More than two dozen art faculty members from Southern Maine Community College will exhibit work this month to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the formation of SMCC’s Fine Arts Department.

“Ten Years of Art at SMCC: Faculty Exhibition,” opened Friday and runs through Sept. 30 at the Lewis Gallery in the Portland Public Library.

The seed was planted in 2003 when SMCC transitioned from a technical college to a community college. The following year, the college started an artist-in-residence program. Michael Branca, a faculty member exhibiting work in the show, taught Introduction to Drawing and Visual Art in 2005 – the first art class the school offered. Branca teaches drawing and painting at the college’s midcoast campus in Brunswick.

The program grew, with other artists in residence teaching courses in their respective fields, including photographer Gary Green, painter/printmaker Mary Hart and sculptor Deborah Klotz, who is also showing work in the exhibit. Also showing work is Jeff Badger, chair of the department.

A press release about the exhibit says more than 1,000 students take art courses at SMCC every semester.

“The growth that our department experienced over the first five years was phenomenal,” Badger said in the release. “Although we grew fast, we also tried to grow smart. We developed courses like screenprinting and metal arts that fit into a fine arts curriculum, but also appeal to students in other academic and technical programs. All along we have had strong support from the administration to build or re-purpose spaces on campus for studios and classrooms. Most importantly, SMCC has a faculty made up of some of the best working artists and teachers in the state.”

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