TEACH WHAT YOU LOVE

Become an art educator in a place that offers an exceptional program for artists who wish to teach. MECA’s 10-month, post-baccalaureate program in Art Education prepares you for certification in all fifty states. The program includes student teaching and classes in community based collaborative art and museum education—as well as education theory, history and methods.

READ MORE»

Classes start in early August and graduate in May. We are no longer on the public school calendar.

2013-2014 Academic Year Fees

How to Apply

Art Education Application [PDF]

Students who withdraw from the college during a semester may be eligible for a refund. A refund is a reduction in the original tuition and housing charges, rather than a portion of the amount already paid to the college. The withdrawal date is established by the receipt of a written withdrawal notice by the Registrar's Office. 

Kristen Monacell

Hometown

Bio

Where are you from and why did you want to become a teacher?

I’m from Charlotte, North Carolina. A wide range of experiences has brought me to a place in my life where I constantly want to learn more. I decided to become a teacher because my mother is an artist and a teacher.  I substitute taught in Charlotte public schools, and I realized when teaching all subjects, that it was in the art room where children could thrive, and express themselves I really enjoyed their wonderment and exploration in classroom. I want to make an impression on young people in all aspects of their lives.

Why did you choose MECA's Art Education program?

I really enjoy the community of an art school, having other artists supporting artists. I chose MECA because of the city of Portland, having thriving arts community and rich diversity but also the qualified faculty.  I like the small size of the school, the program is tight-knit and you get a lot of attention from the faculty. Also, I’m interested in community-based art and the program offers a course in this with a lot of fieldwork working with the diverse population, and special needs. Once I arrived in Maine I became a volunteer at Spindleworks teaching weaving and assisting the artists. I’ve always been inspired by different cultures and indigenous groups of craftspeople and Portland’s diverse communities and the multicultural approach to art education engages my interests,

Tell us about your work as an artist.

I completed my undergraduate degree at Savannah College of Art & Design in Georgia, in Fashion Design and Fibers. As an undergraduate student studying fashion design I was more concerned with the manipulation of the fabric and less interested in the actual garment itself. My interest in deconstruction and the personal imprint that takes place with the creation of textiles has led to a desire to pursue the issues of time and human error on a deeper level. The idea that we live in a flawed and complex society has always concerned me. I am fascinated with the truth and the authenticity of people. Nostalgic thoughts from my youth and the knowledge that we cannot return to the past are commonly present in my work. The use of childlike illustrations on fabric juxtaposed with the vigorous, erratic strokes of machine embroidered pieces represent the innocence that I contained in my youth that I sometimes long for when feeling the complexities of my adult life. I yearn to explore a deeper meaning through textile work and the stories that can be told through hand craftsmanship.

Work

Kristen Monacell

Jane Dalton

Jane Dalton has taught at elementary, high school and college levels in a variety of settings, such as residency programs with various state arts councils, as well as workshops and conferences. She is the co-author of The Compassionate Classroom: Lessons that Nurture Empathy and Wisdom, published through Zephyr Press, and has also written articles for School Arts and Yes! magazine. A textile artist, she has exhibited her art throughout the United States, and her work is in private and corporations in the United States and China.

Education

Ph.D, EGS University, Saas-Fee, Switzerland
M.F.A., Rochester Institute of Technology
B.A. Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois
K-12 Teacher Certification, University of Iowa

Publications

The Compassionate Classroom, Lessons That Nurture Wisdom & Empathy by Jane Dalton and Lyn Fairchild

Simon Adams '09

Hometown

Bio

This spring, when the Maine Legislature considered reducing the art class requirements for a high school diploma, student Simon Adams traveled to Augusta to speak at the hearing about the importance of art education. Said Adams, "Before human beings had any kind of real language, and daily survival was our main priority, people still took the time to paint on cave walls. Art is more than a distraction; it is fundamental to our species. When we are gone, it will be our art, not our test scores, that tells our tale."

Enrolled in the post-baccalaureate Art Education program, Adams was working toward his certification to teach art at the middle school level. As a result of his passionate testimony, he was invited and agreed to join the Education Committee of the Maine Arts Commission, the state’s arts agency. Adams understands the importance of looking at the world through a creative lens.

The son of a painter, he attended Phillips Exeter Academy and then went on to Middlebury College for studio art. After several different job paths, he realized he felt most comfortable in a classroom and came to MECA to receive his teaching certification for Art Education. Simon is currently employed as an art educator in the Falmouth Middle School in Maine.

Work