Registrations required! No walk-ins at this time, please. NEW: We are requiring that all in-person attendees wear masks and show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test at the door. (Scroll down for full safety precautions)
PLEASE NOTE: We are also offering a VIRTUAL option for those who feel more comfortable attending from home. You will receive the link to watch LIVE when you register. See below for SCHEDULE*
Future-proofing Maine through Art and Design with Dr. Laura Freid, President of Maine College of Art & Design
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 65% of America’s children will hold jobs that have yet to be created. Arts and design education is crucial to providing the critical thinking, creative problem solving, risk-taking, collaboration, and innovation skills needed for this future entrepreneurial economy.
As the major driver of Portland’s creative economy and a net importer of the area’s young, creative, and diverse workforce over the past 140 years, Maine College of Art & Design has made Portland a go-to location for living, working, and visiting.
Join the Portland Community Chamber, Maine College of Art & Design President Dr. Laura Freid, and other College leaders to hear about the College’s recent news and work to support Maine’s cultural development and creative industry workforce.
TAKEAWAYS
• The critical role Maine College of Art & Design plays in strengthening Portland’s economy and Portland as a cultural destination
• The value of incorporating new art and design thinking in Portland’s various business sectors
• How your company or nonprofit can partner with Maine College of Art & Design to help your organization and employees stay engaged and ahead in your industry
PRESENTERS: (scroll down for headshots & bios)
• Dr. Laura Freid, President - Maine College of Art & Design
• Adam Fisher, Assistant Professor and Program Chair, Animation & Game Art - Maine College of Art & Design
• Addy Smith-Reiman, Adjunct Professor, Foundation, Sculpture - Maine College of Art & Design
• Jordan Carey, Maine College of Art & Design, '19, Artist & Designer - Loquat
SCHEDULE: 7:00 AM EDT: In-person check-in and coffee at Holiday Inn 7:30 AM EDT: In-person breakfast at Holiday Inn 8:00 AM EDT: In-person AND virtual program begins
Thank you to our presenting sponsors: Bank of America and Martin's Point HealthCare! To see a complete list of our sponsors, visit our Eggs & Issues page.
Dr. Laura Freid President - Maine College of Art & Design
Dr. Laura Freid joined Maine College of Art & Design as President in 2016, becoming the eighteenth president in the college’s 140-year history.
Dr. Freid’s career spans the higher education and arts sectors and includes a focus on journalism and film.
From 2004 - 2016, Dr. Freid served as CEO and Executive Director of Silkroad, a venture conceived by world-renowned musician Yo-Yo Ma, serving to bring musicians from the lands of the Silk Road to co-create a new artistic idiom. Dr. Freid initiated the organization’s ongoing multi-year affiliation with Harvard University, established a five-year partnership with the Rhode Island School of Design, and created the first joint venture with the Harvard Business School.
During Dr. Freid’s tenure, Silkroad spearheaded a yearlong, citywide celebration of the arts in Chicago; focused on driving arts education and passion-driven learning through work with middle schools, educators, and teaching artists across America; and brought together artists and business leaders to influence the emerging field of cultural entrepreneurship. Dr. Freid also served as executive producer of the internationally-acclaimed feature documentary The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble.
Prior to joining Silkroad, Dr. Freid was executive vice president for public affairs and university relations at Brown University. A magazine journalist and editor, Dr. Freid served as publisher of Harvard magazine and publisher and editor of Bostonia magazine. Dr. Freid graduated from Washington University in St. Louis and holds an M.B.A. from Boston University, as well as an Ed.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.
Adam Fisher Assistant Professor and Program Chair, Animation & Game Art - Maine College of Art & Design
Adam Fisher received his MFA in Animation from Rochester Institute of Technology where he focused on character animation in stop-motion and CG (computer-generated graphics & animation) and earned a BA in Film Studies at Wesleyan University.
Adam came to MECA&D with a wealth of experience, including having worked on seven feature films, five of which were nominated for an Oscar in the Best Animated Film category, as well as on an Emmy-award-winning television series (Tumble Leaf, Season 1), several commercials, and many personal projects.
More recently, he worked on Missing Link, which won the Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film in 2019 and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. In addition to his animation work, he is also an independent filmmaker.
Addy Smith-Reiman Adjunct Professor, Foundation, Sculpture - Maine College of Art & Design
For over 15 years, Addy Smith-Reiman has successfully engaged people with projects that celebrate local identity, shared histories and future use. She integrates research, design, civic engagement and long-term stewardship planning for successful projects that activate PLACE: from forming a non-profit to transform an abandoned 1860’s opera house into a vibrant cultural center in northern Vermont; securing a $15.5 Million TIGER V discretionary grant to link transit hubs to historic sites with improved pedestrian and bicycling corridors throughout downtown Boston; or managing complex trail, infrastructure and public art projects connecting neighborhoods to the parks and open spaces along the three rivers in Pittsburgh, PA.
She holds a BA from Sarah Lawrence College, and Master’s Degrees in Regional Planning and Landscape Architecture from Cornell University, where she was awarded the ASLA Certificate of Honor and was named the University Olmsted Scholar. She is a certified planner, accredited organic land care professional, and Master Gardener and is currently the Executive Director of the Portland Society for Architecture, a non-profit organization that promotes the progress and economic development of Greater Portland by encouraging innovation and vision in design and planning.
She lives in Portland, ME with her husband, Josh, a faculty member of the Maine College of Art & Design, their son, Ole, and their dog, Otto.
Jordan Carey Maine College of Art & Design, '19, Artist & Designer - Loquat
Jordan Carey '19 is a Bermudian designer and artist currently based in Portland Maine. He received his BFA in Textile and Fashion Design from Maine College of Art & Design. As a MECA&D student, Jordan's work was predominantly focused on the meshing of cultural aesthetics and influences ever-present and changing in the African diaspora and island life. Since graduating, he has continued to develop as assistant designer for the Maine-based fashion house Jill Mcgowan as well as through residencies and freelance work. Jordan launched the Loquat brand as a vehicle for sharing fluid cultural aesthetics and craft sensibilities.
**SAFETY PRECAUTIONS** NOTE: Because the health and safety of our members and attendees is our number one priority, we are tracking COVID-19 closely and will adjust safety precautions accordingly over the next few weeks.
We are limiting the number of attendees to this in-person event (registration is required). Holiday Inn has confirmed the filtration system is hospital grade, that coffee will be full-serve, and there will only be 5 people seated per table, spread out across the ballroom. Masks are required when not eating. Proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test is required at the door.
CALL FOR PRESENTERS! The Chamber is currently accepting pitches for our upcoming 2021-22 events season! If you or your organization has a useful practice or informative presentation that our business community could benefit from, please fill out the Eggs & Issues presenter proposal form HERE or contact the Chamber directly with any questions.
PLEASE NOTE: We are also offering a VIRTUAL option for those who feel more comfortable attending from home. You will receive the link to watch LIVE when you register.
*In-person registration includes breakfast, parking, and networking. At this time we are requiring pre-registration to help us track attendance. FREE event parking is located in the parking garage adjacent to the Holiday Inn By the Bay.*
Please note: By attending a Chamber or Member-hosted event, you acknowledge that your photograph may be taken and could be used in marketing and promotional materials for the Portland Regional Chamber and its Community Chambers.
If you do not want your photograph taken, please speak to a Chamber staff or board member before, during, or after the event.
Jul 01, 2025
Jul 10, 20256:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Jul 11, 20256:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Jul 13, 20253:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Jul 17, 20256:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Jul 20, 20253:30 PM - 7:30 PM