Executive Director - Center Maine Contemporary Art

Executive Director - Center for Maine Contemporary Art

Executive Director

Organization

Center for Maine Contemporary Art (CMCA) catalyzes new developments in contemporary art by curating innovative exhibitions and education programs. Realizing its mission through direct engagement with artists and the public, CMCA opens new channels for interaction and discussion, expanding access to art, artists, and the creative process.

CMCA has been supporting, exhibiting, and sustaining arts and artists with ties to Maine since its founding in 1952. In that time, CMCA has evolved from a newcomer presenting shows in barns and backrooms to establish itself as the state’s preeminent contemporary arts organization. CMCA has hosted an array of exhibitions featuring internationally known artists and provided support to a myriad of emerging talents, elevating them to a broader platform.

Originally established as an artists’ cooperative known as Maine Coast Artists, the museum was founded as a collaborative endeavor driven by excitement not only for Maine’s rich artistic history but also as a means to showcase the work of painters, sculptors, and photographers working contemporaneously. For its first fifteen years, CMCA operated without a dedicated facility, relying on a succession of volunteer curators for its exhibition curation.

Early exhibitions were held at the town office, in a barn, and in a potato barrel storage loft and featured prominent future luminaries, including Alex Katz, Louise Nevelson, and Fairfield Porter, to name a few.

In 2016, CMCA relocated to a striking contemporary facility designed by Toshiko Mori, an internationally known, New York‑based architect who has a home on the nearby island of North Haven. The new building, located in the central district of Rockland, emphasizes Maine’s legendary light and the design is unlike anything else in the state. Accessible and inviting, the central courtyard is a fully glass‑enclosed open space, seamlessly linking the art and creativity inside to the community like an open embrace.

The 11,500‑square‑foot building includes three exhibition galleries, one of which doubles as a lecture hall/performance space, an Art Lab classroom, and a gift shop. Perfectly situated in the town’s Arts District, CMCA continues its mission as a current and future driving force for carrying forward Maine’s exceptional legacy in American art on a whole new scale. Annual visitation has grown rapidly from 9,000 in its previous location in a former firehouse to more than 40,000 in the new facility.

For more than sixty years, CMCA has supported, sustained, and showcased the art and artists connected to Maine – offering year‑round programming and exhibitions and bringing art to the community through outreach, education, and Art Labs. CMCA’s strategic plan is focused on continued growth and increasing diversity in its programming. From community engagement and work with local children to exhibitions and events, CMCA fosters artists at every stage of their careers and serves as a venue for observing and appreciating the ongoing evolution of Maine’s influence on the trajectory of contemporary art.

CMCA’s annual Artful Living Tour spotlights exceptional homes and collections in the Midcoast region, and its Distinguished Lectures showcase the leading artists and cultural thinkers of today. The annual Art Party and Art You Love online auction support CMCA’s educational programming and exhibitions. Recent and upcoming exhibitions at CMCA include Shinique Smith – Continuous Poem, Jeane Cohen – This Watching Land, Alison Hildreth – Darkness Visible, Gamaliel Rodriguez – (In)
Hospitable, Carla Weeks – On This Island, Sam Finkelstein & Duncan Hewitt – Good Morning Midnight, and Wilder Alison, Sachiko Akiyama, Leon Benn, Jordan Carey, Diana Cherbuliez, Carol Eisenberg, and Hong Hong – Let the World In.

CMCA has a 12‑member Board of Trustees led by Chair Pamela Wise and a full‑time staff of eight. Total operating revenues in fiscal 2024 are budgeted to be $850,000, including $494,000 in contributions, $206,000 from program services, and $150,000 in other revenue.

Community

Rockland, Maine, lauded…