Maine College of Art & Design

Last updated
Maine College of Art & Design
MECA Front.JPG
The Porteous Building, a 1904 beaux arts style building.
Former name
  • Maine College of Art
  • Portland School of Art
Type Private art school
Established1882;142 years ago (1882)
Accreditation NECHE
Academic affiliation
AICAD
Endowment $15.4 million (2021) [1]
President Laura Freid [2]
Academic staff
26 Full-time
65 Part-time [3]
Administrative staff
84
Students511 [4]
Undergraduates 458
Postgraduates 53
Address, , ,
United States

43°39′20″N70°15′39″W / 43.655670°N 70.260730°W / 43.655670; -70.260730
CampusUrban
Website meca.edu
Maine College of Art & Design logo.png

Maine College of Art & Design (MECA&D) is a private art school in Portland, Maine. Founded in 1882, Maine College of Art & Design is the oldest arts educational institution in Maine. Roughly 32% of MECA&D students are from Maine. [4] The college is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. [5] In August 2021, the instititution formerly named Maine College of Art changed its name to Maine College of Art & Design to reflect the school's emphasis on design. [6]

Contents

Campus

Maine College of Art & Design’s central academic building resides on Congress Street. This building, the Porteous Building, was renovated in the late 1990s to suit the school’s needs. [7] With 125,000 square feet (11,600 m2) of space, this former department store is now a six-floor vertical campus. The school also has space in 380 Cumberland on Cumberland Avenue, including drawing studios, academic classrooms, and MFA studios.

Organization and administration

MECA&D is a member of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD), [3] a consortium of thirty-six art schools in the United States.

Academics

MECA&D offers Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art (MFA), and Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degrees. MECA&D acquired the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies in 2016. [8] It offers the a Graduate Certificate in Documentary Studies and continuing studies programs.

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References

  1. "Maine College of Art". IPEDS Data Center. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
  2. "Office of the President". Maine College of Art. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  3. 1 2 "Mane College of Art". AICAD. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  4. 1 2 "By the #'s". Maine College of Art. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  5. "Maine College of Art". NECHE. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
  6. Bousquet, Carol (24 August 2021). "Maine College Of Art Announces Name Change And Planned Expansion". Maine Public.
  7. "Porteous Building". Greater Portland Landmarks. Retrieved 2017-01-19.
  8. "Maine College of Art Announces Acquisition of Salt Institute of Documentary Studies". Maine College of Art. Retrieved 2020-03-29.

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