Renovation Overview

The University of Maine has a unique opportunity to remake The Maine Center for the Arts, its signature facility and the cultural centerpiece of eastern and northern Maine, into a nationally significant model for a new kind of cultural institution for the 21st century.

The paradigm for the past 200 years has been to separate culture from cultures, to segregate the performing arts from the physical artifacts of human culture, thereby creating distinct organizations, different goals, dedicated buildings. UMaine seeks to lead the development of a new paradigm, one that sets aside artificial distinctions and replaces them with a multidimensional cultural institution bringing together the cultures of the museum with the culture of the theater and the concert hall. We propose to explore in new ways the core attributes of humanity in a world where cultures clash.

Impelled by the need to correct design deficiencies in both the Hutchins Performance Hall and the Hudson Museum, and informed by a new sense of urgency attached to appreciating different forms of cultural expression and understanding of their roots, UMaine is affirming a deeper vision: not only will the MCA be the University’s preeminent cultural facility, it will also be emblematic of its educational goals and aspirations. The MCA must be an ongoing celebration of human diversity and creative genius expressed through both exhibits and performances. No visitor should leave without his or her understanding of humanity’s achievements having been expanded and stimulated. Architecture plays a critical, enabling role in realizing this goal.

The proposed MCA Renovation and Redesign Project will:

• Bring the facility into ADA compliance;
• Allow the museum and the performance hall to meet industry standards in their fields;
• Enhance the visitor experience by broadening the range of artistic and cultural offerings that can be presented;
• Provide visitor amenities including improved facilities, conference rooms, a café, and expanded box office and shop.

Contact Information

For more information about the MCA Renovation and Redesign Project or to inquire about giving and naming opportunities, call Kassie Stevens Walker, Director of Major Gifts at (207) 581-1838 or kswalker@umaine.edu.