Young Joon Kwak: Artist Lecture (Sculpture)
2019-11-11 18:00 - 19:30 (America/New_York) | Osher Hall, Maine College of Art & Design, 2nd Floor, 522 Congress St., Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Young Joon Kwak
Multi-disciplinary Artist
Monday, November 11, 2019; 6pm
MECA&D, Osher Hall, Second floor
Free and open to the public
Young Joon Kwak, ATTACK SUSTAIN RELEASE DECAY, Performance collaboration, 2015. Click to view larger.
Young Joon Kwak is an LA-based multi-disciplinary artist working primarily through sculpture, performance, video, and collaboration. Kwak's work aims to transform our perception of bodies by reimagining their form, functionality, and materiality—from static and bound to pre-inscribed power structures, to an expanded sense of bodies and their environs as mutable and open-ended.
Kwak is the founder of Mutant Salon, a roving beauty salon/platform for experimental performance collaborations with their community of queer, trans, femme, POC artists and performers. Kwak is the lead performer in the electronic-dance-noise band Xina Xurner.

Young Joon Kwak, Wig Heel Purse, 2016, Mixed Media. Click to view larger.
Performances and exhibitions include: the Hammer Museum, The Broad, REDCAT, ONE National LGBT Archives, and Commonwealth & Council, Los Angeles; 47 Canal, Regina Rex, and Smack Mellon, NYC; Wattis Institute, Southern Exposure, San Francisco; Museum of Contemporary Art, Denver; Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; Antenna Space, Shanghai, China; Pavillon Vendôme Centre d’Art Contemporain, Clichy, France; the Art Museum of the National University of Colombia, Bogotá; Walter Phillips Gallery at the Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity, Alberta, Canada.
Along with Mutant Salon, Kwak was Artist-in-Residence at Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions (LACE) during Summer 2018. Kwak received the Rema Hort Mann Foundation’s Emerging Artist Grant in 2018, and the Art Matters Grant in 2016. Kwak received an MFA from the University of Southern California, MA in Humanities from the University of Chicago, and BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Kwak’s work has been reviewed and featured in Artforum, ARTnews, Artillery Magazine, BOMB Magazine, Hyperallergic, and LA Times, among others.
Click to download Young Joon Kwak Lecture poster

Header image (detail):
Young Joon Kwak + Kim Ye, Where I Am My Own Other, Where My Mother Is Me, (2016 – ongoing)
Performance & Film/video collaboration with Kim Ye
Click to view full-sized artwork.

In Her Kitchen: Culinary Talents of Immigrant Women
2019-12-04 16:30 - 19:00 | Maine College of Art & Design, 522 Congress Street, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
In Her Kitchen: Culinary Talents of Immigrant Women
a collaboration between In Her Presence and Maine College of Art & Design
Wednesday, December 4, 4:30–5pm Screening; 5–7pm Tasting
MECA&D, Osher Hall, Second floor
Suggested donation: $10 to benefit In Her Presence
Limited seating

On Wednesday, December 4th, at 4:30 pm, cooking videos of seven immigrant women preparing their most treasured recipes will be screened at Maine College of Art & Design (MECA&D), Osher Hall, 2nd floor, 522 Congress Street, Portland. A tasting of the dishes in the videos will follow from 5 - 7 pm. On hand will be the immigrant women who participated in the project - a partnership of the In Her Presence non-profit and MECA&D - and the MECA&D student filmmakers who made the videos. The screening and tasting event is open to all members of the public.
This will be the second iteration of the In Her Kitchen partnership. “After last year’s successful community dinner, the staff of the Cafe @ Meca is once again looking forward to hosting the culminating event this year. Working with the chefs and founders of In Her Presence and the participating students was a highlight from last year that we look forward to repeating,” said Pam Ryder, Cafe Manager.
“Maine College of Art & Design appreciates the opportunity to partner with In Her Presence, which is doing so much to empower women and girls from minority communities in Maine,” said Amelia Garretson-Persans, the MECA&D faculty behind the In Her Kitchen project. “We encourage the Portland community to join us on December 4th to get to know the chefs behind the recipes, experience their delicious dishes, and gain insight into cultures from all over the world.”
Claudette Ndayininahaze, co-founder with Abusana Micky Bondo, In Her Presence, said, “We are thrilled to be able to share the talents of some of the remarkable women from In Her Presence. We hope this series will help them raise their visibility in the community and achieve their personal ambitions.”
Among the chefs and recipes showcased in the videos is Lydie, who came to Maine from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Lydie spends her time cooking for large groups of people at different events in the Portland area. Eugenie, another featured chef, when asked for any advice to share, said “You need to learn from others and you need to also share the skills you have so others can take it.”
Each year, Maine College of Art & Design partners with a local nonprofit organization on a public engagement project designed to benefit the community. This year, students are working with seven female chefs from the local organization In Her Presence to create engaging recipe videos that combine the talents of both the students and chefs involved. Both parties benefit from this project, the students being able to learn and create videos while simultaneously being exposed to new cultures, while the chefs from In Her Presence are given a platform to educate others on their cultures as well as voice their goals.
When asked what it was like to be a part of a project like this, student Bridget Foner said “It’s a life changing experience, being able to meet with these women I would not be able to meet with normally and experiencing their culture through cooking.”

For updates on the project, visit inherkitchen.org or follow them on Instagram (@in.her.kitchen). To RSVP to the screening and tasting (RSVP recommended) email agarretson-persans@meca.edu or respond to our facebook event.

About In Her Presence
In Her Presence is created by and for women from minority communities in Maine. Through increased educational opportunities and providing access to knowledge through high level training, the nonprofit’s goal is to empower more women and girls to reduce systems of inequity, to advocate for themselves and their families, understand, analyze and assess the impact of racial injustices and learn tools to combat inequities. (inherpresence.org)

Header image by Liz Burdick

Bethany Johns: Artist Lecture
2019-12-05 18:00 - 19:00 | Osher Hall, Maine College of Art & Design, 2nd Floor, 522 Congress St., Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Bethany Johns
Print + Publication Designer for the Arts

Thursday, December 5, 6–7pm
MECA&D, Osher Hall, Second floor
Free and open to the public
Limited seating
Bethany Johns specializes in print and publication design for museums, arts institutions, publishers, and individual artists. Their practice surrounds issues of the archive and chronicling recurring and evolving relationships with people, places, and cultural issues.
Johns will take part in the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) at MECA&D’s exhibition DesignInquiry: Futurespective. On view from October 4–December 14, 2019.

Header image (detail):

Images courtesy of the artist.

Holiday Sale 2019
2019-12-06 17:30 - 2019-12-07 17:00 | Porteous Building, Maine College of Art & Design, 522 Congress Street, Portland, ME, 04101, United States

January Open House: MFA Admissions
2020-01-25 10:00 - 15:00 | Maine College of Art & Design, 522 Congress Street, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Visit MECA&D for a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) Open House
We invite you to join us at MECA&D on Saturday, January 25, 2020 to learn more about our MFA Program!
MECA&D’s Master of Fine Arts Program encourages each student to think across traditional academic boundaries and challenge their art practice and intellectual curiosity. Studio-based, with renowned faculty, visiting artists and carefully selected graduate advisors, the curriculum emphasizes the intersection of studio production, individual research, critical analysis, and travel to important and inspiring locations. Learn more about the MFA Program.
Schedule

Check-in with refreshments
Information session for the Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art program
Lunch
Tour of facilities & studios
Optional: Lingering questions & grad resources

Image Credit: Rand Renfrow ’18

CANCELLED: Maine Region Scholastic Art Awards Exhibition
2020-02-26 09:00 - 2020-03-14 16:00 | Maine College of Art & Design, First Floor, 522 Congress St., Portland, ME, 04101, United States
EVENT CANCELLED. MECA&D is proactively postponing this event to prioritize the safety of our community, given the public health concerns surrounding the Coronavirus and in line with recommendations from the CDC. Learn more about MECA&D's implementations for the Coronavirus (March 12, 2020).

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious recognition initiative for creative teens. Maine’s regional Gold Key, Silver Key, Honorable Mention, and American Visions & Voices Nomination recipients are honored locally through community ceremonies and exhibitions.
Maine students are invited to submit creative and original work to any of the Awards’ seventeen creative categories, including architecture, photography, sculpture, comic art, painting, video game design, fashion, and more. At each level of judging, all works are selected to move on to the next stage based on the same three criteria that have represented the program since its founding in 1923: originality, technical skill, and emergence of personal vision or voice.
The exhibition consists of all Gold and Silver Key winners for individual works of art in all categories, as well as one piece from art portfolios that earned a Gold Key or Silver Key. This exhibition is free and open to the public and runs from Friday, February 26 through Saturday, March 14, 2020. Open hours are 9–5 Monday through Friday, and 11–4pm on Saturday and Sunday, plus a reception on Friday, March 6 from 5–7 coinciding with First Friday Art Walk in Portland.
Congratulations to all of this year's winners!

Header Image: Taya Brown, LOVE, Gold Key: Photography, Kents Hill School (cropped)

Salt Live Storytelling: 7 Stories on the Theme of... Personal Geography
2020-03-04 19:00 - 20:30 | Osher Hall, Maine College of Art & Design, 2nd Floor, 522 Congress St., Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Salt Live Storytelling Event
7 Stories on the Theme of... Personal Geography
Please click on image to view full-sized poster.
Wednesday, March 4, 2020, from 7–8:30pm
Maine College of Art & Design, Osher Hall, Second floor
Free and open to the public
Please join us for our live Salt Storytelling event! Hear each of our seven Salt Institute documentary students tell a personal story on the theme of "Personal Geography".

MECA&D Zine Fair 2020
2020-03-06 17:00 - 2020-03-08 15:00 | Maine College of Art & Design, First Floor, 522 Congress St., Portland, ME, 04101, United States
MECA&D Zine Fair 2020
Dates + Times

Friday, March 6, 5–9PM (First Friday)
Saturday, March 7, 9AM–5PM
Sunday, March 8, 9AM–3PM

Location
MECA&D, Porteous Building, First Floor
MECA&D Fishbowl Gallery (facing Congress St)

The Zine Fair, hosted by the MECA&D Zine Club, is a non-profit event that allows artists (local & distant) to display & sell their work (zines, books, prints, pins, stickers, and more!) with 100% of the profits going to the artists themselves. Come to browse a variety of art and support small artists and businesses!

CANCELED: May Open House
2020-05-16 10:30 - 15:30 | Porteous Building, Maine College of Art & Design, 522 Congress Street, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
MECA&D's May 16th Open House is canceled. MECA&D is proactively postponing this event to prioritize the safety of our community, given the public health concerns surrounding the Coronavirus and in line with recommendations from the CDC. We look forward to rescheduling this event.

Come see first-hand why students are choosing to study in MECA&D's close-knit community and rigorous artistic programs. At an Open House, you'll have a chance to:
+ Get to know faculty and current students
+ Take a tour of our studios and res halls
+ Have your portfolio reviewed with professional artists
+ Explore the vibrant art scene in downtown Portland, Maine
This Open House is designed for students interested in our BFA and Pre-College programs — we'll send you more information within 48 hours of registration.
Sign up below!
If you have any questions about our Open Houses, you can contact us at admissions@meca.edu or 207.699.5026.
