Community Art

In October of 2012, Maine College of Art art education students collaborated with Mayo Street Arts in Portland, ME. Mayo Street Arts is a neighborhood and community based visual, performing and literary arts center. MECA art education students worked with over a dozen Mayo Street neighborhood children and parents to decorate Little Free Libraries. The Little Free Library project promotes literacy and love of reading by building free book exchanges worldwide.

In October students from MECA’s Art Education Program and middle schools students from Breakwater School in Portland met at Space gallery as part of a collaborative project based on the exhibition, “Beautiful Possibilities” by Alison Pebworth. “Beautiful Possibilities” is a traveling exhibition that engages viewers to consider what it means to be an American in the United States.  Using classic Americana images and  paint on canvas, Pebworth created banners that explores ideas of 19th century expansionism and the people and landscapes influenced by this westward movement. After viewing the exhibition at Space Gallery, Breakwater middle school students researched their own personal histories and incorporated their findings into individual self-portraits using a combination of  drawing and  wintergreen-transfer process to create a final image that gave the illusion of an old-time photograph. The final product, titled “Portrait Possibilities” was displayed at Breakwater School as part of the culminating experience.

King Middle School in Portland, ME, serves the most diverse population of middle school students in Maine.  More than 28 languages are spoken, and 17 countries are represented.  MECA Art Education Teacher Candidates partnered with Kirsten Cappy, owner of Curious City, and Marcia Salem’s class of English Language Learners (ELL) from King Middle School, to create a bridge between art and literacy.  Curious City designs and implements creative theme-based marketing for children’s authors and illustrators, aiming to strengthen  relationships between children and the literature created for them.

MECA Art Education candidates read aloud the book, GOAL! written by Mina Javaherbin and illustrated by A.G. Ford, to Mrs. Salem’s class.  Each student received a personal copy of the book.  GOAL! told the story of a team of friends who come together to play soccer, and through working together, realize they can accomplish anything in spite of obstacles.  Determination and team effort, universal qualities inherent in the international sport of soccer, are values inherent in Mrs. Salem’s class of ELL students as well.  Opportunities to share and learn from each other transcended language boundaries in an environment where the collaborative spirit of soccer helped strengthen students’ command of action words through visual imagery.

Learn more about our curriculum design at http://playrungoal.com.


  Written summary adapted from MECA's Art Education blog.