I have just visited Maine College of Art (MECA) in Portland, ME on Friday. We arrived about an hour early, checked into admissions and then headed out to explore the city. I liked what I saw, in that Portland wasn’t a rural setting with nothing happening and it wasn’t a huge city that is overwhelming like some can be. From what I saw and heard it has a strong community of artists, multiple times when walking on the streets I saw people carrying cameras, sketchbooks, and canvases. Even better is that there are many local galleries in the area along with an art museum. We, being my dad and I, headed to Baxter’s Basement, the place in which we were to meet Margo Halverson, a graphic design professor at the college. I had connected with Margo online and asked if we could meet when I come up for my college visit and tour.

She arrived, we introduced ourselves and headed back for her personal studio and office space. This space can tell you a lot about who she is. Many posters on the wall and a large bookshelf with design, art, and senior thesis books. Before we get into what we talked about, a little information on Margo. She has a BFA and MFA from Arizona State University, she was a graphic designer at Alice Design Communications, and is the director of Design Inquiry.

From talking with Margo, it is easy to tell that the her and the rest of the faculty are dedicated. The faculty from other departments take part in critiques of your work so that you may have other perspectives other than those who teach you design. There is a two year foundation in which students explore the basics of art. In the first year you are able to start taking electives in your area of interest, which might or might no become your major. MECA is for sure a “process” school with an emphasis on the importance of content within design, along with form. A good amount of writing in relation to your work and the history of design also takes place in the flexible curriculum. As part of your senior thesis project, each student produces hand bound books that illustrate and describe the process in which they went through to complete their work. Margo showed us some of these book and they were beautiful and well designed. She was able to offer us great insight on the program, and for that I am grateful.

After speaking with her we headed out on a tour of the school. MECA doesn’t necessarily have a dedicated campus but from what I saw the city becomes the campus with short walks in-between the several main buildings. The main building used to be an old department store in town in which they have turned into studio space. And let me tell you, this building makes for some great space to create art. With high ceilings, big windows everywhere, an open floor plan, and five stories, this space is ideal and beautiful. Overall, I was impressed with the school and was glad to be able to get an in-depth view of the program I have interest in and a general tour of the whole school.

Thanks to Margo for talking to us and it is Margo’s birthday today, so Happy Birthday!
See more photos on Flickr.