Get a taste of our college programs!

Image Credit:  Christian Randolph, Header Image:  Carolyn Todd

Each trimester (fall, winter, spring) we reserve a limited number of seats in select courses from our certificate programs or other classes designed specifically for members of our community. These courses meet weekly for a few hours in the morning, afternoon, or evening, and some are a full day long. Community classes are a great opportunity to learn something new, dedicate focused time to your art practice, and tap into a community of artistic peers. Local residents enjoy a special rate on these classes.

Community Classes, 2023:

Professional Development - 265

Dates: Mar 20 - May 22 (Mondays for 10 Weeks, 1:30-5pm)
Tuition: $750
Capacity: 8
Faculty: Elizabeth Greenberg

Added: A familiarity with relevant business and professional protocols is necessary to prepare media artists to fulfill their creative goals. This course provides an overview of professional, business, and ethical practices for media artists. Topics including copyright, licensing, project funding, business practices, and emerging methods for delivery and presentation of work will be covered through lectures, guest presentations and panel discussions. Each student will develop and launch a personal website, in addition to creating marketing and promotional materials appropriate to their career ambitions.

Image Credit: Alaric Beal

Culminating Project III - 255

Dates: Mar 22 - May 24, 2023 (Wednesdays for 10 Weeks, 1:30-5pm)
Tuition: $750
Capacity: 8
Faculty: Kari Wehrs

This is the final culminating project of the year, emphasis is placed on creating resolved content for this project portfolio. In this course, students hone their skills in realizing images, developing the story, editing and creating a skillful sequence. A final portfolio or video is required for faculty review and public exhibition at term end.

Image copyright Christine Moriello.

Collaborations in Multimedia III - M234

Dates: Mar 23 – May 25 (Thursdays for 10 Weeks, 9am-5pm)
Tuition: $950
Capacity: 8
Faculty: Tom Ryan

Collaboration in Multimedia III is designed for multimedia storytellers and documentarians who already have a firm grasp on the basic technical and aesthetic considerations of filmmaking; the camera, the edit process, and the fundamentals of visual storytelling.

Media in society - group of people using their phones

Media in Society - 263 (Online)

Dates: Mar 24 – May 26 (Fridays for 10 Weeks, 9-11am)
Tuition: $475
Capacity: 40
Faculty: Brenton Hamilton

Media surrounds us and influences the times that we inhabit. This is a discussion course looking critically at media in society. The advances and pace of media are astounding. Here in this forum guided by Brenton Hamilton, we will look at social networks, self-publishing, magazines, and the influence of technology on image meaning and content.

Collaborations in Multimedia II - 233

Dates: Jan 5 – Mar 9 (Thursdays for 10 Weeks, 9am-5pm)
Tuition: $950
Capacity: 8
Faculty: Tom Ryan

Collaboration in Multimedia II is a follow-up to the basic unit, Collaborations in Multimedia I. In this class, students will be introduced to a series of new tools including studio lights, camera support systems, and wireless lavalier microphones. Students who wish to take this course should have a basic technical understanding of storytelling with video, and/or have taken Collaborations in Multimedia I.

20th Century History of Photography - 251

Dates: Jan 6 – Mar 10, 2023 (Fridays for 10 Weeks, 9-11am)
Tuition: $350 (General Public) or $625 (Maine Media MFA Students)
Instructor: Brenton Hamilton

This 10-week course explores the visual trends of the 20th century are detailed as major paradigms in visual culture. Extensive lectures on the major influences, movements, and personalities of photography post-1940 are covered.

Collaborations in Multimedia I - 262

Dates: Sept 8 – Nov 10 (Thursdays for 10 Weeks, 9am-5pm)
Tuition: $950
Capacity: 8
Faculty: Tom Ryan

Students will gain a solid foundation in the basics of storytelling with video and multimedia. Lectures, demonstrations and assignments will cover key technical concepts of video capture, audio capture, editing, as well as storytelling technique and style. Composition of shot, audio acquisition, editing, story structure, and the interview process will all be covered.

19th Century History of Photography (Online)

Dates: Sept 9 – Nov 11 (Fridays, 9-11am)
Tuition: $350 (General Public) or $625 (Maine Media MFA Students)
Instructor: Brenton Hamilton

This is a lecture course introducing the discovery of photography and influences in visual culture in the 19th century up to approximately 1935. Lectures and discussions along with extensive readings guide the students to understanding the advent of technology and visual images related to photography. As we are inundated with images in the technological era – this course provides perspectives on origins and cultural influences.

Digital Techniques - 240

Dates: Sept 7 – Nov 9 (Wednesdays for 10 Weeks, 9am-5pm)
Tuition: $1395
Capacity: 8
Faculty: Jim Nickelson

This community course will meet once weekly during the fall. Students learn to use their cameras to capture, organize and process monochrome digital images and video. The primary tools used in this course are Adobe’s Lightroom and Photoshop, and they, along with basic editing software, will be covered. Students explore techniques, materials and processes of digital output to paper and screen. Each student presents a final portfolio or video for evaluation.