Printmaking

Make spectacular art that blends cutting-edge technology with centuries-old printmaking techniques. Grow your technical skills, develop your formal and material sensibilities, and study the history of print as a fine art form, a vehicle for vernacular culture, social dissent, and cultural identity.

Printmaking majors at MECA&D master a physical process that demands patience, skill, and limitless experimentation. You’ll work with a wide range of materials, methods and alternative forms of print including installation, digital fabrication, fine art editions,collaborative projects, public art, and entrepreneurial endeavors.

As a Printmaking major you’ll have the opportunity to work with screen printing, relief printing, lithography, etching, and photo and digital print processes. Graduate with a strong professional foundation and the confidence to convert your passion for printmaking into a life long creative practice and a broad range of career pathways.

Video Artist Attribution

Anthony Zambrana '15
Sara Inacio '17
Marisa D'Andrea '17

Megan Taitano '16
Ashley Hall '16
Sophie Cangelosi '16

Spotlight

Faculty
Alumni
Student

James Sylvester '18
MECA and Portland's community is ever inspiring to live within; it's a city filled with artists, small . . .”
I’ve loved to make art as long as I came remember. Mostly drawing. I came to MECA&D after graduating high school, and growing up with fantastically creative friends who helped […]Read More
Debra Bickford '79
Debra Bickford (Printmaking ’79) was honored on April 8, 2017 for winning the "Maine Art Education . . .”
Debra Bickford (Printmaking ’79) was honored on April 8, 2017 for winning the "Maine Art Education Association [MAEA] Art Educator of the Year" award. The award was presented by Suzanne […]Read More
Carter Shappy '15
Our goal is to shed local light on the cutting-edge and incredibly important research that Bigelow has been . . .”
Printmaking alum Carter Shappy Printmaking '15 is the Artist-in-Residence at Bigelow Lab. After graduation, Carter wanted to expand his practice to incorporate a science component; MECA&D connected him with Bigelow Laboratory […]Read More
Sarah Milkowski-Dahlgren '17
Public Engagement Fellow Sarah Milkowski-Dahlgren '17 has been selected to receive the Maine Campus Compact . . .”
Public Engagement Fellow Sarah Milkowski-Dahlgren '17 has been selected to receive the Maine Campus Compact Student Heart and Soul Award at their 15th annual awards ceremony, hosted at the Hall […]Read More
Sara Inacio '17
MECA has played a major role in shaping me as an artist. ”
In 2015, Sara Inacio was awarded a Professional Development and Entrepreneurship Grant, which helps BFA, MFA, and MAT students to advance their studio and professional skills by accessing opportunities and […]Read More
Edwige Charlot '10
In my eyes, artists from the beginning of time have been thought of as leaders and activists. ”
Born and raised in Paris, France of Haitian heritage, Edwige Charlot emigrated to the United States at the age of 9. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in printmaking […]Read More
Adriane Herman's exhibit features bales of compressed recyclables.
'Out of Sorts' is about how and why we recycle in our physical and emotional landscapes, and asks viewers to . . .”
Adriene Herman, an interdisciplinary artist from Cape Elizabeth who is a professor of the MFA i n Studio Art and Printmaking at Maine College of Art & Design, began spending time at the landfill, and grew ever more curious about the parade of people who drove up in their cars and trucks and unloaded piles of trash, debris and personal . . .Read More
Elizabeth A. Jabar, Former Director of Public Engagement
Elizabeth A. Jabar wrote “If You Want Creative Solutions, Start with Creative Partnerships” for Maine . . .”
Elizabeth A. Jabar wrote “If You Want Creative Solutions, Start with Creative Partnerships” for Maine Audubon's Habitat Winter 2018 issue. Read the entirety of her article here via PDF. Elizabeth serves as […]Read More
Former Faculty Elizabeth Jabar & Colleen Kinsella
Utilizing collaborative artmaking as a tool for equity, social justice and public action.”
Two former faculty members, Elizabeth Jabar, Assistant Dean, Director of Public Engagement & Program Chair of Printmaking, and Colleen Kinsella, Printmaking Instructor & Printmaking Studio Technician, recently were interviewed for […]Read More
MFA Faculty Adriane Herman
'To do' lists highlight the ever-evolving line between wants and needs.”
What differentiates MECA&D from your own college and grad school experience? MECA&D’s intimate scale facilitates symbiotic flow between faculty and students. Of course, significant connections evolve at all schools. However, […]Read More
Bennett Morris MFA '07
How does the quote, 'Who will guard the guardians?' relate to your work, if at all? It raises questions about . . .”
How does the quote, 'Who will guard the guardians?' relate to your work, if at all? It raises questions about our intentions around autonomous machines and how much we intend […]Read More
Michel Droge MFA '10
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Printmaking Michel Droge and students in her FY-In class, Climate Change and . . .”
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Printmaking Michel Droge and students in her FY-In class, Climate Change and Maine Island Communities, partnered with The Island Institute to study climate change and its impact […]Read More

Formal
Students exploit the print matrix in purposeful experimentation of variation, permutation, and theme and explore the impact of series, sequence and multiples on visual imagery.

Students use print as a means to rethink and expand drawing practices and question formal habits or preconceptions about making images.

Students learn matrix development using a range of materials and media, and understand the capabilities of them in terms of surface, texture, depth, and graphic range.

Students have a general understanding, across all techniques, of the principles of layering, transparency, color separation and integration (clear grasp of optical and physical mixing of inks).

Students are versatile in integrating fabricated (hand-drawn) imagery with sampled (photo/digital) imagery with high degree of visual coherence and material integrity.
Technical
Students gain technical proficiency in a broad range of print techniques including, but not limited to, relief, intaglio, monoprint, screenprint, book arts, stone and positive plate lithography, digital print, and alternative/experimental processes, including, paper plate lithography, photo transfers, pronto plates, solar plates, cyanotype and CNC technologies.

Students acquire understanding and technical mastery of editioning (ability to generate a series of hand pulled prints from multiple matrices) as a professional, creative, and collaborative practice.

Students develop the ability to integrate photo/digital media, either into print-based works or as purely digital output and are facile with current software programs and pre-press processes necessary to integrate sampled imagery.

Students develop the ability to integrate disciplines from outside traditional print into studio practice: examples include drawing/ painting, installation, photo processes, sculpture/casting/3D printing, web-based applications and proficiency in exhibition practices and conventions.
Conceptual
Students develop a basic understanding of print’s history and current relevance, and an understanding of printmakings role within the canon of fine art and as a vehicle for vernacular culture, social dissent, and cultural identity.

Students gain a familiarity with how contemporary artists have exploited the “high-art“ and “low-art” legacy of printmaking and learn to draw conceptual inferences from formal or technical decisions.

Students explore layering as a tool to create visual and conceptual hierarchies within a given piece, come to grasp critical context for sampling and appropriation within a postmodern paradigm, and develop the ability to integrate self-directed research practices into studio work.

Students learn to critically discuss and interpret studio works within the context of historical and contemporary print and to articulate printmaking vocabulary into other disciplines (examples: investigations of multiple form in sculpture and installation, strategies of dissemination or alternative delivery in web-based or graphic design, investigations of the social dimensions of printed matter in public engagement and community based art.)

Students come away with the ability to write clearly about their personal artistic practice and to examine methods of inquiry for art making and research, artistic influences and relationships to historical and contemporary printmaking.
Professional
Students come away with a full grasp of editioning conventions, presentation, and curation of printed works. Examples include designing, organizing, and producing an exhibition of prints for a gallery, collaborative event, or publication.

Students are given the opportunity to work in a variety of collaborative situations and contexts including public and private schools, nonprofit organizations, community programs, and with visiting artists.

Students engage with conventional exhibition practices as well as alternative means of distribution and access to printed imagery (public engagement projects and installations, publications and exchange portfolios, correspondence art, etc.)

Students develop competency with general professional practices: resume preparation, press releases, promotional materials and portfolios, and documentation of work .

FAQs

What are some of the career paths for someone who majors in Printmaking?
Master printer, studio artist, teacher at the K-12 and college level, independent publisher/professional fine art press, organizer/teacher in nonprofit community organizations and education organizations, and graphic design.
How do you prepare your students for the real world?
Students take required the Professional Practices course and prepare a professional artist packet complete with resume, artist statement, and portfolio of images. Students participate in exhibitions, including curating, mounting work, preparing press releases, and design and print promotional materials. Students participate in at least one Public Engagement collaborative project with a local community partner working with students from K-12 schools and/or other art colleges, and nonprofit organizations. Students learn project planning, work with community members in real world settings, and lead community workshops. Many of the printmaking courses are part of the new Public Engagement Minor at the college. The Printmaking Department is a leader in incorporating public engagement projects in the curriculum. Students learn how to write for different professional applications including, project proposals, artist statements, and thesis papers. Students are also skilled at articulating ideas verbally, and participate in rigorous studio critiques with their peers and faculty. Students are also given the opportunity to attend professional conferences in the field, including the Southern Graphics Council, a national conference of professionals and students in the printmaking world. The print department also invites national artists to the college to introduce students to the rich and varied field of printmaking practice and professional opportunities, and provide the students with an expanded network of artists.
What are some examples of what your alums are doing?
Master printer, teacher in K-12, teacher at the college level, graphic design, nonprofit community workshops, community outreach, studio assistant, studio artist, and gallery associate.
What are the prerequisites to major in Printmaking?
Two electives in printmaking, and/or photo, digital, or drawing elective.
What unique skills do your students get?
Formal, technical, conceptually proficient in both traditional and digital printmaking, experience in collaborative work, project planning, public engagement practices, exposure to teaching though partnership work, and collaborative projects.
Will I be able to incorporate other media or interests with my work as a Printmaking major?
Yes! Printmaking is a multi-disciplinary field and incorporates a diversity of materials, methods, and ideas. Students are encouraged to work across disciplines and incorporate ideas from outside the traditional boundaries of printmaking.
What are some of the classes that are offered in your department?
Classes that combines media include Pixels to Ink and the Printmaking Workshop. There are also a full range of traditional technique classes including Relief, Etching, and Lithography.
What are some of the unique aspects of this program?
Integration of Public Engagement curriculum, community partnership work, projects, and exhibitions.
What are the faculty like?
Our faculty includes diverse, active artists in the local and national community; all the faculty use printmaking in very different and dynamic ways. This diversity provides the students with multiple models of printmaking practice and teaching methodology.
What are your facilities like?
Our large, well equipped facilities provides student-access to all traditional and digital print technologies.
What are some examples of internships your students have done in the past?
King Middle School, Cathedral School, Cultivating Multicultural Alliances, Wolfe Editions, Pickwick Press, as well as internships as a studio assistant or a gallery intern.
How many students (juniors and seniors) do you typically have in your major?
14-20

Faculty & Staff

Program

Preparation (1st & 2nd Year)
(2) PR Studio Electives

Junior Year (3rd Year)
Printmaking Majors Studio (PR 301-PR 302), Pixels To Ink (PR 305), Introduction To The Discipline: Printmaking (PR 351), Junior Seminar (SEM 352-3-4), and (1) Approved Studio Elective

Senior Year (4th Year)
Printmaking Majors Studio (PR 401-PR 402), Senior Synthesis (SEM 451-SEM 452), and (2) Approved Studio Electives

Workspace & Tools

Digital Fab Lab equipped with laser engraver and CNC technology
Wood type and Showcard Press for basic letterpress techniques
Facilities and equipment for traditional stone lithography and photo-litho techniques
Intaglio and relief area with three etching presses
Screen print facility with exposure unit and darkroom for photo processes
Two large iron hand presses for relief printing
Digital workstation, software, and scanner for photo print processes
Color and B & W archival digital printing equipment
Etching facilities for copper
Large, spacious studios with incredible natural light overlooking Casco Bay
Non-toxic materials and methods
Strong network of community partners, alumni, and artists for professional development opportunities including internships, exhibitions, and special projects

View Courses

Get Your Hands Dirty.

Create

Spotlight

James Sylvester '18

Debra Bickford '79

Carter Shappy '15

Sarah Milkowski-Dahlgren '17

Sara Inacio '17

Edwige Charlot '10

Adriane Herman's exhibit features bales of compressed recyclables.

Elizabeth A. Jabar, Former Director of Public Engagement

Former Faculty Elizabeth Jabar & Colleen Kinsella

MFA Faculty Adriane Herman

Bennett Morris MFA '07

Michel Droge MFA '10

Outcomes

Formal

Technical

Conceptual

Professional

FAQs

What are some of the career paths for someone who majors in Printmaking?

How do you prepare your students for the real world?

What are some examples of what your alums are doing?

What are the prerequisites to major in Printmaking?

What unique skills do your students get?

Will I be able to incorporate other media or interests with my work as a Printmaking major?

What are some of the classes that are offered in your department?

What are some of the unique aspects of this program?

What are the faculty like?

What are your facilities like?

What are some examples of internships your students have done in the past?

How many students (juniors and seniors) do you typically have in your major?

Faculty & Staff

Adriane Herman

Erin Sweeney '94

Olivia Fredericks

Annika Earley MFA '16

Bennett Morris MFA '07

Pilar Nadal MFA '13

Program

What do our alumni do?

Did you know?