Maine College of Art

Rodney Sayers: Visiting Artist Lecture | 'DesignInquiry: Futurespective'
2019-10-02 18:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | Osher Hall, Maine College of Art & Design, 2nd Floor, 522 Congress St., Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Artist Lecture: Rodney Sayers
Wednesday, October 2nd, 6–7pm
Porteous, Osher Hall, Second floor
Free and open to the public
Limited seating
Image courtesy of the artist
Klewetua, Rodney Sayers, is a Hupacasath artist from Ahswinis, Port Alberni, British Columbia, and is a descendant of the Nuu Chah Nulth peoples.
Sayers’s practice examines the role of traditional artwork in a contemporary world. He believes that for an art form to remain vibrant, it must evolve and adapt, but remain true to its origins.
Sayers 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. Learn more.

A Reading + Discussion with Jaed Coffin, Author of 'Roughhouse Friday' (Salt)
2019-09-25 18:30 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Osher Hall, Maine College of Art & Design, 2nd Floor, 522 Congress St., Portland, ME, 04101, United States
A Reading + Discussion with Jaed Coffin,
Author of Roughhouse Friday: A Memoir
Wednesday, September 25; 6:30–8pm
MECA&D, Osher Hall, Second floor
Free and open to the public
Jaed Coffin
Raised in Maine, former Salt instructor Jaed Coffin is the author of A Chant to Soothe Wild Elephants, a memoir about the summer he spent as a Buddhist monk in his mother’s village in Thailand. Roughhouse Friday chronicles the year Coffin won the middleweight title of a barroom boxing show in Alaska.
“Roughhouse Friday is as bare and intimate a rendering of masculinity, of young adulthood, of being human as I have ever read. This is a fearless and exquisite work of art.” —Lily King, author of the New York Times bestseller Euphoria

This Reading + Discussion is part of Salt is Story. Words. Sound. Image. Conversation.

RSVP online for event reminders

September Open House: BFA Admissions
2019-09-21 11:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | 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.

'Darkness and the Light' | Artist Gallery Talk
2019-09-19 18:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | Institute of Contemporary Art at Maine College of Art & Design, first floor
Artist Gallery Talk featuring Curator Lissa Hunter and exhibiting artists: Rebecca Goodale, Joe Hemes, Alison Hildreth, George Mason, Warren Seelig, and Carol Stein.
Find more information about the exhibition here
Darkness and the Light
On view from July 12—September 20, 2019

Machine Dazzle: Visiting Artist Lecture
2019-09-17 18:00 - 19:30 (America/New_York) | Osher Hall, Maine College of Art & Design, 2nd Floor, 522 Congress St., Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Artist Lecture: Machine Dazzle
Costume Designer for Taylor Mac
Tuesday, September 17, 6pm
Osher Hall, Porteous, Second Floor
Free and open to the public.
Limited seating.
Photographer: Little Fang
Taylor Mac maintains we are “a nation of makers” and that one of his favorite makers is costume designer Machine Dazzle. Machine, whose parents met and married in Pembroke, Maine, will be in residence at Maine College of Art & Design from September 15th – 19th 2019. The residency includes an exhibition of costumes designed for Taylor’s performances, on display in the Bob Crewe Gallery Windows. Select students from the departments of Textiles and Fashion Design will apprentice with Machine during this residency, co-creating something tangibly extraordinary.
During this residency, Machine will also deliver a public lecture, so don’t miss this opportunity to learn from a master the intricate ins and outs of over-the-top costume design!
Portland Ovations presents Taylor Mac at the State Theater on September 19. Learn more.

Image Header: Photographer: Joseph Beyer
Images courtesy of Portland Ovations

'Darkness and the Light' | Curatorial Talk presented by SDA Maine & MCA
2019-09-14 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Institute of Contemporary Art at Maine College of Art & Design, first floor
CURATORIAL TALK WITH LISSA HUNTER
Surface Design Association Maine (SDA Maine) and Maine Crafts Association (MCA) present a talk with Lissa Hunter, the curator of Darkness and the Light at The Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) at Maine College of Art & Design (MECA&D) on Saturday, September 14 at 2 pm. The talk is free and open to the public.
Hunter's talk will touch on the process of curating the show, developing working relationships with the artists, and being witness to their practice. Darkness and the Light was conceived by Hunter several years ago. She invited thirteen Maine artists with established careers and reputations for fine craftsmanship and artistic excellence to join her in creating work specifically for this exhibition.
Exhibiting artists work in a range of materials and processes and include Lynn Duryea, Rebecca Goodale, Tom Hall, Joe Hemes, Alison Hildreth, Lissa Hunter, Jamie Johnston, George Mason, Julie Morringello, Jan Owen, Warren Seelig, Carol Stein, Todd Watts, and Susan Webster.
Find more information about the exhibition here
Darkness and the Light
On view from July 12—September 20, 2019

'Darkness and the Light' | Performance featuring Barry Saunders
2019-09-05 18:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | Institute of Contemporary Art at Maine College of Art & Design, first floor
Darkness and the Light Performance featuring jazz musician Barry Saunders.
Saxophonist, clarinetist and composer, Barry Saunders has played clubs, festivals and concerts throughout the United States, with a few dates in Europe and Asia, with such notable musicians and ensembles as Conte Condoli, Pete Christlieb, OK|OK, Michael McGinnis, Stew & TNP, Brad Terry, Erik Deutsch, Barry Manilow, Three Dog Night, Portland Jazz Orchestra, Fogcutters Big Band, Portland (Maine) Symphony Orchestra, New Hampshire Music Festival Symphony Orchestra, Assisi Festival for the Arts (Italy), North Shore Philharmonic, and Opera North.
Barryʼs work, with his own ensemble, has been featured on the award winning Maine Public Radio news program Maine Things Considered. Most recently, he could be heard on Spinning on Air with David Garland from the studios of WNYC. He can also be heard on Erik Deutschʼs CD “Hush Money” (hammerandstring.com) and Mike McGinnisʻs CD “Road*Trip” (mikemcginnis.com).
Prior to teaching at the School of Music at USM, Barry has taught at Bennington College, Williams College, and Bates College. In addition to teaching at USM and MSAD51, Barry also enjoys a thriving private studio where he teaches, saxophone, clarinet, improvisation and composition.

Find more information about the exhibition here
Darkness and the Light
On view from July 12—September 20, 2019

'Simultaneous Light and Dark' | Lecture featuring Bernie Reim
2019-08-08 18:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | Institute of Contemporary Art at Maine College of Art & Design, first floor
Darkness and the Light Lecture featuring Bernie Reim, author of the Portland Press Herald's monthly astronomy column What's Up?, co-host of WMPG’s live weekly radio program "Scientifically Speaking", and an Instructor of astronomy lab courses at the University of Southern Maine.

Find more information about the exhibition here
Darkness and the Light
On view from July 12—September 20, 2019

'Darkness and the Light' | Artist Gallery Talk
2019-08-02 17:00 - 18:00 (America/New_York) | Institute of Contemporary Art at Maine College of Art & Design, first floor
Artist Gallery Talk featuring Curator Lissa Hunter, and exhibiting artists: Lynn Duryea, Tom Hall, Jamie Johnston, Julie Morringello, Jan Owen, Todd Watts, and Susan Webster.
Find more information about the exhibition here
Darkness and the Light
On view from July 12—September 20, 2019

Alexandra Silverthorne MFA ’10: 'yes is the only living thing' | Artist Talk + Book Signing
2019-08-01 17:30 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | Osher Hall, Maine College of Art & Design, 2nd Floor, 522 Congress St., Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Alexandra Silverthorne MFA ’10: yes is the only living thing

On view: July 5–August 16, 2019
Opening Reception: July 5, 6–8pm
Artists at Work Gallery at MECA&D

Artist Talk + Book Signing
August 1, 5:30pm
Osher Hall at MECA&D

There will be an Artist Talk + Book Signing featuring a conversation with Julie Poitras Santos on August 1, 5:30pm at Maine College of Art & Design in Osher Hall.

Alexandra Silverthorne MFA '10 is releasing her new book, yes is the only living thing, a series of 76 images looking at moments of celebration, wonder, and stillness in her own life. Shot the year following a friend’s sudden cancer relapse and near-immediate death, the images echo her attempts to infuse her own life with some of the same determination, thoughtfulness, and grace that was ever-present in her life. The series was captured with recently-discontinued peel apart instant film on a fickle hand-me-down Polaroid Reporter camera. Silverthorne was attracted to the unpredictability of both the film and the camera and how this seemed to echo the unpredictability of life, itself. The book features all 76 images, a collection of text by Julie Poitras Santos, and a conversation with Annie Mahon.
This summer, Alexandra Silverthorne will be showing work from the series at the Artist at Work Gallery at MECA&D. The show will be up from July 5—August 16, with an opening reception July 5, 6-8pm.

View the project and learn more here.

Michael Menchaca: Visiting Artist Lecture (MFA)
2019-07-29 17:30 - 18:30 (America/New_York) | Osher Hall, Maine College of Art & Design, 2nd Floor, 522 Congress St., Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Michael Menchaca
Painter, Printmaker, Illustration
Monday, July 29, 2019; 5:30pm
Osher Hall, Porteous Second Floor
Free and open to the public
Born in 1985 in San Antonio, TX, Michael Menchaca received his BFA from Texas State University in 2011, and his MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2015. He has been an Artist-in-Residence at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture (ME), Vermont Studio Center (VT), The Wassaic Project (NY), and The Studios at MASS MoCA (MA), among others. Solo shows include The Contemporary Austin (TX), The McNay Art Museum (TX), Auburn University (AL), and most recently at The Chrysler Museum of Art (VA). He was a Visual Arts Fellow at the Fine Arts Work Center from 2015 - 2016 in Provincetown, MA, and is a recipient of the 2019 National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures (NALAC) Fund for the Arts Grant. Through 2020, he is co-curating the New York/San Antonio exhibition Xicanx: New Visions with Suzy González. Menchaca lives and works in San Antonio, TX.

Master of Fine Arts (MFA) at MECA&D
MECA&D's Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art program is pleased to announce the 2019 Summer Lecture Series, which brings together a national and international roster of visiting artists, curators, and scholars to participate in the MFA Summer Intensive in Portland Maine. In addition to critiques and studio visits with graduate candidates, visiting artists deliver a talk that is free and open to the public.

Media Sponsor

"BOMB Magazine has been publishing conversations between artists of all disciplines since 1981. BOMB’s founders—New York City based artists and writers—created BOMB because they saw a disparity between the way artists talked about their work among themselves and the way critics described it."

Registration Day at MECA&D
2019-07-26 13:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Maine College of Art & Design, 522 Congress Street, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Thinking about enrolling at Maine College of Art & Design?
Our July Registration Day is specially designed for students interested in attending for the Fall 2019 semester. While on campus, you'll be able to tour our expansive art studios and facilities and meet with staff who can answer any questions you might have about the application process. We can put you on an accelerated admissions path that will allow you to get an enrollment decision faster — even the same day! — and set you up for a successful transition toward Orientation this fall.
If you'd like to take advantage of a same-day decision, please send us your application materials as soon as possible before July 26, 2019. We can review your portfolio and your transcripts on Registration Day, and we'll need to have your application, application fee or waiver, essay, and two letters of recommendation in the office no later than Thursday, July 24, 2019. See our instructions on how to apply for more details on what we need.
If you're a transfer student, feel free to bring a copy of your transcripts — official or unofficial — with you to campus and we can offer a preliminary transfer evaluation that will help you understand how your credits will transfer in and what you'll need to take to complete your degree at MECA&D.
Have questions? We're here to help! Contact us at 207.699.5026 or admissions@meca.edu.

*Header illustration by Frederick J. Aldrich III

Alumni Residency Open Studios
2019-07-25 16:00 - 18:00 (America/New_York) | Maine College of Art & Design, 522 Congress Street, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
We are excited to welcome to campus our 2019 residents for our Alumni Residency at MECA&D.
We will be having an Alumni Open Studio to end the residency on July 25, from 4pm–6pm — stop by, talk, and check out the great artwork!
Location: MECA&D Porteous Building, 4th and 5th floors
The 2019 Residents are Asherah Cinnamon ’08, Kelsey Haley ’15, Savanna Pettengill ’14, and Lauren Tosswill ’14.

The residency program runs from July 1–July 26 and is designed to bring degree-holding alumni back to the College each summer for four weeks in July to re-engage in an intensive on-campus experience in conjunction with the MFA Summer Intensive. Residents will have studio space in the Porteous building for four weeks with access to the department facilities.
Header Art: Asherah Cinnamon '08, Forgiveness: Selichot, Beech wood, synthetic fiber strips, paint, gold leaf, 22" x 24"x 6", 2016.

Jessi Reaves: Visiting Artist Lecture (MFA)
2019-07-22 17:30 - 18:30 (America/New_York) | Osher Hall, Maine College of Art & Design, 2nd Floor, 522 Congress St., Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Jessi Reaves, Sculptor
Monday, July 22, 2019; 5:30pm
Osher Hall, Porteous Second Floor
Free and open to the public
Jessi Reaves (b. 1986, Portland, Oregon; lives New York) received her BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence. Her work has been included in group exhibitions nationally and internationally, in venues including Swiss Institute, New York and A Palazzo Gallery, Brescia, Italy. In 2016, Reaves presented her first solo exhibition with Bridget Donahue, New York. She has also presented solo exhibitions a Herald St, London and was included in the 2017 Whitney Biennial and the 2019 Carnegie International.

Master of Fine Arts (MFA) at MECA&D
MECA&D's Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art program is pleased to announce the 2019 Summer Lecture Series, which brings together a national and international roster of visiting artists, curators, and scholars to participate in the MFA Summer Intensive in Portland Maine. In addition to critiques and studio visits with graduate candidates, visiting artists deliver a talk that is free and open to the public.

Media Sponsor

"BOMB Magazine has been publishing conversations between artists of all disciplines since 1981. BOMB’s founders—New York City based artists and writers—created BOMB because they saw a disparity between the way artists talked about their work among themselves and the way critics described it."

Charlie Hewitt: Visiting Artist Lecture (MFA)
2019-07-15 17:30 - 18:30 (America/New_York) | Osher Hall, Maine College of Art & Design, 2nd Floor, 522 Congress St., Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Charlie Hewitt
Painter, Printmaker, Sculptor
Monday, July 15, 2019; 5:30pm
Osher Hall, Porteous Second Floor
Free and open to the public
Charlie Hewitt, a prolific printmaker, painter, and sculptor, lives and works in Portland, Maine. Stylistically rooted in expressionism and surrealism, Hewitt’s art is both playful and serious, a quality he shares with artists Alexander Calder, Joan Miro, Paul Klee, and his mentor Philip Guston. Hewitt’s most important work to date is the Urban Rattle sculpture on the High Line Park in Chelsea, New York. Urban Rattle, located in the courtyard in the back of Ten23, is the only permanent artwork installed along the High Line Park. Charlie Hewitt has since installed large public Urban Rattle sculptures in Lewiston and Portland, Maine.
His imagery is largely influenced from the mill-working communities he grew up around. The energy and culture of these communities and the values of church, family, and work have infused his artwork and are the foundation of his imagery and symbols. Hewitt’s work is represented in numerous collections, including those of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY; Whitney Museum of American Art, NY; New York Public Library, NY; Brooklyn Museum, NY; Library of Congress, Washington, DC; and the Portland Museum of Art, ME.

Master of Fine Arts (MFA) at MECA&D
MECA&D's Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art program is pleased to announce the 2019 Summer Lecture Series, which brings together a national and international roster of visiting artists, curators, and scholars to participate in the MFA Summer Intensive in Portland Maine. In addition to critiques and studio visits with graduate candidates, visiting artists deliver a talk that is free and open to the public.

Media Sponsor

"BOMB Magazine has been publishing conversations between artists of all disciplines since 1981. BOMB’s founders—New York City based artists and writers—created BOMB because they saw a disparity between the way artists talked about their work among themselves and the way critics described it."

'Darkness and the Light': Opening Reception
2019-07-12 17:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Institute of Contemporary Art at Maine College of Art & Design, first floor
Darkness and the Light
On view from July 12—September 20, 2019
Opening Reception: July 12, 5–8pm
Institute of Contemporary Art at MECA&D
Dark and light. The space between. The moment of change. The necessity of one to identify the other. Hope. Fading. The opportunities to explore the theme seemed so many and varied that the idea of a group exhibition was born. Invited artists have created work addressing the psychological and/or physical implications of light and/or dark. All are Maine artists with established careers and reputations for fine craftsmanship and artistic excellence. Because of the size of the Institute for Contemporary Art, participants were encouraged to undertake large-scale work, if they wished, in order to take advantage of the unusual opportunity to use this vast, beautiful space.
Exhibiting Artists include: Lynn Duryea, South Portland; Rebecca Goodale, Freeport; Tom Hall, Raymond; Joe Hemes, South Portland; Alison Hildreth, Portland; Lissa Hunter, Portland; Jamie Johnston, Portland; George Mason, Nobleboro; Julie Morringello, Stonington; Jan Owen, Belfast; Warren Seelig, Rockland; Carol Stein, Kittery Point; Todd Watts, Blanchard TWP; Susan Webster, Deer Isle
Learn more

This exhibition is organized by the Institute of Contemporary Art at Maine College of Art & Design, Interim Director of Exhibitions Nikki Rayburn, and Guest Curator Lissa Hunter.
When I was a child, my mother would say, “Be in before dark”, as I ran out the door to play in summer. We lived in that kind of neighborhood. It was the fifties, in the Midwest, on a short block with dozens of kids and no fences. “Before dark” became a particular designation of time, between outside in daytime and the inside at night. It held a kind of magical conversion, a sliver of time that signaled a shift in energy and focus.
When the sun fell below the horizon, colors flattened and lost definition. The sky looked lighter than the treetops below, which became a single mass of darkness. Houses were Monopoly pieces, with no definition of windows or porches, just outlines and dark interiors until the lights within were turned on, creating golden rectangles.
The air became cool. The earth smelled moist. And the fireflies became apparent, flashing lights against the gathering dark, adding to the sense of separation from the real world. It didn’t last long. Maybe ten or twenty minutes.

Header
Left: Carol Stein, Reflections on Hope #1, 2019; Photographer: Larry Elbroch
Right: Carol Stein, Reflections on Hope #2, 2019; Photographer: Larry Elbroch
Darkness and the Light exhibition
ICA Gallery hours: Wed–Sun, 11:00am–5:00pm, Thurs, 11:00am–7:00pm, Friday, 11:00am–5:00pm, (FFAW until 8:00pm)

'Darkness and the Light' Exhibition
2019-07-12 10:00 - 2019-09-20 17:00 (America/New_York) | Institute of Contemporary Art at Maine College of Art & Design, first floor
Darkness and the Light
On view from July 12—September 20, 2019
Opening Reception: July 12, 5–8pm
Institute of Contemporary Art at MECA&D
Dark and light. The space between. The moment of change. The necessity of one to identify the other. Hope. Fading. The opportunities to explore the theme seemed so many and varied that the idea of a group exhibition was born. Invited artists have created work addressing the psychological and/or physical implications of light and/or dark. All are Maine artists with established careers and reputations for fine craftsmanship and artistic excellence. Because of the size of the Institute for Contemporary Art, participants were encouraged to undertake large-scale work, if they wished, in order to take advantage of the unusual opportunity to use this vast, beautiful space.
Exhibiting Artists include: Lynn Duryea, South Portland; Rebecca Goodale, Freeport; Tom Hall, Raymond; Joe Hemes, South Portland; Alison Hildreth, Portland; Lissa Hunter, Portland; Jamie Johnston, Portland; George Mason, Nobleboro; Julie Morringello, Stonington; Jan Owen, Belfast; Warren Seelig, Rockland; Carol Stein, Kittery Point; Todd Watts, Blanchard TWP; Susan Webster, Deer Isle
Learn more

This exhibition is organized by the Institute of Contemporary Art at Maine College of Art & Design, Interim Director of Exhibitions Nikki Rayburn, and Guest Curator Lissa Hunter.
When I was a child, my mother would say, “Be in before dark”, as I ran out the door to play in summer. We lived in that kind of neighborhood. It was the fifties, in the Midwest, on a short block with dozens of kids and no fences. “Before dark” became a particular designation of time, between outside in daytime and the inside at night. It held a kind of magical conversion, a sliver of time that signaled a shift in energy and focus.
When the sun fell below the horizon, colors flattened and lost definition. The sky looked lighter than the treetops below, which became a single mass of darkness. Houses were Monopoly pieces, with no definition of windows or porches, just outlines and dark interiors until the lights within were turned on, creating golden rectangles.
The air became cool. The earth smelled moist. And the fireflies became apparent, flashing lights against the gathering dark, adding to the sense of separation from the real world. It didn’t last long. Maybe ten or twenty minutes.

Header
Warren Seelig, Shadowfield: Colored Light (detail), 2019
Photograph: Dowling Walsh Gallery
ICA Gallery hours: Wed–Sun, 11:00am–5:00pm, Thurs, 11:00am–7:00pm, Friday, 11:00am–5:00pm, (FFAW until 8:00pm)

Bradford Nordeen: Visiting Artist Lecture (MFA)
2019-07-08 17:30 - 18:30 (America/New_York) | Osher Hall, Maine College of Art & Design, 2nd Floor, 522 Congress St., Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Bradford Nordeen
Curator and Author, Founder of Dirty Looks
Monday, July 8, 2019; 5:30pm
Osher Hall, Porteous Second Floor
Free and open to the public
Based in Los Angeles, Bradford Nordeen is a writer, curator and founder of Dirty Looks. His publications include Check Your Vernacular, Dirty Looks at MoMA, Fever Pitch, and the Dirty Looks Volume series (editor). He has written for Frieze, Art in America, Afterimage, Huffington Post, indieWIRE and Butt Magazine, and received the 2018 Creative Capital / Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant for the podcast Analog Tendencies. He was Platinum Programmer for Outfest Los Angeles (2013-2016), and guest curator for inaugural season of public programs at The Broad Museum. He has curated exhibitions and screenings at ONE Gay and Lesbian National Archives, RISD, MoMA, The Kitchen, SFMoMA, The Hammer Museum, and New York Live Arts. He holds a BFA from CalArts and an MA in Contemporary Cinema Cultures from King’s College London.

Master of Fine Arts (MFA) at MECA&D
MECA&D's Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art program is pleased to announce the 2019 Summer Lecture Series, which brings together a national and international roster of visiting artists, curators, and scholars to participate in the MFA Summer Intensive in Portland Maine. In addition to critiques and studio visits with graduate candidates, visiting artists deliver a talk that is free and open to the public.

Media Sponsor

"BOMB Magazine has been publishing conversations between artists of all disciplines since 1981. BOMB’s founders—New York City based artists and writers—created BOMB because they saw a disparity between the way artists talked about their work among themselves and the way critics described it."

Alexandra Silverthorne MFA ’10: 'yes is the only living thing' | Exhibition + Reception
2019-07-05 09:00 - 2019-08-16 17:00 (America/New_York) | ME, United States
Alexandra Silverthorne MFA ’10: yes is the only living thing

On view: July 5–August 16, 2019
Opening Reception: July 5, 6–8pm
Artists at Work Gallery at MECA&D

Artist Talk + Book Signing
August 1, 5:30pm
Osher Hall at MECA&D

This summer, Alexandra Silverthorne MFA ’10 will be showing work from the series at the Artist at Work Gallery at MECA&D. The show will be up from July 5—August 16, with an opening reception July 5, 6-8pm.
Alexandra Silverthorne MFA '10 is releasing her new book, yes is the only living thing, a series of 76 images looking at moments of celebration, wonder, and stillness in her own life. Shot the year following a friend’s sudden cancer relapse and near-immediate death, the images echo her attempts to infuse her own life with some of the same determination, thoughtfulness, and grace that was ever-present in her life. The series was captured with recently-discontinued peel apart instant film on a fickle hand-me-down Polaroid Reporter camera. Silverthorne was attracted to the unpredictability of both the film and the camera and how this seemed to echo the unpredictability of life, itself. The book features all 76 images, a collection of text by Julie Poitras Santos, and a conversation with Annie Mahon.
View the project and learn more here.

There will also be an Artist Talk + Book Signing featuring a conversation with Julie Poitras Santos on August 1, 5:30pm at Maine College of Art & Design in Osher Hall. The talk will be moderated by Katarina Weslien.

Page Header
Alexandra Silverthorne, yes is the only living thing, 11" x 14" archival inkjet print from scanned instant film. Edition of 5.

Eneida Sanches: Visiting Artist Lecture (MFA)
2019-07-01 17:30 - 18:30 (America/New_York) | Osher Hall, Maine College of Art & Design, 2nd Floor, 522 Congress St., Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Eneida Sanches: Visiting Artist Lecture
Indigo Arts Alliance Artist-in-Residence; Visual Artist
Monday, July 1, 2019; 5:30pm
Osher Hall, Porteous Second Floor
Free and open to the public
Eneida Sanches began her studies in arts at the Art School of Bahia at the age of six. She studied architecture from 1980 to 1990 and simultaneously along with the course of Fine Arts at the Fine Arts of the Federal University of Bahia, Brazil.
She has research on African and Afro-Brazilian aesthetics since 1990 and studies calcography (prints from etching) at the Museum of Modern Art workshops in Bahia from 1995 to 2000. She exhibits from 1992 to 2000 in Museums and Galleries in Brazil and the United States with tools of liturgical use of the Yoruba candomblé showing works related to the theme of the Transe and expands the language of the prints into objects and installations.
In 2007, she was awarded the XXIV Salon of the Bahia Museum of Modern Art MAM-Ba and took part in the Frie Academie, Den Haag, The Netherlands.
As of 2011, she brings together printing and video-installation through the series Transe - Displacement of Dimensions in a collaborative work with photographer and video maker Tracy Collins (NY).
In 2013 she has his work published in the Magazine of Contemporary Art N / Paradoxa (Bisi Silva) and exhibits installation Transe (video installation) at the Festival Video Brasil 2013 - SP. In 2014 she was selected for a 3-month art residency at NAFASI Artspace in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. She was also nominated to the most important prize in the country, PIPA Prize. In 2016 she presents his work at Itau Cultural SP in the collective Diálogos Ausentes curated by Rosana Paulino and Diane Lima.
In 2017 she moved his studio to Sao Paulo where she works and lives. She participates in the Gaia Biennial in Portugal. In 2018, she is part of the PretAtitudes collective exhibition at SESC Ribeirao Preto, curated by Claudinei Silva. She presents her first solo show at Galeria Andrea Rehder, Sao Paulo and has her artwork published in the Contemporary And (C&) Berlin-based magazine.

Master of Fine Arts (MFA) at MECA&D
MECA&D's Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art program is pleased to announce the 2019 Summer Lecture Series, which brings together a national and international roster of visiting artists, curators, and scholars to participate in the MFA Summer Intensive in Portland Maine. In addition to critiques and studio visits with graduate candidates, visiting artists deliver a talk that is free and open to the public.

Media Sponsor

"BOMB Magazine has been publishing conversations between artists of all disciplines since 1981. BOMB’s founders—New York City based artists and writers—created BOMB because they saw a disparity between the way artists talked about their work among themselves and the way critics described it."

COLLECT: MECA&D’s 2019 Summer Art Sale
2019-06-27 10:00 - 2019-06-29 18:00 (America/New_York) | Institute of Contemporary Art at Maine College of Art & Design, first floor

Jamillah James: Visiting Artist Lecture (MFA)
2019-06-20 17:30 - 18:30 (America/New_York) | Osher Hall, Maine College of Art & Design, 2nd Floor, 522 Congress St., Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Jamillah James: Visiting Artist Lecture
Curator at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (ICA LA)
Thursday, June 20, 2019; 5:30pm
Osher Hall, Porteous Second Floor
Free and open to the public

Jamillah James is the Curator at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (ICA LA). Previously, she was Assistant Curator at the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, and organized exhibitions and programs for Art + Practice in Leimert Park. In Los Angeles, James has organized the first solo institutional presentations of artists Abigail DeVille, Sarah Cain, Simone Leigh, Alex Da Corte, Njideka Akunyili Crosby, and Charles Gaines. James has held curatorial positions at the Studio Museum in Harlem and Queens Museum, and has independently organized exhibitions, performances, and screenings throughout the US and Canada since 2004. She is currently working on major presentations of B. Wurtz, the artist’s first American survey (2018); Nayland Blake, his first solo museum exhibition in Los Angeles (2019); and solo projects with Rafa Esparza, Maryam Jafri, and Lucas Blalock.
James’s writings have been included in Artforum and the International Review of African American Art, in addition to exhibition catalogues for the ICA LA, the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art, New York; Hammer Museum, Los Angeles; the Nasher Museum at Duke University, Chapel Hill, N.C.; and the Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, among others. She is an adjunct professor in the Graduate Art Department at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, and regularly lectures on curating, contemporary art, and professional development for artists at various colleges and institutions across the country.

Master of Fine Arts (MFA) at MECA&D
MECA&D's Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art program is pleased to announce the 2019 Summer Lecture Series, which brings together a national and international roster of visiting artists, curators, and scholars to participate in the MFA Summer Intensive in Portland Maine. In addition to critiques and studio visits with graduate candidates, visiting artists deliver a talk that is free and open to the public.

Media Sponsor

"BOMB Magazine has been publishing conversations between artists of all disciplines since 1981. BOMB’s founders—New York City based artists and writers—created BOMB because they saw a disparity between the way artists talked about their work among themselves and the way critics described it."

Transfer Day at MECA&D
2019-05-31 13:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Maine College of Art & Design, 522 Congress Street, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Transfer Day at Maine College of Art & Design
Friday, May 31, 2019
1–4pm
Thinking about transferring to Maine College of Art & Design? Our Transfer Day is designed to show you what MECA&D has to offer to students with previous college experience. You can even get a transfer evaluation done while you're on campus to see where your credits fall in our graduation plan!
Over the course of the afternoon, you can:
+ Take a tour of our studios and res halls
+ Learn how a MECA&D education will prepare you for a career in the arts
+ Get your admissions, financial aid, and credit transfer questions answered
+ Understand how your credits will transfer into MECA&D
+ Explore the vibrant art scene in downtown Portland, Maine
+ Receive an admissions decision on the spot!*
*In order to offer a decision, students must submit their application, essay, and recommendations at least a week in advance of the Transfer Day AND must either submit transcripts and portfolio in advance as well or bring official transcripts and portfolio to MECA&D for review.

RSVP: Transfer Day

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Phone*College/University Transferring From:* Which Transfer Day would you like to attend?Friday, May 31, 2019: 1–4pmWhat program and year are you interested in attending?*BFA, starting Fall 2019BFA, starting Spring 2020BFA, starting Fall 2020Other/UnsureWould you like a Portfolio Review and/or Transcript Evaluation while on campus?

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Virtual Portfolio Day
2019-05-31 08:00 - 17:00 (America/Halifax) | Online
Join Maine College of Art & Design for a Virtual Portfolio Day on May 31, 2019 from 8am–5pm!
This event is free and open to anyone interested in pursuing undergraduate studies. You'll be able to get feedback on your art portfolio, whether it's complete or still in progress. And if you're applying for admission for Fall 2019, you can use this review to complete the portfolio requirement for application to MECA&D.
To participate, register online here.
Please note: this event is online. Our Admissions Counselors will be happy to chat with you virtually! This event is recommended for transfer students, high school seniors looking to enter MECA&D in Fall 2019, as well as current juniors and sophomores in high school.

Art in Exodus
2019-05-30 - 2019-06-20 | Porteous Building, Maine College of Art & Design, 522 Congress Street, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Art in Exodus is a mentoring and exhibition project through which refugee artists and Mainers from underrepresented populations share their art and culture.
Maine College of Art & Design presents Art in Exodus, a mentoring and exhibition project through which immigrant artists and Mainers from underrepresented populations share their art and culture.
The third Art in Exodus exhibition takes place in MECA&D’s flagship Porteous Building from May 30–June 20, 2019. Art in Exodus began in recognition of World Refugee Day, which takes place every year on June 20 and features a variety of celebrations.
Art in Exodus features eight artists; an opening reception will be held on June 6, 2019 from 5-8pm. The exhibit will also be open for the June 7 First Friday Artwalk from 5-8pm at which work by the artists will be for sale in the Porteous lobby.
This year’s artists include Liz Rhaney MFA '20 from Savannah, Georgia (multimedia); Caroline and Papa Mendy from Senegal (recycled wood designs); Amber Shahzad from Pakistan (painting); Jordan Carey ’19 from Bermuda (textiles); Shannon Infantes ’21, originally from Peru (photography); Sabina Najafova from Azerbaijan (painting, installation); and Hadithi Abdulle from Somalia (music). The various components of this event encourage underrepresented artists to share their art in a venue rooted in the center of the Arts District, gain confidence in their work, and build lasting connections with MECA&D and the greater Portland and Maine communities.
Amber Shahzad says, “I have been painting since childhood but the thirst of learning still remains. I want to be a skillful artist who could capture and perceive what an eye could see, a mind could imagine, and beyond imagination! I am searching for the light inside the human spirit which gives us faith and strength through my work. Whenever I paint I feel the urge to learn more. The vast ocean of knowledge stands in front of me and I am just waiting to jump in!”
Sabina Najafova who graduated from Azerbaijan State Academy of Art with a degree in applied arts, folk art & ceramics, says, “I want to invite my love for life, for nature, my love for my home country of Azerbaijan, which I love unconditionally, in this work. Azerbaijan is rich with natural resources and beauties, such as oil, gas, minerals, the Caspian Sea and Caucasus Mountains. When I look at the material, I know what to create from it, but fantasies come in the process. The day I came here I thought about MECA&D and how I could be involved, and now I am part of MECA&D. Here, I have free artistic expression. I have been building my network, making new work, and experimenting. I am learning about contemporary art and how to share my experiences with people.”
Recent MECA&D graduate Jordan Carey ’19, who majored in Textile & Fashion Design, says, “I always wanted to be an artist but found little to no opportunities for me in Bermuda. My father is American and through him I was able to come to the United States and pursue an art education. Feeling unfulfilled in my country of origin and unrepresented in my new home I struggle to find a fulfilling identity. In my work, I play with the contrasting voices of the Caribbean and the Celtic Isles that I see as polar voices blurred together within me.”
This project reflects MECA&D’s historic and ongoing interests in diversity, community, and public engagement and supports the College’s mission to “educate artists for life.” There is strong value in inviting artists of color and members of underrepresented communities to exhibit at one of Portland’s premier art spaces, where artists can gain greater visibility, interact within a central core of the Maine/Portland art community, and further their professional development skills.
The exhibition initially started as a way to recognize World Refugee Day, a global celebration that is held annually to honor the courage and struggles of the more than 15 million people worldwide displaced by war and persecution. Each year, Maine welcomes refugees from war-torn countries and helps them to rebuild their lives in safety. Since 2002, Maine has resettled more than 4,000 refugees from 24 countries.
This project is funded in part by a generous gift from the Moser Family Foundation, with in-kind support from Maine College of Art & Design and the participating artists.
Contacts
Leah Igo, Director of Marketing & Communications
207.699.5010 or ligo@meca.edu
Kelly McConnell, MAT Professor and Director of Art Education Outreach
207.699.5042 or kmcconnell@meca.edu

Header: Artwork by Sabina Najafova (cropped)

International Painting Retreat on the French Riviera
2019-05-15 - 2019-05-22

MECA&Dmorphosis 2019
2019-05-03 17:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Maine College of Art & Design, 522 Congress Street, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Save the Date!
This year, the MECA&Dmorphosis Spring Gala will take place on Friday, May 3, 2019. Attendees will be able to see both the Runway Fashion Show and the BFA Thesis Exhibit.

The Fashion Show has SOLD OUT and tickets are no longer available. To be added to a wait list in the event of cancellations, please contact Abby Peck at 207.699.5012 or apeck@meca.edu.
Friday, May 3, 2019
The event will coincide with the First Friday Artwalk.
For sponsorship levels or more information, contact Abby Peck, Director of Institutional Giving & Special Events, at apeck@meca.edu or 207.699.5012.

IN MOTION: Salt Spring ’19 Film Exhibition
2019-05-02 17:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | Osher Hall, Maine College of Art & Design, 2nd Floor, 522 Congress St., Portland, ME, 04101, United States
IN MOTION features work by the members of Salt’s Spring 2019 class. The film showcase is this Thursday, May 2, from 5–6pm at Maine College of Art & Design. Free and open to the public. RSVP here.
Over the past semester, our storytellers honed their skills while seeking out the narratives of people in Maine and beyond: from the shores of Rockland and Harpswell, to the inland towns of Wilton and Brookfield, VT, to the southern reaches of Kennebunk and Portland, to Indian Township and Bradbury Mountain State Park. Their collective body of work demonstrates a respect for the stories of those they met along the way.
Please join us for this final exhibition.
Featured Storytellers

Christian Buckler
Lynnea Domienik
Jake Homovich
Taya Jae
Halle Johns
Jaime Kaiser
Ali Lemer
Rachael London
Carlye Meisburger
Lauro Minaya
Adreanna Rodriguez
Brooke Saias
Shelby Saucier
Erin Slomski-Pritz
Zach St. Louis
Emily Vaughn

Artwork in header: Shelby Saucier

Panel Discussion & Community Conversation: Visual Tensions
2019-04-18 18:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | Institute of Contemporary Art at Maine College of Art & Design, first floor
Visual Tensions Panel Discussion & Community Conversation
Please join us in the ICA for a public panel discussion and community conversation in conjunction with the exhibition Visual Tensions from artist Séan Alonzo Harris. The artist will be joined by a panel of project participants: Sophia Namara, Chanel Lewis, and Kelly Gorham.

About the Panel
Sophia Namara / Photo by Séan Alonzo Harris
Sophia Namara is an arts administrator living and working in Portland, ME. After graduating from Bowdoin College, she joined Portland’s art community as the manager of PhoPa Gallery, an exhibition space dedicated to showcasing photography and works on paper from Maine-based artists. At Phopa, Sophia curated and organized exhibitions, designed promotional content, and built a strong network of artists, makers, and curators in Southern Maine. After PhoPa closed its doors in 2018, Namara joined the Portland Museum of Art as the Communications Manager, where she now spearheads projects in marketing, design, advertising and PR for the museum. Namara’s passion for art and curation was ignited by the Visual Arts and Art History programs at Bowdoin and nurtured by the thriving art community of the city she now calls home.

Chanel Lewis / Photo by Séan Alonzo Harris
Chanel Lewis believes in the power of listening, learning, dialogue, and action as tools for change. Her work and passion is fueled by a desire to live in a society and community where everyone is included and has equitable access to empathy, compassion, understanding, and respect. Chanel, like many in her generation, has a 9-to-5, juggles multiple projects, engages her community, and somehow manages to make friends as an adult. Ultimately, Chanel is enthused and energized by people, community, communication, and culture.
Chanel is an Employer Relationship Manager at the University of Southern Maine’s Career & Employment Hub. In this role, she facilitates engagement opportunities with organizations to provide equitable access for students in hiring, experiential learning opportunities, and professional connections. As a member of her community, Chanel created an initiative called A Seat at the Table, serves as a board member for the Portland Parks Conservancy, and previously lended her perspective as a member of the City of Portland’s Office of Economic Opportunity advisory council.
Chanel lives in Westbrook, Maine with her spouse and local musician, Just Plain Jones. She is an amateur photographer, avid cook, and organizational development nerd. A lifelong fan of Harry Potter, Chanel believes in the power of friendship, community, and love. In particular, how those three values work together to make our communities stronger, full of compassion, empathetic, respectful, and full of joy.

Kelly Gorham / Photo by Séan Alonzo Harris
Detective Kelly Gorham has been a member of the Portland Police Department since 2002.

Séan Alonzo Harris’ work as an editorial, commercial and fine art photographer concentrating on narrative and environmental portraiture. Over the past 25 years, Sean’s work is in a range of national publications, advertising campaigns, and exhibitions. In these varied contexts, Sean’s work focuses on human experience, identity, and challenging stereotypes. Sean’s images bear witness to often invisible or overlooked members of our communities, and creates portraits that provide a counter image and narrative of self-worth and personal agency. The Visual Tensions project aligns with the goals and vision of Séan Alonzo Harris’ current practice and with past collaborative photo projects.
His work has been published in Atlantic Magazine, Paris Review, Boston Magazine, Down East, Portland Magazine, Maine Home and Design, Photo District News Rising Star feature, Maine Magazine, Harvard University Magazine, Ralph Lauren magazine, Mother Jones, Adweek, Consumer Reports, Teaching Tolerance, and USA Today. He has received several awards and grants for his work including: Kindling Fund grant from the Warhol Foundation, Good Idea Grant and Arts in the Capital Program, from the Maine Arts Commission, the Broderson Bronze Award, and the VanDerZee Black Heritage Award, from the University of Lowell. Most recently Séan’s work was featured in International Regional Magazine Awards, Silver Award Arts and Culture, Portrait Photography 2015 and One Eyeland, Best of the Best Photographers 2016.

About the Project
Visual Tensions is a collaborative photographic project and community dialogue that pairs people of color with members of law enforcement. African American photographer Séan Alonzo Harris worked with local residents and officers from the City of Portland, Maine Police Department to create photographic portraits as a means to confront and question cultural and racial assumptions, stereotypes and fears.
After individual photographs were complete, the artist placed the images within a diptych composition and positioned the portrait subjects to face each other to create a heightened moment of recognition and tension. While the placement of the subjects and scale of the images capture a powerful visual tension, the individuals also appear to be looking just past each other. This moment of disconnection reflects the rupture and breaches within our communities locally and nationally.
The project provides a platform to examine the relationship between people of color and law enforcement, to provoke dialogue about injustice and implicit bias, and make space to engage these critical issues creatively. In addition to creating the photographic portraits, the artist interviewed project participants and asked about their personal experiences with racism, law enforcement, their sense of belonging or not belonging in their community and their interactions with people across difference.
This project is supported in part by The Kindling Fund, SPACE Gallery grant program.

Header Image: Séan Alonzo Harris, Anthony and Mwiza, 2019 (cropped)

Film Screening: Urban & Suburban Meadows
2019-04-16 18:00 - 19:30 (America/New_York) | Osher Hall, Maine College of Art & Design, 2nd Floor, 522 Congress St., Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Urban & Suburban Meadows: Bringing Meadowscaping to Big and Small Spaces by author and photographer Catherine Zimmerman brings into focus the amazing diversity of life that inhabits meadows as an alternative to lawns.
60 Minute Film Followed by Q & A
$5 Suggested Donation: FREE for students. Osher Lecture Hall at MECA&D, 2nd Floor.
For more info, contact portlandpollinators@gmail.com or 207-332-0253.
Sponsored by Wild Seed Project, Portland Pollinator Partnership, and Maine College of Art & Design.
