A Guide to Maine Museums

Center for Maine Contemporary Art

The Center for Maine Contemporary Art (CMCA) is a contemporary art scene that exhibits work by 300-400 living artists each year. This nonprofit organization works to establish and sustain a network for Maine artists, offering exhibitions, educational programs and professional development workshops.

The CMCA began as the Maine Coast Artists, a small group of artists who came together in 1952 in Rockport, Maine, to put on a small summer art exhibition. Over the next 50 years, the Maine Coast Artists evolved into the Center for Maine Contemporary Art. Today, the Center welcomes more than 14,000 visitors each year to its facility, still at home in the village of Rockport, at 162 Russell Avenue.

Exhibitions cover a spectrum of styles and genres. Every year since 1970, CMCA has offered a juried exhibition of artists with ties to Maine. Other exhibitions have included: “Work of the Hand” Crafts Show and Sale; “Just Look at Yourself!” an exhibition that explored self-portraiture; Works by Karen Lewis; Annual Benefit Art Auction Preview; Works by Brenda Bettison; Photography of Thomas Peter Michelena; “Comic-al” an exhibition exploring the aesthetic, stylistic and conceptual influences comics have on art; and “On and Off the Midway” 25 photographers celebrated 26 annual Maine state fairs and festivals.

Brenda Bettinson: Arcadia & Archetype

CMCA actively supports local educational institutions and their students. They have featured a Camden-Rockport Student Exhibition which showcased work from seven local elementary, middle and high schools. They also offer an annual “Next Generation” show, which is a juried exhibition of works by college-level junior and senior art majors in Maine.

CMCA also offers their facilities for certain special events, including weddings, parties, reunions, and business events. The scenic views of Rockport harbor and the intimate, artful ambiance of the center make it an ideal location for many social or business occasions.

CMCA offers different levels of membership, several of which are fully tax-deductable and all of which offer tantalizing member privileges.

From Memorial Day through Halloween, the Gallery is open Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 to 4, and Sundays from 1 to 4, and is closed on Mondays. During the winter (November 1 – May), the Gallery is open Thursdays through Saturdays, 10 to 4, and Sundays from 1 to 4, and is closed Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. General admission is $5 per person. Admission is free to Rockport residents, members, and children. The facilities are wheelchair accessible. Call (207) 236-2875 for more information.