Discussion with Leila Day (Co-Host of the Stoop)
2019-11-12 19:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York)
Leila Day (Co-Host of the Stoop)
Listening Session + Discussion

Tuesday, November 12, 7–8:30pm
MECA&D, Osher Hall, Second floor
Free and open to the public
Limited seating
The Stoop podcast digs into stories that are not always shared out in the open. Hosts Leila Day and Hana Baba start conversations about what it means to be black and how we talk about blackness. It’s a celebration of black joy with a mission to dig deeper into stories that we don’t hear enough about.
Leila Day is between New York and San Francisco reporting and producing for The Stoop and Pineapple Street Media.

MAT Online Information Session
2019-11-25 12:00 - 13:00
MAT Online Information Session
Tune in virtually on Monday, November 25th from 12–1pm for an online info session on MECA&D's 10-Month Master of Arts in Teaching Program. There will also be a live Q+A session to address any questions you may have about the program or the application process.
Hosted by Kelly McConnell, Director of Art Education Outreach, Chair of Art Education, Assistant Professor; Rachel Somerville, Assistant Professor of Art Education; and Joel Tsui, Graduate Admissions Counselor.

Learn about the history of the program, coursework, and teaching practices
Discuss career preparation and career transition upon graduation
Listen to questions and answers about the program, the application process, and more

You can view the live event on November 25th at 12pm via this link: youtu.be/ZTuzxgFUZJE
If you have any questions about the info session, you can contact us at admissions@meca.edu or 207.699.5023.
Learn more about visiting MECA&D here.

Header Image: Kyle Dubay '18

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

Performance: o t i t o | Sondra Graff + Petra van Noort
2019-12-06 18:15 - 19:30 | Institute of Contemporary Art at Maine College of Art & Design, first floor
Please join us in the Institute of Contemporary Art at MECA&D for a one-night performative dance from Sondra Graff + Petra van Noort. An event developed in collaboration with the ICA's current exhibition DesignInquiry: Futurespective, the performance will begin Friday, December 6 at 6:15PM in the ICA. Free and open to the public.

Meet the Residencies
2019-12-10 18:00 - 19:30
Meet the Residencies
Tuesday, December 10, 6pm
MECA&D, Osher Hall, Second floor
Free admission

Representatives from Maine artist residencies will offer an overview of their various programs which have or will have application processes open to Maine artists for 2020. Meet the Residencies will be held at Maine College of Art & Design on Tuesday, December 10 at 6pm, followed by a short reception and chances for attendees to talk individually with the residency program representatives.
Presenters include the Ellis-Beauregard Foundation, the Joseph A. Fiore Art Center, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Hewnoaks Artist Colony, Maine College of Art & Design Residencies, Monhegan Artist Residency, Monson Arts, and Watershed Center for the Arts.
Administrators and representatives will discuss the specifics of their residency program, which artists are a good fit, how to apply, and what makes for a successful application. Admission is free. To reserve a seat, contact artistsatwork@meca.edu or 207.699.5016.
Facebook Event Link: facebook.com/events/1360182324142275/

Header image:
Pilar Nadal, MECA&D MFA alum, during a residency at Hewnoaks.
Image credit: Alban Maino

...to unravel the bind: Maine College of Art & Design 2020 Faculty Triennial Opening Reception
2020-01-17 17:00 - 20:00
...to unravel the bind:
Maine College of Art & Design 2020 Faculty Triennial
Opening Reception
On view from January 17 – March 1, 2020
Exhibition Opening: Friday, January 17, 2020, 5:00–8:00pm
Institute of Contemporary Art at Maine College of Art & Design
ICA Gallery hours: Wed–Sun, 11:00am–5:00pm, Thurs, 11:00am–7:00pm, Friday, 11:00am–5:00pm, (FFAW until 8:00pm)

This exhibition is organized by the Institute of Contemporary Art at Maine College of Art & Design, Director of Exhibitions Julie Poitras Santos, and Juror Ellen Tani, Boston-based art historian and independent curator.
Is the end in sight, or can we already see the end times? In 2020, we will weather the swells and tensions of subterfuge, irreversible change, and societal forces that tend toward self-destruction. Now more than ever, we need the thinking, making, and imagining that drives artists to make work both because of and in spite of these challenges. Inevitably pulled into the fray, where there is no clear path forward, up, or out, their practices navigate shifting grounds one step at a time, adapting to uncertainty both provisionally and purposefully. To unravel the bind, some pursue processes of dismantling, yielding new spaces and material configurations. Others take up forms, materials and design once intended to visually obscure or physically confine, transforming or repurposing them into new tools and structures for generative exploration. In doing so they explore the increasingly evanescent contours of truth, knowledge, and fact, reading the world as it presents itself—in all its complexity and imbalance—even when it does not make sense.
- Ellen Y. Tani, Guest Juror

Featured Artists
Marian Baker, Stephen Benenson, Michel Droge MFA '10, Annika Earley MFA '16, John P. Gardiner '07, MFA '14, Kate Greene, Adrian King '12, Alysha Kupferer, Alex Lukas, Honour Mack, Kelly McConnell, Rachel Eleni Somerville, Ling-Wen Tsai

For more info, visit: meca.edu/to-unravel-the-bind

Featured Image: Michel Droge

Zhiwan Cheung: Artist Lecture (Sculpture + Salt)
2020-01-21 18:00 - 19:00 | Osher Hall, Maine College of Art & Design, 2nd Floor, 522 Congress St., Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Zhiwan Cheung
Visiting Artist Lecture

Tuesday, January 21, 6 pm
MECA&D, Osher Hall, Second floor
Free and open to the public
Limited seating

Zhiwan Cheung works in sculpture, film, and performance at the intersection of national identities and the personal psyche, often forging paths where they join and diverge. Zhiwan has a BFA from Cornell University and an MFA from Carnegie Mellon University. His work has been exhibited across the United States, in Korea, Germany, and Italy. He is a recent Fulbright Scholar in Germany and is currently a Professor of Media Arts at the United International College in Zhuhai, GuangDong, China.
Zhiwan Cheung is also the host of the Seeing Color Podcast, a show that talks with cultural workers and artists of color in order to expand the area of what is a predominantly white space in the arts. Find out more: seeingcolorpod.com

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

January Open House: BFA 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 an Open House!
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 specifically designed for students interested in our BFA program — we'll send you more information in your confirmation email. Sign up below!
If you have any questions about our Open Houses, you can contact us at admissions@meca.edu or 207.699.5026. Learn more about visiting MECA&D here.

MAT Open House
2020-01-25 11:00 - 15:00 | Maine College of Art & Design. Room 509, Fifth Floor, 522 Congress Street, PORTLAND, ME, 04101, United States
Visit MECA&D for a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Open House
We invite you to join us at MECA&D on Saturday, January 25, 2020 to learn more about our MAT Program!
Start here. Go Anywhere. Maine College of Art & Design’s ten-month Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Program prepares artists to become effective art educators who learn to translate their unique qualities into creative teaching practices.

David Hilliard: Artist Lecture (Photography)
2020-01-30 18:00 - 19:30 | Osher Hall, Maine College of Art & Design, 2nd Floor, 522 Congress St., Portland, ME, 04101, United States
David Hillard
Visiting Artist Lecture
Thursday, January 30, 6pm
MECA&D, Osher Hall, Second floor
Free and open to the public
Limited seating
Maine College of Art & Design and the Bakery Photo Collective are proud to present a talk with acclaimed photographer David Hilliard. Join us as he discusses the balance between autobiography and fiction that distinguishes his large-scale, multi-paneled photographs.
David Hilliard is the recipient of a Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship and a Fulbright Grant. His work has been exhibited in numerous institutions including Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; The Kemper Art Museum, St Louis; Miami Art Museum; Addison Museum of American Art, Andover; Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, Tampa; and DeCordova Museum, Lincoln, MA. Hilliard’s work is represented in many public collections including Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Art Institute of Chicago; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; and Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Header image: David Hilliard, Rock Bottom, 2008

Liliana Pérez: Artist Lecture (Printmaking)
2020-02-03 18:00 - 19:00 | Osher Hall, Maine College of Art & Design, 2nd Floor, 522 Congress St., Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Liliana Pérez
Visiting Artist Lecture
Monday, February 3, 6pm
MECA&D, Osher Hall, Second floor
Free and open to the public
Limited seating

Living takes its toll and the body tells a story. Scars, hair, tattoos and blood. Fertility and waste. Self-harm and healing. Liliana Pérez-Brennan is engaged in an ongoing process of documenting stories as told by her own body as a way of taking control of her own narrative and exploring the possibilities and limitations of corporeal expression.
Pérez-Brennan received a degree in Interior Design at CEDIM (Centro de Diseño de Monterrey) and began to specialize in furniture design. She works as an independent design consultant in México City and the United States. She studied black and white analogue photography and darkroom techniques at The Gallery of Photography in Dublin, Ireland. A love for the process of developing images led her to study Printmaking, and Drawing and Visual Investigation at NCAD (National College of Art and Design) in Dublin. Upon returning to Mexico completed a lithography residency at La Ceiba Grafica in Veracruz and later studied mezzotint with Tomiyuki Sakuta. Her photographic work has appeared in Winter Papers, Abridged and The Well.
In collaboration with Mexico City-based poet, Dylan Brennan, Perez-Brennan has combined text and photography through prose poems juxtaposed against photographs as well as short fragments of text superimposed over images. She is interested in the ways an image can be transformed in the mind of the viewer and how the addition of or, indeed, subtraction of text lead an image to be read in a certain way. Unsurprisingly, in addition to poetry, advertising and online meme culture feed into this process. Contemporary media tell us how to feel and what to do on a daily basis. However, in the same way that Eisenstein, with his revolutionary concept of ideational montage, hoped to create sparks of meaning in the minds of the spectator, Pérez-Brennan aims to combine words and images in a way that is not overtly didactic or prescriptive, being more interested in the koan- like effect of these kinds of juxtapositions that may lead to quiet moments of internal reflection.

Header image: Liliana Pérez, Sundays Familiares, 2017

Katie Hudnall: Artist Lecture
2020-02-06 18:00 - 19:00 | Osher Hall, Maine College of Art & Design, 2nd Floor, 522 Congress St., Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Katie Hudnall
Visiting Artist Lecture
Thursday, February 6, 6–7pm
MECA&D, Osher Hall, Second floor
Free and open to the public
Limited seating

Katie Hudnall received her BFA from the Corcoran College of Art & Design and her MFA from Virginia Commonwealth University in Furniture Design/Woodworking. Her work has been included in many publications and exhibitions including Crafting A Continuum: Rethinking Contemporary Craft, Making A Seat at the Table: Women Transform Woodworking, and in American Craft Magazine’s February/March 2017 issue. Hudnall is an Associate Professor in Furniture Design at the Herron School of Art & Design in Indianapolis, IN, where she lives, teaches, and makes tools for problems both real and imagined.
Funded through the generous support of the Windgate Charitable Foundation.

MECA&D’s Visiting Artist & Guest Lecturer Series invites professional artists, educators, curators, thought leaders, and creative entrepreneurs to present on topics of interest and importance to the MECA&D community.
All lectures in this series are hosted in Osher Hall and are open to the public at no charge. Seating is limited. Supported in part by the Isabel K. Pease Trust, and friends of the College through the Osher Chair Naming Program.

Header image: Katie Hudnall, Symbiosis #4: Drawings & Drawers, 2014

Freestyle Friday (Resilience Week)
2020-02-07 20:30 - 22:00 | Cafe
Freestyle Friday
Click image for a downloadable poster
Friday, February 7 from 8:30–10pm
MECA&D, Porteous, Cafe, Second floor
Free and open to the public
Freestyle Friday will bring students together to practice different ways of sharing, listening, and cultivating collaboration while engaging in a freestyle creation of music. The participants will have the opportunity to explore hip-hop culture through the lens of artists in the community and get some tips to build confidence in public speaking using a mic.

This event is part of Resilience Week at MECA&D (February 7–14, 2020). View the event schedule and details here.

Mend the Gap: A Community Blanket (Resilience Week)
2020-02-08 11:00 - 14:00 | 380 Cumberland Avenue, 380 Cumberland Avenue, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Mend the Gap: A Community Blanket
Click image for a downloadable poster
Saturday, February 8 from 11am–2pm
MECA&D, 380 Cumberland Avenue, Portland
Free and open to the public
Participants will be making quilt squares out of upcycled textile material. The individual squares will be sewn together to create a community blanket. Focused on collective healing through the act of patching, mending, and upcycling textiles to generate conversation surrounding the topics of diversity, representation and inclusivity through art making. The final blanket will be included in an exhibition at MECA&D called Resilience of Diversity on February 15, 2020.

This event is part of Resilience Week at MECA&D (February 7–14, 2020). View the event schedule and details here.

Navigating the Intersection: Film Festival & Panel (Resilience Week)
2020-02-08 12:00 - 22:30 | Osher Hall, Maine College of Art & Design, 2nd Floor, 522 Congress St., Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Navigating the Intersection Film Festival & Panel
Click image for a downloadable poster
Saturday, February 8 from 12–10:30pm
MECA&D, Porteous, Osher Hall, Second floor
Free and open to the public
Navigating the Intersection takes place February 8th, 2020 from 12pm-10:30 pm in Osher Hall at Maine College of Art & Design. The night is dedicated to the exploration of the intersection between gender identity, sexuality, and race within a historical and contemporary context. Some of the media that will be screened include Paris is Burning (1990), Tangerine (2015), Moonlight (2016), and more. Join us in expanding the conversation beyond what we know to explore the intersection of life, race, identity, and circumstance. Please view the film schedule calendar here.

This event is part of Resilience Week at MECA&D (February 7–14, 2020). View the event schedule and details here.

Get Down + Groove Dance Party (Resilience Week)
2020-02-09 19:00 - 22:30 | SPACE Gallery, 538 Congress St., Portland, ME, 04103, United States
Live Performance with Alejandro Graciano and DJ Session with Liz Rhaney
Click image for a downloadable poster
Sunday, February 9 from 7–10:30pm
Space Gallery, 538 Congress Street, Portland (down the street from MECA&D)
Free and open to the public
The live performance with Alejandro Graciano and DJ session with Liz Rhaney is intended to bring students together to celebrate Latin and African blues music with original poetry. The performance invites participants to explore self-expression and to experience many musical influences.

This event is part of Resilience Week at MECA&D (February 7–14, 2020). View the event schedule and details here.

Séan Alonzo Harris: Artist Lecture (Resilience Week)
2020-02-10 18:00 - 19:00 | Osher Hall, Maine College of Art & Design, 2nd Floor, 522 Congress St., Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Séan Alonzo Harris: Artist Lecture
Click image for a downloadable poster
Monday, February 10 from 6–7pm
MECA&D, Porteous, Osher Hall, Second floor
Free and open to the public

Séan Alonzo Harris is a professional photographer and his work focuses on human experience and identity and examines how individuals visualize themselves and how they are portrayed. His images bear witness to often invisible or overlooked members of our communities, and create portraits that provide a counter-image and narrative of self-worth and personal agency.

Harris has received critical acclaim for his work, is a Kindling Fund grant recipient and was selected for the 2018 Portland Museum of Art Biennial. He has a BFA from the Art Institute of Boston and his professional practice includes collaborative, community-driven projects with nonprofit organizations.

"My work is marked by a fine art sensibility and an emphasis on environmental portraits. My creative process draws from a wide range of photographic traditions and methods and is driven by an authentic connection to my subjects and my clients. I’m genuinely curious about peoples’ lives and the experiences that shape their world.”

With support from Indigo Arts Alliance.

This event is part of Resilience Week at MECA&D (February 7–14, 2020). View the event schedule and details here.
Supported in part by the Isabel K. Pease Trust, and friends of the College through the Osher Chair Naming Program.

Resilience of Diversity: Opening Reception
2020-02-10 19:15 - 20:15 | Joanne Waxman Library
Resilience of Diversity: Opening Reception
Click image for a downloadable poster
Monday, February 10 from 7:15-8:15pm
MECA&D, Porteous, Joanne Waxman Library, Second floor
Free and open to the public
Resilience of Diversity brings together student artists from MECA&D, alumni, faculty and members of the community to broaden the narrative of artists of color. In sharing the intimate pockets of the emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual mind of these artists, we invite you to look beyond any preconceived ideas to explore the nuances of our stories, our work, and our experiences. As makers, as humans, as a family, we share ourselves with you to expand the conversation beyond stereotypes and ignorance. We showcase the beauty and resilience of diversity while critiquing the Western art historical canon that perpetuates racist, sexist, and exclusionary pedagogy throughout art institutions. Together, the participating artists showcase the beauty of intersectionality, vulnerability and their own cultural traditions to tell the story of community, identity, resistance, and justice.

Resilience Week at MECA&D
Friday, February 7 – Friday, February 14, 2020
Brought to you by the Diversity Committee at MECA&D and the Students of Color Coalition, Resilience Week is dedicated to our mission of racial, sexual, and gender inclusivity here at MECA&D. By bringing together an exhibition, reading lists, film screenings, community meals, and workshops, we provide a network of support for those committed to fostering change here at MECA&D. Generating conversation and awareness of topics surrounding identity, race, representation, and justice we are carving a space where our students of color don’t just survive. They thrive.
View all public Resilience Week events here

Black Poets Speak Out (Resilience Week)
2020-02-11 11:00 - 12:00 | Osher Hall, Maine College of Art & Design, 2nd Floor, 522 Congress St., Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Black Poets Speak Out
Click image for a downloadable poster
Tuesday, February 11 from 11am–12pm
MECA&D, Porteous, Osher Hall, Second floor
Free and open to the public
*via VideoConference
This workshop focuses on poetry’s ability to help engage communities and address social justice initiatives. As the cofounder of Black Poets Speak Out, Amanda Johnston, will lead participants through a conversation about the movement against police brutality as well as the use of art to express solidarity and transform policy.

This event is part of Resilience Week at MECA&D (February 7–14, 2020). View the event schedule and details here.

History of Braiding (Resilience Week)
2020-02-11 18:00 - 20:30 | Joanne Waxman Library
History of Braiding
Tuesday, February 11 from 6pm–8:30pm
& Friday, February 14 from 6:30-8:30pm
MECA&D, Porteous, Joanne Waxman Library, Second floor
Free and open to the public
For many years, and in many cultures, braiding has been a significant way of building connections and nurturing relationships across the globe. Kris Patridge will be leading us in a conversation about the history of hair braiding and it's significance in our modern day lives. Please come join us for this free educational and hands on event!

This event is part of Resilience Week at MECA&D (February 7–14, 2020). View the event schedule and details here.

Palmira Muniz: Colorism (Resilience Week)
2020-02-12 18:00 - 19:00 | Maine College of Art & Design, Second floor, Room 209
Colorism
Click image for a downloadable poster
Wednesday, February 12 from 6pm–7pm
MECA&D, Porteous, Room 209, Second floor.
Free and open to the public
*via VideoConference
Palmira is here to elaborate on her published work “7 Ways Non-Black People of Color Perpetuate Anti-Blackness”. The lecture will be in discussion style.
Palmira Muniz is a fat, queer, Afro-boricua from The Bronx, but also raised in SoCal. Now living in Los Angeles, the UC Davis graduate works within the entertainment industry, while also working as a writer, stand-up comedian, and content creator. Palmira starred in, produced and wrote for the web series One Story Building with other Black and Brown comedians and SAG-AFTRA Horror project, Macabre. Palmira has written articles that have been featured on BuzzFeed, The Body is Not an Apology, Remezcla,Csuitemusic, currently Queen Media Collective, and has been published in university textbooks such as Pan African Spaces: Essays on Black Transnationalism. As a comedian, Palmira has been featured on the Riot Grrrl Comedy Festival, Thigh Gap Comedy, Moral Support, and most recently, the Woman of Size podcast, Militantly Mixed Podcast, En Latinidad, Bronxnet, and Latina-ishTv. After spending a lifetime writing and many years studying film and theatre, Palmira ultimately hopes to become a critically acclaimed show-runner and create media that resonates with communities of color, especially other fat Black and Latinx women.

This event is part of Resilience Week at MECA&D (February 7–14, 2020). View the event schedule and details here.

Cultural Identity Contemplations (Resilience Week)
2020-02-13 16:00 - 17:30 | Joanne Waxman Library
Cultural Identity Contemplations
Click image for a downloadable poster
Thursday, February 13 from 4–5:30pm
MECA&D, Porteous, Joanne Waxman Library, Second floor
Free and open to the public
This workshop centers on the integration of mindfulness meditation and socially-engaged spiritual practice and will include brief meditation, a short talk, some experiential exercises, and group discussion. This offering focuses on how we engage the present moment experience with collective willingness, genuineness, and integrity with our personal and social values. We will have the opportunity to engage in group practice or “social meditation” to more fully explore that kind of connection and understanding in relationships, particularly when it comes to social-cultural identity: How do I see others and how am I seen? What are the personal, emotional, and societal obstacles to authentic relationships with those different from myself? How can we use the practices of mindfulness and contemplation to realize more gentleness, openness, awareness, and honesty, even with the most unfamiliar, misunderstood, or difficult people in our lives?

This event is part of Resilience Week at MECA&D (February 7–14, 2020). View the event schedule and details here.

West African Dance Workshop (Resilience Week)
2020-02-14 15:30 - 17:30 | Maine Mechanics Hall, 519 Congress Street
West African Dance Workshop
Click image for a downloadable poster
Friday, February 14 from 3:30–5:30pm
Maine Mechanics Hall, 519 Congress Street, Portland (across from Porteous)
Free and open to the public
Come ground yourself on Wellness Friday, this is Free and open to the public! Join us in learning a folkloric dance, have fun and get swept up in the rhythms of the drums. This West African Dance Workshop is facilitated by Athena Lynch, who has been practicing West African Dance for 19 years. Held at Maine Mechanics Hall, Friday, February 14th at 3:30, please wear loose clothing and comfortable shoes. Connect to the sound of your own drum, while adding to the overall rhythm of your community!

This event is part of Resilience Week at MECA&D (February 7–14, 2020). View the event schedule and details here.

History of Braiding: Session 2 (Resilience Week)
2020-02-14 18:30 - 20:30 | Joanne Waxman Library
History of Braiding
Friday, February 14 from 6:30-8:30pm
MECA&D, Porteous, Joanne Waxman Library, Second floor
Free and open to the public
For many years, and in many cultures, braiding has been a significant way of building connections and nurturing relationships across the globe. Kris Patridge will be leading us in a conversation about the history of hair braiding and it's significance in our modern day lives. Please come join us for this free educational and hands on event!

This event is part of Resilience Week at MECA&D (February 7–14, 2020). View the event schedule and details here.

RESCHEDULED: Mirko Ilić Lecture: Design From Right to Left
2020-02-21 16:00 - 17:00
EVENT RESCHEDULED (2/21/20)

Mirko Ilić: Design From Right to Left
Visiting Artist Lecture
Friday, February 21, 4–5pm
MECA&D, Osher Hall, Second floor
Free and open to the public
Limited seating
A talk by designer Mirko Ilić about The Design of Dissent, a book he co-wrote with Milton Glaser. The lecture will reveal left wing imagery created to fight right wing iconography and to support different causes around the world.
For more information about Mirko Ilić's THE TOLERANCE PROJECT, currently on view at MECA&D, visit: meca.edu/the-tolerance-project/

Header Image: The Design of Dissent, Written by Mirko Ilić and Milton Glaser, Designed by Mirko Ilić Corp., NY, 2005

RESCHEDULED: The Tolerance Project Public Reception
2020-02-21 17:00 - 18:30 | Porteous Building, Maine College of Art & Design, 522 Congress Street, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
EVENT RESCHEDULED (2/21/20)

The Tolerance Project Public Reception
Friday, February 21, 5–6:30pm
MECA&D, Porteous Lobby
522 Congress Street, Portland ME, 04101
Free admission

About The Tolerance Project

On view from December 13, 2019 - February 22, 2020
Maine College of Art & Design: Congress Street Windows + MECA&D Lobby

THE TOLERANCE PROJECT has brought a message of social acceptance to over 100,000 people in 26 countries. Founded by artist-activist Mirko Ilić, this initiative showcases posters designed by artists from around the world. THE TOLERANCE PROJECT starts a conversation about inclusion, which can only begin with a foundation of tolerance. In a world increasingly split by race, religion, sexuality, and national origin the show utilizes the unique power of design to remind us what we all have in common. THE TOLERANCE PROJECT includes over 137 posters made by designers worldwide. The selection exhibited at Maine College of Art & Design represent a larger global conversation.
For more info: toleranceposters.blogspot.com

Header image:
Alejandro Magallanes / Mexico (cropped)

February Open House + Finishing Day: BFA Admissions
2020-02-22 10:00 - 15:00 | Maine College of Art & Design, 522 Congress Street, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
MECA&D: Open House + Finishing Day
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 specifically designed for students interested in our BFA program — we'll send you more information in your confirmation email. Sign up below!
MECA&D's Finishing Day is designated for MECA&D's Admissions team to help you complete your application on the spot; priority application deadline is March 1, 2020.
Sign up below! If you have any questions about our Open Houses, you can contact us at admissions@meca.edu or 207.699.5026. Learn more about visiting MECA&D here.
