Maine College of Art & Design (MECA&D) has announced the lineup for its 2026 MFA Visiting Artist Summer Lecture Series, running from June 24 to August 5. The series features nine interdisciplinary artists and cultural organizers—Nyugen E. Smith, Garrick Imatani, Colin Self, Jeffry Mitchell, Jess Perlitz, Allison Schulnik, Taraneh Fazeli, Gail Spaien, Cristóbal Martínez, and Liz Collins—who will deliver lectures and conduct studio visits during the eight-week summer intensive for the MFA in Studio Art program. Two lectures are presented in collaboration with the Institute of Contemporary Art at MECA&D.
The series matters because it provides MFA candidates with direct access to renowned visiting artists, accelerating their professional development and fostering interdisciplinary dialogue. By bringing together artists working across performance, ceramics, painting, digital media, and curation, MECA&D strengthens its role as a hub for contemporary art education in Portland, Maine, and underscores the value of intensive, residency-style learning in graduate art programs.