Press Release: 2025 Youth Art Month Exhibition
Now on View at the PMA
2025 Youth Art Month Exhibition
Ceremony to welcome artist Holden Willard and Maine Congresswoman Chellie Pingree
Ceremony & Celebration:
Saturday, March 15, from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m
For Immediate Release: March 4, 2025
Contact PMA Public Relations
All press inquiries may be submitted to pr@portlandmuseum.org.
Portland, Maine – The Portland Museum of Art (PMA), in collaboration with the Maine Art Education Association (MAEA), proudly presents the 2025 Youth Art Month exhibition, celebrating the creativity of young artists and the educators who inspire them. This annual exhibition highlights the importance of arts education and its impact on student expression and growth. The artworks featured provide a glimpse into the important work being done in schools throughout the state year-round and shines a spotlight on the ways that access to art education empowers and inspires.
This year's Youth Art Month showcases original artworks by K-12 students from across Maine. Featuring pieces from more than 70 schools, the exhibition reflects the diversity of the state’s urban and rural communities. The work will be on view from February 26 through March 30 in the PMA’s Lower Ground Floor, with free admission for all visitors.
A special highlight of this year’s exhibition celebration on Saturday, March 15 is guest speaker Holden Willard, a 2015 Youth Art Month participant whose experience at the PMA proved pivotal in his artistic journey. “Walking into the museum [at 15] and seeing my work on the wall made me realize I am an artist,” Willard recalls. A decade later, he’s come full circle, with three paintings currently featured in As We Are, the PMA’s buzzy exhibition of emerging Maine artists. “It’s incredible to return to the museum in this way,” Willard says. “Youth Art Month gave me the motivation to keep going, and now I’m showing work in the same institution that first gave me that confidence.” His story underscores the lasting impact of Youth Art Month and the role of arts education in fostering young Maine artists.
Speakers to include 2025 MAEA Educator of the Year, Portland High School teacher Elise Pelletier and MAEA Art Advocate of the Year, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree.
Youth Art Month Ceremony & Celebration:
Saturday, March 15, from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Portland Museum of Art, 7 Congress Square, Portland, Maine 04101
All participating students will receive certificates of recognition. The event is free and open to YAM students, teachers, and families. As always, visitors ages 21 and under receive free admission, thanks to the generosity of Susie Konkel.
For more information, visit PMA’s website.
Holden Willard, Photo by PMA/Alex Kusnarowis
Youth Art Month is supported by the Onion Foundation, Sam L. Cohen Foundation, Sibley-Saltonstall Charitable Foundation, and the Peggy L. Osher Education Endowment at the Portland Museum of Art.
About National Youth Art Month
Observed annually in March, National Youth Art Month highlights the importance of art education in developing problem-solving skills, self-expression, and an appreciation for artistic work. It has been celebrated nationally since 1961 and in Maine since 1980, sponsored by the Maine Art Education Association.
This month-long exhibition at the PMA is part of a broader effort to advocate for year-round access to arts education and to showcase the power of youth creativity.
About the Portland Museum of Art
With an extensive collection and nationally renowned exhibitions, the Portland Museum of Art is the cultural heart of Portland, Maine. The PMA collection includes significant holdings of American, European, and contemporary art, as well as iconic works from Maine—highlighting the rich artistic tradition of the state and its artists. The museum brings it all to life with unparalleled programming. From special members events, Free School Tours, and family activities to PMA Films, curator talks, and tours of the Winslow Homer Studio—it’s all happening at the PMA.
In 2022, sparked by the current growth of the collection, record attendance, and community feedback, the museum launched The PMA Blueprint: Building a Landmark for the Future, a $100M campus expansion and unification project that will more than double the size of the PMA’s campus as well as the museum’s economic impact throughout the region. Designed by LEVER Architecture, a new mass timber, landmark building will be a pillar of sustainable design and a catalyst for climate-safe construction in Maine.