Crewe Foundation awards MECA $216,000
Photo / Courtesy of Maine College of Art
Maine College of Art interim President Stuart Kestenbaum announced Monday a $216,000 grant from the Bob Crewe Foundation that will support additional programming and curricular offerings over the next three years in MECA's music-art-and-design program.
A grant from the Bob Crewe Foundation for $216,000 will allow MECA to invest in additional programming and curricular offerings over the next three years.
Monday’s announcement follows the $3 million gift the foundation made to MECA in April 2014 to endow the first academic credit-bearing program dedicated to exploring relational dynamics among music, art and design that was named after Bob Crewe of Scarborough, a retired songwriter who died in September 2014. Among the hit songs he co-wrote are Patti Labelle's "Lady Marmalade" and Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons’ "Rag Doll."
MECA said in a release the additional $216,000 grant will allow for increased staffing for the Bob Crewe Gallery to be open to the public on Fridays and Saturdays, as well as offering extended hours every First Friday and the general flexibility to accommodate special requests, groups and external partnerships. The grant will also support curricular programming and facility upgrades.
"We're grateful to the Bob Crewe Foundation for the significant investment that it has made in the college,” said Interim President Stuart Kestenbaum, “which will allow us to build on the great work that's been happening since the start of the program last year. Under the direction of Ian Anderson, vice president of academic affairs and dean of the college, and Erin Hutton, MECA’s director of exhibitions and special projects, we’re is planning an expanded schedule of innovative exhibitions that can engage both our students and the public."
Over the past 18 months, over 12% of MECA’s student body participated in one or more of the 15 new courses offered, ranging from songwriting and sound art to music production technology
Dan Crewe, Bob’s brother and current member of MECA’s board of trustees, said the foundation is “thrilled to be able to support MECA by empowering artists to realize their talents and goals.”
“We are pleased to be able to fuel the next generation of creative talent by providing a dynamic setting to explore art and music,” he said.
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