PNH400 Invites Residents to Visioning Session with Artist Sijia Chen forMaritime-themed Sculpture Garden Legacy Project
Artist Sijia Chen comes to Portsmouth to explore maritime themes PNH400 sculpture garden with the community
Portsmouth, New Hampshire – On March 2, 2023, Portsmouth NH 400 (PNH400) announced the selection of Sijia Chen as the artist whose concept was selected nanimously by the PNH400 Sculpture Review Team as the first work intended for the Bohenko Gateway Park legacy sculpture garden.
Sijia Chen will launch her community engagement program for the sculpture project when she visits Portsmouth this month to meet with the City Council, the Portsmouth Arts & Nonprofits Committee, arts/culture/history organizations and the general public. Starting March 20th, and in partnership with Portsmouth community organizations, PNH400 will host a series of educational and interactive in-person and virtual events over the next several weeks.
The public is invited to participate in a free visioning workshop on Tuesday, March 21 at 6:30 pm in the Levenson Room of the Portsmouth Public Library. Participants will have the opportunity to:
• Learn about PNH400’s vision to establish a legacy of community enrichment and how this project spearheads that program
• Meet Ms. Chen, and learn about her work and concept titled, “Endeavor”
• Share their personal experiences and perspectives on Portsmouth’s rich and storied maritime heritage
• Connect with other Portsmouth residents and organizations, as part of the project’s mission to establish a platform for ongoing engagement in community-driven public art projects
For more about the artist, the project and future opportunities to participate, go to:
https://www.endeavorforportsmouth.com
“We invite everyone to join us and participate in this legacy project designed to enrich our gateway Portsmouth park,” said PNH400 Managing Director Valerie Rochon. “PNH400 strives to make community engagement a central focus of our 400 th anniversary celebrations and engaging and connecting members of our community is central to this project.”
The maritime-themed sculpture park vision is being guided by the PNH400 Legacy Task Force whose members include: Ernie (Ernestine) Greenslade, chair; Nancy London, Barbara Massar and Judy Miller. The Sculpture Review Team members include: Barbara Massar, Executive Director/Pro Portsmouth (chair); Elizabeth Farish, Chief Curator, Strawbery Banke Museum; Lennie Mullaney, Artist; Nancy Carmer, retired City of Portsmouth Economic Development Manager and Art-Speak Liaison for Public Art; Tom Watson, Esq., retired and Leah Woods, UNH Associate Professor for Woodwork, Furniture.
PNH400 has raised nearly $100,000 to cover the design, fabrication, transportation, documentation and installation expenses including installation insurance. Additional sponsors are needed to complete this component and future additions to the PNH400 Legacy Project sculpture garden, which can accommodate six to eight pieces of public art. To learn more about this project, including how to donate, email sculpture@portsmouthnh400.org or visit the Portsmouth NH 400 website.
About Portsmouth NH 400th, Inc. (PortsmouthNH400.org)
The Portsmouth NH 400 th anniversary celebrations are made possible in part thanks to the support of Bank of America, Piscataqua Savings Bank, Local IQ, members of the 400 Shoalers Club and 1623 Revolutionaries Club and additional sponsors and donors. The goal of Portsmouth NH 400 th , Inc. is to give the community an inclusive opportunity to tell the stories that are important to them, through programs, events, exhibits and legacy projects. Portsmouth NH 400th celebrates the diverse and animated social, political, intellectual, cultural, economic and spiritual history of Portsmouth, from before English settlement in 1623 to the present. Portsmouth NH 400 th, Inc. invites individuals and organizations considering programs and events for the Portsmouth NH 400th Anniversary celebration to join the collaborative effort. A key intention is for the Portsmouth NH 400 th , Inc. team to engage the next generation(s) in exploring what the City’s 2023 legacy might be and deciding how they might steward Portsmouth and its history beyond 2023.
