executive Director at Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Colorado.

In stepping down from his position, Baker said, “I am excited about pursuing my own art — specifically my photographic practice — as well as exploring new directions and opportunities.” Baker received his MFA in photography from Rhode Island School of Design and is an accomplished photographer.

Under Baker’s leadership, the College has redeveloped its mission, created a new strategic plan, consolidated facilities into the Porteous Building, and brought new governance structures to the board of trustees, faculty and administration. “The College is now poised to realize significant program expansion and growth which will, in turn, help fuel the creative economy of Maine and Northern New England,” said Baker.

Board chair Candace Karu stated, “Jim took this position during a period of significant transition for the College and has worked exceedingly hard to guide this small, independent college of art and design through challenging economic times. As a result, Jim leaves the College on a firm foundation.”

Baker will continue through this academic year and will work closely with MECA’s three vice presidents serving as the College’s leadership team. The board of trustees will initiate a presidential search process in October.

Art 21 Screening at MECA

Maine College of Art will screen "Compassion," the lastest installment of the PBS series Art 21. The screening will take place on October 15, 2009 in Osher Hall at noon. The featured episode will explore the theme of compassion and highlight the work of artists William Kentridge, Doris Salcedo, and Carrie Mae Weems. The screening is free and open to the public.

Informational Session on Artist Residencies

Join us on September 29 at 6pm in Porteous 264 for "Be Our Guest: Finding Creative Time and Space," an information session with Caitlin Strokosch, Executive Director of the Alliance of Artists Communities. Learn about the hundreds of artists’ residency opportunities available for artists of all kinds and every career stage, in your backyard and across the globe. Find out what distinguishes them, the best way to apply, and how to maximize your experience.

The Alliance of Artists Communities is the national network of artists' residencies, and the premier resource on residencies for artists of all disciplines. Based in Providence, Rhode Island, the Alliance represents the field of more than 1,000 residencies worldwide. The Alliance publishes the popular book, Artists Communities: A Directory of Residencies that Offer Time and Space for Creativity, and maintains an online database of artists' residencies at www.artistcommunities.org.

Photography Students Present Collaboration with Literacy Volunteers of Maine

In a first-ever collaboration with Literacy Volunteers of Maine, photography students from the Maine College of Art have traveled the state to create compelling portraits of real people who have achieved literacy. Faces of Literacy, Voices of Courage will be exhibited on September 17. The exhibit will then travel to the Saco Museum where it will be on view from October 2 to November 15, 2009. The photographers are Melissa DiPaola, Ashley Earl, Jeff Fujiu, Diane Wren, Jessica Perro, and Emma Sampson.

September 17 Event: Abromson Community Education Center

A special evening of entertainment will take place September 17th at Portland's Abromson Community Education Center, headlined by Vicki Myron, author of the #1 New York Times adult bestseller Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched The World. Festivities begin at 5:15 with a reception of live jazz, hors d'oeuvres, raffles, book buying, viewing the photography exhibit, and more. The stage program follows at 6:00 pm, with a book signing at 7:30. Tickets are $25; $15 for teens/students/seniors. All proceeds benefit the nonprofit Maine Literacy Volunteers Network. To purchase tickets or to learn how to be a program sponsor, call 207-773-3191, 800-322-5455, or email info@lvmaine.org.

www.lvmaine.org

October 2 Event: Saco Museum

Faces of Literacy, Voices of Courage will be on view at the Saco Museum October 2 through November 15, 2009, with an opening reception (free and open to the public) on Friday, October 2 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Photographers from the exhibition, including Melissa DiPaola and Diane Wren, will be present to talk about their work and answer questions.

www.dyerlibrarysacomuseum.org

MECA Appoints New Dean of the College

Maine College of Art has selected Christopher Whittey as Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of the College. Whittey comes to MECA from Maryland Institute College of Art where he served as a faculty member and as the Dean for Academic Services.

Whittey is a practicing artist who received his education from the Center for Creative Studies, Wayne State University, the Rhode Island School of Design, Harvard University and the Whitney Museum Independent Study Program. He began teaching part-time at MICA in 2001 and was appointed to the full-time faculty in 2003. After several years of teaching with great distinction, he was appointed Dean of Academic Services in 2006. In this latter role, he worked with the various directors and key faculty to strengthen academic support services for the college as well as shepherd in new programs and initiatives.

As Dean of the College at MECA, Whittey will oversee the faculty in the undergraduate, post-baccalaureate and graduate programs as well as the directors of the Institute for Contemporary Art and the Joanne Waxman Library.

President James Baker said, "Chris brings the right mix of experience and temperament. He believes in the importance of a student-centered education. He is a natural leader who will work closely with MECA faculty to help them achieve their pedagogical and artistic goals."

Future of the Past: Reviving the Queer Archives
MFA student Ryan Conrad curated this photo exhibition of 80s and 90s queer activism in Maine. The show is on view on the first and second floors of the Porteous Building from June 5 to July 3.The photographs in the exhibit are drawn from the Annette Dragon papers of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender (LGBT) Collection in USM’s Jean Byers Sampson Center for Diversity in Maine. In addition to the exhibition, an intergenerational panel discussion on queer/trans activism in Maine will take place during Southern Maine Pride week in lecture hall 305 at MECA on Thursday, June 18 at 6 p.m.

More info

Osher Hall

MECA will celebrate the opening of Osher Hall with a reception on May 5 at 4:30 pm. Located on the second floor of the Porteous Building, the lecture hall is the newest facility inside the 150,000 square foot main campus building. The construction was made possible thanks to a $500,000 grant from the Bernard Osher Foundation. The lecture hall seats 112 people and is equipped with state-of-the-art technology so the College can stream lectures live. Lecturers will have the ability to control lighting, video, television and computer presentations from a touch-screen panel embedded in the lectern. Supporters can purchase brass seat plaques for $250. For more information, email Tim Kane at tkane@meca.edu.

Press Herald article

Commencement

Maine College of Art will hold their commencement exercises at Merrill Auditorium at 2 pm on May 10, 2009. Nearly 100 degrees will be awarded to students in the Bachelor of Fine Arts program and the Master of Fine Arts in Studio Arts program. Stu Kestenbaum will deliver the commencement address.

Commencement address

Press Herald article

Photos

BFA Thesis Exhibition

Graduating students in the Bachelor of Fine Arts program exhibit their thesis work throughout the Porteous Building. On view from May 1 through May 24 with an opening reception scheduled for First Friday, May 1 from 5 to 8 pm. Curator Jeff Waites MFA '05 is assisted by BFA seniors Quinn Casey and Sydney Williams. Hours of viewing for the public: Monday - Friday 8 am to 8 pm, Saturday and Sunday 9 am to 5 pm.

Image by Sheila Sanfason, text made from clay.

Words for Warpaint
April 17, 7:30 to 10:00 pm, Student Center, 2nd floor Porteous
Words for Warpaint is a student run event to help raise funds for the nonprofit organization Invisible Children, dedicated to ending the abduction of child soldiers in Uganda. The evening features local performers Iris Downey, Port Veritas and Grant Street Orchestra.

MECA Student Designs Label for Geary's Summer Ale
Each year, the D.L. Geary Brewing company partners with Maine College of Art on a contest for students to design the label for the Geary’s Summer Ale. The winning student is awarded a $5000 scholarship and their work is featured on the label and packaging for nearly one million bottles of beer distributed along the Eastern seaboard. This year the winner is Kegan Ambrose of Denmark, Maine, a senior majoring in graphic design. His design features a colorful assortment of lobster buoys spelling out the word “Geary’s”. Kegan grew up sailing the coast of Maine with his family. He recently restored a 19-foot sailboat, which is moored off East End Beach in Portland. His time on the ocean and his love for it inspired his colorful lobster buoy design. In the future he hopes to combine his design work with his interest in sailing. He is the son of Gary Ambrose, a longtime member of the sculpture faculty at the College. Says his father, “He has wanted to win this competition since he enrolled at MECA.”

See a slideshow of the entries