• In 2010, the on-campus UMF Art Gallery presented "In:decision," an exhibit of student work featuring the art of UMF seniors Emily Baer of Farmington; Markeith Chavous of Eastport; Josh Demello of Farmington; Robbie Kanner of Fairfield; Andrew Thompson of Plymouth, Mass; and Joanna Wilbur OF Greene. Each spring, the UMF Art Gallery hosts an end-of-school year exhibit of senior student work, complete with an opening night gala celebration.

• In 2010, a groundbreaking celebration was held for the new Emery Community Arts Center. The 15,000-square-foot facility will not only give students a venue for art shows and performance, it will also be a place where community and University artists and performers come together and share their work. The new Emery Community Arts Center will be at the heart of campus and, along with Merrill Hall/Nordica Auditorium and the Alumni Theater, will form an arts complex. Named in honor of local arts enthusiasts Ted and Marguerite Emery, the Center is made possible through a $5 million gift by a generous benefactor.

• In 2009, the UMF Art Gallery presented "After Poe: Works of Mystery and Imagination," an exhibit that was part of a semester-long campus celebration of the bicentennial of Edgar Allan Poe's birth and a tribute to his work. Part of the University's Poe/After Poe Forum Series of creative arts, literature, music, film and scholarly events, the exhibition featured the works of artists from all over New England, including Julia Bykowski, Christin Couture, Shain Erin, Robert Gregory, Griffeth, Kym Hepworth, Melissa Kulig, Debe Loughlin, Nancy Milliken, Petrea Noyes, Stacey Page and Robin Stein.

• In 2009, Assoc. Professor of Art History Sarah Maline and Political Science Professor Scott Erb accompanied 15 Farmington students to Italy for a travel course that focused on politics and the arts. The course was designed by Maline, Erb, Professor of Music Steven Pane and Lecturer in English Luann Yetter. This travel course has been running enthusiastically for the past 4 years; a travel course to Berlin and Vienna is scheduled for 2010.

• The Art Renegades (an on-campus student organization) produced their first 'zine in 2008. The 'zine contains students' prose, poetry, visual artwork, and a CD of original musical compositions. The 2009 edition was submitted for inclusion in an exhibition at the Glickman Library in Portland, Maine entitled "Studying Books: Book Arts at Maine Colleges and Universities."

• The Ministry of Experimental Arts (a group of students, staff and faculty promoting the arts at Farmington) had built on two years' of extraordinary Wilson Arts Night programming in its 2009 "Arts Fortnight," which accompanied the University's annual Michael D. Wilson Symposium. Events included eclectic programming such as evening of original student compositions, another of original 10-minute plays, a showing of video and video/music shorts, an artist talk, along with performances of electro-acoustic music and an a cappella group and concerts by the UMF Orchestra and Chorus.

• In the winter 2009, the Ministry of Experimental Arts hosted its first "Snowbound Hoedown," a student-generated snow-sculpture competition held on the campus green, open to students and community artists all vying to win the hallowed Golden Shovel.

• Each spring, the University's annual video and animation festival, "Pixel Hunter," is held on campus. In 2008, the works of five Farmington Pixel Hunter students were selected for screening at the 2008 Maine International Film Festival (MIFF).

• In the dead of winter in 2009, Art major Timothy Berry of Orono, Maine completed his "Walk-Across-Maine-In-Drag-athon" performance art piece. Tim walked some 300 miles across Maine -- from Portland to Presque Isle -- in a baroque pink wig and bright pink, self-designed southern belle gown to raise money for the United Way and to raise awareness about acceptance, difference and community.

• In 2008, the University completed extensive renovations to the Division of The Arts' home in Merrill Hall. The renovations expanded the sculpture space, added a drawing room on the second floor, and relocated the Department's Computer Lab. Adjacent to the new Computer Lab is the Video Production Studio (complete with green screen) and next door is the Sound Production Studio and sound booth.

• In 2007, faculty accompanied a group of Farmington Art students and Music students on a weekend trip to New York City where they visited Soho galleries, museums, attended concerts by Sigur Ros, the Kronos Quartet, and took in an opera.

• In 2006, 22 Farmington students participated in a winter term travel course to Japan with faculty from Theater Arts and Art History. They attended a bunraku (puppet theatre) performance in Osaka and kabuki at the Kabuki-za in Tokyo, toured the great Zen temples of Kyoto, and became kids again at the Studio Ghibli Museum of anime. Another Japan travel course is scheduled for 2010.

For additional information about Art at the University of Maine at Farmington, just contact the Office of Admission:

Office of Admission
University of Maine at Farmington
246 Main Street
Farmington, Maine 04938-1994
US tel 207-778-7050
Intl. tel 00-1-207-778-7050
fax 207-778-8182
TDD/TYY 207-778-7275
umfadmit@maine.edu