History & Timeline
140 Years of Art & Design
History
Maine College of Art & Design was established in 1882 as a part of the Portland Society of Art. A structured curriculum was introduced in 1911, with the first diplomas awarded in the 1920s by the School of Fine and Applied Arts. In 1972, the institution's name was changed to Portland School of Art, and its mission shifted towards educating professional visual artists. A highly qualified faculty was brought in, and a two-year Foundation Program was created.
The first Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degrees were awarded in 1975, after accreditation in 1973 by the National Association of Colleges of Art and Design (NASAD) and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). In 1982, the School separated from the Portland Society of Art, which also managed the Portland Museum of Art, becoming an independent organization with its own Board of Trustees. The following year, the College purchased and renovated the Baxter Building, formerly the Portland Public Library.
In 1992, Portland School of Art was renamed Maine College of Art to better represent its status as a degree-granting institution in New England. The College purchased the five-story landmark Porteous Building in Portland's downtown Arts District in 1993 and initiated a phased renovation project to update and consolidate the College's core facilities. An innovative Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree program was established in 1998.
In 2005, the College leased 51 Oak Street, an 80-bed dormitory residence hall that it now owns. The following year, the school acquired the Shepley Apartments, a 60-bed facility. These residence halls added 140 beds under College control and are both located within a block of the Porteous Building.
Also in 2006, the College introduced a ten-month Post Baccalaureate Certificate Program in Art Education. This program received approval from the State of Maine and accreditation to become the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in 2014. In 2007, the College was given a 27,000-square foot space at 540 Congress Street, adjacent to the Porteous Building, and secured a long-term lease for the upper floor of the Porteous Annex for administrative offices. In 2012, the College leased a third residence hall, Miles Standish, and an additional 5,000-square foot space at 85 Free Street for extra academic classrooms.
In 2021, the institution's name was changed once more to Maine College of Art & Design, emphasizing the importance of design in its courses and programs.
Timeline
1882: Portland Society of Art founded
1911-1914: First official curriculum launched, including Painting, Drawing, and Design
1914: Acquired Charles Q. Clapp House at 97 Spring Street
1917: First certificates awarded for two years of study
1920: First diplomas awarded by School of Fine & Applied Arts
1924: First diplomas awarded for 4 years of study
1934: Name of school changed to School of Fine and Applied Art, with Commercial Art courses added
1950s: Printmaking added to the curriculum
1965: Major studio areas of Painting and Sculpture established
1968: Photography and Ceramics departments established
1970: Metalsmithing & Jewelry studies established
1972: Name of school changed to the Portland School of Art
1973: NASAD accreditation received
1975: First Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees awarded in Ceramics, Graphic Design, Jewelry & Silversmithing, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, and Sculpture
1978: NEASC accreditation received
1981: Baxter Building acquired
1982: School separated from Portland Society of Art
1992: Name changed to Maine College of Art
1993: Porteous Mitchell & Braun department store building purchased
1996: 4th and 5th floors of Porteous Building completed
1997: Institute of Contemporary Art opened, 1st floor of Porteous completed
1998: Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art established
2001: New Media, Illustration and Woodworking & Furniture Design majors established; Joanne Waxman Library relocated to 2nd floor of Porteous Building
2004: Illustration and Woodworking & Furniture Design majors established. Post-Baccalaureate in Arts Education established
2005: Post Baccalaureate in Art Education established; Secured Oak Street Residence Hall
2006: Secured Shepley Street Residence Hall
2008: Clapp House sold to Portland Museum of Art. Admissions Center, Cafe and Administrative Center constructed
2009: Sale of Baxter Building. Osher Hall constructed
2009-10: Photography, Graphic Design, and New Media relocates to Porteous Building, marking the completion of a vision to have all academic, administrative and studio facilities in the historic Porteous Building
2011: Public Engagement Program added as a minor; Construction of Karu Media Center on third floor; Café expanded
2012: Miles Standish Residence Hall opened. New Woodworking & Furniture Design Department relocation and renovation completed. Additional classroom space leased at 85 Free Street
2013: Textile and Fashion Design major established; The Artists at Work program space is developed in the former Art Mart space on the first floor
2014: Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) graduate program established; Bob Crewe Program in Art & Music established with transformative gift of $3,000,000
2015: Fab Lab opens on the fourth floor; Writing Minor added; New Media Program renamed to Digital Media.
2016: The historic Salt Institute for Documentary Studies brought to Maine College of Art & Design
2018: Animation & Game Art major launched, replacing Digital Media
2021: Strategic Plan: Envisioning Our Future 2027 released, name expanded to Maine College of Art & Design
2022: 140th Anniversary