People of all backgrounds and abilities are invited to a "Growing Up Portsmouth" community painting project. Participants will collectively contribute to the art exhibit’s next portrait: a painting of Katie Grazier, Co-Founder and COO of PMAC. Each small segment takes 30-60 minutes to complete.
Participants will sit in groups and make art, have conversations and a unique experience of community, layered with themes and stories of Portsmouth and the subject we are painting. Through these events, the Seacoast community is invited to celebrate Portsmouth on its 400th anniversary while creating a permanent artwork for generations to come. All ages are welcome, but these events are geared for adults. Join us: let’s make art together. About "Growing Up Portsmouth": Eric Gold’s “Growing Up Portsmouth” – a captivating celebration of Portsmouth’s cultural evolution – is on display at PMAC following three years of community collaboration. Over 1,000 individuals contributed painting segments to the vibrant exhibit, which features 12 oversized portraits of key figures that indelibly shaped Portsmouth’s cultural landscape. Among the individuals featured are JerriAnne Boggis (The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire, The Harriet Wilson Project), TJ Wheeler (Portsmouth Blues Festival), Bruce Pingree (The Press Room), Russ Grazier (Portsmouth Music and Arts Center), Scott Weintraub (Theatre By The Sea, Prescott Park Arts Festival), and Marguerite Mathews (Pontine Theatre), who also contribute audio stories to the exhibit. Through the skilled lens of artist Eric Gold, whose work delves into shared consciousness, the resulting collection serves as an experiential time capsule, brilliantly illuminating the creative spirit woven into the fabric of the Portsmouth community.