PMA Magazine

Stories from the Portland Museum of Art.

From features and behind the scenes, to news, announcements, and more—it’s all here at PMA Magazine.

In the Bedroom (2001)

Join us for the PMA Film Series

Hard Tellin'...: Pictures of Maine

Hard Tellin’… is less an attempt to define Maine, or Maine in the movies, than an opportunity to celebrate four great films that accomplish something most art should aspire to: they capture the ineffable in a place and its people at a particular moment in time. They get at something unique and a bit hard to define about us. They feel, for lack of a better word, honest.

Imti Hassan, former Homer High School Fellow, student at Bates College, Lewiston

Imti Hassan, former Homer High School Fellow, student at Bates College, Lewiston

Imti Hassan identifies as Somali-American and a proud Muslim woman. She is a resident of Portland, Maine, and attends Bates College. She strives to be open-minded and to learn other people's stories. At Bates, she is thinking of majoring in Economics, Psychology, or Politics, and minoring in Chinese. She is thinking of becoming a lawyer or an entrepreneur. According to Imti, “being a Homer Fellow made me realize that there is much you can dissect within an artwork and that powerful dialogues can emerge if you listen.”

Guest UserApril 30, 2020SOMcontributors

Myron Beasley, Associate Professor of American Studies, Bates College, Lewiston

Myron Beasley, Associate Professor of American Studies, Bates College, Lewiston

Myron M. Beasley, Ph.D., is Associate Professor and Chair of American Studies at Bates College. He is an art critic and curator. His writings explore the intersections of cultural politics, art, and social change. He has received awards and fellowships from the Andy Warhol Foundation, National Endowment for the Humanities, The Davis Family Foundation, and Dorothea and Leo Rabkin Foundation.

Guest UserApril 30, 2020SOMcontributors

Neill De Paoli, Archeologist and Site Manager, Colonial Pemaquid State Historic Site

Neill De Paoli, Archeologist and Site Manager, Colonial Pemaquid State Historic Site

Neill De Paoli is a historian/historical archaeologist living with his wife in Kittery, Maine. He earned a Ph.D. in history from the University of New Hampshire. Since 2016, he has been Historic Site Manager at Colonial Pemaquid State Historic Site on Maine’s south-central coast. This National Historic Landmark has prehistoric roots reaching back more than 6,000 years and historic prominence as one of New England’s earliest fishing and trading settlements.

Guest UserApril 30, 2020SOMcontributors

Reinterpreting The Studio

Reinterpreting The Studio

This summer kicks off a multiphase project to reinterpret the Winslow Homer Studio and its tours, reenergizing the program for new visitors and giving longtime members a great reason to come back.

Guest UserApril 29, 2020past workshops

How Can You Make Art for ‘Trying Times’? For the Longtime Artist Couple Carrie Moyer and Sheila Pepe, It’s All About Teamwork

How Can You Make Art for ‘Trying Times’? For the Longtime Artist Couple Carrie Moyer and Sheila Pepe, It’s All About Teamwork

“Carrie Moyer and Sheila Pepe, partners in life and—occasionally—art, met in 1995 at the Skowhegan residency in Maine. Now, a quarter of a century later, the two have returned to the northeastern state for their first institutional collaboration.”

newsGuest UserApril 27, 2020tabernacles

Make your own self portrait

Make your own self portrait

Learn how to stage self-portraits at home and how artists have long used self-portraits as various forms of self-expression.

Best for ages 8 and up.

EducationGuest UserApril 27, 2020april vacation week, activities

Director’s Welcome to "Stories of Maine: An Incomplete History"

Director’s Welcome to "Stories of Maine: An Incomplete History"

“We felt that providing as many resources as possible online will help you feel some of the energy of this show and its many contributors, remind us of what an exciting future we have ahead, and allow us to reflect on the richness our community during a time when we are all developing a deeper appreciation for the place we live and the people that we share this place with.”

Guest UserApril 24, 2020stories of maine digital

Tabernacles for Trying Times Virtual Tour, Part 2

Tabernacles for Trying Times Virtual Tour, Part 2

In the second part of this virtual tour of the PMA exhibition Carrie Moyer and Sheila Pepe: Tabernacles for Trying Times led by Associate Curator of Contemporary Art Jaime DeSimone, Jaime takes a closer look at Carrie's painting practice and particularly her work "Humming at the Gate." The video was made in conjunction with the museum's creative partner, p3.

Guest UserApril 23, 2020tabernaclesdigital

Tabernacles for Trying Times Virtual Tour, Part 1

Tabernacles for Trying Times Virtual Tour, Part 1

Explore the PMA exhibition Carrie Moyer and Sheila Pepe: Tabernacles for Trying Times on this virtual tour led by Associate Curator of Contemporary Art Jaime DeSimone and made in conjunction with the museum's creative partner, p3.

Guest UserApril 23, 2020tabernaclesdigital

Design A Shrine

Design A Shrine

In this activity, we'll be folding small boxes and then filling them with images, ideas, or words that relate to the things we hold dear to us. All that is required is knowing what you love, a little creativity, and a few basic materials!.

EducationGuest UserApril 23, 2020april vacation week, activities

Movement Activity for Kids

Movement Activity for Kids

Explore Carrie Moyer’s "Intergalactic Emoji Factory" using movement as a way to connect with the lines and expressive paint layers in this artwork. Movement helps us look at artwork in new and different ways.

Recommended for ages 2-8, and the young at heart.

EducationGuest UserApril 23, 2020april vacation week, weekly activity, activities

All-Ages Haiku Activity inspired by Claude Monet

All-Ages Haiku Activity inspired by Claude Monet

Use your senses to examine Monet's The Seine at Vétheuil and come up with a list of descriptive words. Then, use these words to create a haiku poem meant to be shared with someone.

Recommended for ages 6 and up.

EducationGuest UserApril 21, 2020april vacation week, activities

Retreat to Nature: Kirchner’s Landscapes

Retreat to Nature: Kirchner’s Landscapes

Artists have also historically sought nature’s relief during times of crises, knowing that it was both an opportunity to rest and a chance to see and picture landscapes differently.

Guest UserApril 21, 2020from home

Collaborative Drawing, Inspired by Opera Buffa

Collaborative Drawing, Inspired by Opera Buffa

Carrie Moyer and Sheila Pepe talk about collaboration as being fun, playful, and experimental. In this activity, you will work with another artist to create two collaborative drawings. You will use a window in your home as a way to observe and frame life outside.

Ages 5 and up.

EducationGuest UserApril 17, 2020april vacation week, weekly activity, activities

April School Vacation Week

April School Vacation Week

In these strange times, the PMA is happy to provide digital at-home art activities for you and your family during April School Vacation Week. During this week, we will share even more activities designed to explore artworks from home. Art inspires us, moves us, connects us, and so much more. We hope that these at-home art activities help you to engage with artwork, the PMA, and each other.

Guest UserApril 17, 2020vacation week

A Blue Savanna Scavenger Hunt

A Blue Savanna Scavenger Hunt

Dahlov Ipcar’s Blue Savanna is full of animals! Each of these creatures is doing something; some are running, some are jumping, and some are making animal sounds. Take some time to look at this amazing painting, and see if you can answer the questions below.

Best for ages 3-8

EducationGuest UserApril 17, 2020april vacation week, activities

Character Short Story

Character Short Story

In this activity, you will use simple prompts to write a short story about the figure represented in PEOPLE LIKE US.

EducationGuest UserApril 17, 2020jeffrey gibson, gibson activity

Letter by Letter

Letter by Letter

In this activity you will delve deeper into looking at the artwork and thinking about its title: PEOPLE LIKE US

EducationGuest UserApril 17, 2020jeffrey gibson, gibson activity

Descriptive Word Group Poem

Descriptive Word Group Poem

In this activity, looking and describing what you see becomes a poem created by the whole group. You will also have a chance to read or perform your poem!

EducationGuest UserApril 17, 2020jeffrey gibson, gibson activity

Three Writing Activities inspired by Jeffrey Gibson's PEOPLE LIKE US

Three Writing Activities inspired by Jeffrey Gibson's PEOPLE LIKE US

Try three different writing activities based on Jeffrey Gibson’s PEOPLE LIKE US.

Best for ages 6 and up

EducationGraeme KennedyApril 17, 2020april vacation week, jeffrey gibson, activities