The Maine College of Art, or MECA, is a fully accredited, degree-granting art college in the city of Portland, Maine.

Established in 1882 as an educational component to the Portland Society of Art, MECA is now a vital cultural and economic force in the city of Portland. Its restoration of historic Congress Street buildings as its primary facilities helped save the downtown area from a severe economic decline, brought on by the growth of indoor shopping facilities such as the nearby Maine Mall. Prior to renaming itself Maine College of Art in the 1990s it was known as the Portland School of Fine and Applied Art and Portland School of Art.

porteousbuilding.jpg|right|right|thumb|271px|Porteous, Mitchell & Braun Block 522 Congress Street, Beaux-Arts Classicism, 1904.

Rich with sculptural detail, the Porteous, Mitchell & Braun Building is a handsome commercial example of Beaux-Arts Classicism. Cherub heads enliven the capitals of the main Composite order pilasters and the shorter Ionic pilasters above the wide rondels with crests and the garlands on the upper stories, and the leafy brackets of the cornice. All are carved in limestone. George Burnham was the architect.]]

Since the 1990s, Maine College of Art has proved to be a revitalizing force in the downtown area - bringing in students from around the country and internationally, and restoring the historic Porteous building on Congress Street as its main facility. The school has also maintained the Baxter building, once home to the city's public library, housing several computer labs and its New Media, Graphic Design and Photography Majors as well as the offices of Advancement, President and graduate studies.

In addition to offering Bachelor, Post-Baccalaureate in Art Education and Master of Fine Arts degrees, the school has a continuing studies program available to unenrolled adults and high school students.

James Baker has been elected the 16th president of Maine College of Art and is set to begin in summer 2006. Baker is currently the Executive Director of the Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Colorado. He succeeds Christine Vincent, who served for four years.

Related links

• Kevin Eastman - Creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles attended Portland School of Art

External links

• Maine College of Art website

Portland, Maine