CMCA Suzette McAvoy
Suzette McAvoy. Photo by Erin Little.

The Center for Maine Contemporary Art (CMCA) is pleased to announce that its annual Art Party, to be held on July 2, will honor Suzette McAvoy, executive director and chief curator, emeritus. A pivotal figure in Maine’s arts community, McAvoy will be recognized for her decades of visionary leadership and lasting impact on the state’s cultural landscape.

“Few individuals have done more to elevate Maine’s contemporary art scene than Suzette McAvoy,” said CMCA executive director Robert Wolterstorff. “Suzette’s vision, advocacy, and deep commitment to artists have made a lasting mark on the arts of Maine, and on CMCA. We are proud to honor her legacy at this year’s Art Party.”

Suzette McAvoy has shaped the discourse around contemporary art in Maine as a curator, writer, and museum leader. During her tenure as executive director and chief curator of CMCA (2010–2020), she led the institution’s transformational $5.2 million capital campaign and relocation to its current Toshiko Mori designed building in Rockland, which opened in 2016. Her curatorial work includes more than 70 exhibitions, and she has championed the careers of artists including Ann Craven, David Driskell, Lois Dodd, Alex Katz, Louise Nevelson and Nicole Wittenberg.

McAvoy’s influence extends beyond CMCA. She previously served as curator at the Farnsworth Art Museum and as Director of the University of Rhode Island Art Galleries, and has held positions at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., and the Herbert F. Johnson Museum at Cornell University. She continues to contribute to the field as a writer, consultant and lecturer from her base in Belfast.

The Art Party will take place at CMCA, 21 Winter St., Rockland, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. July 2, and supports CMCA’s exhibitions and educational programs. Festive attire is encouraged. Tickets for the Art Party are available at cmcanow.org. A portion of each ticket ($285) is tax-deductible.