Above and Beyond:
The Student Grant for Professional Development
Maine College of Art & Design’s Above and Beyond Grant helps currently enrolled BFA, MFA, and MAT students access structured opportunities and experiences that take them above and beyond MECA&D’s classrooms and facilities. Students will learn basic skills in grant writing, budgeting, and formatting work samples while assembling proposals to fund activities such as conferences, workshops, or professional events. All applicants will receive feedback on their applications.
The maximum request is $500.
There are three grant cycles: Fall, Spring, and Summer
Summer 2022
All applicants are required to attend an informational workshop before submitting a proposal.
Workshop:
Thursday, May 12, noon to 12:30pm
Register for the Workshop
Application deadline: May 30, 2022
Application
Eligibility:
For BFA applicants: students need a minimum GPA of 3.0 in the most recent semester. Freshmen, sophomores, and juniors must be enrolled for the upcoming semester to qualify.
New for Summer 2022: Seniors who graduate in May 2022 are eligible for the summer grant cycle.
Funds cannot be used for:
+ equipment
+ projects that are part of the curriculum
+ activities that earn academic credit
+ resources that are available at or through MECA&D.
+ day-to-day creative practice expenses (rent, materials, marketing, etc.)
Requests are capped at $500. Each grant cycle has $2,500 available.
Review Criteria:
Past Awardees
2022 Awardees
Tristyn Stone '23: for a collaborative illustration magazine with a focus on professional advice
Emily Geaslin '23: to attend a cob house building workshop in Tennessee
Claire Christensen '23: to attend a book arts workshop
James Meyer MFA '23: to teach drawing workshops in Maine prison
2021 Awardees
Lynn Sisler MFA '21, for residency at Artists' Association of Nantucket
Hope Drenning '24, for professional development of visual display at art fairs
Aidia Sandlin '22, to attend International Conference on Contemporary Cast Iron Art in Berlin
Fall 2020
Ellie Quillen for photography instruction related to food blogging.
Spring 2020
Ian Colwell '20, for a residency at Oxbow
Ramone Lampos, for a residency at ACRE
Liz Rhaney MFA '20, for a video class at Maine Media Workshops
Phoebe Zildjian '20, to attend Wooden Boat School
Elyse Grams MFA '20, to attend NCECA conference
Matanah Betko '20, for travel to Zambia
Ann Finkel '20, to take courses in coding
Melanie Kim '23, to attend Vancouver Film School
2019 Awardees
Fall 2019
Natalie Brown '23
Spring 2019
Rachel Monegue '19, Photography
Ashley Page '20, Sculpture
Rebecca Richards '20, Metalsmithing + Jewelry Design
Anna Marie Valenti MFA '20
Evelyn Wong MFA '19
2018 Awardees
Fall 2018
Maggie Cote '19, Graphic Design
Samantha Myrdek '19, Illustration
Katherine Miller '19, Photography
Sumayo Shute '22, Undeclared (Freshman)
Spring 2018
Prudence Ho ’19, Painting
Jamie Latorre ’20, Woodworking and Furniture Design
Ozlenen Ozbicerler ’19, Graphic Design
Brendan Shea ’18, Painting
James Sylvester ’18, Printmaking
2017 Awardees
Sarah Belhumeur '18, Digital Media, minor in Drawing
Emmett Freeman '17, Ceramics
Meg Hahn '17, Painting, minor in Art History
Ellanor Milkowski Dahlgren '17, Printmaking
Catherine Quattrociocchi '17, Metalsmithing & Jewelry
Lewis Rossignol '17, Illustration
2016 Awardees
BFA
Sophie Cangelosi '16, Illustration
Mary Forst '16, Metalsmithing & Jewelry
Ashley Wernher-Collins '16, Fashion & Textile Design
MFA
Amelia Garretson-Persans, MFA '16
2015 Awardees
BFA
Katherine Ackley '15, Illustration
Caitlin Ervin '16, Sculpture and Public Engagement Minor
Sara Inacio '17, Printmaking
Jonathan Novak '15, Graphic Design
Elana Sternick '16, Woodworking & Furniture Design
Jacqueline Weichemann '15, Photogrpahy
MFA
Tessa O’Brien, MFA '16
Veronica Perez, MFA '16
2014 Awardees
BFA
Chloe Beaven '15, New Media
Forest Gagne '14, Woodworking & Furniture Design
Liz Long '14, Illustration
Rangeley Morton '14, Woodworking & Furniture Design
Nicholas Norris '14, Painting
Hillary Stucker '14, Ceramics
MFA
Charley Young, '14