Maine College of Art & Design

Maine College of Art & Design The College has transformed a former department store into the main campus building with vibrant classrooms and studios that are open 24/7.

Through our 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio, access to state-of-the-art facilities, 24-hour-a-day studio access, and our central location in Portland’s creative community, this is the right-sized city and right-sized school to make your mark. Located in the heart of the Portland Arts District, Maine College of Art offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts, a Master of Fine Arts in Studio Arts, Master of Arts i

n Teaching, Salt Graduate Certificate in Documentary Studies, as well as Continuing Studies for adults and youths, including a Pre-College intensive for high school students. Also located in the Porteous Building, the Institute of Contemporary Art at MECA serves a critical regional role in its commitment to presenting contemporary, provocative work by living artists from Maine and around the globe. The Joanne Waxman Library is one of the largest independent libraries in Northern New England and a major resource for the region. At MECA, undergraduate students spend the first year developing a foundation and the second year exploring a variety of media. At the start of junior year, students declare a major and spend the next two years working within their discipline. MECA offers 11 majors in the BFA program: Ceramics, Digital Media, Graphic Design, Illustration, Metalsmithing & Jewelry, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture, Textile & Fashion Design, and Woodworking & Furniture Design. The College provides individual studios to all juniors and seniors. MECA is part of a five-college alliance that allows students to access classes and resources in the surrounding area.

Even though it's only September, we're already thinking about the annual MECA&D Holiday Sale, as vendor applications are...
09/03/2026

Even though it's only September, we're already thinking about the annual MECA&D Holiday Sale, as vendor applications are now open! MECA&D students, alumni, faculty, and staff are invited to apply to be vendors and sell their work at this beloved annual event, which welcomes the greater Portland community to our Porteous Building to shop local, support artists, and discover beautiful and unique holiday gifts.

Applications are due by October 13. The sale will be held on Friday, December 4, and Saturday, December 5, in MECA&D’s historic Porteous Building.

❄️ Learn more and submit your application here: https://meca.edu/holiday-sale/

Students in our Master of Arts in Teaching program recently visited Colby College's Island Campus, where they engaged wi...
09/02/2026

Students in our Master of Arts in Teaching program recently visited Colby College's Island Campus, where they engaged with the artistic legacies of Andrew and Betsy Wyeth, touring their former summer home and experiencing the landscape that inspired many of Andrew Wyeth's works. Experiences like this help our MAT Teacher Candidates understand how museums, cultural institutions, artists, and community partners can serve as meaningful extensions of the K–12 art classroom.

A very special thank you to Abigail Newkirk and the Colby Museum of Art for making this extraordinary experience possible for our MAT cohort!

Join us this First Friday, September 4, from 5:00-8:00 pm at the 49 Oak Gallery for the first student exhibition of the ...
09/01/2026

Join us this First Friday, September 4, from 5:00-8:00 pm at the 49 Oak Gallery for the first student exhibition of the year featuring work by Lilah Grove '28 and Charlie Selders '27. Super Powers / Magic Tricks re-evaluates the everyday, finding play and tenderness in what is taken for granted; observations born of a lust for life.

Learn more about the show: https://meca.edu/event/6e470c2/

08/31/2026

What advice would our Staff and Faculty give to first-year art and design students? Here's your chance to find out! From seeing art at the , to taking advantage of all the opportunities MECA&D has to offer, like 24/7 studio access, there are so many ways to make the most of your time in art & design school!

Welcome to the Class of 2030 and our amazing transfer students! We couldn’t be more excited for you to join the MECA&D c...
08/28/2026

Welcome to the Class of 2030 and our amazing transfer students! We couldn’t be more excited for you to join the MECA&D community, and we can’t wait to watch you grow and create. ✨

Thank you to , the OLs, RAs, faculty, and staff who make move-in successful year after year!

Enjoy your first weekend in Portland!

08/27/2026

Meet some of our new first-year students who moved in today! We asked them what their favorite thing they packed for college was. Here are their answers and some of their favorite things 🐈 🦈 🪴 🍫

It's almost time! Tomorrow we welcome a brand-new group of first-years to campus; they'll move into their new homes, mee...
08/27/2026

It's almost time! Tomorrow we welcome a brand-new group of first-years to campus; they'll move into their new homes, meet their dormmates, and get to know the place where they'll spend the next four years learning, making, connecting, and preparing for a professional career in art and design.

We're so excited to welcome you and your support systems to campus in beautiful Portland, Maine! 🌅

08/26/2026

The countdown is on! T-minus 24 hours until we welcome our incoming class of BFA students to campus. We can't wait for our studios and hallways to be filled with our amazing students and their brilliant work! 🎨

"In recent years, neuroscientists and researchers have highlighted what many people have experienced for centuries: art,...
08/25/2026

"In recent years, neuroscientists and researchers have highlighted what many people have experienced for centuries: art, in its many forms, has a remarkable capacity to heal."

In the most recent issue of & Magazine, the article titled "The Power of the Arts to Heal" explores the benefits of making while examining the real-world effects our Online Graduate Certificate in Expressive Arts Therapy has had on our students.

Read the article: https://meca.edu/about/the-power-of-the-arts-to-heal/

Summer's not quite over, but we're looking ahead to a Fall full of  classes! Learn to repair and update your clothing in...
08/21/2026

Summer's not quite over, but we're looking ahead to a Fall full of classes! Learn to repair and update your clothing in a mending workshop, or explore color theory and how it can benefit your painting practice.

Save your spot in our Fall classes before they're full via the link in bio.

Address

522 Congress Street
Portland, ME
04101

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 8pm
Tuesday 8am - 8pm
Wednesday 8am - 8pm
Thursday 8am - 8pm
Friday 8am - 8pm
Saturday 12pm - 5pm
Sunday 12pm - 5pm

Telephone

+18006394808

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