An innovative collaboration between internationally-known design experts,
graphic design majors, and faculty yields a bold new visual identity.

The Maine College of Art unveiled a new institutional logo at a press conference hosted on campus (522 Congress Street, 2nd Floor Osher Hall) at 11am on Friday, May 3, 2013. An innovative collaboration between internationally known professional graphic designers, and a select group of MECA design faculty and majors has resulted in a new visual identity for an historic institution that has been a pillar of the New England arts scene since 1882. MECA’s new mark reflects the institution’s strongest assets: an extraordinary community of artistically-gifted individuals and a mission dedicated to promoting academic excellence, creative entrepreneurship, and civic engagement.

The new mark is the culmination of combined efforts that transpired over an intensive three-day charrette* hosted on campus in early February, 2013. Orchestrated under the guidance and vision of internationally known designer, Eddie Opara, Partner at Pentagram (the world’s largest interdisciplinary design firm) and MECA graphic design faculty led by professors Margo Halverson and Charles Melcher, a group of MECA graphic design majors were selected to participate. According to Eddie Opara, “The whole process is to establish a way that the students can start to understand how the real world actually works.”

Professor Charles Melcher noted, “This is an avant-garde approach to developing an institutional identity that, to the best of our knowledge, has never before been attempted in North America. What better way to celebrate MECA’s mission than through creating an unprecedented legacy that highlights the college’s creative force and trust and support for our students and faculty.”

Inspired by MECA’s distinctive sense of place and the critical role MECA serves as an anchor in the Arts District of Portland Maine, the new visual identity captures the creative energy that pours out of the historic Porteous building 24/7 into our increasingly interconnected local and global communities.

Rebecca Swanson Conrad, Vice President for Institutional Advancement, believes that the introduction of a new visual identity is a historic moment for MECA. She said, “The purpose of developing a new mark that more effectively communicates the vibrant pulse of our community is not only to cultivate unity and a sense of pride, but to reaffirm the common thread that holds us all together as a greater sense of whole.”

“The uncommon process employed to develop MECA’s new mark exemplifies creative problem-solving at its finest and underscores the distinctiveness of what makes this such a special place.” said MECA President Donald Tuski. “Not only does our logo signify the unparalleled educational experience and wealth of professional development opportunities found at MECA, it also symbolizes several of our most important defining attributes: the five-pronged ‘E’ represents the five core tenets of our educational philosophy statement —studio, agency, place, community, and ethics; the five floors of the historic Porteous building; and the five educational areas — BFA, MFA, Art Ed, Continuing Studies, and Pre-College, while paying tribute to the iconic red stairwell that unifies each of the departments and majors.”

Graphic design major Sarah Mohammadi ‘13, was honored and proud to have been involved in such an important project. “Having the opportunity to work with professional designers and faculty members on a project that had never been done before was truly amazing. As a student, being part of the collaboration that rebranded the school we represent was an experience that is irreplaceable. It was an experience that none of us will ever forget and we all will be proud of for years to come.”

*What is a charrette?
Thought to originate from the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris in the 19th century, the word charrette refers to an intensely collaborative period of design activity where a group of design professionals work towards drafting a solution to a design problem.

Artwork by Rangeley Morton 

The MECA community celebrated Meritparticipants, award recipients and others acknowledgements at a ceremony yesterday.

To download a list of the honored art, click here.

Curators:

Chloe Beaven, Sophomore
Katelyn Drake, Sophomore

2013 MERIT SHOW AWARDS

Total of 16 awards

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Robert Bennett Jr. Sculpture
Emily Bourne, Junior, Ceramics
Anna Taylor, Junior, Graphic Design
David Twiss, Junior, Printmaking
Elizabeth Leino, Junior, Woodworking & Furniture Design

CHARLES E. CULPEPER SCHOLARSHIP:

Keaven Hartt, Junior, Woodworking & Furniture Design
Chun-Hua Chang , Junior, New Media
Carly Soos, Junior, Graphic Design

MAINE FUND:

Chloe Beaven, Sophomore, New Media
Shannon Googins , Junior, Sculpture

EDWARD M. AND CAROLE J. FRIEDMAN SCHOLARSHIP:

Rebekka Federle, Junior, Woodworking & Furniture Design
Jacob Michaud , Junior, Woodworking & Furniture Design

BEATRICE BOUTON BARRETT ENDOWED MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP:

Cecelia Packard, Junior, Graphic Design
Forest Gagne, Junior, Woodworking & Furniture Design
Rangeley Morton, Junior, Woodworking & Furniture Design
Victoria Statsenko , Junior, Painting

THE GEARY PRIZE:

Kaitlin Callender, Junior, Graphic Design

Merit Scholarship Competition Exhibition

MECA'S doors will be open to the community from 5-8 for First Friday. Please join us for some extraordinary shows and exhibits!

Dan Dendanto and Frank Dendanto: Bump

Auspice | Through March 2 | Zand Head Gallery
New works from Woodworking and Furniture Design and Photography Majors
Woodworking and Furniture Design featuring works by Rangeley Morton, Jacob Michaud, and Forest Gagne; Photography featuring works by Kayla Goulden and Laurel Davis.

Break Down the House/ Build the House | Through March 2 |Free Street Hall Gallery
Vivaldi: Hierarchy & Form
Students from Charles Melcher's Graphic Design 102 class.

MAP PROJECT 15 | Through March 2 | Free Street Hall Gallery
Featuring works from Graphic Design Juniors from Charles Melcher's Graphic Design class.

New Work: Nick Norris |Through March 2 | Friedman Gallery
New work form Nick Norris, Junior Painting Major.

The Peninsula School | Through April 7 | ICA at MECA
The Peninsula School is a student initiated, community oriented, independent free school that sources creativity from the individual through a trans-disciplinary curriculum in contemporary art and design, while exploring an understanding of their relevance and contribution to society. Art work from The Peninsula School will be available for viewing when the ICA is open for viewing.

MECA ANNOUNCES 2013 ART HONORS RECIPIENTS

Portland Museum of Art, Dahlov Ipcar, and Candace Pilk Karu Recognized for Artistic Leadership and Excellence
 

Portland, Maine - Maine College of Art will hold the 17th annual Art Honors gala celebration to recognize leaders in Maine’s creative sector on Thursday, May 9, 2013.

This year, the College presents the Award for Leadership as a Visual Artist and the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Fine Arts to Dahlov Ipcar; the Award for Leadership in Art Philanthropy and the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Fine Arts to Candace Pilk Karu, and the Award for Leadership in the Visual Arts to the Portland Museum of Art.

The awards will be presented at the College’s Porteous Building at 522 Congress Street in downtown Portland. The event begins at 5:30pm and the awards ceremony is scheduled at 6:30pm on May 9.  Cocktails and tapas throughout the evening will be accented with live music and the thesis exhibition of graduating students.  The Class of 2013 will join the creative black tie party.  Support of Art Honors is available at three levels: Patrons at $1,200, Host Committee at $250 and general at $50.  

For more information visit meca.edu/arthonors or please call 207-775-5098.

About the Honorees:
The Award for Leadership as a Visual Artist and the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Fine Arts recognizes Dahlov Ipcar’s deep and far reaching influence as a Maine artist with international recognition, and her contributions to the arts and letters for more than seventy years.  

The Award for Leadership in Art Philanthropy and the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Fine Arts to Candace Pilk Karu honors her 21 years of service to the College and pays tribute to her personal belief that the arts play an important role in our civil society by encouraging emerging and living artists.

The Award for Leadership in the Visual Arts to the Portland Museum of Art acknowledges the museum's significant past and future contributions to Portland, Maine, and the nation and celebrates the deep and historic connection between the two institutions since their joint founding in 1882.

Art Honors recognizes artists, philanthropists and art educators with significant ties to Maine who offer MECA’s students, as well as the public, powerful examples of lives in the arts. Past honorees have included Roxanne Quimby, S. Donald Sussman, David Driskell, Bernarda Shahn, Beverly Hallam, Will Barnet, Neil Welliver, Alex Katz, Robert Indiana, Alison Hildreth, Angela Adams and Pandora Lacasse, among others.

Located in the heart of the Portland Arts District, MECA offers a BFA degree in 10 studio majors, an MFA in Studio Arts, a Post-Baccalaureate in Art Education and continuing studies for youths and adults. The Institute of Contemporary Art at MECA and the Joanne Waxman Library are free and open to the public. For more information, see www.meca.edu.

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MECA's Fall 2012 Newsletter