Maine College of Art

What Maine College of Art does

Maine College of Art & Design (MECA&D) is a private, nonprofit art and design college founded in 1873 and operating from the historic Porteous Building at 522 Congress Street in Portland, Maine's Arts District. The institution delivers undergraduate and graduate degree programs anchored by a four-year Bachelor of Fine Arts offered across eight studio concentrations — Animation & Game Art, Ceramics, Graphic Design, Illustration, Painting, Photography, Sculpture, and Textile & Fashion Design — alongside a Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art, Master of Arts in Teaching, an Online Master of Arts in Education, online graduate certificates in Arts Leadership & Administration and Expressive Arts Therapy, and the Salt Graduate Certificate in Documentary Studies. Specialized facilities include a state-of-the-art music production studio equipped with an Avid S6 Mixing Console (Bob Crewe Program of Art & Music), the Joanne Waxman Library, the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA), and the 49 Oak gallery and community space. Student services are delivered through the Artists at Work career resource center, which provides lifetime career consultation to alumni.

The college monetizes primarily through tuition from degree programs (BFA, MFA, MAT, Salt), supplemented by open-enrollment Continuing Studies for adults and youth, a three-week residential Pre-College intensive for high school students, and annual fundraising events — the Collect Summer Art Sale and Holiday Sale — where students, alumni, faculty, and friends sell artwork with proceeds supporting scholarships. Distribution mixes on-campus, portfolio-based admissions with fully online graduate offerings (online.meca.edu) extending reach nationally, plus a merchandise e-commerce channel via the MECA&D Store. The go-to-market is event-driven: regular undergraduate open houses, campus tours, virtual info sessions, portfolio review days, and a public Visiting Artist Lecture Series funded by the Gene R. Cohen Charitable Foundation.

Revenue, tuition pricing, and enrollment figures are not publicly disclosed in the source data. The institution appears to be governed by an independent board of trustees with no evidence of parent-company ownership, private-equity investment, or venture funding; financial support comes from tuition, philanthropic gifts (e.g., Crewe Foundation gift enabling the music program), and event-driven fundraising. Named personnel are limited to Steve Drown, Coordinator of the Bob Crewe Program of Art & Music and Assistant Professor of Music.

Name

Maine College of Art

Legal name

Maine College of Art & Design

Website

https://meca.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1873

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Maine College of Art & Design is a private nonprofit art and design college in Portland, Maine, offering BFA and graduate degree programs, online certificates, and continuing studies to prospective undergraduate students, graduate students, and adult learners in the arts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education / Art and Design

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Fine Arts Schools (611610)

akta.pro primary industry

Design Colleges (Graphic, Industrial, UX/UI, Interior) (EDAHAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fine Arts Colleges (Painting, Sculpture, Printmaking) (EDAHAJAA), Photography Colleges & Visual Imaging Schools (EDAHAJAH)

Keywords

• Art and design education
• Undergraduate fine arts
• Graduate studio programs
• Continuing arts studies
• Pre-college art programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Degree Program Tuition: Revenue from tuition for Bachelor of Fine Arts, Master of Fine Arts, Master of Arts in Teaching, and Salt Graduate Certificate programs. The college offers both on-campus and online graduate programs.
2. Continuing Studies Programs: Revenue from open enrollment programs for adults and youth, including professional development opportunities and non-degree coursework.
3. Pre-College Program: Revenue from a three-week Pre-College intensive program for high school students exploring undergraduate student life.
4. Art Sales and Events: Revenue from Collect Summer Art Sale and Holiday Sale events where students, alumni, faculty, and friends sell artwork. Proceeds support both artists and student scholarship fund.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Maine College of Art & Design is a private nonprofit art and design college delivering undergraduate (BFA), graduate (MFA, MAT), online graduate certificates, continuing studies, and pre-college programs. The college also operates support facilities including a music production studio, library, Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA), and 49 Oak gallery, alongside the Artists at Work career resource center providing lifetime alumni consultation.

Product overview

Maine College of Art & Design is a specialized art and design college offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational programs. The institution provides undergraduate degrees (Bachelor of Fine Arts) in eight studio concentrations including Animation & Game Art, Ceramics, Graphic Design, Illustration, Painting, Photography, Sculpture, and Textile & Fashion Design. Graduate offerings include the Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art (with a prominent Summer Visiting Artist Lecture Series), Master of Arts in Teaching, and online programs through online.meca.edu including a Master of Arts in Education and Graduate Certificates in Arts Leadership and Expressive Arts Therapy. The Salt Graduate Certificate in Documentary Studies rounds out the graduate offerings. Non-degree programs include Continuing Studies for adults and youth, and a Pre-College intensive for high school students. The college operates specialized facilities including a Music Production Studio (with Avid S6 Mixing Console), the Joanne Waxman Library, Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA), and 49 Oak. Student and alumni services include the Artists at Work Career Resource Center offering lifetime career consultation. Annual events include the Collect Summer Art Sale and Holiday Sale that support artists and student scholarships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Salt Institute for Documentary Studies: Graduate certificate program in documentary studies
• ICA (Institute of Contemporary Art)
• 49 Oak
• Artists at Work

Products and services

• Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Allagash Brewing CompanyminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 June 2026Sponsor of the 2026 Collect Summer Art Sale.
• Bath SavingsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 June 2026Sponsor of the 2026 Collect Summer Art Sale.
• Canopy by Hilton Portland WaterfrontminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 June 2026Sponsor of the 2026 Collect Summer Art Sale and partner for the Epic Grant program supporting alumni who make a positive impact on Portland.
• Clark InsuranceminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 June 2026Sponsor of the 2026 Collect Summer Art Sale.
• Harvard PilgrimminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 June 2026Sponsor of the 2026 Collect Summer Art Sale.
• Kennebec Savings BankminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 June 2026Sponsor of the 2026 Collect Summer Art Sale.
• The VIA AgencyminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 June 2026Sponsor of the 2026 Collect Summer Art Sale.
• Equal Measure ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 May 2025MECA&D partnered with Equal Measure Arts to expand access to its state-of-the-art music production studio in downtown Portland. Beginning in late May 2025, Equal Measure Arts hosts weekly open studio workshops at the college's music studio, facilitated by Hunter Coleman '22. These hands-on educational sessions are intended for aspiring audio engineers and music producers, with program fees on a sliding scale.
• Pickwick Independent PressminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPickwick Independent Press, a fine art printing facility founded by alum Lisa Pixley '07 and owned by Pilar Nadal MFA '13, offers a one-year fellowship to BFA alumni graduating within the past three years. The fellow receives a contributing membership to the print shop in exchange for select print projects for the College.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• California Institute of the Arts: Private arts college offering BFA and MFA programs across studio, design, animation, and film disciplines including animation and game art — a direct overlap with MECA&D's Animation & Game Art concentration.
• School of the Art Institute of Chicago: Private college of art and design offering BFA, MFA, and certificate programs in studio disciplines matching MECA&D's concentrations. Direct competitor in the private art-school segment.
• Pratt Institute: Private art, design, and architecture school in Brooklyn with BFA, MFA, and certificate programs across similar studio disciplines. Directly competes for the same prospective art and design students nationally.
• Maryland Institute College of Art: Independent four-year college of art and design in Baltimore with BFA, MFA, and continuing studies programs. Comparable independent peer by mission and program structure.
• Rhode Island School of Design: Independent four-year college of art and design in Providence offering BFA and graduate degrees. Most direct comparable to MECA&D by mission, scale, and New England footprint.
• Savannah College of Art and Design: Large private art and design university offering undergraduate, graduate, and online programs across the same disciplines as MECA&D. Closest large-scale competitor with aggressive online expansion that pressures regional peers.
• Pacific Northwest College of Art: Independent art and design college now operating within Willamette University in Portland, Oregon. Directly comparable to MECA&D by program mix and creative-district location, though West Coast–based.
• Minneapolis College of Art and Design: Independent four-year private art and design college offering BFA, MFA, certificate, continuing studies, and pre-college programs. Comparable independent peer to MECA&D by mission, scale, and program architecture.
• Massachusetts College of Art and Design: Public four-year art and design college in Boston offering BFA, graduate, continuing education, and pre-college programs. Closest state-funded peer to MECA&D by program mix and regional recruitment pool.

Regional players

• New Hampshire Institute of Art: Independent art college in Manchester, NH offering BFA, certificate, continuing education, and pre-college programs. Closest regional peer to MECA&D by geography and program mix, competing for the same Northern New England applicant pool.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mecaart
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/mainecollegeofart
• Facebookfacebook.com/21149871991
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maine-college-of-art
• Instagraminstagram.com/mecaart

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Maine College of Art