School Description
Provided by Maine College of ArtMaine College of Art is a dynamic college of art and design where nationally recognized faculty, interdisciplinary programs, and state-of-the-art facilities create an educational experience that gives fresh vision to Maine's extraordinary legacy in the visual arts. Founded in 1882 and fully accredited, MECA educates artists at all stages of their creative careers, offering both the Bachelor and Master of Fine Arts degrees as well as a wide range of professional institutes and continuing studies classes for individuals of all ages.
The College gallery, the Institute of Contemporary Art at MECA, has been hailed as one of the finest art spaces in the Northeast for the exhibition of leading edge contemporary art.
Maine College of Art delivers a demanding and enlivening education in visual art and design within an intimate learning community. We teach each student how to transform aspirations and values into a creative practice that serves as the foundation for a lifelong pursuit of personal and professional goals.
Maine College of Art
From Wikipedia, The Free EncyclopediaThe Maine College of Art (MECA) is a fully accredited, degree-granting art college in the city of Portland, Maine. It should not be confused with the Art Institute of Portland which is located in Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1882, the Maine College of Art is the oldest arts educational institution in Maine. In addition to offering Bachelor, Post-Baccalaureate in Art Education and Master of Fine Arts degrees, the school has a continuing studies program for adults and high school students. MECA is a member of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD), a consortium of thirty-six leading art schools in the United States. MECA is located in the heart of Portland and educates artists at all stages of their creative careers.
Impact on Portland
Maine College of Art's renovation of the landmark Porteous Building at the center of Portland's Arts District has been a major catalyst for downtown revitalization and has received national attention as a model of urban renewal. New classrooms and studios feature panoramic views of Casco Bay. The annual influx of new students has risen between 1998 and 2005 and the college has become the largest employer of visual artists in the state.
Mission and Values
Maine College of Art educates artists and designers to think critically and to create. It is a small, student-oriented community led by artist educators. The baccalaureate and graduate degree curricula, together with a continuing studies program are conceived for students of all ages and stages of creative development.
In an ever-changing world which is transformed by technologies, communities and cultures, the Maine College of Art believes that the best education is found where students can do the following:
- shape their own educational experiences;
- live and learn in a nurturing and diverse environment;
- learn the fundamentals of art, design and critical thinking across multiple disciplines and emerging art forms;
- excel when challenged by working artists, designers and scholars who teach at all levels of the curriculum;
- explore individual visions and define their own creative voices;
- experience classroom teaching integrated with experiential learning;
- connect to communities, professions and issues of the times.
Quick Facts
- Location:
- Northeast
- Setting:
- Large Town Setting
- Type:
- Private
- Size:
- Small (Under 2,000 Undergrad)
Students & Campus Life
- Undergraduate Enrollment:
- 447
- On Campus Housing:
- Available
- Full Time Students:
- 99%
- Athletic Programs:
- Unavailable
Degree Programs at Maine College of Art
Bachelor's Level Programs
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Arts & Humanities
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Visual Arts
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Visual Arts
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Ceramic Arts and Ceramics
Students of Ceramics learn to creatively and technically to express emotions, ideas, or inner visions through ceramic artwork. Students learn handbuilt and wheelthrown techniques; molding; slips and glazes; trimming and decorating; firing and kiln operation; oxidation; mixed media; ceramic murals; and personal style development.See more schools with programs in Ceramic Arts and Ceramics
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Fine Arts and Art Studies
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Metal and Jewelry Arts
A program that prepares individuals creatively and technically to express emotions, ideas, or inner visions by fashioning art works from gems, other stones, and precious metals. Includes instruction in gemology; metalsmithing and finishing; stone cutting and polishing; metal and non-metal casting and molding; electroforming; metal coloring; enameling; photo etching; lapidary technique and art; design concepts; and personal style development.See more schools with programs in Metal and Jewelry Arts
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Painting
A program that prepares individuals creatively and technically to express emotions, ideas, or inner visions by the application of paints and related chemical color substances to canvases or other materials. Includes instruction in color and color mixing; surface preparation; composition; oil and acrylic media; watercolor media; painting techniques; and personal style development.See more schools with programs in Painting
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Printmaking
A program that prepares individuals creatively and technically to express emotions, ideas, or inner visions by rendering art concepts onto surfaces and transferring images, via ink or dyes, onto paper or fabric. Includes instruction in monochrome and color printing; tonality; chemistry; equipment set-up and maintenance; techniques such as serigraphy, lithography, intaglio, woodcut, block, stencil, relief, etching, and composite; and personal style development.See more schools with programs in Printmaking
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Sculpture
A program that prepares individuals creatively and technically to express emotions, ideas, or inner visions by creating three-dimensional art works. Includes instruction in the analysis of form in space; round and relief concepts; sculptural composition; modern and experimental methods; different media such as clay, plaster, wood, stone, and metal; techniques such as carving, molding, welding, casting, and modeling; and personal style development.See more schools with programs in Sculpture
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Ceramic Arts and Ceramics
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Visual Arts
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Visual Arts
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Communication & Media
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Design & Visual Communications
A program in the applied visual arts that focuses on the general principles and techniques for effectively communicating ideas and information, and packaging products, in digital and other formats to business and consumer audiences, and that may prepare individuals in any of the applied art media.See more schools with programs in Design & Visual Communications
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Graphic Design
A program that prepares individuals to apply artistic and computer techniques to the interpretation of technical and commercial concepts. Includes instruction in computer-assisted art and design, printmaking, concepts sketching, technical drawing, color theory, imaging, studio technique, still and life modeling, communication skills and commercial art business operations.See more schools with programs in Graphic Design
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Photography
A program that focuses on the principles and techniques of communicating information, ideas, moods, and feelings through the creation of images on photographic film, plates, digital images and that may prepare individuals to be professional photographic artists. Includes instruction in camera and equipment operation and maintenance, film and plate developing, light and composition, films and printing media, color and special effects, photographic art, photographic history, use of computer applications to record or enhance images and applications to the photography of various subjects.See more schools with programs in Photography
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Design & Visual Communications
Master's Level Programs
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Arts & Humanities
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Visual Arts
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Visual Arts
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Fine/Studio Arts
A program that prepares individuals to generally function as creative artists in the visual and plastic media. Includes instruction in the traditional fine arts media (drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, CAD/CAM) and/or modern media (ceramics, textiles, intermedia, photography, digital images); theory of art; color theory; composition and perspective; anatomy; the techniques and procedures for maintaining equipment and managing a studio; and art portfolio marketing.See more schools with programs in Fine/Studio Arts
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Fine/Studio Arts
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Visual Arts
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Visual Arts
Students
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| Percent of Students International: | 2% |
Housing
| On-Campus Housing Available: | Yes |
| Percent of Students Living On-Campus: | 37% |
| Freshman Students Required to Live on Campus: | No |
| Tuition & Fees (undergraduate) | Expenses | ||
Published Tuition and Fees: |
$ 23,883 | ||
Average Tuition for Full-Time Undergrads: |
$ 23,380 | ||
Required Fees for Full-Time Undergrads: |
$ 503 | ||
| Financial Aid | Avg. Amount Received | % of Students Receiving Aid | |
Federal Grants: |
$ 4,246 | 31% | |
State and Local Grants: |
$ 898 | 18% | |
Institutional Grants: |
$ 6,261 | 100% | |
Student Loans: |
$ 4,282 | 66% | |
Any Aid: |
100% |
Selectivity (Undergraduate Only)
| Acceptance Rate: | 69% (Selective) |
| Test Scores | |
| SAT Scores: | |
| % of Students Submitting SAT Scores: | 93% |
| Bottom 25th Percentile: | Verbal: 480, Math: 450 |
| Top 75th Percentile: | Verbal: 590, Math: 570 |
| ACT Scores: | |
| % of Students Submitting ACT Scores: | 3% |
| Bottom 25th Percentile: | Composite: 17, Verbal: 18, Math: 16 |
| Top 75th Percentile: | Composite: 20, Verbal: 29, Math: 26 |
Application Requirements (Undergraduate Only)
| Application Fee: | $ 40.00 |
| Formal Demonstration of Competencies: | Required |
| High School Diploma or Equivalent: | Not Required |
| High School GPA: | Recommended |
| High School Rank: | Recommended |
| High School Record: | Required |
| Recommendations: | Required |
| TOEFL: | Required |
| Test Scores: | Required |
College Advice
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Question: Maine College of Art?Is Maine College of Art (M.E.C.A) hard to get into? Is it a good art college?15 months ago
Best AnswerIm a first year student at MECA right now and I would say that it is not "hard" to get into like RISD, which is an "elite" art school, however it is a very good art school, and they do look at everything they ask for in the application so make sure it is complete. They are a very diverse school and dont have a specific mold they want the students to fit like RISD does. Just give you best effort and you will get in. I love the school and I would rank it up there with MassArt (also a very good art school), and is very less traditional than RISD, which I also absolutely love. |
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Question: how good is Maine College of Art compared with other art schools?just wondering where MECA is placed on the list of best art schools in the nation.35 months ago
Best AnswerIt is not among the elite art schools, but it is a significant step up from schools like the "Art Institute" chain of proprietary colleges. Maine is reputable. Not a bad art school at all, but there are stronger in New England. In New England, I'd place it above Montserrat College of Art, perhaps slightly below Mass Art, and well below RISD. RISD, of course, is one of the elite. What other schools are you considering? |
