Northeastern light: Toshiko Mori designs a shiny new building for CMCA

A building with large glass windows, planted trees and an exhibit made of different coloured men shaped objects on top of each other in front of it.
Last week, Rockland’s Center for Maine Contemporary Art inaugurated a new, light-filled building designed by the architect Toshiko Mori
(Image credit: Jonathan Laurence)

The town of Rockland in Maine welcomes a glittering addition to its cultural landscape this month. Just last week, the Center for Maine Contemporary Art inaugurated a new building designed by the architect Toshiko Mori – a vision of glass that makes the most of Maine’s northeastern light.

Originally located in the neighbouring town of Rockport, and founded in 1952, the CMCA's new home places it in walking distance of other local institutions, such as the Farnsworth Art Museum and the Wyeth Center. It also marks the first permanent home for the organisation, which was staffed by volunteers and migrated during the first 15 years of its existence. The new 11,500 sq ft building provides more than 5,500 sq ft of exhibition space, with a spacious central courtyard, visible from all three galleries and vice versa. The building will also house a classroom and gift shop to ensure all visitors have a well-rounded experience.

CMCA director Suzette McAvoy says, ‘By creating an architecturally significant space in the heart of Rockland’s downtown arts district, CMCA will empower itself, more than ever before, to pursue its core mission of showcasing well-known and emerging Maine artists while taking Maine contemporary art to a new and elevated level.’

The new building opens with three solo exhibitions by the artists Jonathan Borofsky, Alex Katz and Rollin Leonard, who all have connections to Maine. Katz’s small scale oil paintings and Leonard’s photographic and video works are offset by a site-specific, figurative installation by Borofsky, which graces the courtyard, to prove that Maine’s art scene has very much to offer indeed.

A large factory building with four triangular shaped roofs.

Originally located in the neighbouring town of Rockport, and founded in 1952, the CMCA’s new home places it in walking distance of other local institutions, such as the Farnsworth Art Museum and the Wyeth Center.

(Image credit: Jonathan Laurence)

A factory complex with various buildings, snow on the ground and the harbour behind them.

It marks the first permanent home for the organisation, which was largely nomadic for the first 15 years of its existence.

(Image credit: Jonathan Laurence)

An aerial view of a factory complex with various sized buildings and cars parked next to them.

The new 11,500 sq ft building provides more than 5,500 sq ft of exhibition space, with a spacious central courtyard,

(Image credit: Jonathan Laurence)

Two images. Left, a white reception counter with a wooden top and a passage next to it. Right, a factory with 4 triangular roofs and trees and the harbour behind it.

The building will also house a classroom and gift shop to ensure all visitors have a well-rounded experience.

(Image credit: Jonathan Laurence)

The inside of a factory roof made of triangular sections with windows on them.

CMCA director Suzette McAvoy says, ‘By creating an architecturally significant space in the heart of Rockland’s downtown arts district, CMCA will empower itself, more than ever before, to pursue its core mission of showcasing well-known and emerging Maine artists while taking Maine contemporary art to a new and elevated level’.

(Image credit: Jonathan Laurence)

A large white factory room with a roof made of triangular shapes and a door in the corner.

The new building opens with three solo exhibitions by the artists Jonathan Borofsky, Alex Katz and Rollin Leonard, who all have connections to Maine.

(Image credit: Jonathan Laurence)

The front of a single storey building with glass panes as the walls.

Katz’s small scale oil paintings and Leonard’s photographic and video works are offset by a site-specific, figurative installation by Borofsky, which graces the courtyard.

(Image credit: Jonathan Laurence)

Two images. Left, a large painting of a woman's face on a white wall. Right, a passage with wall paintings, doorways, wooden tables and a shiny floor.

Maine-based digital artist Rollin Leonard has been photographing for the past decade the human form in extreme detail, pushing it to the extremes. Pictured: installation view of Rollin Leonard.

(Image credit: Jonathan Laurence)

An artistic structure composed of 62 painted steel person shaped figures, interconnecting to form 5 cylindrical towers, Maine based artist Jonathan Borofsky’s Human Structures were born from the idea that everything is connected.

Composed of 62 painted steel figures, interconnecting to form 5 cylindrical towers, Maine based artist Jonathan Borofsky’s Human Structures (pictured) were born from the idea that everything is connected.

(Image credit: Jonathan Laurence)

A gallery with small paintings on white walls and seating benches in the middle of a shiny floor.

Small Paintings features the small-scale oil paintings that Maine-based painter Alex Katz produced for more than 60 years. Pictured: installation view of Small Paintings, by Alex Katz.

(Image credit: Jonathan Laurence)

INFORMATION

The CMCA's inaugural exhibitions are on view until 12 August. For more information, visit the Center for Maine Contemporary Art's website

Photography: Jonathan Laurence

ADDRESS

Center for Maine Contemporary Art 
21 Winter Street
Rockland
Maine, ME 04841

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Pei-Ru Keh is a former US Editor at Wallpaper*. Born and raised in Singapore, she has been a New Yorker since 2013. Pei-Ru held various titles at Wallpaper* between 2007 and 2023. She reports on design, tech, art, architecture, fashion, beauty and lifestyle happenings in the United States, both in print and digitally. Pei-Ru took a key role in championing diversity and representation within Wallpaper's content pillars, actively seeking out stories that reflect a wide range of perspectives. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two children, and is currently learning how to drive.