Today we are speaking with Dr. Laura Freid, the President of Maine College of Art and Design and a leader in arts advocacy. Applications to MECA&D’s BFA program increased by 53% from 2016 to 2019, accompanied by a 24% increase in selectivity and a 7% increase in the diversity of the incoming class. The MFA program more than doubled from 17 to 38 students in the same timeframe.

Previously, Dr. Fried served as CEO and Executive Director of Silkroad for more than a decade. She 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, she previously served as publisher of Harvard Magazine and executive director of the Ivy League Publishing group. Before working at Harvard, she was the publisher and editor of Bostonia magazine for ten years.

Our interview today is sponsored by Maine Home+Design. Don’t miss Laura's Design Theory article in the September 2023 issue of MH+D. 

More from Laura Freid:

Website: https://www.meca.edu/about/office-of-the-president/about-laura-freid/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lfreid/?hl=en

More from us:

Website: http://www.trentbell.com
Instagram: http://instagram.com/trentbellphotography/
Podcast: www.adppodcast.com
 

Kobi's upbringing in this scenic state has cultivated a deep-rooted passion for the great outdoors and exhilarating activities like climbing, snowboarding, scuba diving, mountain biking, and motorcycling. Now that he has graduated from high school, Kobi has an exciting plan in store – he's embarking on a gap year that will take him across the globe. What's unique about his journey is his commitment to sharing every step of it with the world. Through platforms like YouTube, Instagram, his portfolio, Kobi aims to document the incredible experiences he encounters along the way. 

More from Kobi Kahn: 

Website: https://kobikahn.com/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kobi.kahn/ 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KobiKahn/videos 

More from us: 

Website: http://www.trentbell.com 

Instagram: http://instagram.com/trentbellphotography/ 

Podcast: www.adppodcast.com

In this episode of Architecture, Design & Photography we sit down with Ryan Scipione, Senior Partner at MJM+A Architects.

 Ryan Scipione, named partner to the firm in 2011, has been key member of MJM+A Architects since his arrival at the firm 21 years ago. With his cross-disciplinary experience he has proven himself on a multitude of diverse projects and is a leader in the technical development and management of some of the firm’s largest work. Building on his previous involvement as an architectural designer on residential, commercial and public projects throughout areas of New York, Connecticut, Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire, his experience with MJM+A Architects includes the management of large scale residential, commercial, institutional and hospitality construction throughout the tri-state area, as well as having led the firm’s Preservation and Restoration Division before moving onto the challenges of large scale building wide projects. 

Our interview today is sponsored by Maine Home+Design. Don’t miss Ryan's Design Theory article in the August 2023 issue of MH+D. 

More from Ryan Scipione: 

Website: https://mjmaa.com/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mjmacalusoarch/?hl=en 

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-scipione-aia-ara-95090a42 

More from us: 

Website: http://www.trentbell.com 

Instagram: http://instagram.com/trentbellphotography/ 

Podcast: www.adppodcast.com

More from Gavi Wolf: 

Website: https://www.indiewalls.com/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/indiewalls/?hl=en 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gavi-wolf-121a4916 

More from us: 

Website: http://www.trentbell.com 

Instagram: http://instagram.com/trentbellphotography/ 

Podcast: www.adppodcast.com

In this episode of Architecture, Design & Photography we sit down with Walid Azami, Photographer and Commercial Director based in Los Angeles, CA. Walid Azami is a photographer & director based in Los Angeles, CA. 

He has worked with people like Bob Proctor, Bernie Sanders, Perry Farrel, Mariah Carey, Kanye West, and Madonna. For over 6 years, he has mentored the photography & video community with business education. Much of his focus was on marginalized populations, helping them increase their rates and book more clients. 

More from Walid: 

Website: https://www.walidazami.com/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/walid.azami/?hl=en 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH51liqq0Va1M7zLnYlATqA 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@walidazami?lang=en 

More from us: 

Website: http://www.trentbell.com 

Instagram: http://instagram.com/trentbellphotography/ 

Podcast: www.adppodcast.com

In this episode of Architecture, Design & Photography we sit down with Becky McKinnell, Founder/CEO of iBec Creative, Portland, Maine’s leading award-winning digital agency. 

Becky founded iBec Creative the day after graduating from the University of Southern Maine in 2006. She’s been recognized as one of Businessweek’s Top 25 Entrepreneurs 25 and Under, was named U.S. Small Business Administration Young Entrepreneur of the Year, and received the Stevie Women in Business Award, among numerous industry recognition's for her company’s work. 

In addition to her role at iBec Creative, Becky’s also the Founder/Designer of Wildwood Oyster Co., a lifestyle brand inspired by salt air that is celebrated for its signature handbag and jewelry designs. 

Our interview today is sponsored by Maine Home+Design. Don’t miss Becky’s Design Theory in the upcoming July issue of MH+D. 

More from Becky Mckinnell: 

ibec: https://ibeccreative.com/ 

iBec Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ibeccreative/ 

iBec LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ibec-creative/ 

Wildwood Oyster Co: https://wildwoodoysterco.com/ 

Wildwood Oyster Co Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildwoodoysterco/ 

More from us: 

Website: http://www.trentbell.com Instagram: 

http://instagram.com/trentbellphotography/ 

Podcast: www.adppodcast.com

In this episode of Architecture, Design & Photography we sit down with Heagi Kang, co-founder and design principal at Andmore Partners based in Los Angeles, CA.

Heagi (Hyeung Seok) Kang, AIA, is a co-founder and design principal at Andmore Partners in Los Angeles, which he started in 2015 with Sean Mo. His professional career began with an internship at Eric Own Moss Architects and evolved into 14 years of residential and commercial experience working at GMPA Architects (previously GMP), Mix Studioworks, and AC Martin + TSM. Prior to studying architecture, Heagi navigated several different fields, starting from social welfare at Yonsei University in Seoul and anthropology and fine art at the University of Oregon (Eugene). While he was in the master’s program at Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) in Los Angeles, he took two international programs, collaborating with a studio at The Berlage in Rotterdam and another in Kyoto Seika University in Japan. 

Heagi's interdisciplinary studies and varied hands-on architectural experiences allow him to shape his own way of seeing a design. His fundamental process provides a deeper understanding and critical path of thinking compared to the typical design process. Heagi believes that creativity originates from finding, discovering, and combining two or more different things, rather than inventing a new thing that never existed. In that sense, as an architect, he values hidden or ignored elements that can open the possibilities to embrace our lifestyle through the quality of spaces. Heagi also approaches “architecture as a developer,” which is not the traditional role of the architect. He believes this approach helps find a balance between financial feasibility and architectural rightness. 

More from Heagi Kang: 

Website: https://www.a-n-d-m-o-r-e.com/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andmore_partners/?hl=en 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heagi-kang-343a1367/ 

More from us: 

Website: http://www.trentbell.com

Instagram: http://instagram.com/trentbellphotography/ 

More from Andy Rehfeldt: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzk0m5Ibzv-JDJHRrNNbGyw 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andyrehfeldt/?hl=en 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/andyrehfeldt 

More from us: 

Website: http://www.trentbell.com 

Instagram: http://instagram.com/trentbellphotography/ 

In this episode of Architecture, Design & Photography we sit down with Paul Tang, founding principal of Verse Design LA and a partner in Verse Design Shanghai. Paul earned a B.Arch from USC and his M.Arch from Harvard’s Graduate School of Design. Inspired by academia, Paul taught architecture at USC for 19 years. He was appointed as the first Academic Director of USC American Academy in China. That visibility and credibility led to several building-design opportunities in China. Propelled by that momentum, Paul returned to Los Angeles and co-founded Verse Design LA with fellow former USC professor Courtenay Bauer. The firm specializes in urban, commercial, residential, and institutional projects and planning. To date, it has designed more than 5 million square feet of built environments. 

Paul shares insights on working in US and abroad. He will also discuss those influences that impact his design to include technology. More specifically, the phenomenon of technology and AI and how it impacts our lifestyle and therefore architecture. 

More from Verse Design: 

Website: https://www.vdla.co (US), https://verse-design.com (China) 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/verse_design/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/verse_design 

WeChat: https://www.wechat.com/verse_design 

More from us: 

Website: http://www.trentbell.com 

Instagram: http://instagram.com/trentbellphotography/ 

Podcast: www.adppodcast.com 

In this episode of Architecture, Design & Photography we sit down with Rob Whitten, Founder & Principal of Whitten Architects. 

More from Whitten Architects: 

Website: https://www.whittenarchitects.com/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whittenarchitects/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whittenarchitects 

More from us: 

Website: http://www.trentbell.com 

Instagram: http://instagram.com/trentbellphotography/