MaineBusiness.com

Maine College of Art recently received three grants to complete the restoration of the Porteous Building. The Maine Arts Commission provided $15,000 to equip Osher Hall, MECA’s 112-seat lecture hall with ADA technology to ensure full accessibility. The Quimby Family Foundation supported the overall Porteous project with a $40,000 gift, and the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation has issued a $200,000 challenge to the College to raise the final funds to complete renovations on the third and fourth floors to accommodate the move of the Photography Department from the recently sold Baxter Building. These grants provide capstone funding for a $10 million initiative begun in 2004, which raised $4.3 million in new endowed funds and $5.7 million for the Porteous project.

The Sewall Challenge requires the College to raise an additional $300,000 to finish renovations to the Porteous building to bring all academic studios and administrative offices within the former department store at 522 Congress Street, in the heart of Portland’s downtown Arts District.

“What a wonderful moment in MECA's history to have the College fully moved into Porteous!” said Jim Baker, MECA’s president. He added, “This vision began 15 years ago under the leadership of Roger Gilmore with the purchase of the building. Now every program and administrative department is in, or connected to, the Porteous Building.”

Maine College of Art will continue to make capital improvements to Porteous as programs expand. Twenty-five thousand square feet of undeveloped space remains on the lower level of the six-story, 148,000 square foot building. The college also has two residence halls at 51 Oak Street and 15 Shepley Street.

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.