The Portland Museum of Art (PMA) has announced a major, collaborative, and community-driven reinstallation envisioned by museum curators, educators, and an Advisory Committee (which included the Portland Public Schools). Passages in American Art is a fundamental reinterpretation of the museum’s collection, platforming multiple voices, revealing new ways of looking at some of the museum’s most beloved works of art, and inviting community members to drive the conversation. Opening May 27, 2023, the project examines the existing collection, and along with recent acquisitions, commissions, and select long-term loans, integrates Atlantic narratives and Indigenous perspectives to expand the story of American art. 

Fiona Hopper, Portland Public Schools social studies teacher leader and Wabanaki Studies coordinator, represented the district on the Advisory Committee, and says the new installation will align with the Wabanaki Studies and Black History curricula the district is developing. Learn more.