Finding our way, together.

Four years ago, as we prepared to reopen the museum after the multiyear reinstallation project Your Museum, Reimagined, we published a letter to you in the Portland Press Herald. In it, we asked what the role of a museum should be in today’s climate. Specifically, we posed the question: “Why do museums matter?” We felt that our communities, here in Maine and throughout the country, had grown distant and disconnected from each other, and we wanted to change that. In that historic moment, we realized that a museum is at its best when it is bringing people together through the transformative power of art, “providing a place to reflect, consider and absorb the best of what makes us us.”

In the years that followed, we’ve strived to instill these values into everything we do. We have dedicated ourselves to be an open, inclusive, and a welcoming institution for all. We’ve prided ourselves that the first message each visitor to our website sees is “Welcome, we’re glad you’re here,” and Art for All—the statement that summarizes our commitment—envelops our campus in downtown Portland via banners along Spring and High Streets.

So, it was with particular and acute sadness last week that we, along with so many of our sister organizations, business partners, neighborhood favorites, and community schools, closed our doors. The first message that visitors to our site now read is “The PMA is closed.” And though we hope to reopen to the public in 30 days, we—along with so many—are adapting to the uncertainty of what’s ahead.

Since the closure, we have found ourselves returning to the question: What, in today’s climate, is the role of a museum? And even more surprisingly, what we’ve come to is the same answer—we are at our best when we bring people together through the transformative power of art.

And so, today, we make this promise to you. Throughout this disruptive period—as we all adjust to new routines, new realities, and indeed a new world—we are going to bring you artworks and stories that lift you up, that expand your world, and spark your imagination. We will share, educate, and entertain, fully committed to bringing you art that connects you to the world, even if that world feels distant and disconnected these days.

This might be unusual for a nonprofit arts organization to say, but in these challenging times, we want to support you. 

We all need a little more joy, levity, and comfort in our lives right now, and we are going to do everything we can to bring the transformative power of art to you. We are a member of this community and we want to play a part in reconnecting it, even if from afar.

This is our promise to you, our neighbors, our friends, and our families: Our mission will not stop—in fact, it’s even more important than ever.

Stay connected,

Mark H. C. Bessire
Judy and Leonard Lauder Director