View Fall 2013 - Maine College of Art

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LEADERSHIP TEAM
DONALD TUSKI, PH.D.
President
IAN ANDERSON
Vice President of Academic Affairs
& Dean of the College
winter + spring 2014
BETH ELICKER
Executive Vice President
REBECCA SWANSON CONRAD
Vice President for
Institutional Advancement
PHOTO: STEVE FARMER PHOTOGRAPHY
DAVID BRANSON
Director of Technology
RAFFI DER SIMONIAN
Director of Marketing & Communications
MOLLY HUNT
Executive Assistant
ELIZABETH JABAR
Assistant Dean,
Director of Public Engagement &
Chair of Printmaking Department
LIAM SULLIVAN
Director of Admissions
Published twice a year, the goal of this publication
is to instill institutional pride by informing and
engaging students, alumni, faculty, staff, trustees,
and friends of the MECA community about
exciting developments on campus and around
the world. We encourage you to submit feedback,
news, class notes, and story ideas for consideration
to [email protected].
Charley Young MFA ’14, Shroud, image transfer with ink and pencil crayon, 30" x 22," 2012
JESSICA TOMLINSON
Director of Artists at Work
in perpetuity: of endless duration
FROM VICE PRESIDENT REBECCA SWANSON CONRAD
CONTRIBUTORS
ANNIE WADLEIGH
Assistant Director of Development
JILL DALTON ’99
Associate Director of
Artists at Work &
Director of Alumni Relations
SERENA JOYCE ’15
DESIGN
BETH TAYLOR ’08
Assistant Director of Marketing & Design
PHOTOGRAPHY
GABRIELLA STURCHIO ’12
STRATTON MCCRADY MFA '15
FAITH WANG MFA '15
GRETA RYBUS
AARON FLACKE
ON THE COVER
Charley Young MFA ’14 focuses her work on the
idea of place and site: "I see my art as a bridge
between citizens, environments, and communities."
FULL STORY ON PAGE 19.
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meca.edu
Our Mission
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.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Caron Zand (Chair)
Deborah Spring Reed
(Vice-Chair)
Joan L. Amory
Heidi Bement
Jane G. Briggs
Ronald Buford
Daniel Crewe
Ben Devine
William R. Dill
Deborah H. Dluhy
Annette L. Elowitch
Ralph L. Harding
Judith A. Kane, Ph.D.
Erick Lahme
Alison Leavitt
Paula Crane Lunder
Lynda Means, M.D.
Margaret Crane Morfit
Kenneth M. Nelson
Daniel E. O’Leary
Jac Ouellette ’02
Claudia C. Pachios
Samuel Pierce
Daniel Poteet
Mary L. Schendel
Dorothy Schwartz
Cynthia Thompson
Andres Verzosa ’92
Katharine Watson
Paula Zeitlin
PHOTO: GABRIELLA STURCHIO ’12
DIETLIND VANDER SCHAAF
Development Officer
Founded in 1882, Maine College of Art has
served as an educational leader in fine art
and design for 132 years. In this issue of
MECA magazine you will read about alumni
who are practicing studio artists, educators,
designers, entrepreneurs, social activists,
and community leaders around the globe,
as well as our faculty, whose work is
recognized nationally and internationally.
Often assisted by MECA’s Artists at Work
program, students and alumni secure
internships, residencies, fellowships,
exhibitions and careers from Maine to Berlin,
and from the Arctic Circle to Vietnam.
On a very local level, the College shares a
special relationship with the City of Portland
where our campus is located in the center
of the Arts District, surrounded by galleries,
arts organizations, and artist studios. The
community’s passion for the visual arts helps
support our mission to foster an intimate and
dynamic learning community for our
undergraduate, graduate, and non-degree
students. The generations of artists who have
benefited from a MECA education inspire
and enrich, in perpetuity, the communities
where they live and work.
This issue is also our Annual Report of Giving,
which lists and thanks our donors who
made gifts in the last fiscal year. We are deeply
grateful to each donor; for the increasing
alumni participation that demonstrates to
foundations that those educated at MECA
wish to sustain the mission for current
students; for the parents whose gifts endorse
the quality of their student’s experience;
for the granting agencies who value higher
education and the arts; and for the
friends and leadership of the College who
connect MECA’s success to Maine’s
success. Moreover, it acknowledges those
gifts to the endowment that provide
income of endless duration to the College
for scholarships, library acquisitions,
and special initiatives. MECA’s endowment
is just over five million dollars and we
seek to increase that significantly in the next
five years. Endowment funds provide a
source of ongoing annual support, fulfilling
MECA’s mission for decades to come. And an
endowment creates a lasting legacy for the
donor that reflects support of Maine College
of Art forever. New endowments created
this past fiscal year are noted in the report.
I hope that you enjoy this issue. Thank you,
Rebecca Swanson Conrad
Vice President for Institutional Advancement
MECA MAGAZINE // WINTER 2014
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PAGE 19
FROM ALBERTA
TO THE ARCTIC
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PAGE 7
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contents
ARTISTS AT WORK
FACULTY ACHIEVEMENTS
ALUMNI NEWS
CLASS NOTES
ALUMNI EVENTS +
OPPORTUNITIES
28 ART ED IN ACTION
29 ANNUAL REPORT OF
GIVING
34 CONTINUING STUDIES
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PAGE 14
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FACULTY
PROFILES
01
CREATING
PEACE
THROUGH
PARTNERSHIPS
03
25
MECA’S
GLOBAL
FOOTPRINT
Over the years, Maine College of Art has
become a vital anchor in the local and regional
landscape. In tandem, our global reach
has also grown to exciting proportions. Our
students, faculty, alumni, and other members of
the MECA community have been and continue
to be ambassadors and influencers through
worldwide travel, residencies, exhibitions,
internships, professional development, careers,
and more. In turn, the diverse nature of
our community brings a wealth of cultural
experiences back to Maine.
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In the following pages you will read about
some of the many examples of how MECA’s role
as a leader in arts education continues to
expand, in Portland, in Maine, in New England,
and beyond.
To learn more about our incredible range of
programs, and the people behind them, please
visit meca.edu.
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PHOTO: JILL DALTON ’99
CREATING
PEACE
01
THROUGH
PARTNERSHIPS
ALUMNI PROFILE
C. David Thomas ’68
Asherah Cinnamon ’08
chainsaws saplings from
her property for use in The
Tree Man installation
“In the United
States, the
connotations
about Vietnam
are still associated
with war,”
David said. “But
Vietnam has
changed as much
as MECA has
since 1968. In 1968, the tallest buildings in Hanoi were five or six
stories; now it resembles Manhattan. Businesses have discovered
Vietnam, but appreciation of Vietnamese culture has lagged behind.
The Vietnamese artists were very excited about coming to work with
students here. MECA is a completely different school from when I was
here, but I suspect if I dig under the surface, I will find the emphasis is
still on solid basic training. Between MECA, the School of the Museum
of Fine Arts in Boston, and Rhode Island School of Design, I feel that
the best training I got was here at MECA. It was very personal, with
six to eight students in a class. With this collaboration, I feel as if I’ve
come full circle.” ● BY ANNIE WADLEIGH
The Tree Man installation in
MECA’s Green Space
meca.edu
The nonprofit IAP, which recently celebrated its 25th anniversary,
was the first major cultural exchange between the United States and
Vietnam since the Vietnam War. David was drafted in 1968 and
served in South Vietnam as a combat engineer and artist. He has
returned to Vietnam more than 30 times since his service to do
research and conduct cultural exchange programs. The IAP invites
artists from Vietnam to visit the U.S every year. An artist, writer,
and teacher, David is a past recipient of a Fulbright Scholar Grant to
Vietnam, and won a Vietnam Art Medal in 2000, the first foreigner
to receive the Vietnamese government’s highest art honor. As David
approaches his own retirement, he is pleased that the IAP recently
received a major multi-year grant that will allow the nonprofit to
continue to
thrive far
into the future.
In the United States,
the connotations
about Vietnam are still
associated with war.
But Vietnam has changed
as much as MECA has
since 1968.
Dao Chau Hai and
Nguyen Ngoc Lam
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Vietnamese sculptors Dao Chau Hai and Nguyen Ngoc Lam came
to MECA this fall through the Indochina Arts Partnership (IAP),
founded in 1988 by C. DAVID THOMAS ’68. The sculptors created an
on-site installation called The Tree Man, using locally harvested tree
branches to make life-size figurative forms. ASHERAH CINNAMON ’08
was instrumental in helping the artists gather materials, and MECA
Trustee Joan Amory and her husband Dan provided lodging for
their month-long stay. Dao and Lam also worked with students
and gave a public lecture about their work. The exchange provided
powerful insights on the similarities and contrasts between America’s
contemporary art style and the more traditional Vietnamese culture,
which has only recently embraced more modern art forms.
Dao Chau Hai, C. David Thomas ‘68, and Nguyen Ngoc Lam
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ARTISTS AT WORK
ARTISTS AT WORK
Creative
Entrepreneurship:
REAL WORLD EXPERIENCES
New Media students are serving as betatesters for Big Room Studios in Portland.
Big Room Studios is a creative technology
company that builds real-time, responsive
web applications for tablet, mobile, and
touch enabled devices. Students will serve
as beta-testers to learn more about product
development and user interface.
Printmaking seniors ELLA SEVY ’15
and BRADY PRICE ’15 are currently
studying at the Studio Art Centers
International in Florence, Italy.
Metalsmithing & Jewelry junior KATELYN
DRAKE will attend in the spring semester.
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At the end of their first semester in college, all freshmen in the FY-in class gathered for a collective meal and reflected
on the question "What did you learn about yourself this semester?" For more reflections, see meca.edu/galleries
As part of the public engagement class FY-In, first year
students partnered with The Art Department, a
non-profit alternative arts organization for artists with
intellectual and developmental uniqueness.
Together, they published and distributed the Sunny
All Day newspaper.
Public Engagement
artists at work
With our Artists at Work program, we give students the skills,
opportunities, and experiences to transform aspirations
and values into a creative practice that serves as the foundation
for a lifelong pursuit of personal and professional goals.
+ PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
The Public Engagement Minor is a fouryear curricular pathway that integrates
art, real world problems, and community
partners into the BFA studio curriculum.
The minor is a model for interdisciplinary
education with an extraordinary preprofessional program, exposing students to
skills for a variety of careers in nonprofit and
educational organizations, art institutions,
graduate study, and expanded notions of
entrepreneurial studio practice.
+ CREATIVE ENTREPRENEURSHIP
The heart of an art education is the studio
process to gain knowledge as a maker. In
addition, students develop as critical thinkers,
risk-takers, and problem-solvers in the world.
We connect students to opportunities to
apply these skills in their creative careers.
+ PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Through internships, exhibitions, classes
and workshops, students begin building their
resumes from the day they enter college.
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meca.edu
Work With Us
Maine College of Art works with nonprofits,
businesses and individuals to develop
creative solutions—from addressing social
issues and creating change to professional
development and commissions. Should you be
working with us?
Public Engagement Projects:
ELIZABETH JABAR,
Director of Public Engagement
[email protected]
Internships + Freelance Opportunities:
JESSICA TOMLINSON,
Director of Artists at Work
[email protected]
Alumni Connections:
JILL DALTON ’99,
Associate Director of Artists at Work and
Alumni Relations Director
[email protected]
Student Projects:
ERIN HUTTON ’98,
Associate Director of Artists at Work +
Special Projects
[email protected]
The Public Engagement program
received a grant from the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) to embed issues
of environmental stewardship and climate
change into the curriculum. Faculty members
SAMANTHA HAEDRICH, CHARLES MELCHER,
PAUL GEBHARDT ’96, and ELIZABETH JABAR
are launching creative projects in their
classrooms and in the community, working
with community partners Environment Maine
and Portland Trails. The EPA-focused work
also includes several co-curricular events
and initiatives: film screenings; launching
the student group MECA SOAP (Students
Organized Against Pollution); energy-saving
and waste reduction efforts on campus; and
the Take the Pledge green commitment.
In addition, MFA alum and eco artist TIM
GAUDREAU MFA ’02 will be a visiting artist in
the spring semester working with the Public
Engagement students.
Students in MECA’s innovative first-year
seminar course are working with the
following community partners on creative
projects in Portland during the fall semester:
Portland Trails, Cultivating Community,
Environment Maine, Cumberland County
Civic Center, The Art Department, and The
Portland Society of Architecture.
There are four Public Engagement minors
working on their senior capstone projects
this year. They will be leading dynamic
projects out in the community, working with
the Frannie Peabody Center, and the Maine
Charitable Mechanics Association.
Faculty member PILAR NADAL MFA ’13 and
students in her Second Year Lab class are
partnering with Avesta Housing to deliver
a series of creative workshops at Avesta's
Bayside residence. The workshops focus
on sharing stories and making artworks in
response to memories, objects, and collections
of significance to Avesta residents.
PATRICK SCHOLZ ’15, a Graphic Design major,
worked for Avesta Housing, researching and
printing historical photos for use in a new
housing development in Westbrook, ME.
Patrick also worked on a series of images that
will be used in the Ferry Beach Nature Center
in Scarborough.
Graphic design students partnered with Casco Bay High students to redesign the logo for
the expeditionary learning school. Graphic Design faculty member MARGO HALVERSON and
Illustration faculty member MARY ANNE LLOYD ’83 are guiding the students in a four-week
collaborative process.
SHIRAH NEUMANN MFA ’12, RANGELEY
MORTON ’14, and SETH GOULD ’09
participated in the Portland Regional
Chamber Community Leadership Awards.
Seth fabricated the awards that were given
to community leaders, Shirah exhibited
her paintings, and Rangeley created the
sculptural wall on the stage. Incorporating
art was just one effort by the Chamber to
recognize artists as business owners. The
Chamber will partner with MECA on two
exhibitions per year at their office, with a
commitment to spend $2,000 annually in
sales to build their corporate collection.
Illustration majors
are collaborating with
Frederator Studios to
create ebooks based
on a character from
Bravest Warriors, an
animated series. The
students developed
original narratives
and created
interpretations of
Catbug in their own
style. Students
MILES COOK ’14 and CHRIS VALES ’14 were
selected to have their work commissioned
for production, which will include furthering
development of the books, and recording
dialogue, and sound effects.
MFA student KATHLEEN DANIELS
won the Roderick Dew travel grant.
She will visit the El Yunque rainforest
located in Puerto Rico, one of the most
complex ecosystems on earth. While there,
she will observe the relationship between
flora and host trees. Her current studio
practice focuses on the disturbances in the
landscape that affect plant life essential to
human survival. Using bamboo armatures
covered in paper, Kathleen creates futuristic
biological plant forms that are a result of
cross-breeding and mutation. The funding is
made possible by alum RODERICK DEW '80,
MFA ’00. Recognizing the importance of travel
for artists’ professional development, he
awards this grant annually.
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Graphic Design student CECILIA
PACKARD ’14 was commissioned to design
the exhibition poster for the Maurice
Sendak show at the Portland Public Library.
The exhibition, Maurice Sendak: 50 Years,
50 Works, 50 Reasons, was presented in
partnership with MECA. Cecilia Packard is
now working as a freelance designer for
the library.
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ARTISTS AT WORK
PHOTO: STRATTON MCCRADY MFA ’15
With support from the Quimby Family
Foundation, MECA partnered with Creative
Portland and Maine Volunteer Lawyers
for the Arts to present 12 professional
development workshops. Topics included
marketing, tax preparation, grant writing,
web development, photo documentation,
social media, and contracts. Videos
and slideshow presentations for each
of the sessions are available online at
creativeportland.com/pds
REBEKKA FEDERLE ’14
WOODWORKING & FURNITURE DESIGN
This past summer, MECA Woodworking & Furniture Design student Rebekka
Federle was able to expand both her world view and her business skills through an
internship with Discover Prints in Berlin, Germany. The company of four employees
specializes in the acquisition and sale of antique prints.
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Over the course of the internship, Rebekka learned to date and identify the printing
methods of rare vintage prints, research them, make repairs, and sell the prints both online
and in person at the local market. Additionally, she learned much about the workings of a
small business, and learned Photoshop from the company’s graphic designer.
Internships
Students are encouraged to conduct an
internship during their time at MECA to help
inform their studio practice. These academic
experiences span 15 weeks and require 135
hours of focused, supervised learning in
exchange for three academic credits.
BELMONT DAY SCHOOL, BELMONT, MA
BROOKLYN METALWORKS, BROOKLYN, NY
DUTILLE'S JEWELRY, LEBANON, NH
Rebekka described her time in Berlin as “life changing,” adding that “the job fit me
like a glove. I felt completely appreciated as an employee, and respected as a person.”
Throughout her internship, she always had something new to learn and try out, and
worked hard while genuinely enjoying what she was doing. By the end of the summer, she
had learned much about herself, and
came to admire her boss, the
“jack-of-all-trades” Uwe Berger.
“I made some lifelong friends
and important connections,” she
states. Additionally, she relished the
experience of being in a new country,
visiting Berlin’s various museums,
parks, and bookstores while learning to
travel around the city on her own.
FRANNY PEABODY CENTER, PORTLAND, ME
Uwe was similarly enthusiastic about
Rebekka’s time at Discover Prints.
“Rebekka helped to make a blog for the company, and worked hard at writing copy and
researching the vintage school charts and prints that we sell,” he recalls, adding that she
was efficient with both daily tasks and complex projects. He also states that she helped him
to consider the needs of American customers versus German ones, and that she gave him
several good ideas for future projects. Rebekka notes that he declared her “Employee of
the Year” after her second week at the internship.
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MAINE, PORTLAND, ME
The job fit me like
a glove. I felt completely
appreciated as an
employee, and respected
as a person.
Now back in America, Rebekka continues to work with Discover Prints remotely, and has
been invited back to work for the company as soon as she graduates.
● BY MACKENZIE EASTMAN ’17
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meca.edu
*JANICE GRZYB, NEW YORK CITY, NY
*KRIS JOHNSEN ’08, PORTLAND, ME
MAINE COLLEGE OF ART, PORTLAND, ME
*MIGHT + MAIN, PORTLAND, ME
NEW ENGLAND SCULPTURE SERVICES, CHELSEA, MA
The reviewers represented a diverse range
of Maine’s creative community. Participants
included Maine Magazine, VIA, IDEXX, Maine
Media Workshops, and Angela Adams.
"Documenting Your Work:"
Photographer ROBERT DIAMANTE ’93
The second annual Portfolio Day will be held
this spring, to connect creative businesses
with students.
MERIT COMPETITION:
Work by juniors and seniors
March 24–April 11
meca.edu/portfolio-day
THESIS EXHIBITION:
Graduating seniors
May 2–23
UPCOMING STUDENT EXHIBITIONS
NOTHING MAJOR:
Work by freshmen and sophomores
February 17–March 7
NEW HOME
*AUCOCISCO GALLERIES, PORTLAND, ME
DOUGLAS THAYER DESIGNS, WESTHAMPTON, MA
"How to Present Artwork:"
JENNY DOUGHERTY ’05, Associate Director
of SPACE Gallery and Porteous Exhibitions
Coordinator JEFF WAITES MFA ’05
Dana Hutchins was one of nearly forty design
professionals to meet with students during the first
ever Portfolio Day presented by MECA and AIGA.
New Home for
Artists at Work
SUMMER 2013 + FALL 2013 INTERNSHIP SITES
CATALYST FOR PEACE, PORTLAND, ME
This fall, Artists at Work delivered a series
of professional skills workshops to first and
second-year students.
"Developing Your Online Presence:"
Artist EDWIGE CHARLOT ’10
PHOTO: FAITH WANG MFA ’15
BERLIN INTERNSHIP:
On April 19, Maine College of Art hosted its
first ever Portfolio Day in collaboration
with The American Institute of Graphic Arts
(AIGA) Maine. The event brought more than
75 students and local creative professionals
to the college representing the fields of
graphic design, illustration, new media, and
photography.
The afternoon offered juniors and seniors
from MECA, the University of Southern
Maine, and Southern Maine Community
College an opportunity to discuss their work
and gain critical feedback outside the
traditional classroom setting. Students had
the chance to meet with several different
reviewers.
"Public Speaking with Clarity and Confidence:"
Communications Coach Seth Rigoletti
Collage made by Rebekka using repurposed prints.
OUT FOR JUSTICE, PORTLAND, ME
Artists at Work has a new home on the first floor of the Porteous
Building, in the location formerly occupied by Art Mart, now located
across the street. This is a hybrid space for exhibitions, project-based
work, and Public Engagement. The Artists at Work staff is housed here
as a student and alumni resource center for help with internships, jobs,
resume writing, commissions, grants, community partnerships, and
professional development.
Since opening in November, it has been used as a studio space to plan a
140-foot mural for the Cumberland County Civic Center; a sales venue
for alumni artwork; an exhibition space for students; a gathering
space for community partners; and a dining room for an end-of-year
celebration with all freshmen.
On the street front along Congress Street, the Artists at Work
Project Window provides an opportunity for site-specific installations.
The current focus is on alumni artists, with a new exhibition every
six weeks.
*PERCH STUDIO, PORTLAND, ME
*PICKWICK INDEPENDENT PRESS, PORTLAND, ME
PIZZUTI STUDIOS, LOWELL, MA
ROLLIN LEONARD, PORTLAND, ME
SANDY MACLEOD, PORTLAND, ME
*SARAH BOUCHARD MFA ’11, PORTLAND, ME
Project Window on Congress Street
STUDIO 24B, PORTLAND, ME
THE ART DEPARTMENT, PORTLAND, ME
ANGELA WARREN, MFA ’11 November 29–January 10
JENNA CROWDER ’07 January 20–February 28
REENIE CHARRIERE, MFA ’09 March 7–April 18
UWE BERGER ANTIQUE PRINTS, BERLIN, GERMANY
VIA, PORTLAND, ME
For more about internships, visit
meca.edu/artistsatwork
*Alumni Business
PHOTO: RAFFI DER SIMONIAN
Rebekka selling prints at the market in Berlin.
Stools made by Elana Sternick ’16 during her
internship with Douglas Thayer designs. She also
worked on a public art commission of benches for
the Statue of Liberty, NY.
PORTFOLIO DAY
PHOTO: AARON FLACKE
Professional
Development
For an exhibition application, check the Opportunities section
at meca.edu/alumni.
Making the mural for the Cumberland Civic Center in the new Artists at Work space.
Angela Warren's installation show in the project window.
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ARTISTS AT WORK
PHOTO: FAITH WANG MFA ’15
Hilary Irons, The View from Tank 28 / Dots
Sequence, oil, acrylic, and marble dust on wood
panel, 18" x 24," 2013
Carter Shappy ’15, Untitled 4, serigraph on Rives
BFK, 22" x 30," 2013
Hannah Parrett ’15, Untitled, oil on panel, 20" x 30," 2013
Mitchell Kehe ’14, Cáfeëé, installation view, 2013
Shadell Segree ’14, Identification Number, archival
inkjet print, 24" x 16.5," 2013
Tabitha Barnard ’16, Barnard Girls, inkjet print
on matte paper, 11" x 14," 2013
BFA Show Award Winners
The only MECA exhibition open to all students, the 2013 BFA Show featured 86 students representing each of MECA's disciplines. With simple
parameters—the artwork must have been created as a MECA student within the past 12 months, must include a brief artist's statement and
appropriate labeling, and one or more pieces may be exhibited in keeping with the Porteous guidelines—students are invited to show. Participants
gain practical professional experience and compete for scholarship awards. The jury is comprised of a MECA faculty or staff member, a local arts
professional, and the Dean of the College. Each piece is juried and points given in four categories: craft, concept, presentation, and artist statement.
Congratulations to the 2013 BFA Show winners. See the award-winning work: meca.edu/galleries
BEST IN SHOW $1,200
REBEKKA FEDERLE ’14
2ND PLACE $800
REN ALBON ’14
3RD PLACE $500
SHADELL SEGREE ’14
JUROR'S AWARD $100
BEST WORK BY A SENIOR $200
SHANNON GOOGINS ’14
WILL THOMPSON ’14
TIMEIQUA NIXON ’14
MECA AWARD $100
HANNAH PARRETT ’15
CARTER SHAPPY ’15
BEST WORK BY A JUNIOR $200
BEST WORK BY A SOPHOMORE $200
VICTOR SYLVA ’16
BEST WORK BY A FRESHMAN $200
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meca.edu
SARA INACIO ’17
ARTIST-TO-ARTIST AWARD
One hour studio visit with a local artist
SHELBY NEWSTED ’14
MITCHELL KEHE ’14
JOHN DICKINSON ’14
IAN GOLDSBOROUGH ’14
BEST ARTIST STATEMENT $100
MILES COOK ’14
STUDENT'S CHOICE AWARD $100
JOHN DICKINSON ’14
HONORABLE MENTION $200
$50 Art Mart Gift Certificate
TABITHA BARNARD ’16
STUART ROELKE ’15
MILES COOK ’14
CECIL CATES ’15
Faculty
Achievements
EXCELLENCE IN ACTION
The Institute of Contemporary Art at Maine
College of Art (ICA at MECA) presented the
2013 MECA Faculty Show from November
7—December 22. Featured artists included
SASCHA BRAUNIG, Painting, HILARY IRONS,
Foundation, SAMANTHA HAEDRICH, Graphic
Design, and PETER SIMENSKY, MFA.
MECA faculty were featured in 2013
Portland Museum of Art Biennial: Piecework.
Artists included BRYAN GRAF, Photography,
and ADRIANE HERMAN, Printmaking.
The fine-art furniture work of MATT HUTTON,
Woodworking & Furniture Design, has been
selected to be part of the upcoming show
Fearless Furniture, the first juried exhibition
of its kind at the Indiana State Museum of
Fine Arts. Matt’s work is among the 30
benches, tables, chairs, clocks, and more
that will be featured in this expansive range
of designs by 21 juried and three invited
artists. In addition, Matt completed a public
art commission for Maine General Health's
Spiritual Center in Augusta, ME. He also
exhibited with Cory Robinson in Beyond
Vernacular at Gallery 924 of the Arts Council
of Indianapolis in Indiana.
KELLY MCCONNELL, Art Education,
developed and implemented an art
curriculum at the American Folk Art
Museum in New York City. The new arts
curriculum was launched in tandem with Bill
Traylor’s exhibition, It Jes’ Happened: When
Bill Traylor Started to Draw. Kelly worked in
collaboration with Kirsten Cappy of Curious
City. The curriculum is available to all at
itjeshappened.com.
LING-WEN TSAI, Sculpture, had pieces in
Memory, at the Richmond Art Gallery,
Richmond, British Columbia, Canada and
Marks, at the Madelon Powers Art Gallery,
East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania,
East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.
ROB SULLIVAN, Illustration, recently
introduced The Detached Muse Project at
the Boston Based Galatea Fine Arts. Rob’s
project represents his efforts to reify the
muse in painting while subverting it away
from modern expectation.
Jamie Hogan's illustrated cover for Rickshaw Girl.
SCOTT NASH, Illustration, recently released
his book The High Skies of Adventure by
Blue Jay the Pirate. A reviewer for The
Guardian wrote, "The plot is very well
thought through, with each chapter finishing
at a vital moment! The characters are
very amusing with lots of depth." Scott is
also working with ping4alerts! on a major
animated campaign for an app that will
provide access to a complete hyperlocal
communications platform. The purpose of
the app is to provide real-time information in
the event of an emergency, disaster, traffic
gridlock, etc.
ALEX RHEAULT, Illustration, recently
exhibited Fashionable Books at the Glickman
Library of the University of Southern Maine,
Strange Glue (Collage and Installation), at the
Thompson Gallery at The Cambridge School
of Weston in Cambridge, Massachusetts,
and Transforming Body, drawings by
Alex Rheault, a solo show at Salem State
University's Winfisky Gallery in Salem,
Massachusetts.
MARGO HALVERSON, Graphic Design, as cofounder of DesignInquiry (designinquiry.net),
spoke at Virginia Commonwealth University
on alternate design pedagogy. Also in the
DesignInquiry vein, Margo co-framed the
2012 program STATION: Pause, Ponder,
Play held on Vinalhaven in June with 24
participants from around the country.
Margo spoke at the University of New
England’s art museum on A View of the
Current State of Graphic Design with Graphic
Design alum SEAN WILKINSON ’01. She, MARY
ANNE LLOYD ’83, Illustration, and MECA
students teamed up with Casco Bay High
School students to design their school logo.
Alice Design Communication, run by MARGO
HALVERSON, Graphic Design, and CHARLES
MELCHER, Graphic Design, designed a book
for Shelburne Museum in Vermont titled
Wyeth Vertigo.
CHERYL ST. ONGE, Photography, exhibited
work that was honored in the Art of
Photography Show 2013. Curated by Julia
Dolan, Curator of Photography at the
Portland Art Museum, this exhibition of
international photographic art was held at
the San Diego Art Institute Oct. 12—Nov. 17.
PAUL LEWANDOWSKI, Textile and Fashion
Design, served as juror at the International
Interior Design Association’s (IIDA) annual
fashion show in Boston. One hundred models
participated and over 1,200 people attended
the event that challenges designers to create
fashion with unusual materials.
Congratulations to JAMIE HOGAN,
Illustration, and author Mitali Perkins.
Their book Rickshaw Girl was chosen
by New York Public Library as "100
Great Books | 100 Years." Jamie has also had
illustrations included in the University of
Southern Maine’s Lewiston-Auburn’s Atrium
Gallery exhibit titled Tell Me a Story: About
Maine, a group show of children’s book art by
Maine artists.
2013 brought multiple exhibitions for
PETER SIMENSKY, MFA: at Artware Editions
on the Bowery in New York City with his
commission Collector—Wayne; at Southern
Exposure (SoEx) in San Francisco, The Long
Conversation; at The College of New Jersey’s
Art Gallery with the inclusion of his work in
Neutral Capital Collection II in Value Added:
Artists’ Perspectives on the Meaning of
Worth, and the 2013 MECA Faculty Show.
Finally, Peter completed a residency as a
MacDowell Colony Fellow in Peterborough,
New Hampshire.
05
MARK JAMRA, Graphic Design, conducted a
one-week workshop in type design at the
University of the Arts in Philadelphia. The
objective of the workshop was to complete a
typeface of uppercase letters, numerals, and
punctuation by week's end.
13
FACULTY PROFILES
FACULTY PROFILES
Eda Cufer
ADJUNCT ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN ART HISTORY
& MFA IN STUDIO ART
What differentiates MECA from your own college and grad school
experience? I went to college, more specifically to Theatre Arts
Academy, in former Yugoslavia, which was very different from MECA
in terms of its fundamental organization (the European education
system emphasizes memory and history from primary school on) but
also very similar in spirit because it was an art school (academy), not
a university. In the socialist system of former Yugoslavia, you had
rigorous qualifying exams in order to be allowed
to attend art college/academy. If you passed,
your education was paid for by the state. This of
course is an enormous difference.
faculty
profiles
Was there a professor who stands out in your mind as
having influenced you? I had outstanding high school
professors who deeply influenced my thinking in the
realms of literature, philosophy, and writing. During
college I was mostly influenced by my peers from the
neighboring Visual Arts Academy, with whom I cofounded an art collective (NSK) during my second year
of college. Thirty years later, this collective still exists, and my NSK
colleagues remain my most important collaborators.
Dana Sawyer
PROFESSOR OF LIBERAL ARTS
experience? It's intimacy. When I first came to MECA after
teaching at the University of Iowa, I thought it was too
informal, and then I learned that it's simply a different culture
that encourages student/faculty interaction even on the
personal level, where real learning can take place.
06
Was there a professor who stands out in your mind as having
influenced you? Yes, I was most influenced by Lee Siegel, a professor
of Indian Religions at the University of Hawai‛i, whose passion for his
subject totally inspired me. Even now, decades later, we stay in touch,
and this highlights for me the ancient and sacred bond between
teachers and students.
Why did you choose Philosophy? Philosophy is about exploring the
biggest questions that life poses. How could anyone not be interested?
What do you do when you hit a creative wall? I pull out my purple
crayon and make a door.
How do global events and issues, whether contemporary or past,
inform your practice? They entirely inform what interests me as
a philosopher. I went to college during the Vietnam War and had
several friends in the service, so for me, education must be relevant.
Young people shouldn't go to college to warehouse themselves from
the outside world of work and responsibility; they should embrace
their education as preparation for life, and that becomes easier if
faculty are highlighting the relevance of their disciplines.
Have you ever worked / presented
outside of the U.S.? As a philosopher
with expertise in Asian systems of
philosophy, I've had to participate in a
global discourse, giving lectures in India
and Japan for example. Furthermore,
my wife and I have lead several cultural
trips to India, most recently in 2010 for
the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan. I have
also participated in academic conferences
on philosophy in such far-flung places
as Riga, Latvia, and last month delivered a plenary lecture at a
conference on the philosophy of Aldous Huxley at Oxford University,
as part of a celebration of his first year as a student there, in 1913.
Philosophy is
about exploring the
biggest questions
that life poses.
What country, that you have never visited, would you like to visit?
New Zealand. It's said to have some of the best hiking in the world and
my wife and I like to hike.
14
meca.edu
Why do you work in the medium you do? I was trained as a
dramaturge, which in Europe is a profession that integrates theory
and philosophy with artistic practice and institutional management.
So in order for my training as a dramaturge to remain relevant, it is
very important for me to always create the possibility of functioning
between theory/thinking/discourse and practice/production/creative
work. For this reason, I value my ongoing work in Europe within the
NSK art collective, as well as teaching at MECA and working with
students who are devoted to artistic practice.
What do you do when you hit a creative wall? Creative walls are part
of the creative process. I try to use them that way.
inform your practice? My personal and professional lives are
all about global events and issues. I was born and educated
in a socialist country that fell apart during the 1980s. The
NSK art collective emerged from within an intense East
European reformist political and cultural atmosphere during the
1980s. After the fall of communism and the dissolution of Yugoslavia,
which coincided with the end of the Cold War and the beginning of
the phenomenon that is generally referred to as “globalization,” I
first became a Slovenian citizen, and then a few years ago became a
dual Slovenian-American citizen. The main preoccupation of my art
collective (which in the 90s renamed itself from NSK to NSK State
in Time and started issuing its own passports to manifest the idea of
global citizenship) is precisely the exploration of the controversies
of identity brought about by globalization—its potentials as well as
its constraints.
07
Have you ever worked / presented outside of the U.S.? Although NSK
has exhibited at MOMA, Creative Time, and other U.S. venues, we are
a European-based collective and most of our work has been outside of
the U.S. We have exhibited and presented in virtually every country
of Europe, and at art fairs and biennials throughout the world. One
of our recent projects was at the Tate Modern (London), another at
the Centre of Contemporary Art in Lagos, Nigeria. I have also worked
on exhibitions and performances for sustained periods in Moscow,
Istanbul, and Austria.
I would like to know better new states such as Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan,
Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Kyrgyzstan, as well as Mongolia. Why? I
know relatively little about these huge parts of the world that connect
Europe to Asia and the Middle and Far East. These places are as
remote as one can imagine and preserve strong traditional life forms
while at the same time have been submitted to Soviet-style oppression
and modernization. It’s a very interesting mixture which I believe is
very important for understanding the world we live in today.
PHOTO: CHRISTIAN DITSCH
The uniqueness of MECA’s
students is inherent in our
excellent faculty: four were asked
the same questions—yet no
two answers are alike. Common
threads, however, are curiosity,
experience and work beyond the
boundaries of their birthplace.
This global facet translates to
their classes where the courage
to rethink assumptions is
encouraged.
Creative walls are
part of the creative
process. I try to use
them that way.
Eda Cufer giving a talk at the First NSK's Citizens Congress, Berlin, 2010
15
IMAGE COURTESY KANSAS CITY JEWISH MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART
FACULTY PROFILES
FACULTY PROFILES
Take out your dictionary.
Find the word ‘impossible’ and
destroy that page.
'To do' lists highlight
the ever-evolving
line between wants
and needs, with wilder
fluctuations across
cultural borders.
08
Dr. Gan Xu
PROFESSOR OF ART HISTORY
experience? My doctoral degree is from Ohio University in Athens,
Ohio. It’s a much bigger school than MECA. At the time I studied there
the enrollment was about 20,000. MECA has a much smaller
population—370 BFA students—which means that students and
faculty know each other much better. Students are more than a name.
In China, there is the national exam for university each year. Every
high school graduate in the entire country takes the same exam at
the same time. Essentially, a student spends 12 years preparing for
one exam. University tuition, if you are admitted, is less than $2,000
a year.
Adriane Herman
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF PRINTMAKING, NEW MEDIA,
& MFA IN STUDIO ART
experience? MECA’s intimate scale facilitates symbiotic flow between
faculty and students. Of course, significant connections evolve at all
schools. However, I doubt I had nearly the influence on my instructors
in college or grad school that my extraordinary students have on
me. They continually enrich my life and expand my views of how
art functions for us individually and culturally, ever-increasing the
consciousness I bring to teaching, making, and being.
influenced you? One salient influence was Stanley Lewis. After
studying drawing with him, I avidly took his painting classes, which
included a good dose of art history. Like me, Lewis thinks and speaks
in non-linear fashion, so he issued me a series of permission slips. He
went beyond teacher to mentor for me while some peers chafed
against his teaching style. No teacher can be all things to all students,
or perhaps not even one thing to all students. However, when a
teacher’s emitters hit a given student’s receptors, that artist can
take what is received and run with it, likely being further ignited
by something another instructor, peer, or influential experience
offers down the line, and in turn inspiring others. The whole deal is a
marvelous Rube Goldbergian delight.
Why do you work in the medium you do? I make mountains
out of molehills and traffic in human aspirations, tastes, and
accomplishments, choosing media best suited to a given concept.
“To do” lists highlight the ever-evolving line between wants and
needs, with wilder fluctuations across cultural borders. What may
be a pressing need in one part of the world, such as potable water
or access to health care, may not even be on the radar for someone
where such things are taken for granted until an emergency. By
examining the lists others make, my viewers often identify with some
of the wants or needs of other people. Small details hand-written
on the list of a stranger might remind us of the struggles others
have that we don’t, or perhaps challenges we have surmounted,
generating compassion for others and ourselves.
16
meca.edu
What do you do when you hit a creative wall? Sorry, that question
does not compute. I hit lots of walls—few of them creative. Yes, they
are constructed, but most (if not all) of them are illusions.
inform your practice? I research what humans do with their time,
energy, and attention today. Global events and issues take a lot of
those three resources to absorb, yet they can also infuse us with
energy as well as clarify priorities. That in turn certainly trickles
down to our "to do" lists. I mine the extraordinary by immersing
myself in the [purportedly] ordinary.
Have you ever worked / presented outside of the U.S.? For a 2008
exhibition organized by Professor Ling-Wen Tsai called The Crossing
of Time and Environment, in Toshei Village, Taiwan, I issued a call for
photos of plastic bags snagged in trees and implicated myself as part
of the problem by laminating images I gathered, and hanging them
in trees on the “chosen barren land” where installation occurred.
Recently I was invited to design a two-sided banner installed
on lampposts in tiny towns in Denmark. The website ET4U.DK
documents this exciting public art project bringing diverse work—
much of it politically charged—to quiet streets traveled by tractors,
school buses, bicyclists, and families turning into their driveways.
I only understood the magnitude and potential of this project by
walking the streets of these towns this summer. Seeing work virtually
is simply not a full-bodied substitute for experiencing it in the flesh,
and I encourage students to experience art directly.
The red and black palette of my inlaid burnishing clay panels
derives from ancient Greek ceramics. I would love to find some lists
hand-written today in Greek, a language we associate with
ancient times and remote priorities, and yet spoken and written today
in a country experiencing economic upheaval and thus constantly
shifting priorities. I also welcome any lists readers wish
to mail me care of MECA!
I was able to attend Vanderbilt University, where I earned a Master’s
degree, because of a full scholarship—and I worked hard to keep it. I
knew I would have no second chances or opportunities. Friday nights
we used to joke that the library was the “Library of China” because
there were no American students in the library. I felt that American
students didn’t value what they had, the opportunity to learn, the
luxury of being able to study and learn.
influenced you? Dr. Milan Mihal. He is Professor Emeritus of Fine Arts
now at Vanderbilt University. His area of expertise is Japanese art
history. I arrived at Vanderbilt with nothing. I hadn’t even had the
money to pay the application fee for the school. Dr. Mihal met me at
the airport and brought me back to campus. I carried my bag and he
unpacked everything he had brought for me, bedding, a bed, a table.
He was a father figure but he also was very strict academically. I had
to first complete a Master’s then go on to a Ph.D. Dr. Mihal was on my
Master’s committee. I showed him the final printed copy of my thesis
and he suggested that I change one term throughout the thesis, 129
pages. He was right. This was in the days before computers. So, I went
back and I retyped the whole paper.
How do global events and issues, whether contemporary
or past, inform your practice? A copy of my doctoral thesis is in the
MECA library if you want the long answer! My field is contemporary
Chinese art so I pay close attention to what is happening in China. I
know many great contemporary Chinese artists.
Dr. Mihal also taught me about teaching. If a teacher isn’t prepared
and motivated about the subject he or she teaches, then the teacher
is wasting the students’ time.
When I went to Vanderbilt, my father took me to the airport. He said,
“Son, you got enough, I got enough, never come back.” I did not return
to China for eight years. I came to the United States for freedom,
where there is no persecution, no communism.
Why do you work in the medium you do? I was learning oil painting
then found I wasn’t crazy enough to be an artist. You know, I did not
go to high school. My father was an engineer, but when Mao Tse-tung
came to power, my father was on the wrong side. As his son, I was
not permitted entrance to high school. I learned everything myself.
I prepared for the university exam and when Mao died, I took the
national exam. I studied fine arts then moved into art history.
Have you ever worked / presented outside of the U.S.? I’ve published
books and journal articles in both English and Chinese, primarily
on contemporary Chinese artists. I have lectured at Harvard
University, Guizhou Teacher’s University, the College of Art at
Guizhou University, and Lanzhou University. As an artist, my oil
paintings and Chinese ink paintings have been exhibited in Maine,
Ohio, Tennessee, and in China.
What do you do when you hit a creative wall? I have a mentor who
is a commander in the military. He taught me how to face difficulty
by saying, “Take out your dictionary. Find the word ‘impossible’ and
destroy that page.”
What country, that you have never visited, would you like to
visit? Tanzania. Dr. Aimée Bessire raised money to build a school
there through a nonprofit called Africa Schoolhouse. I would like to
volunteer to teach in that school. It is an elementary school.
09
17
STUDENT PROFILE
mfa
MECA’s low-residency Master of Fine Arts in
Studio Art was among the first of its kind in
the nation and is fundamentally grounded in
maintaining a vibrant studio practice.
The educational philosophy behind
MECA’s MFA program is rooted in providing
each student with a transformative learning
experience that emphasizes research,
experimentation, reflection, collaboration, and
problem-solving within a rigorous
studio practice.
11
FROM
ALBERTA
TO THE
ARCTIC
Nestled into the banks of the Yangtze
River that runs through China, Wuhu
is the city FAITH (XIN WANG) calls home.
This year, however, Faith is working
towards an MFA at MECA and her first
American experience, in Portland, is informing
much of her work.
10
PHOTO: GRETA RYBUS
Faith chose MECA because, “The College
has incredible resources and I never worry
about difficulties with the technology
resources I need and use in my work. Another
luxury is that it is open 24 hours a day!”
Faith’s graduate work revolves around two
projects that delve into American/not
American. She is working not only through
her experiences but those of her international
classmates from places around the world.
Marina Eckler MFA ’13, Basketball Doilies, found materials, 8' x 19" x 19," 2013
Altman E. Studeny, MFA ’12, Archive: South Dakota Visual Culture, shared and collected materials, dimensions variable, 2012
18
meca.edu
Faith noted, “Perhaps the best part of the
program is the people. I’ve been able to make
good friends and the group critique process
over the summer was my favorite experience!”
MFA APPLICATION DEADLINE
February 15 is the priority application deadline for MECA’s graduate program beginning
in June of 2014. meca.edu/mfa
In 2014, Charley Young will sail on a traditionally rigged Barquentine
ship as a resident of The Arctic Circle expeditionary residency
program, which brings together international artists of all disciplines,
as well as scientists, architects, and educators, to work independently
and collaboratively in the Northern landscape. Charley is an
installation-based printer and interdisciplinary artist whose work
includes large-scale monoprints of historic building facades, through
which she documents a site’s appearance prior to its destruction.
This fall, Charley was an Artist-in-Residence at the Banff Centre
in Alberta, Canada, where she developed a series of site-oriented
artworks that interacted with embedded ruins of architecture in the
region. She has also been an Artist-in-Residence at The Vermont
Studio Center, Spark Box Studios in Ontario, and the Klondike
Institute for Arts and Culture in Dawson City, Yukon.
“I see the world through
the language of
As an artist who focuses
printmaking,” she says.
on ideas of place and site,
Much like the surface of a
it has been extremely
collagraph plate, the urban
and rural landscape are full
important to me to be
of textures and surfaces.
able to travel directly to
Navigating through a
these various locations to
space, be it a city or my
studio, allows my eyes to
do research and develop
observe and my imagination
stronger connections.
to wander. I record my
encounters as an architect,
archaeologist, writer, or printmaker might do, archiving with my
camera and sketchbook or through field notes. I see my art as a bridge
between citizens, environments and communities.”
“What I appreciate most about MECA’s MFA Program is the flexibility
it offers. I've been able to travel and do artist residencies, which has
substantially influenced my work. As an artist who focuses on ideas
of place and site, it has been extremely important to me to be able to
travel directly to these various locations to do research and develop
stronger connections. I really appreciate the quality of the MFA
faculty and the diverse range of visiting artists and lecturers that
the program brings in during the Summer Intensive. It's been very
influential to have them visit me in my studio, and the feedback and
criticism of these artists, curators, and critics has allowed my work to
grow conceptually, materially and formally.” BY ANNIE WADLEIGH
PHOTO: GRETA RYBUS
Charley Young MFA ’14
Charley Young, City Through the Trees, graphite, pencil crayon,
and image transfer on mylar, 24" x 18," 2012
Charley Young in her studio.
19
ALUMNI
ALUMNI
alumni news
alumni
class
notes
2013 ALUMNI BIENNIAL
Ardor, the 2013 MECA Alumni Biennial Exhibition, took place from
August 24 through October 13, 2013 at the ICA at MECA. The
featured artists were GINA ADAMS ’02, HANNAH BARNES ’02, JENNY
DOUGHERTY ’05, REBECCA BENNETT DUKE ’95, SHIRAH NEUMANN
MFA ’12, and REBECCA WOOD ’12. The jurors were Kate McNamara,
Director and Chief Curator of the Boston University Art Gallery, and
SHANNON RANKIN ’02.
MECA AT THE PMA
2013 PORTLAND MUSEUM OF ART BIENNIAL: PIECE WORK
Out of 900 applicants, 30 artists were chosen for this year’s PMA
biennial, curated by Jessica May around the themes of labor,
handiwork, and production. Ten, or one-third of the artists, are MECA
alums and two are MECA faculty currenting teaching in the BFA
program. Four of the alumni have been included in previous PMA
biennials. The exhibit opened in October and runs through January 5.
It includes the work of: KATE BECK (attended) ’05; MATT BLACKWELL
’77; ALLISON COOKE BROWN ’01, ALINA GALLO MFA ’08; JULIE GRAY
MFA ’12; ALISON HILDRETH ’76; JOE KIEVITT ’93; SAGE LEWIS ’04;
JUSTIN RICHEL ’02; and AARON WILLIAMS ’94.
Additionally, AHMED ALSOUDANI ’05 has a solo exhibition at the
Portland Museum of Art titled Ahmed Alsoudani: Redacted, featuring
nearly 20 of the artist’s innovative paintings, which reflect on the
horrors of war with a unique artistic voice. The exhibition is on view
through February 2, 2014. “Challenging the viewer with nuanced art
historical arguments and blatantly difficult, abject, and grotesque
imagery, Alsoudani does what few artists can do: he successfully
translates the complexity of contemporary politics into meaningful
painting,” said PMA Director Mark H. C. Bessire.
EXHIBITIONS + AWARDS
The Thos. Moser Showroom in Freeport, ME, hosted an exhibit of 18
MECA alums, spanning more than 30 years of classes. The featured
artists were BEATRICE ABBOTT ’11, LEON ANDERSON ’83, KATE BECK
(attended) ’05, FELICE BOUCHER ’84, LOUISE BOURNE ’88. ASHLEY
CURRY ’10, CYNTHIA DAVIS ’90, LISA DOMBEK (attended) ’98, RACHAEL
EASTMAN ’94, JOSHUA FERRY ’94, JULIE FREUND ’81, PEYTON
HIGGISON ’79, ANNE IRELAND ’94, JENNY MOORE ’01, SCOTT MOORE ’78,
FRANCINE SCHROCK ’91, BRIDGET SPAETH ’95, and NOA WARREN ’06.
STEPHANI BRIGGS ’81 participated in the Blue
Hill Fine Craft Show in Blue Hill, ME.
JEFFREY HERMAN '81 continues to educate
the world on how to properly care for silver
through his website and lectures. Herman
says, "Every day important silver objects are
ROB LICHT ’84 had an exhibition titled A
Dialogue with the Landscape. New Work
From the Edge of the Great Basin. featuring
work from his residency at Playa, in eastern
Oregon’s high desert, at the Community Arts
Partnership (CAP) ArtSpace in Ithaca, NY.
Laura Jo Alexander (attended) ’78, Twinkie, oil
on canvas, 96” x 60,” 2013
1970s
MAT O’DONNELL (attended) ’70 exhibited his
work at a variety of Maine galleries, including
Waterfall Arts in Belfast, Hurricane Gallery in
Waldoboro, River Arts in Damariscotta, and
Curtis Memorial Library in Brunswick.
PATRICK PLOURDE ’76 was a featured artist
on the Art Collector Maine website.
12
LAURA JO ALEXANDER (attended) ’78 has
a studio at Mana Contemporary in Jersey
City, NJ and exhibited her work there, in a
show called Mana Fest. She is a recipient of a
Fellowship Grant from the New Jersey State
Council on the Arts for Painting and, as a
grant recipient, had an exhibit at Long Beach
Island Foundation of the Arts and Science.
Additionally, her work was featured in an
international juried exhibit in Brooklyn, NY.
EDWIGE CHARLOT ’10 and PILAR NADAL MFA ’13 were awarded
Emerging Artist Grants from the Saint Botolph Foundation in Boston,
MA, and organization that recognizes and supports New England
based artists.
The Society of Arts and Crafts announced that the 2013 recipient of
the $25,000 John D. Mineck Furniture Fellowship was MECA alumna,
VIVIAN BEER ’00. Vivian is an innovative furniture maker based in
New Hampshire who aspires "to create handmade, one-off objects
that manifest the nostalgia of history, the speed of progress, and the
memory of the human hand.”
NEW ALUMNI IN ADMISSIONS
MECA’s Admissions Department hired three new seasonal recruiters.
They include: CAITLIN ALGER ART ED ’13, BFA ’12, who was a recipient
of the President's Scholarship and recently taught at the Oak Street
Studios in Portland, ME; JENNA CROWDER ’07, who was the lead artist
for a public space project in Cairo, Egypt; and MAIA SNOW ’13, who
recently had a solo exhibition at the University of Southern Maine in
Portland, ME.
The Class of 1968 held a 45th-year reunion at MECA this summer.
Participants included Gene Fuller, Victor Cormier, Marty Trower, Mike Welch,
and C. David Thomas.
meca.edu
WILLIAM MILLS ’80 and his crew from
Geppetto Studios fabricated all the puppets
and costumes for a new television program
called Noah's Park. They are also working on
four characters for the touring stage show Yo
Gabba Gabba.
being devalued because of the use of harsh
tarnish-eliminating polishes, chemicals, and
even steel wool!”
JOHN BJERKLIE ’77 participated in
Minoterieal21, an initiative in Brittany,
France, in which a selection of French
and overseas artists designed shelters and
cabins that exist as works of art as well as
venues for retreat and reflection.
Rebecca Bennett Duke ’95, Over the Rainbow, casting foam, paint,
48" x 72" x 18," 2013
Five MECA alumni exhibited their work at Shaw Gallery in Northeast
Harbor this summer. The exhibition included works by CONNIE HAYES
’80, MARGARET LAWRENCE ’93, MARK MARCHESI ’99, HOLLY READY
’94, and JUSTIN RICHEL ’02.
20
For more than a hundred years,
MECA's alumni have made
outstanding contributions in
their respective fields. In the
21st century, they now bring
the qualities of creative
problem solving blended with
an entrepreneurial spirit to
continue MECA's legacy
of excellence.
1980s
SCOTT MOORE ’78 gave an artist’s talk,
followed by a reception, at an event
organized by Argosy Gallery at the
Cumberland Club in Portland, ME, in his
honor. Scott is also one of only ten artists
featured in the Acadia section of the
forthcoming book Art of the National Parks
published by Fresco Fine Art Publications.
13
JUDE VALENTINE ’78 was the
printmaker-in-residence for
September at St. Michael's Printshop
in Newfoundland, Canada.
PATRICK SUPPLE (attended) ’79 exhibited his
paintings in a group exhibition titled Small
Works II at Gallery 25 in Fresno, CA.
21
ALUMNI
LOUISE BOURNE ’88 had her work exhibited
at a number of galleries in Maine, including
Tarratine Gallery in Castine, of which she is
a partial owner; Cynthia Winings Gallery in
Blue Hill; George Marshall Store Gallery in
York; Gallery at the Grand in Kennebunkport;
and Jonathan Frost Gallery in Rockland.
1990s
FRANCINE SCHROCK ’91 created murals at
the Russell Park Rehabilitation and Living
Center in Lewiston, ME, and the Schooner
Estates Retirement Community in Auburn,
ME. The Schooner Estates mural “The Village
Green” featured a 360-degree landscape,
with images and ideas selected by residents
and staff.
ANDRES A. VERZOSA ’92 had an exhibition
titled An Elephant in the Room: New Works
by Andres A. Verzosa at Isaac Dyer Galleries
in Gorham, ME. Andy also runs Aucocisco
Galleries, located in Portland, ME, and held
an exhibit series of two-person shows titled
Double Dozen. The series included work by
RACHEL EASTMAN ’94, CAREN-MARIE MICHEL
’78, PATRICK PLOURDE ’76 and TONI WOLF ’81.
ROBERT DIAMANTE ’93 taught a workshop
called “GPS for Artists: How You Can
Make, Manage, and Maintain Professional
Digital Files” at the studio of master
jeweler and educator JAYNE REDMAN ’77
in Westbrook, ME.
MARGARET LAWRENCE ’93 had an exhibition
titled Here and There at Greenhut Galleries
in Portland, ME.
ANNE IRELAND ’94 and JULIE FREUND ’81
were featured in the June 2013 “Canvas”
section of Maine Home + Design. In addition,
Anne was awarded a MECA Pace House
Residency in Stonington, ME, her work was
featured in the exhibit Spring at Gleason Fine
Art, and she was a featured artist on the Art
Collector Maine website.
AARON WILLIAMS ’94 had a solo exhibition
at LaMontagne Gallery in Boston and had
work included in the group exhibition Lost
& Found at Hal Bromm Gallery in New
York, NY, and Memphis Social, an exhibition
and performance event that took place
at multiple sites in Memphis, TN. He had
an exhibition titled pictures/Pictures at
Mulherin + Pollard in New York, NY.
SHANNON ROSE RILEY ’95, Associate
Professor of Humanities and Coordinator
of the Creative Arts Program at San Jose
State University in California, contributed
22
meca.edu
to the book Practice as Research in the Arts.
Principles, Protocols, Pedagogies, Resistances,
edited by Robin Nelson.
GABRIEL ADAMS ’02 has been working
in Istanbul as the International
Projects Manager for the Art
Bospherous International Modern Art Fair,
one of the most important artistic activities
in Istanbul, featuring Turkish and global
art. He has also participated in a number of
exhibitions around Istanbul, a solo show in
Seoul, South Korea, a group exhibition at the
Mongolian National Modern Art Gallery, and
assisted Georgian artist Iliko Zautashvili at
this years 55th Venice Biennale.
16
SHANA ASTRACHAN ’96 focused on multiple
collaborations with other designers at a
Makeshift Society residency in her current
base of San Francisco. Shana is a designer,
metalsmith and makeup artist with a strong
background in product development
and working with manufacturers. She has
recently launched a line of boutique
beauty products.
18
DANIEL PEPICE ’03 is a designer for the
re-launched Boast fashion line. His apparel
for New York Fashion Week was selected as
one of Elle magazine’s "Fashion Week's Next
Big Things.”
SARAH SCHUSTER ’03 is an Associate
at Cultural Capital Consultancy, a
Swiss company specializing in art
collection strategy, museum consultancy,
and art wealth management. Sarah is based
in London and has worked with leading
patrons of international art institutions,
major international collectors, and public,
private, and commercial institutions in the
U.S., the U.K., and Europe. She earned her
MA in Curating from Goldsmiths College,
University of London.
19
SHANNON RANKIN ’97 and JUSTIN RICHEL
’02 had work featured in Crux, a two-person
exhibit of new work at the June Fitzpatrick
Gallery in Portland, ME. Shannon had work
published in Geo Graphic. A Book for Map
Lovers, and her work was featured on
Fast Company’s Creative Braintrust blog.
Additionally, her work was featured in the
2013 West Elm Catalog and in an interview
on their blog.
ISAK APPLIN ’98 had a solo exhibition
of paintings at Evens Contemporary in
Peterborough, Ontario, and a two-person
show titled Isak Applin & Adam Ekberg.
Sounds from the Second Floor at
Comfort Station in Chicago, IL.
14
LISA DOMBEK (attended) ’98 had
work included in Ekphrasis: Poems Speaking
to Silent Works of Art at the Yarmouth
Memorial Library in Yarmouth, ME.
RENEE BOUCHARD ’99 participated in a twoperson exhibition titled Alternate Realities—
Jamie Franklin & Renee Bouchard at Branch
Gallery in North Adams, MA, and a solo
exhibition of her paintings titled Confluence
at McDaris Fine Art in Hudson, NY.
NICOLE DUENNEBIER ’05 had an exhibition
of her paintings called Bright Beast, at
The Lilypad in Cambridge, MA, and her
work is represented by 13 Forest Gallery in
Arlington, MA.
TYLER JOHNSTON ’05 had a solo exhibition
on three interrelated bodies of work,
including maps of inheritance, power objects,
and transmutational icons, titled Tropical
Alchemy, at Popopstudios International
Center for Visual Arts in Nassau, Bahamas.
Tyler, working under the pseudonym
of Bahama Woodstarr, debuted a short
performance during the show.
JESSICA RODRIGUE ’05 was featured on the
news blog DNAinfo Chicago for her project
photographing all of the closed Chicago
Public Schools.
PATRICIA BRACE ’06 co-curated interstice, a
performance art exhibit at Trestle Gallery
in Brooklyn, NY that used technology, the
body, and the everyday to examine the space
between life and art. A street performance/
happening preceded the show. She also
exhibited her work in Women in Charge!,
Gabriel Adams ’02 with Iranian artist Shirin Neshat
at the opening of the Venice Biennale.
Stacey Vallerie ’03, Dan, carbon and pastel,
5" x 7," 2013
2000s
Erica Hansen ’00, Counting Crows, Inkblot series on
illuminated panels, 12'x12', 2012
ERICA HANSEN ’00 works in
photography, video and sculpture,
creating visual experiments related
to physical space, mythology and personal
desire. After a two-year residency at The
Creative Alliance in Baltimore, Maryland,
and the completion of her MA in Art and
Education from the Maryland Institute
College of Art, she has been living and
working in Cosenza, Italy for the last year
in pursuit of her Ph.D. During that time she
has been working on a series called Counting
Crows, which includes plans for a book and a
Smartphone application that allows readers
to contribute their crow stories, sightings,
and anecdotes to an international online
database. Creative Capital included her
avian-related project “Assimilaves” on their
2013 “On Our Radar” list. She had previously
won a second place judge’s choice award for
her image that was installed on the side of
The Creative Alliance’s wall in Baltimore, MD,
as part of artist Michael Owen’s Wheat Paste
Competition.
Counting Crows is a series of inkblot compositions
featuring crow imagery in mandalic and symmetric
compositions. The series is a variable set of images
that have been installed in response to various
architectural spaces, as well as in book form.
Pictured here the image is printed and illuminated
on a series of light boxes. This series re-imagines the
tradition of counting crow rhymes, and asks viewers
to create their own auguric methodology.
15
MICHELLE WEINSTEIN ’02, who is an
MFA candidate at the University of
British Columbia in Vancouver, had
an exhibition of her animations and drawings
entitled Fourth at b. sakata garo gallery in
Sacramento, CA.
PHOTO: MAGDA GURULI
EDNA DRATCH-PARKER ’86 is the founder of
EFD Creative, which won a Wedding of the
Year award in 2012 from the New England
Chapter of the National Association for
Catering and Events. Edna also received the
Trendsetter of the Year Award by Wedding
Planner Magazine in 2012, and Social Event
Planner of the Year through BizBash Boston
Readers’ Choice Awards in 2011.
ALUMNI
Allison Cooke Brown, Amended #11, vintage lace
doily, cotton threads, 11” x 13,” 2012
ALLISON COOKE BROWN '01 was included in
the “Dirigo” portion of a four-part show at
the University of New England Art Gallery
in Westbrook, ME, called Maine Women
Pioneers. One of her wearable artist's books
was included in 500 Handmade Books Vol 2,
published by Lark Books.
GINA ADAMS ’02 completed her MFA at
the University of Kansas with a solo exhibit,
Survival/Zhaabwiiwin, at the Visual Arts
Gallery, and was in a seven-woman exhibit
called Woman Stands With a Fist at The
Museum of the Contemporary Native
American in Santa Fe, NM. Her work was
featured in River Market Regional Exhibition
at the Artists Coalition’s Malin and Charno
Galleries in Kansas City, MO. She also
completed a residency at The Studios of Key
West in Key West, FL, where her work was
featured in a solo exhibit at TSKW Gallery.
Her solo exhibit at the Bemis Center for
Contemporary Art in Omaha, NE, opened
in November.
TIM CLORIUS ’02 and MATT MOORE
’06 met in Heidelberg, Germany,
and painted around the clock for
three weeks to create An Abstract Dialog, a
series of collaborative canvases and murals
exhibited at Galerie P13. Matt also painted
a mural on the exterior of the Museu del
Disseny de Barcelona in Spain, as part of the
Offf Festival.
17
JUSTIN RICHEL ’02 had his work included in
Still Life Lives! at the Fitchburg Art Museum
in Fitchburg, MA and he participated in
a John Michael Kohler Arts Center Arts/
Industry residency.
STACEY VALLERIE ’03 has been traveling
internationally as a scenic artist for a
company that creates theater sets for cruise
ships. Her work was exhibited in Art Comes
Alive, a juried exhibition by Art Design
Consultants in Cincinnati, OH, for which she
was awarded “Pastel Artist of the Year.” She
was also accepted into Secret Artworks, The
Cincinnati Art Club’s “Viewpoint Show;”
and C/LINK, a competitive database of local
artists that connects them to buyers, dealers,
and curators.
KIMBERLY CONVERY (attended) ’05 had an
exhibition of her drawings titled Pity the
Clouds at Mayo Street Arts in Portland, ME.
a group exhibition at SOHO 20 Gallery in
Chelsea, NY.
TAYLOR FRANKLIN ’06 works as the Registrar
at Greene Naftali Gallery in New York City.
JASON GORCOFF ’06, Penn State Altoona’s
Emerging Artist-in-Residence, had an
exhibit titled New Works at the Misciagna
Family Center for Performing Arts in
Altoona, PA. Jason received his MFA from
Indiana State University.
ANN THOMPSON (attended) ’06 taught
several kinetic toy classes for youth that
utilized recycled materials, authentic
manufacturing techniques, and hand tools
23
ALUMNI
ALUMNI
to create inventive moving art at Firehouse
Arts at Winslow Station in Falmouth, ME.
into Curriculum.” Edwige also worked with
Creative Portland and MECA to organize the
Professional Development lecture series.
BRETT WALKER ’06 photographed filmmaker
Rob Epstein for a book project called Tell
Me Something by Jessica Edwards and the
Film First production company. His image
“Solo Exhibition” was included in an exhibit
at the Newspace Center for Photography in
Portland, OR, and was featured as a “photo
of the day” on the Fecal Face website. His
work was featured in a group exhibit at the
Photo Center Northwest in Seattle, WA, and
in a solo show at a gallery space called The
Garage Sale Project. He also participated
in the Art Span SF Open Studios in San
Francisco, CA.
CHLOE DARKE ’11 was featured in an episode
of Craft in America during season five of
the Peabody Award-winning series on PBS.
Her career as a silversmith at Old Newbury
Crafters was documented in one of three
profiles that aired in the episode “Forge,”
devoted to artists who work with metal.
ELIANNA MESAIKOS PHELPS ’08 graduated
with her MFA from SUNY Purchase.
MARTHA PISCUSKAS ’08 is the Director of
Programming at Waterfall Arts in Belfast,
ME. She was interviewed by Britta Konau for
the column “art current: A Dialogue with
Waterfall Arts About Community” for the
Free Press Online, based in Rockland, ME.
AARON STAPLES ’08 was commissioned to
create three large-scale ink drawings of
various oyster species for Eventide Oyster
Co., a seafood restaurant in Portland, ME,
which led to six additional commissions.
meca.edu
PHOTO: JESSICA BEEBE
LK Weiss ’11 with her team from Jack Tar 207
RISD Museum in Providence, RI. Operating
under the name Wavelady Studios, Anna
continues to do custom design, fabrication
and repair of iron fences, railings, and other
ornamentation.
LIZ SWEIBEL MFA ’03 had a solo exhibition
titled fragments of our own at NURTUREart
in Brooklyn, NY. An online catalog that
accompanied the show included an essay by
MAYSEY CRADDOCK MFA ’03.
LENKA KONOPASEK MFA ’01 had work
included in Ink, Paper, Scissors at the Kimball
Art Center in Park City, UT.
NANCY NESVET MFA '04 was the head
curator of the exhibit Fasanella's Lawrence
at the Gallery at Lawrence Heritage State
Park in Lawrence, MA. Ralph Fanasella was
a self-taught artist whose work was featured
in numerous museums around the county.
Nancy also joined the faculty at University of
Massachusetts Lowell as an instructor in the
Honors College, teaching curatorial science
and practice.
SIMON VAN DER VEN MFA ’01 was an artistin-residence at Anderson Ranch Arts Center
in Snowmass Village, CO.
AARON STEPHAN MFA ’02 had an exhibition
of his work titled Art Handling at Samsøn
Gallery in Boston. His solo show of three
large-scale site-specific installations called
Platform 12: Aaron Stephan: Secondhand
Utopias, at the DeCordova Sculpture Park
and Museum in Lincoln, MA, was reviewed
by the Boston Globe. He recently completed
commissions for the Wishard Hospital in
Indianapolis, IN, and the Merrill Marine
Gateway Project in Portland, ME. His
commission for the Music City Center in
Nashville, TN, included a grid of more than
LAUREN O'NEAL MFA '04 had a show at Nave
Gallery in Somerville, MA, as part of their
first artist-in-residence program. During the
show she hosted a salon based on failure and
experimentation titled Fail Better: A Works
in Progress Salon, which included a discussion
with KIRSTEN REYNOLDS MFA '04.
HANNAH SHERWOOD ’13 collaborated
with Goodwill Industries of Northern New
England to create word-art installations on
walls and chain-link fences throughout the
Bayside community in Portland, ME.
Aaron Decker ’12, Daphne, wood, pearl, mother of
pearl, topaz, white gold, silver, 4.5" x 3" x .5," 2013
RAYMOND EWING ’12 is an MFA candidate
at the University of New Mexico in
Albuquerque, NM.
KENYON GRANT ’12 works at the Dehn
Gallery at Manchester Community College in
Manchester, CT, and recently co-curated an
exhibition there titled 100 Mile Village.
JOHN NELSON ’12 established Nelson Metal
Fabrication in Portland, ME, creating custom
metalwork for restaurants, bars, galleries,
and private clients. He was also featured in
the Portland Press Herald in an article about
the availability of affordable studio space in
Portland, ME.
MOLLY VOGEL ’09 was selected for the
Emerging Artist category this year at the
Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show.
24
HANNAH ROSENGREN ’13 works at the
Portland Museum of Art as a Visitor
Experience Associate.
RILEY HART ’12 was interviewed by the
Bangor Daily News about her journey from
a diagnosis of papillary thyroid cancer to
her subsequent surgeries and recovery, her
campaigns to raise money for the Maine
Cancer Foundation, and her upcoming trip to
climb Mount Kilimanjaro. She is now cancer
free and plans to use her upcoming trip to
climb Mount Kilimanjaro to raise thyroid
cancer awareness and inspire others.
GAVIN ROUILLE ’09, gave a talk called "Trying
to Complete Me" at Rose Contemporary
Gallery in Portland, ME. Gavin's archive of
sticky notes, created while planning his first
year of graduate school at Indiana State
University, formed the basis for MECA
Associate Professor of Printmaking ADRIANE
HERMAN’s new series of inlaid burnishing clay
panels featured in the show Finish Lines at
the gallery.
EDWIGE CHARLOT ’10 had her work included
in a two-person exhibition with PHIL
STEVENS ’91 titled In Search of Our Land at
Isaac Dyer Galleries in Gorham, ME. She was
interviewed by MPBN for the piece “Maine
Educators Seek to Integrate Black History
NATALIE REED ’13 is a member of the Silver
Thread Artisans in Vinalhaven, ME.
ABBETH RUSSELL ’11 has been curating
exhibitions at the Meg Perry Center in
Portland, ME. She is a member of the Hidden
Ladder Art Collective, which has had many
exhibits at the center. She is also a Program
Assistant at Mayo Street Arts.
LISA (LK) WEISS ’11 is the founder of The
Portland Designer, a graphic design company,
and Jack Tar 207, a style and product
photography business that showcases the
gritty authenticity of people and places in
Maine, while “bending the rules of gender
and fashion norms." The Jack Tar blog has a
worldwide following and an interview with
LK was recently posted on the Huffington
Post blog.
KRISTIN FITZPATRICK ’13 was an artist-inresidence at the Monhegan Artist Residency
on Monhegan Island, ME.
SARAH MOHAMMADI ’13 won an American
Institute of Graphic Design (AIGA) Bone Show
award for her cookbook Turkmen Damegh.
The biennial show celebrates the best of New
England design.
CALEB PINE ’11 and STEVEN ANDERSON ’11
are both woodworkers at Katahdin Studio in
Lewiston. They created a ceremonial mace
for Kaplan University in Lewiston, ME, that is
used at Kaplan’s commencement ceremonies.
ASHERAH CINNAMON ’08 had a solo
exhibition at the Maine Jewish Museum
entitled Celebration, Tradition and Change.
She was also one of the artists-in-residence
at “The Jewish Waltz with Planet Earth
Retreat” in Putnam Valley, NY, where she
helped to create a collaborative installation
based on the Hebrew letter Shin. Her work
was reviewed in The Jewish Daily Forward,
a key publication for Jews worldwide, and in
The Jewish Week.
REBECCA “REESA” WOOD ’12 is in her second
year of her MFA at Rhode Island School of
Design in Providence, RI. Some of her work
was included in At Your Leisure, an exhibit
of work by RISD’s MFA 2014 painting class at
111 Front Street Galleries in Brooklyn, NY.
ABBY MECHANIC ’13 and JASMINE CLAYTON
(attended) ’97 were nominated for a Martha
Stewart American Made award, a viewer’s
choice award that recognizes ingenuity and
excellence for handmade products.
NICOLE FARRAND ’11 completed her MFA
at Virginia Commonwealth University in
Richmond, VA, and participated in the Thesis
Exhibition at Anderson Gallery at VCU. She
now works at MECA as the Studio Assistant
in the Woodworking & Furniture Design
department and is also teaching a BFA class.
ANTHONY BRAGG ’07 is a graduate student
at Rhode Island School of Design. He was
selected to do an installation in the Artists at
Work Project Window.
2010s
AARON DECKER ’12 had a solo exhibition
titled Opulent Forest at Daunis Fine Jewelry
in Portland, ME. He is also an editor for
Current Obsession, a new biannual magazine
devoted to jewellery as part of today’s visual
culture, published in Munich, Germany and
distributed internationally. Aaron also gave
an artist’s talk in Osher Hall at MECA.
ADRIANA WARNER ’12 was one of three
artists awarded a fellowship to participate
in an interdisciplinary program called the
Department of Public Imagination, launched
by the Design Studio for Social Intervention
and Community Labor United. This Bostonbased program targets socially engaged
artists to build creative partnerships between
artists and member-led community groups.
mfa
RICHARD METZ MFA ’00 had new work
included in Acclimatized: Heaven & Earth
5, an outdoor sculpture exhibit in Carkeet
Park at the Center on Contemporary Art in
Seattle, WA.
ANNA SHAPIRO MFA ’00 is creating an
installation at the Contemporary
Art and Culture Heritage Centre in
the Sabile Synagogue in Latvia in
the summer of 2014 in conjunction
with the 7th International Conference on
Contemporary Cast Iron Art in Latvia. Anna
says,
“Every stage of the making involves going
into the old traditions of casting, weaving,
storytelling, and woodworking. When
complete, the entire installation will be
burned and the ashes will be put into cast
iron urns and placed on a monument
marking where 240 Jews from the area were
massacred. The work aims to be laborious
and joyful, even though it addresses a painful
time in world history."
20
She also had work included in Weathering
Art, a group exhibition devoted to creative
expression in the era of climate change at 119
Gallery in Lowell, MA; Marrow at the Steel
Yard in Providence, RI; Power Lines at Van
Vessem Gallery in Tiverton RI; Craftivism at
the Massachusetts State House in Boston,
MA; and the Locally Made exhibit at the
Catherine D’ignazio MFA ’05, The Sixth Room, online data visualization of visitors to Sarah Sze's Triple Point
installation at the Venice Biennale, 2013
100 white musical instruments, a “life-sized
orchestra floating in space and time." He was
cited by NYArts Magazine as one of twenty
notable artists under the age of 40.
MAYSEY CRADDOCK MFA ’03 had an
exhibition titled Maysey Craddock: Angle of
Repose at the Baum Gallery at the University
of Central Arkansas in Conway, AR, featuring
paintings focused on the ruins of a 13th
century Estonian church. Her work was
included in the two-person show A Different
Kind of Landscape at the Brooks Museum of
Art, in Memphis, TN; in Five from Memphis at
The Arts Company in Nashville, TN; in Under
the Influence at the Baton Rouge Gallery in
Louisiana; and in Art Southampton at the
David Lusk Gallery in Southampton, NY. New
work will be shown at Cris Worley Fine Arts
in Dallas, TX in 2014. She recently joined the
Sears Peyton Gallery in New York City.
21
CATHERINE D’IGNAZIO MFA ’05, aka
Kanarinka, created "The Sixth Room,"
a digital tool that visually represents the
network of virtual and physical audiences
visiting Sarah Sze's "Triple Point" in the U.S.
Pavilion for the Bloomberg Lounge at the
Venice Biennial.
RANDY REGIER MFA ’07 had a solo exhibition
titled But Wait, There’s More. at The Diver in
Wichita, KS. His installation NuPenny's Last
Stand: Hays, Kansas appeared at 10th and
Main Streets in Hays, KS.
DEVIN DOBROWOLSKI MFA ’08 was profiled
by Britta Konau in Maine Home + Design
magazine as a highly skilled emerging
artist whose focus is the human figure. He
is represented by Aucocisco Galleries in
Portland, ME.
25
ALUMNI
ALUMNI
GINA SIEPEL MFA ’08 had a solo exhibition at
the A.P.E. Gallery in Northampton, MA titled
1 x 1. It was a live, site-specific installation
which combined performance, drawing,
installation, and traditional woodworking,
during which Siepel attempted to install a
single ash board, one inch wide by one mile
long, into the interior of the A.P.E. Gallery.
JESSICA TOWNES GEORGE MFA ’09 had an
exhibition at TNC Gallery in New York City
and at Déjà Vu Gallery on Block Island, RI.
ANGELA WARREN MFA ’11 had work included
in a group exhibition titled Working It Out at
the Painting Center in New York City.
ANNE BUCKWALTER MFA ’12 was
accepted for a residency at the Banff
Centre, a large arts and creativity
incubator, located in the heart of Banff
National Park, in Alberta, Canada.
22
SHIRAH NEUMANN MFA ’12 had work included
in the group exhibition Visual Poetry at the
Portland Public Library, Portland, ME, and
in 2014 will have work included in Portland
Show by Greenhut Galleries, also in Portland.
TONI JO COPPA MFA ’13 had work
included in the 8th Annual Boston Young
Contemporaries Juried Exhibition at 808
Gallery in Boston, MA, Make Believe at Dark
Room Gallery in Essex Junction, VT, and
Divergent Collective at the Danforth Gallery
at the University of Maine-Augusta. She
also completed a residency at the Hewnoaks
Artist Colony in Lovell, ME.
SANDRA LAPAGE MFA '13 lives and
works in São Paulo, Brazil. She
recently completed a successful
Kickstarter campaign to fund her upcoming
artist residency at the NARS Foundation in
New York.
23
MARIA LIEBANA MFA ’13 had her work
included in a show titled Best of the
Northeast Masters of Fine Arts 2013
Exhibition at the Helen Day Art Center in
Stowe, VT.
art ed
ANDREW DIBELLA ART ED ’07 is an
art teacher at MEF International
School, Istanbul, Turkey.
MEGAN HAGERTY ART ED ’13, BFA ’12 teaches
at Soule Early Childhood Center, a Reggio/
Montessori preschool in Brookline, MA.
JENNIFER KOWTKO ART ED ’13 received
the Maine Art Education Alliance's Higher
Education award.
Reconnect with your College and take advantage
of our residency and grant opportunities.
Mathieu Poster ’96 with his dog Chanook
24
NATALIE SQUILLANTE '09, ART ED '10 teaches
ceramics at Jamestown Art Center, that she
helped to found 3 years ago. She teaches
youth and adult classes, as well as summer
ceramics and creative arts camps. She also
works with a non-profit called Art is Smart,
which raises money to provide art rooms in
public schools with funds and materials for
their classes.
unexpectedly in Thomaston, ME,
on May 5, 2013, at age 95. Frances
graduated from Deering High
School and attended Portland
School of Art. Because of her
father’s early death in 1936, she
felt she needed to give up her
art education and find a job to
assist her mother and brother.
She and her husband, Delmar
D. Shaw, Jr., were married in
Romona, California, and later
returned to Maine where Del
began a 31-year career with New
England Telephone Co. Fran and
Del raised three children: After his
retirement they settled in Cape
Elizabeth, which they enjoyed for
nearly 25 years. Fran continued to
paint throughout her life, sharing
her accomplished seascapes with
friends and family.
26
meca.edu
passed away unexpectedly on
May 3, 2013. She was born in
Waldoboro in 1944, attended
the Portland School of Art, and
was an accomplished artist.
Shirley married Tom Leighton
and they had two children, Kate
and Andy. Shirley and Tom had
made Falmouth their home for
the past 40 years. Shirley worked
at Cuddledown of Maine for 17
years and at L.L. Bean for 17
years, retiring three years ago.
She owned and operated Pleasant
Hill Products and her creative cat
mats and toys were sold in pet
and gift shops across the country.
In addition to her entrepreneurial
ventures, Shirley was an avid
gardener, painter, and landscape
designer.
Alumni who graduated with a BFA within the
last ten years, and are working in the field
of crafts are eligible to apply. Grants of up to
$1,500 will be awarded through a competitive
review process. All applicants must submit
an online application including a request for
funds detailing how the grant will be used to
advance one’s professional career. Application
deadline is March 12, 2014. Visit meca.edu/
belvedere for more information.
EMMA COLLABORATION
In 2012, MECA introduced a new
Cynthia Davis ’90,
relationship with the EMMA
Coast to Coast,
International Collaboration.This event
acrylic and collage on
takes place every other year and brings 100
hand woven paper,
35" x 53," 2013
renowned artists and craftspeople together
from around the world to create art in a
collaborative process in the boreal forest of Saskatchewan, Canada.
The event has become a catalyst for worldwide creativity in the arts.
Summer 2014 collaboration dates are July 30–August 7.
DEANNA BIRD ART ED '13 teaches art at
Garrison Elementary in Dover, NH, where she
also volunteers to create the school yearbook
and photograph events.
SHIRLEY THOMPSON
LEIGHTON (attended) ’65
BELVEDERE FUND FOR PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT IN THE FIELD OF CRAFTS
25
Funding is available to cover all costs for one applicant to represent
MECA in 2014. For more details visit emmacollaboration.com or
contact Jill Dalton at [email protected]. Applications will be accepted
through the Belvedere Fund online application form:
meca.edu/belvedere
in memoriam
FRANCES L. SHAW
(attended) ’36 passed away
alumni
events +
opportunities
MECA RESIDENCY PROGRAMS
DEBORAH BATES ’83 passed
away on June 27, 2013, at the
Christian Science Care Facility in
Chestnut Hills, MA, following a
lingering illness. She was born in
Wellesley, MA, and held degrees
from California College of Arts
& Crafts (MFA), Maine College
of Art (BFA), Pennsylvania State
University (MA), and Boston
University (BS). Her professional
accomplishments included serving
as a Peace Corps volunteer in
Bangladesh and working as a
producer at Boston's public
television station, WBGH. She was
a tenured Assistant Professor in
video and art for many years at
St. Joseph's College in Standish,
ME. A gifted artist, Deborah had
exhibitions in Massachusetts,
California, and Maine. Her works
currently hang in both public
and private collections in these
states. An exhibition of her work,
From The Ground: Architecture
of a Family, is on view through
February 20th in the Charles C.
Thomas Gallery at MECA.
MATHIEU POSTER ’96 passed
away in West Newfield, ME on
November 6, 2013. Matt earned
his BFA degree in Sculpture
from MECA and his MFA from
Rochester Institute of Technology
School for American Crafts. He
worked as a teacher and manager
of The Carving Studio and
Sculpture Center in West Rutland,
VT, then went on to teach in the
Continuing Studies department
at MECA. He worked in marble,
wood and metal, his medium
of preference, and was also an
accomplished photographer
and painter. Many of his largerthan-life metal sculptures were
commissioned works and are
displayed in locations throughout
the country. Mathieu is lovingly
remembered by his family,
friends, students, and colleagues.
Memorial donations may be made
to the Carving Studio or to Maine
College of Art.
All alumni, faculty, and staff members are invited to apply for
residencies at the Stephen Pace House in Stonington, ME, and the
Artist and Family Residency at the Jenny Family Compound at the
Baie Sainte Marie in New Edinburgh, Nova Scotia. Residencies range
from one to four weeks at the Pace House and two to four weeks
at the Baie Sainte Marie location. Applications may be made in any
medium, individually or in groups. Preference for the Pace House
is given to applicants who are painters. The application deadline is
February 19, 2014. meca.edu/residencies.
Emma Sampson ’11, Homemade Arrows, archival inkjet print, 4 x 5 film.
Emma made this photograph while she was a MECA artist-in-residence at the
Pace House in Stonington, ME.
FAMILY RESIDENCY GRANT
MECA is a proud recipient of a grant from the Sustainable Arts
Foundation. The grant was given to MECA to make physical
improvements and purchase gear to make the Pace House more
family-friendly. The grant also includes one $500 stipend for families
to attend either the Pace House of Baie Sainte Marie residency. Artist
parents of children under age 18 may apply for the stipend when
applying for a MECA residency.
MFA ALUMNI RESIDENCY
MFA alumni may also apply for the MFA Alumni Residency, which
takes place on campus during the MFA summer intensive, from July
5 through August 1, 2014. Application deadline is March 14, 2014.
meca.edu/residencies.
LIBERTY MUTUAL INSURANCE DISCOUNT
Through MECA’s relationship with Liberty Mutual, degree-holding
alumni may receive a discount on auto, homeowners, and life
insurance. For more information, go to libertymutual.com or contact
our representative at Liberty Mutual, Danielle Bates, at 207.871.9000
ext 50505 and mention that you are a MECA alum.
Keep In Touch!
Our alumni are extremely important to us. Send your news, suggestions, high resolution images (300-dpi minimum), and your updated
contact information, to [email protected] or mail to:
Alumni Office, Maine College of Art
522 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101
Submissions for Class Notes received after October 1, 2013 will be
considered for inclusion in our next issue.
Join our MECA Alumni Facebook page and share your news there
too! facebook.com/MECAAlumni
FOR ALL OTHER ALUMNI-RELATED INQUIRIES CONTACT:
Jill Dalton ’99, 207.699.5018, [email protected]
Associate Director of Artists at Work
and Director of Alumni Relations
27
STUDENT PROFILE
art
education
MECA began offering its Master of
Arts in Teaching (MAT) curriculum in
Summer 2012. The State of Maine and
the regional accrediting body New
England Association of Schools and
Colleges (NEASC) have granted MECA
the authority to award the MAT.
Jennifer Kowtko Named 2013 Maine Art Education Association (MAEA) Student Art Educator of the Year
ART ED
STUDENT PROFILE
Jennifer Kowtko ’14
Art is one of the few disciplines that invites an internal application of external experience or
knowledge. Art demands a personal commitment. This degree of investment can be terrifying
for a student. The role of the art educator therefore is more than an individual who
imparts technical knowledge. The art educator must create a space in which the student’s
trust allows the student to dismantle boundaries and explore. Jennifer Kwotko does this,
almost instinctively.
“My goal for students is to be able to look back at the end of the year and feel that they have
deepened their artistic abilities as well as their world view,” states Jennifer Kowtko who will
be one of the first MECA graduates to earn the Masters of Arts in Teaching. Named the 2013
Maine Art Education Association (MAEA) Student Art Educator of the Year, Jennifer’s love
of, “witnessing the ‘Ah-ha’ moments of discovery when students make bigger connections to
their world or prior experiences across contexts” has clearly translated to her teaching.
It’s the importance of being
reflective. Thinking back on what
you’ve done and examining why
is the key to growth—whether as
an artist or as a teacher.
A 2002 graduate of
Syracuse University,
summa cum laude, with a
BFA in Illustration, Jennifer’s
path to art education was not
a direct one. A decade hiatus
as a successful freelance artist
and hair color specialist has
enabled her to amass a wealth
of experience she is able to draw on as a teacher. When asked how MECA’s Art Ed program
informed her teaching approach and style, Jennifer answered, “It’s the importance of being
reflective. Thinking back on what you’ve done and examining why is the key to growth—
whether as an artist or as a teacher. The MECA community has been inspirational—it is rich
with skilled artists who are grounded in their personal quests for meaning as well as making. …
The nature of the one-year program is both intensive and intimate... incredibly supportive
and encouraging.”
ArtEd teacher candidates are pairing
up with youth from the East Bayside
neighborhood. Every Wednesday
afternoon of the six-week program,
participants select projects that range
from experimenting with paint and
clay to making dream pillows. Upon
completion, a community exhibition was
held at Mayo Street Arts in December.
A big thank-you to CHRISTOPHER
STRICKLAND, course instructor for
Frameworks for Teaching and Learning
in Multicultural Environments, and
BLAINOR MCGOUGH, Executive &
Artistic Director of Mayo Street Arts for
arranging the collaboration.
KELLY MCCONNELL, Director of Art
Education Outreach, expanded this
year’s field experiences to include the
Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital. As
teacher candidate Anne Saffron says,
“To be able to give those children a
creative distraction from their normal
hospital routine and to see them light
up when they saw all the art supplies
we brought was such an incredible
experience. To think that I personally
could bring a little bit of art and
happiness to them during this difficult
time in their lives brought such a sense
of inner joy and happiness.”
To learn about more about the
wonderful Art Education initiatives,
please visit our blog arted.meca.edu.
For information on the Art Education
program at MECA, please contact
[email protected].
Jennifer is looking to the future with confidence and credits the kinship and accessibility to
her professors, valuable professional connections made during the course of the program, and
wonderful friendships, as being major parts of her current and doubtless future success. ●
meca.edu
JULY 1, 2012 TO JUNE 30, 2013
We are pleased to present the
Annual Report of Giving for Maine
College of Art to acknowledge
and thank our 483 donors for
gifts made between July 1, 2012
and June 30, 2013, which totaled
$1,403,055. Each gift supports
the college’s mission to deliver a
transformative learning experience
that prepares students to thrive
in the areas of artistic excellence,
creative entrepreneurship, and
public engagement.
Our roster includes gifts to the
Annual Fund, those designated for
programs and capital needs, the
endowment, revenue generated
from the full or partial donation
of artwork sold at the inaugural
Art Sale in June 2013, and the
charitable portion of tickets to the
Fashion Show and Art Honors.
We want to recognize the totality
of our donors’ giving, so the
aggregate amount realized by the
College after goods and services
received is reflected for each
donor in the gift report.
WHAT YOU SUPPORTED
ACADEMIC PROGRAMS$489,534
GENERAL OPERATIONS
$344,107
CAPITAL $265,101
SCHOLARSHIPS $190,732
ENDOWMENT
$104,949
ALUMNI PROGRAMS $5,782
VISITING ARTISTS$2,850
TOTAL$1,403,055
4%
2%
7%
14%
19%
35%
25%
Students and faculty
feel the impact of your
gifts every day.
EVERY GIFT IS IMPORTANT TO US AND WE STRIVE TO KEEP ACCURATE RECORDS.
WE APOLOGIZE IF WE INADVERTENTLY OMITTED OR MISSPELLED ANY NAMES.
PLEASE LET US KNOW SO WE MAY CORRECT OUR ERROR.
BY SERENA JOYBCE ’15
28
Annual Report
of Giving
ANNUAL REPORT OF GIVING
AROG
Anne Saffron works with Lily at the Barbara
Bush Childen's Hospital while her mother smiles
in the background.
29
LEADERSHIP CIRCLE DONORS
$1,000 AND ABOVE
Maine College of Art is deeply grateful to the Leadership Circle
donors who made gifts of $1,500 or more. The generosity and
spirit of our contributors allows us to offer programs of excellence
and support the long-term stability of the College.
$25,000 AND ABOVE
The Bob Crewe Foundation
Cyrus and Patricia Hagge
Alison D. Hildreth ’76 and
Horace A. Hildreth, Jr.
Candace Pilk Karu H’13
The Lunder Foundation
The Quimby Family Foundation
The George L. & Clara S.
Shinn Foundation
S. Donald Sussman H’12
The Warren Memorial Foundation
Anonymous
$10,000 AND ABOVE
Joan and Dan Amory
through the Fiddler Fund of the
Maine Community Foundation
Barridoff Galleries, Inc.
and Annette and Rob Elowitch
The Sam L. Cohen Foundation
William and Anne Dustin P’81
Judy and Al Glickman· H’02
The Estate of James B.
Goodbody H’80·
E. Kent Gordon
The Estate of Hazel M. Harrison ’40·
Judy and Jeff Kane
Palmina Pace
Gary Robinov ’04 and
White Dog Arts
Anonymous
I support MECA
because the connection
to the students
reminds me of the
possibilities in the world.
Also, it's plain fun.
—KATHRYN YATES, VOLUNTEER
* ATTENDED
· DECEASED
P PARENT
H HONORARY DEGREE
30 meca.edu
$5,000 AND ABOVE
Ahmed M. Alsoudani ’05
Mr. and Mrs. Richard E. Curran, Jr.
Dr. Edward M. ’08 and
Mrs. Carole J. Friedman
Roger H'02 and Betty Gilmore
The Holt Family Fund of the
The Roy A. Hunt Foundation
The William Sloane Jelin
Charitable Foundation
Kenneth and Mary Nelson
Deborah S. Reed
Mary L. Schendel and
Philip H. Gleason
Bill and Jacky Thornton
The VIA Agency
$2,500 AND ABOVE
The Anderson Family Foundation
Jane G. Briggs
Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Buford
The Margaret E. Burnham
Charitable Trust
Rebecca Swanson Conrad and
Austin H. Conrad, Jr.
Daniel N. Crewe
The Harry E. Cummings
Charitable Trust
Mr. and Mrs. William R. Dill
The Evergreen Foundation
Harriet F. Hubbard ’09*
Anne M. Ireland ’94
and Kenneth M. Cole III
Lyn Means, M.D.
Anne and Vincent Oliviero
Sam and Teresa Pierce
Ms. Donna Roggenthien and
Mr. Ronald Leeking
John Ryan and Jenny Potter Scheu
The Phineas W. Sprague
Memorial Foundation
The Sustainable Arts Foundation
Don and Louise Tuski
Unum Matching Gifts Program
Caron Zand and Donald L. Head
Anonymous
$1,500 AND ABOVE
Ian C. Anderson
and Kari E. Radasch ’97
Dyan Berk ’89
The Edward S. and Cornelia Greaves
Bates Fund of the Maine
Community Foundation
Maria and Keith Canning
Edward H. Daveis Benevolent Fund of
the Maine Community Foundation
Bernard M. Devine
Bob and Debby Dluhy
Debra Dustin Fuller and Dan Fuller
Douglas Green and
the Phillips-Green Foundation, Inc.
Ralph and Katherine Harding
Betsy and Christopher M. Hunt
Erick and Stephanie Lahme
Alison Leavitt
Alexander Macleod
June M. McCormack
Neil and Suzanne McGinn
Margaret and Mason Morfit
Daniel E. O'Leary and
Kathy J. Bouchard ’81
Shirah R. Neumann MFA ’12
The Nightingale Code Foundation
Margaret Minister O'Keefe
Claudia and Harold Pachios
Pierce Atwood LLP
Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Pierce
Dan and Nancy Poteet
Jac Ouellette ’02 and Celine Godin
The Rines/Thompson Fund of the
Francine L. Schrock ’91
Dorothy and Elliott Schwartz
Mr. H’82 and Mrs. Peter L. Sheldon
The Simmons Foundation, Inc.
Mike Stiler
Carolyn H. Thomas
Michael Thompson and
Theresa McNally P’14
Michael E. Vermette ’80
Kathryn A. Yates
Bill and Patty Zimmerman through
a Component Fund of the
Anonymous
Mr. Donald B. Best ’81
Canteen Service Company
The Gene R. Cohen Charitable Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Douglas R. Coleman, Jr.
Roderick L. Dew ’80, MFA’00
Judy '82 and Gordon Hamlin
Peyton Higgison III ’79
IDEXX Laboratories Inc.
Ms. Barbara Rita Jenny ’02 and
Marcelline Jenny P’02
Margaret Lawrence ’93
Honour Mack
Hugh McCormick and Joyce Norton
McCormick P’16
The Stephanie Hope Mull Memorial
Scholarship Fund of the Maine
Community Foundation
Carl Benton Straub
Dietlind J. Vander Schaaf and Kelly Palomera
Neil and Elise Wallace
Shoshanna White
Paula Wood ’04 and Josh Wallach
The Woodside Foundation,
Henry and Linda Laughlin
Harrison and Jane Sawyer
Ann C. Slocum P’81
Cary Slocum ’81
Cindy Thompson and Matthew Rawdon
William H. Webster
Paula and Jamie Zeitlin
Anonymous
$250 AND ABOVE
Janice Adler
Katharine Ayer ’98
Jane Banquer and Norm Proulx
Susan Bartlett Rice
Dr. George Bokinsky
Lucy Breslin and Mark Johnson
Juliette Gates Britton ’95
Kate and Thomas Chappell
Seth A. Clayter and Nicole Cherbuliez
Mr. and Mrs. William P. Daley H’93
The Honorable H’85 and Mrs. Howard Dana
Craig and Dolly Foster
Terrie L. Gabis MFA ’01
Pamela Grumbach
Steven F. Hayes
Jamie Hogan and Martin Braun
Ayumi Horie
Because MECA has nourished my creative
roots, and enhanced the interconnectedness
of so many other artists, faculty, and alumni
friends, I am inspired to give something back.
—RACHAEL EASTMAN ’94
$500 AND ABOVE
Angela Adams
Sylvia Bangs ’58
Mr. and Mrs. David Beneman
Cathy Bloom
John Bowdren
Allison ’01 and Blakeslee Brown
Anne E. Buckwalter MFA ’12
Dolly Chapin
William T. Church
Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Cleaves IV
Charles deSieyes and Carol Ward
Elizabeth Elicker
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Elliman
Anne Myers Emlein
Helen and David Fitz
Joan Freiman
Maria Gallace and Tim Soley
and East Brown Cow Management
Kathleen Galligan
Marian A. Godfrey Sara Gray
Lindsay Hancock
The Second Abraham S. and
Fannie B. Levey Foundation
Judith C. Logan
Maine Recycling Corp,
Mr. and Mrs. Richard P. Mellon
Scott R. K. Moore ’78
Katie Murphy '91 and Peter Lindsay
New England Discount Retailers
and Mike Sherwood
Suzi Osher
Elizabeth Prior ’82
Holly Ready ’94
Marilyn and James Rockefeller
Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm P. Rogers
Robert and Paula Hoy
Jennifer Ragan Hubbell
Claudia Hughes
Peter L. Hyde ’14
Kate Katomski MFA ’02
Patty Lage
Marguerite M. Lawler-Rohner
Janie and Michael Lewis P’16
Liberty Mutual Group
Thomas Bradley Manson
Tracy Marsden Ginn ’83 and James Guidi
Valerie McCaffrey ’86
Kathryn McCoig
Margareta McDonald
Naomi G. McNeill ’08
Holly Meade
James and Marjorie Moody
Grace Nelson ’82
James and Amy Osborn
Patrick A. Plourde ’76
Phoebe Porteous
Puelle Design and David Puelle ’90
Timothy Quinn
Rebecca Waxman Sneed and Doug Sneed
Gail Spaien
Phil Stevens ’91
Stephen ’86 and Mary Beth Sunenblick
Kerry M. Tomczyk ’02
Sage Tucker-Ketcham ’03
Andres Alucena Verzosa ’92 and
David G. Whaples
Jeffrey L. Waites MFA’05
Angela J. Warren MFA ’11
Diana J. Washburn
Ms. Sally M. Wigon
Charles H. Willauer·
Anonymous
$100 AND ABOVE
Kathleen Anchor
Melvin D. Adams
Jonathan and Nancy Aldrich
Judith Allen-Efstathiou
William and Elaine Ambrose P’06
Lori A. Austill ’85
Marian L. Baker
Sally and Ronald Bancroft
Lucy Banfield
Andrew Barlow ’85
Cat E. Bates ’05
Daniel Bates P’09
Mr. and Mrs. James M. Behan
Heidi Bement
Taylor F. Benoit ’16
Mr. David C. Blinn
Mrs. Mary E. Blinn
Michelle M. Bolduc ’99
Marci Booth and Booth, Inc.
Carolyn and Christopher Branson
Kelly E. Brophy ’05*
Bruce Brown
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Buckley ’15
Tracy P. Burns
James E. Cavanagh, Jr. P’83
The Center for Maine Contemporary Art
Mr. and Mrs. Paul G. Clancy
Genevieve Clark
Maysey Craddock '03
Ms. Catherine Z. Cummins P’05
Mr. and Mrs. Eliot R. Cutler
Jill H. Dalton ’99 and Ernest Paterno
Lea N. DeForest ’07
Dr. and Mrs. H. Randall Deming
Nathan C. Deveau ’03
Laura Dixon and James Baker
Eric Doucette
Jeannette A. D'Onofrio P’13
Marianne DuBois
Donna Dustin and Rob Williams
El Rayo Taqueria
Charles Elfe
Linda and Richard Ellis
Linda and Sam Emerson
Michael Ferry
Michael Fillyaw
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen L. Fitzhugh
Theresa M. Gannett ’13
Lisa Gent
Dr. and Mrs. Bernard Givertz
Martha and Dennis Gleason, Gleason Fine Art
Nancy Glover
Donald S. Gould P'09
Robert Gould
Greenhut Galleries
Andrew P. Haviland ’12
Kendra Haskell-Sweet ’89
Constance Hayes ’80 H’03 + George Terrien
Mr. and Mrs. Peter L. Haynes
Mr. and Mrs. Charles M. Healey
Stacy R. Howe MFA ’10
Perry Hudson ·
Erin ’98 and Matt Hutton
Roberta Jackson
Wendy Kaye
Alissa Kennefick
James and Bonnie Klein
Daniel and Jeanne Kleinman
Mr. and Mrs. Mark Koerner P’16
Mr. Harry W. Konkel
Mr. and Mrs. Hajime Kozuru P’90
Steve and Polly Larned
Lisa Leonard
31
Dale ’91 and Rich Lewis
Heather Libby
Zelia Lima
Mr. and Mrs. James E. Lineberger
Mr. and Mrs. David M. Littlefield P’14
Martha Lohaus ’98*
Mark Marchesi ’99
Roberta MacDonald
Maine Media Workshops
Janet Conlon Manyan
Robin ’87 and Ted McCarthy
Betsy McLellan
Susan and Frank McGinty
Sarah S. Meacham
Larinda Meade
Frederick S. Miller
Daniel Minter
Ann and Kent Mohnkern
Mr. Blaine D. Moores
Mr. and Mrs. Marcel J. Moreau P’98
Bennett E. Morris MFA’07
Jeremy Moser and Laura Kittle
Brooke N. ’83 and P. Andrews Nixon P’00
Victoria Nolan and Clarkson Crolius
Peggy and Harold Osher
Edith M. Ouellette P’90
Ann V. Perrino
Jeffrey Peterson
John Powers ’95
Tim and Judy Radcliff P’15
Timothy F. Reimensnyder ’84
Richard K. Renner and Janet Friskey
Celeste Roberge ’79
Mark Rockwood and Neila Smith
Mr. and Mrs. Gary M. Rodgers P’11
Emily M. Rogstad ’13
Frank and Susan Ruch
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas H. Saliba
Gillian B. Schair and Seth D. Rigoletti
Robert and Cora Schiers
Susan Schraft, M.D. and Richard S. Berne
Anna K. Schwartz and Sarah Holmes
Russell and Emily Shattan
Mary-Leigh C. Smart
Carley and Barry Smith
Joan H’01 and Duncan Smith
Maia T. Snow ’13
Joseph L. Soley
Mr. and Mrs. Richard A. Spencer
Kenneth Spirer and Joan Leitzer
William and Patricia Spock
Anne R. Stanley
Mr. Scott R. Stevenson ’03 and
Dr. Constance J. Stevenson P’03
Timothy Stoklosa
Sandra Stone
Gabriella B. Sturchio ’12
Erin E. Sweeney ’94
Denise Karabinus ’99 and Trimbak Telang
Frederic and Quinby Thompson
Mr. and Mrs. Nathaniel P. Thompson
Dr. Philip P. Thompson, Jr. H’91
Mr. and Mrs. David M. Tourangeau
Christine J. Vincent
Annie Wadleigh
Kathy and Peter Wagner
Kay White
Margaret and Skip Wilkis
Jay York ’81*
Bill Zoellick P’06
Phoenix Zoellick ’06
Seth and Laura Sprague
Anonymous (4)
32
meca.edu
UP TO $99
Martha B. Almy ’95
Leon Anderson ’83
Suzanne ’86 and Anthony Anderson
Elaine Angelopoulos MFA’09
Emily W. Armstrong ’15
Kyle and Stephen Atwell
Ms. Lauren M. Bakoian ’92
Sandra M. Bauer ’07
Sue Berg MFA’01
Shayna R. Blumert ’13
Valerie J. Botter P’16
Emily R. Bourne ’14
Elizabeth Brackett
Stephani Briggs ’81
Danielle Byrd
Casco Bay Frames and Gallery
Alexandra G. Cecilio ’12
Asherah Cinnamon ’08
Donna J. Coffin ’63
Roger L. Conover H’05 and Eda Cufer
Lynda Corbett
Reid E. Crewe ’12*
Katherine B. and James H. Cuthbertson
Tracy A. Davis
Patrick A. Decker ’12
Beth De Tine
Abigail Dowd
Bridget R. Dunigan ’12
Rachael C. Eastman ’94
Elizabeth Moss Gallery
John Evans
Tina Fischer P’12
Barbara Ritchie Fixaris ’58
Daniel and Julie Freund ’81
Linda Gerson
Frank Glazer
Ms. Pauline Gobeil ’81
Vicki Goushaw
Amy and Martin Grohman
Peter and Pat Grunwald
Kelsey S. Haley ’15
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen K. Halpert
Dorothy Hassfeld
Sara J. Hayes and James C. Chute P’02
Andrew Herrschaft ’88 and Terri Petnov
Inge K. Herzog ’13*
Richard C. Herzog P’13
James Houle
Natalie J. Jones ’13
Carl Klimowicz P’13
Jodie Lane
Lorraine Lazzari
Rebekka Lee
Mr. Kenneth Levine and Ms. Janet Palin P’07
Lily Lin
Mr. and Mrs. James B. Linehan P’07
Estelle S. Maillet '59
Faith Oker and Al Mallette P'10
Mr. and Mrs. Russell Mamone P'04
Adam J. Manley
Sibyl Masquelier
Shannon and Albert McCracken-Barber ’06
Gael M. McKibben
Judy and Charlie Micoleau P’10
Marianne Miro
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Morton P’14
Diane and Kyle Noble
Grace Noonan-Kaye & Associates
John G. Osborn
Allen W. Ponziani ’88
John R. Powers ’95
Charles and Frances Prinn
Matt and Kay Ralston
Ginger Reoch
Michelle Grennan Roberts ’94
Stephen and Wilma Rose
Gergana Rupchina '’98
Joan F. Rogers
Emma Sampson '11
John Sciaba P’09*
Gina L. Siepel MFA’08
David L. and Betty Small
Shelley Snodgrass ’91
Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Spagnola
Laurie Spugnardi ’90
Dawn L. Stanley ’62
Mr. and Mrs. Andrew C. Stickney
Mr. and Mrs. Steven A. Stuart P’13
Patrick Supple ’79*
Rachel Taranta
Catharine G. Taylor ’82
Samuel L. Thompson ’13
Nancy Timberlake
Jessica J. Tomlinson and Henry Wolyniec
Mr. and Mrs. Howard B. Tynan P’94
Teresa Valliere
Douglas and Kristina Vollmer
Sally M. Wagley
Monte and Anne Wallace
Audrey M. White P’94
Louise Woodbury
Anne B. Zill
Anonymous (3)
BUSINESS SUPPORT
The following businesses and corporations
provided over $50,000 in event sponsorship and in-kind services between July 1,
2012 and June 30, 2013.
The Law Offices of Joe Bornstein
Brook There and Brook Delorme* ’03
D.L. Geary Brewing Company
Encore
Flatbread Company
Folia and Edith Armstrong
Hand Strands and Merry Canillas P’07
HeadInvest
Jensen Baird Gardner Henry
Jessica Levesque
Luksin Designs and
Daria Glassman-Norvlaan ’04
MacDonald Page & Co., LLC
Maine Home + Design & Maine Magazine
Maine Mead Works
Jenny McEdward
Jill McGowan
National Distributors
Northeast Delta Dental
Pilk Events and Designs
Pine State Beverage Co.
Plastic Supply
Rambler's Way Farm
Jill Ricker and Kristen Gregorio,
Satori Salon and Spa
Sea Bags and Elizabeth G. Shissler
Seawall and Daniel Pepice ’03
Sodexo, Inc.
South Street Linen, LLC
Spinnaker Trust
David Wood Clothiers
Wright Ryan Construction
COMMEMORATIVE GIFTS
It is especially meaningful for Maine
College of Art to be the recipient of gifts
to commemorate the life of a family
member, classmate, faculty member, or
friend of the College, or in recognition of
the donor’s and decedent’s jointly held
belief in arts education in Maine.
The following memorial gifts to the Annual
Fund were made between July 1, 2012 and
June 30, 2013.
In Memory of James W. Dustin ’81
Kathleen Anchor
David C. Blinn
Mary E. Blinn
Tracy P. Burns
Lynda Corbett
Ann Spagnola
Anonymous (2)
In Memory of Marty Evans ’82
John Evans
In Memory of Frances L. Shaw
Katherine B. Cuthbertson
In Memory of Julius Telang
Denise Karabinus ’99 and Trimbak Telang
In Memory of Alice A. Wolfson ’69
James B. Klein
Jeanne Kleinman
I enthusiastically
support the Annual
Fund because MECA
adds so much to the
energy and quality
of life here in our
community.
1882 SOCIETY
Maine College of
Art's 1882 Society
gratefully recognizes
individuals who have
made arrangements
for the College in
their estate plans.
Deborah A. Bates ’83·
Douglas R. Coleman, Jr.
Allerton Cushman
Roger Gilmore H’02
James B. Goodbody H’80·
Constance Hayes ’80, H’03 and
George Terrien
Alison D. Hildreth ’76
Albert C. Hubbard and
Christopher Deane
Candace Pilk Karu H’13
Grace Nelson ’82
Lorraine Lazzari
Marta Morse
Palmina Pace
Mr. H’92 + Mrs. Laurence P. Sisson
Joan Fowler Smith H’01
and Duncan Smith
Katy Stenhouse ’91
Carl Benton Straub
Dr. Philip Thompson, Jr., H’91
Susan H. Webster
Caron C. Zand
James M. Behan, To the Alfred J. Lazzari, Jr.
Endowed Memorial Scholarship
Mr. and Mrs. Douglas R. Coleman, Jr.,
To the Margaret Coleman Brown Endowed
Memorial Scholarship
Victoria Nolan and Clarkson Crolius,
To the Diane Nolan Endowed Scholarship
Linda and Richard Ellis, To the Irving B. Ellis
and Judy Ellis Glickman Endowed
Scholarship, In Honor of Albert · and Judy
Glickman H’02
Dr. Edward M. ’08 and Mrs. Carole J. Friedman,
To the Edward M. and Carole J.
Friedman Endowed Merit Scholarship
Lorraine Lazzari, To the Al Lazzarri, Jr.
Endowed Memorial Scholarship, In Honor of
Mr. and Mrs. Joel Silverstein’s 50th
Anniversary and In Memory of Steven Wain
The Lunder Foundation, To the Lunder
Scholars Fund
Kenneth and Mary Nelson, To the Mildred
A. & Harold P. Nelson Endowed Scholarship,
In Memory of Jeffrey Kellett, George M.
Shur, and Kathleen Rediker ’63, and in
Honor of Don Tuski
James and Amy Osborn, To the Diane Nolan
Endowed Scholarship
Carl Benton Straub, To the Olivia Louise
Straub Endowed Library Fund
Rebecca Waxman Sneed and Doug Sneed,
To the Joanne Waxman Endowed
Scholarship, In Memory of Joanne Waxman
Charles H. Willauer,· To the Winslow Homer
Endowed Scholarship, In Honor of Brad
and Ann Willauer
NEW ENDOWMENTS
The following gifts made between July 1,
2012 and June 30, 2013 established new
endowments at Maine College of Art.
—CHRIS BENEMAN, ARTIST AND CS STUDENT
TRIBUTE GIFTS
The following tribute gifts to the Annual
Fund were made between July 1, 2012 and
June 30, 2013.
Cathy Bloom, In Honor of Joan Bloom
Ms. Catherine Z. Cummins P’05,
In Honor of Thomas Cummins ’05
Nancy Fox, In Honor of Bruce Brown
Mr. and Mrs. Hajime Kozuru P’90,
In Honor of Dai Kozuru ’90
Stephen and Wilma Rose,
In Honor of Rob Elowitch’s Birthday
Robert and Cora Schiers, In Honor of
Candace Karu’s Honorary Degree
Sandra Stone, In Honor of Richard Curran
Joan F. Rogers, In Honor of the students
who share their gifts and energy with those
who have special challenges
Joseph L. Soley, In Honor of N.C. Wyeth
and Andrew Wyeth
Michael Thompson + Theresa McNally P'14,
In Honor of Will Thompson ’14
Audrey M. White P’94,
In Honor of Erin Sweeney ’94
IN PERPETUITY
The following gifts made between July 1,
2012 and June 30, 2013 to Maine College of
Art’s endowment benefit the college in
perpetuity and provide annual income for
scholarships and designated operating
support. The value of endowment on June
30, 2013 was $4,841,924.
The James Dustin ’81 Endowed Scholarship
was established by
* ATTENDED
· DECEASED
P PARENT
H HONORARY DEGREE
Debra Dustin Fuller and Dan Fuller
William and Anne Dustin P’81
Anonymous
for a deserving student or students in good
standing majoring in Graphic Design.
Maine College of Art would not
be MECA without you.
Thank you for your support.
33
CONTINUING STUDIES
CS WINTER/SPRING TERM
ADULT COURSES + WORKSHOPS
January 27–April 21
YOUTH COURSES
February 8–April 19
SCHOOL VACATION WEEK
smART camps
Ages 9–12 + 13–17
February 18–21
(no camp Monday, President's Day)
April 21–25
For more information on Winter/
Spring ’14 CS programming,
please visit meca.edu/cs or call
207.699.5061.
Carolyn Nishon, States of Matter, digital print, 11" x 17," 2013
A SHALLOW
DEPTH OF FIELD
Continuing Studies (CS) at MECA provides an opportunity for those seeking
personal enrichment and professional development to study visual arts.
Last winter, Carolyn Nishon, General Manager for the Portland
Symphony Orchestra, took advantage of a Living Social coupon
she received and enrolled in an eight-week Digital Photography
Continuing Studies course at MECA. Carolyn came to class with a
background in photography, having received her first camera at
age nine, which she used to document her aunt's Golden Retriever.
Following this initial foray, she used disposable cameras in middle
school, followed by a Kodak Advantix in high school, a Casio digital
in college, and, when she moved to Maine, a Canon S90 with manual
functions that she thought would help her capture a shallow depth of
field. Finally, in 2012, she made the leap to an SLR Nikon D5100.
Prior to enrolling in her Continuing
Studies class at MECA, Carolyn
had always figured out how to use her
cameras on her own. She hoped the course
would connect her with a professional
photographer who could advise her on how
to get the most out of her SLR.
One of Carolyn's photographs from this time was selected for
inclusion in CREATE II: The 2013 Continuing Studies Student
Exhibition at Maine College of Art. "States of Matter" was taken by a
clearing in Cape Elizabeth in February 2013, and features the flow of
water under melting ice. She described it as a moment where she
meca.edu
In addition to everything she learned in class, Carolyn made two
close friends, one of whom was also featured in CREATE II. Together
the three formed a small photo club so they could talk about
photography and shoot together. Because photography can be a
solitary experience, she was thrilled to find community as a result of
her Continuing Studies course.
CREATE II was the first time Carolyn had shown her work
professionally. She used the submission opportunity to learn about
pricing her work, as well as where to get her
image printed and framed professionally.
Carolyn is now taking portraits and
photographing events for local Portland
organizations as a paid photographer. She
also started a website to share her photos and
continues to create photobooks for herself
and others.
I lost track of time, and
every small thing around
me became intensely
interesting and beautiful.
Instructor Thurston Howes taught Carolyn
the benefits of shooting in RAW format, which changed her workflow,
editing process, and, ultimately, the quality of her photographs. She
also learned how to use Photoshop in different ways. As
part of her assignment to "get out and shoot," Carolyn took photos
both during and outside class. She appreciated her assignments
because, amidst a busy work schedule, they provided her with "a
license to explore."
34
“lost track of time," and every small thing around her became
intensely interesting and beautiful. She never would have captured it
if not for Thurston’s assignment.
Last summer, Carolyn travelled to Switzerland and France with a
group of her best friends from her high school orchestra. She also
took along her camera. Because of what she learned in class, she was
able to capture images of her friends the way she had always wanted;
the camera allowed her to use a shallow depth of field as she focused
on highlighting their personalities and distinguishing characteristics.
Upon her return, Carolyn created a book of portraits of loved ones
using images she had taken with her different cameras over the
years. Making this book, she reflected on how far she'd come. She is
now considering taking a black and white photography class with
Thurston. meca.edu/cs ● BY DIETLIND VANDER SCHAAF
MECA continues to help me become the artist that
I want to be. The financial aid that I receive has made
it possible for me to come back to school. Otherwise
I would have not had this chance.
Artists
Matter.
—DAVID TWISS ’14, PRINTMAKING, NORTH CAROLINA
So Does Your Support.
Your gift of any size has a direct impact
on our students. Invest in the next
generation of artists, leaders, creative
thinkers, and entrepreneurs.
MAKING A ONE-TIME OR
RECURRING GIFT ONLINE
IS SAFE AND SECURE.
Visit meca.edu/donate
There are many ways to support
MECA. For gifts of stock, event
sponsorships, bequests, or other
information, please contact:
Rebecca Swanson Conrad,
Vice President for
Institutional Advancement
Maine College of Art
522 Congress Street
Portland, Maine 04101
207.699.5017
[email protected]
35
522 CONGRESS STREET
PORTLAND, MAINE 04101
WINTER + SPRING 2014
11
–– SAVE THE DATE ––
mecamorphosis
THURSDAY EVENING, MAY 8, 2014
MECA's second annual runaway fashion show, thesis showcase,
and celebration of the visual arts.
For more information, visit meca.edu/events
Kate Lizotte ’13, Reversible Cape (Side One), mystery fabric, cotton, & mink fur, 80” circle, 2013
Kate participated in MECA's 2013 Fashion Show: Four Seasons in a Day.
36
meca.edu
MECA ARTISTS MAKE
COMMUNITIES BETTER
LOCALLY AND AROUND THE GLOBE
ANNUAL REPORT
OF GIVING
INCREASED ALUMNI PARTICIPATION
SUSTAINS MECA'S MISSION
37

View Fall 2013 - Maine College of Art

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