by Portsmouth Historical Society | Mar 31, 2026
“Contemporary Currents” Awards Ceremony
Friday, April 24, 5:30–7 pm
Join Portsmouth Historical Society and the New Hampshire Art Association for the Awards Ceremony for Contemporary Currents on Friday, April 24, from 5:30–7 PM. his dynamic exhibition includes 41 works by New Hampshire artists inspired by the story of Betty and Barney Hill. Drawing on themes of alienation, the unknown, and the courage it takes to be believed, these works explore what it means to stand apart from the ordinary.
Enjoy an evening of art, conversation, and community. All works are available for purchase, with proceeds benefiting local artists, Portsmouth Historical Society, and the New Hampshire Art Association. Judges’ Awards will be announced at 6:15 pm, and all attendees can vote for their favorite artwork in People’s Choice.
This event is free and open to the public.
See what’s happening at the NHAA:
Thank you to our award sponsors
by Portsmouth Historical Society | Oct 16, 2024
by Portsmouth Historical Society | Oct 16, 2024 | Exhibitions
Portsmouth Historical Society’s Academy Building has two approximately five-week slots available in the beautiful balcony gallery for rental in the fall and early winter. To support our mission and values as it relates to the community, history, and cultural fabric of Portsmouth, we welcome artists whose work can enrich viewers’ lives and connect the past to the present and the future.
Rentals will be chosen by a committee comprising of Portsmouth Historical Society staff, board members, and community stakeholders.
About Us
- The gallery available for rental can accommodate forty to sixty three- or two-dimensional works, depending on size.
- While the Society may be able to offer plinths and cases for 3-dimensional works, this is not guaranteed.
- All works to be hung on the wall must use the gallery rod system. No nails allowed. We recommend picture wire or D-hooks. Sawtooth picture hangers are not compatible with the gallery rod system.
- Maximum weight for wall-mounted works is fifty pounds.
About You
Preference will be given to applicants who:
- Are groups of two or more Seacoast artists.
- Present themes and content that relate to Portsmouth, the Historical Society’s mission, and/or the themes represented in other exhibitions at the Society that display year.
- Are artists who are willing to host one open-to-the-public gallery tour during regular Society hours over the course of their rental.
Rentals Include
- Staffing for one after-hours reception that can be private or open to the public.
- Point of sale management for consigned artwork.
- Marketing on our website, newsletter, and social media accounts.
Limitations & Restrictions
Applicants will be chosen for display at the discretion of the Portsmouth Historical Society. The Society reserves the right to refuse to display works that we find to be harmful to our public image or inappropriate for our audiences.
Rental dates are not negotiable. The Historical Society has a robust fall schedule and cannot accommodate shorter rentals than the periods listed.
Dates
The 2025 rental dates are listed below. Generally, we recommend the first five or six days of the rental be dedicated to art installation, and two days at the end of the rental for deinstallation. This results in 4 weeks of display and about one week for setup and take-down.
Please note that Portsmouth Historical Society will be closed to the public on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day and will close early on the day before both. For the December slot, displaying artists may deinstall the first week of January without additional rental fee.
2025 Available Rental dates
- October 20–November 22, 2025
- November 23–December 30, 2025
Rental and Consignment Pricing
We have two rental and consignment plans to choose from:
- A rental fee of $1,550, with a 60/40 consignment split (60% of sales go to the artist)
- A rental fee of $2050, with an 80/20 consignment split (80% of sales go to the artist)
by Portsmouth Historical Society | Jun 4, 2024
Get creative with this cyanotype workshop!
Through the generous support of our donors, we are able to offer two tickets for this workshop at reduced cost. If cost would be a barrier to your participation, please reach out to Sarah Robbitts-Terry sarah@portsmouthhistory.org for more information.
About the Artist:
Kristy Cavaretta is an artist and mother of three living on the Southern Maine seacoast. She enjoys exploring the minutiae of domestic life through a variety of media.
Cavaretta earned her undergraduate degree in Visual and Media Arts from Boston’s Emerson College and a Graphic Design Certificate from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. In 2012 she moved to the seacoast with her husband after a decade of working in the film industry in Los Angeles. She worked as a graphic designer until she had her first child in 2016 and continued to work as a freelance designer for numerous nonprofit organizations, including the Ogunquit Museum of American Art (2015-2019) and Old York Historical Society (2015-current.) Cavaretta began printmaking in 2014 at Chases Garage in York, Maine in various workshop settings. Since having her children she has leaned into block printing, direct object printing, and collagraph printing for their accessibility and speed. Either the ability to make a piece in a single nap time sitting or chipping away at a larger work little by little over a long period of time.
In 2021 Maine Magazine named Cavaretta one of the years’ artists to watch, in 2023 she held her first solo exhibition at the Rochester Museum of Fine Arts.
Cavaretta teaches printmaking at Chases Garage in York, Maine and is proud to sit on the board of art and wellness non-profit ArtHope ( 2015-present.) In 2024 Cavaretta was honored to become a juried member of the New Hampshire Art Association and the New England Monotype Guild.
