Portsmouth NH 400 Announces Site Preparation for the “Endeavor” Legacy Project Sculpture in Bohenko Park
Sijia Chen's Portsmouth NH 400 legacy project sculpture "Endeavor" imagined in its location in Bohenko Gateway Park adjacent to Market Street.
Portsmouth, New Hampshire – The much-anticipated Portsmouth NH 400 Legacy sculpture project is entering the exciting phase of completion as the anniversary year winds down. The Portsmouth Department of Public Works has begun site preparation for artist Sijia Chen’s signature sculpture, “Endeavor” with installation expected in the next few months.
For the past year, the PNH400 Legacy Project Sculpture Subcommittee has worked to establish a maritime-themed sculpture garden in Bohenko Gateway Park adjacent to the Piscataqua River. Sijia Chen’s design was unveiled in March as the PNH400’s legacy gift of public art to be installed in the park in the fall of 2023.
Over the course of six weeks, Ms Chen conducted a series of onsite and virtual sessions to collect residents’ ideas for the iconography to be included in the papercut designs for the stainless steel sails that comprise the sculpture. Themes connected to Portsmouth’s maritime history -- from an Indigenous Peoples’ canoe to a clipper ship to the Albacore submarine -- are now incorporated in her design. Educational signage at the site will explain the themes and their historical context. For a look at how the themes are incorporated in the design, go to: https://www.endeavorforportsmouth.com/
In the ensuing months, Ms. Chen worked with her team on the fabrication of the 20-foot tall piece and the engineering required to install it. The sculpture will be placed in a grassy area in Bohenko Park adjacent to Market Street Extension where it will be visible to all entering Portsmouth from the Market Street or Sarah Mildred Long Bridge gateways. The hope is that other sculptures will be added to the park in the future.
Chen is a multi-disciplinary visual artist who has created permanent public art works in China and in locations across the United States, including Claremont CA and North Kansas City MO. She received her MFA from Tyler School of Art and her BFA from Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts.
“PNH400 and the Legacy Project Team is so excited to see site preparation work being done in advance of the actual arrival of ‘Endeavor’,” said Valerie Rochon, PNH400 Managing Director. “The team and its chair Ernie Greenslade have worked incredibly hard to realize the vision of installing permanent public art as part of the PNH400. This iconic sculpture will carry the hopes and imagination of the entire community into a future lasting long after our 400th anniversary is over.”
Members of the Legacy Task Force include: Ernie (Ernestine) Greenslade, chair; Nancy London, Barbara Massar, 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, City of Portsmouth/Retired, Economic Development/Art-Speak Liaison/Public Art; Tom Watson, Esq., retired and Leah Woods, UNH Associate Professor UNH Woodwork, Furniture.
PNH400 raised over $100,000 to cover the design, fabrication, transportation, documentation and installation expenses including installation insurance. Donors to the project include a gift from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation’s Joseph G. and Jean E. Sawtelle Fund in memory of Joseph G. Sawtelle, Portsmouth NH 400th, Inc., Sue and Bob Thoresen, M. Christine Dwyer, The Kane Company, The Dana and Shaula Levenson Family, The Fuller Foundation and Jack and Pam Blalock in Memory of L. Richard and Barbara M. Blalock.
To learn more about this project, including how to donate, email sculpture@portsmouthnh400.org or visit the Portsmouth NH 400 website.
About Portsmouth NH 400
The goal of Portsmouth NH 400th 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 will celebrate the diverse and animated social, political, intellectual, cultural, economic and spiritual history of Portsmouth from before settlement in 1623 to the present. Portsmouth NH 400th 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 400th team to engage the next generation(s) in exploring what the City’s 2023 legacy might be and how they might steward Portsmouth and its history beyond 2023. The Portsmouth NH 400th anniversary celebrations are made possible in part thanks to the support of Bank of America, Piscataqua Savings Bank, Service Credit Union, Local IQ, VisitNH.Gov, members of the 400 Shoalers Club and 1623 Revolutionaries Club, and additional sponsors and donors. For more information, please visit PortsmouthNH400.org.
