Pre-College Art & Design Program

Explore movement, storytelling, and character design as you create short animated sequences. Students learn foundational animation techniques while developing visual narratives and experimenting with motion.

Work directly with clay to create sculptural and functional forms using hand-building techniques. Students experiment with form, texture, and glazing while learning the fundamentals of three-dimensional design.

Combine drawing and storytelling to create original comics. Students develop characters, plan visual sequences, and explore how narrative unfolds across a page.

Experiment with fabric, pattern, and color while exploring the creative process behind wearable design and textile art. Students learn how ideas move from concept to finished form.

Strengthen your drawing and visual storytelling skills through projects focused on composition, concept development, and personal style. Students explore how illustration communicates ideas across different contexts.

Design and create wearable pieces using metalworking techniques. Students learn forming, soldering, and finishing processes while producing original jewelry.

Explore color, composition, and expressive techniques through painting projects that build creative confidence and visual thinking.

Learn the photographic process from capture to print. Students work with cameras and develop images in a traditional black-and-white darkroom.

Create layered images using a variety of printmaking techniques while experimenting with mark-making, texture, and composition.

A typical day in the Pre-College Art & Design Program begins in the studio. Students spend the morning working in one of their two chosen majors, where faculty guide demonstrations, critiques, and hands-on projects.

Afternoons may include additional studio time, workshops, or collaborative activities with students from other majors. These sessions encourage experimentation and help students see how ideas move across artistic disciplines.

Evenings often include open studio hours, organized activities, or time to explore Portland with classmates and program staff.

Students live in residential housing provided by Maine College of Art & Design in Portland, Maine.

Residential staff live on-site and supervise the housing environment throughout the program. Their role is to support students, ensure safety, and help create a welcoming community for participants who may be living away from home for the first time.

Living on campus allows students to build friendships with peers who share similar creative interests while experiencing the rhythm of college life.

At the end of the three-week program, students present their work in a public exhibition featuring projects created during their studio courses.

This exhibition celebrates each student’s progress and gives participants the opportunity to share their work with family, friends, and the Maine College of Art & Design community. Many students also include pieces from the program in their developing art portfolios.

Portland, Maine, is one of New England’s most active creative communities. Maine College of Art & Design sits in the center of Portland’s Arts District on Congress Street, surrounded by galleries, artist studios, performance venues, cafés, and independent creative businesses.

Just steps from campus, you’ll find the Portland Museum of Art, the Institute of Contemporary Art at Maine College of Art & Design, and numerous local galleries that regularly exhibit work by emerging and established artists. Students often pass multiple gallery openings and exhibitions simply by walking between campus and the waterfront.

Portland’s size also makes it easy to explore. Within a short walk, students can visit the Old Port waterfront, browse art bookstores and supply shops, or sketch along the harbor. The city’s mix of working artists, historic architecture, and coastal landscape often becomes part of the inspiration students bring back into the studio.

Housing Options

Single Room & Board - $5,300*

Shared Room & Board - $4,800*

*Tuition includes:

• Residential housing and meals
• Studio instruction with practicing artists and designers
• Access to campus studios and facilities
• Most studio supplies
• Program activities and events
• Final exhibition of student work

*Additional expenses may include:

• Personal art supplies
• Travel to Portland
• Personal expenses

A $500 deposit is required upon acceptance to reserve your place in the program. This deposit is applied toward tuition.

The application fee is $40 and non-refundable.

Maine College of Art & Design offers limited need-based scholarships for students attending the Pre-College Art & Design Program.

To receive priority scholarship consideration:

• Submit your application by February 2, 2026
• Upload parent or guardian tax documents through the admissions portal

Scholarships are awarded based on financial need and program availability.

Questions about tuition or financial aid?Call 800.699.1509 or email admissions@meca.edu.

The application includes:

• Completed online application
• Short essay (250–300 words) responding to one of two prompts
• One letter of recommendation from a teacher or mentor
• Unofficial high school transcript

A portfolio is not required to apply to the Pre-College Program.

Students applying for scholarships must also upload a parent or guardian’s tax forms through the admissions portal.

Program Dates
July 12 – August 1, 2026

Priority Application & Scholarship Deadline
February 2, 2026

Application Deadline
April 15, 2026

Paperwork & Full Payment Due
May 1, 2026

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until the program reaches capacity.

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Students in the Pre-College Art & Design Program choose two studio majors from nine options: Animation, Ceramics, Comics & Graphic Novels, Fashion & Textile Design, Illustration, Metalsmithing & Jewelry Design, Painting, Photography (Black & White Darkroom), and Printmaking. All students also participate in figure drawing to strengthen observational drawing skills. Because majors fill up quickly, early applicants have the best chance of securing their preferred studios.

For 2026, tuition for the Pre-College Program is $5,300 for a single room or $4,800 for a shared room. Tuition includes housing, meals, studio instruction, most supplies, campus facilities, program activities, and the final exhibition. A $40 application fee is required, and a $500 deposit secures your place once accepted.

Yes. Maine College of Art & Design offers limited need-based scholarships for students attending the Pre-College Art & Design Program. To receive priority scholarship consideration, submit your application by February 2, 2026, and upload parent or guardian tax documents through the admissions portal. Scholarships are awarded based on financial need and program availability.

Students in the Pre-College Program live in supervised residential housing in Portland, Maine. Residential staff live on-site and support students throughout the program, helping create a structured and welcoming environment. Living on campus allows students to build friendships, collaborate with peers, and experience daily life at an art and design college.

Yes. Students who successfully complete the Pre-College Art & Design Program earn three transferable college-level studio elective credits. These credits may be applied toward future study at Maine College of Art & Design and may be eligible for transfer to other colleges, depending on institutional policies.

The final application deadline is April 15, 2026. Students applying for scholarships should submit their applications by February 2, 2026, for priority consideration. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, so applying early gives students the best chance of securing their preferred majors.