Visit MECA&D

Wednesday, September 22, 6–8pm | VIRTUAL
Saturday, October 23, 1–4:30pm | On Campus
Saturday, November 13, 1–4:30pm | On Campus

Saturday, December 4, 1–4pm | VIRTUAL
Register for the Dec. 4 Virtual Open House

Saturday, January 22, 1–4pm | VIRTUAL
Register for the Jan. 22 Virtual Open House

Saturday, February 19, 1–4:30pm | On Campus
Register for the Feb. 19 On-Campus Open House

Please note all campus visitors will be required to provide proof of COVID vaccination and wear face masks for the duration of the open house. Any in-person events may be changed to virtual events in the event there is inclement weather or in response to any COVID mandates from the state or city. We will update this page and registered students and families as soon as possible in the event of a change.

Take an individual in-person tour of campus! Join us for an hour-long tour with a MECA&D admissions counselor to explore all 6 floors of our main building which includes studio departments, major spaces, the MECA&D Cafe, Library and the Institute of Contemporary Art. Residence halls are optional at the end of the tour. Schedule your campus tour online here.

Please note that all guests will be required to provide proof of vaccination and will be required to wear face masks throughout the tour. We appreciate your help to keep our campus safe for our community! If you have any questions about how MECA&D is maintaining a healthy campus, check out Safe & Healthy MECA&D.

Financial Aid 101
Thursday, October 28, 7:30–8:30pm
Saturday, December 4, as part of the Virtual Open House which runs from 1–4pm

As a first time college student, you and your parents may have some questions about how to cover the cost of college. To get these daunting questions answered, join this Financial Aid 101 webinar hosted by Maine College of Art & Design's Director of Financial Aid, Carri Frechette. We'll cover the following topics, along with a Q+A at the end to clear up any specific questions you may have.
+ How much does college cost, and what is included in the total cost?
+ What is the difference between grants, scholarships, loans, and work-study?
+ How do you apply for and receive financial aid?

Register here for the December 4 Open House!

Virtual Campus Tour
Thursday, September 30, 7–8pm
Thursday, October 14, 4–5pm
Thursday, October 28, 8:30–9:30pm
Tuesday, December 7, 6–7pm

If you can't make it to campus, try a guided virtual tour of campus with an admissions counselor! You'll be able to explore our main building floor by floor through photos, video studio tours, and helpful advice and stories along the way. This tour covers all studio departments, major spaces, the MECA&D Cafe, the Joanne Waxman Library, the Institute of Contemporary Art, residence halls, and more.

Register here for the Virtual Campus Tour on Tuesday, December 7!

Admissions Presentation
Wednesday, October 20, 3–4pm
Tuesday, November 16, 6–7pm
Thursday, December 9, 6–7pm

If you're interested in learning more about our Bachelors of Fine Arts program, please join us for our virtual presentation that will give you a clear picture of what being a BFA student at Maine College of Art & Design is like. Learn about our foundations program BFA students start their college career with, our majors and minors, student life in Portland, ME, our Artists at Work program and much more!

Register here for the Admissions Presentation on Thursday, December 9

Portfolio Prep 101
Tuesday, October 5, 6–7pm
Monday, November 8, 3–4pm
Wednesday, December 15, 6–7pm

Learn how to put your best portfolio together with this one-hour virtual session! A MECA&D Admissions Counselor will give insight into what admissions offices at art schools look for in a portfolio, tips to showcase the work that makes you stand out, and how you can use your portfolio as a way for admissions counselors to get to know who you are as an artist. We'll also cover the requirements for Maine College of Art & Design's application, as well as what we mean by the term "observational drawing" and why it's so important.

Register here for the Portfolio Prep 101 session on Wednesday, December 15!

Transfer Info Session
Interested in transferring to MECA&D but don't know where to start? Join us for a virtual BFA Transfer Session, hosted on Zoom, for details on how to apply, what the process of transferring credits looks like, and more. If you missed our last Transfer Info Session, watch the recorded session here. (Password: Zb?!k0mC)

Take a guided virtual graduate tour of our MFA, MAT, and Salt programs with our Graduate Admissions Coordinator, Joel Tsui. To schedule a graduate visit outside of the times listed at the link, please contact Joel at joel.tsui-staff@meca.edu or by phone/text at 207.420.0022.

MFA at MECA&D: Zoom Info Session

Thursday, November 18: 6–7pm ET

New year, new MECA&D! We have plenty to share about our program and our College, and we would like to share them all with you at our Zoom info session. Faculty and staff from MFA at MECA&D will come together to share our observations on the road, as well as on campus throughout the past year. We also have a physical presence at all of this year’s Graduate National Portfolio Days (Chicago, San Francisco, New York City) and will be sharing our findings as we talk to artists and prospective students. Finally, we will go through updates on our MFA program and talk through the application process.

Join the Chair of the MFA program Chris Stiegler (he/him) and Graduate Admissions Coordinator Joel Tsui (he/him) on this Zoom info session, along with a live Q&A session, by registering through the form below.

Register for the MFA at MECA&D Zoom Info Session here.

MAT Webinar: Life as a Teacher Candidate

Friday, November 12: 6–7pm ET

New year, new cohort! Last year, we hosted a webinar where we brought MAT Teacher Candidates and recent MAT alums together to chat and talk about their experience in and out of the classroom. This year, we’re bringing back the same format to connect recent MAT alums with our current Teacher Candidates.

Alumni and current teacher candidates from the MAT and MECA&D will come together for a 45-minute conversation and interactive Q&A, to share observations out in the field, and compare experiences on their time as a Teacher Candidate in our MAT program. Finally, we will go through updates on our MAT program and talk through the application process. Join teacher candidates Tori Hamilton, MAT alumni Madison Mahoney  MAT '21, and Cooper Binette MAT '21, and Graduate Admissions Coordinator Joel Tsui on this webinar, along with a live Q&A session.

The recording of this webinar is coming soon!

Salt at MECA&D Presents: Remote Production on a Budget

As you may know, the Salt Graduate Certificate for Documentary Studies is unique in that the program is neither an introductory course, nor is it a masterclass. Ideal Salt students are folks who have gotten a taste of what it is like to produce a story — be it a short film or an audio piece — and are ready to learn through a rigorous and hands-on program. We all have to start somewhere, and thankfully, you can produce your first documentary piece completely on your phone!

Faculty, staff, and alumni from Salt will come together for a 60-minute panel and interactive Q&A, to share our experience with getting things done on a budget, how to make the most out of your equipment, and tips on producing remotely and on a budget. We'll also give updates on our Salt program and talk more in depth about how students of different skill levels benefit from the program.Join the Salt Director Isaac Kestenbaum, and Graduate Admissions Coordinator Joel Tsui '16, Salt '17, MFA '19, and special guests on this webinar, along with a live Q&A session, by registering through the form below.

MFA at MECA&D Presents: The Interdisciplinary

Have you ever wondered how you can strive in an interdisciplinary program? Why do we offer an interdisciplinary program? Even if you are an artist dedicated to a singular practice, what can you get out of an interdisciplinary MFA program?

Chris Stiegler, MFA Chair; Gail Spaien, MFA Faculty; Caitlin D'Amico, current MFA student; and Graduate Admissions Coordinator Joel Tsui '16, Salt '17, MFA '19 from the MFA at MECA&D will come together for a 60-minute panel and interactive Q&A, to share our relationship with the program from various perspectives, examples of how past and current students have taken advantage of the program’s openness, and give you offer you advice on how you can leverage your existing practice to stand out among the applicant pool. We'll also give updates on our MFA program and talk about the application process.

MFA at MECA&D Presents: Documented Art and the Portfolio

When was the last time you saw art in person? Chances are, the last time you saw art was through a screen or print materials. Over the course of 2020, many art communities were forced to come up with virtual experiences for their audiences. If you are a prospective applicant at MECA&D, this is a great time to also think about how you approach your portfolio submission.

Faculty, staff, and alumni from the MFA at MECA&D will come together for a 60-minute panel and interactive Q&A, to share our relationship documented art, thoughts about the process, and give pointers on how to arrange, edit and present a portfolio to make sure your application is competitive. We'll also give updates on our MFA program and how our cohort of low residency and full residency students is faring.

Join the Chair of the MFA program Chris Stiegler, Sculpture Department Professor Ling-Wen Tsai, Collections and Programming Manager Liz Rhaney MFA '20, MFA student Adam Powers, and Graduate Admissions Coordinator Joel Tsui '16, Salt '17, MFA '19 — a recording can be seen here.

MAT at MECA&D Presents: Life as a Teacher Candidate

Perhaps one of the biggest challenges educators have faced in recent years is learning how to adapt everything we knew about teaching to an online, virtual, digital, and occasionally asynchronous space. The Master of Arts in Teaching at Maine College of Art & Design adapted their curriculum to not only address the changing dynamics of being an art educator, but to also ensure our teacher candidates acquire skills for a hands-on environment.

Join the Interim Chair of the MAT program Dr. Rachel Somerville; teacher candidates Lauren Anderson '20, Madison Mahoney, and Trent Redmond; MAT alumni Karol Carlsen MFA '20, Anne Hayes MFA '20, and Adrienne Munger MFA '20; and Graduate Admissions Coordinator Joel Tsui '16, Salt '17, MFA '19 on this 60-minute panel discussion and Q&A session.

Salt at MECA&D Presents: microphone comparisons for Zoom

2020 is the year where social distancing and virtual conferences (Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams…) permeate our lives. As George Lucas once said, “Sound is half the picture.” Have you considered how your audio quality can enhance your audience’s experience with your digital content, whether it is a webinar, an online class, or even an office meeting?

Join Salt Director Isaac Kestenbaum, recent Salt alum Sam Leeds (Salt '19), and Graduate Admissions Coordinator Joel Tsui BFA ‘16, Salt ‘17, MFA ‘19 on this 30-minutes webinar where they discuss the quality of various microphones—from the built-in mics of your devices to the tried-and-true condenser mics. A Q+A session follows with updates on what's new at Salt for this year. You can watch the recording on YouTube.