The Arts in Portsmouth

The City of Portsmouth is an active advocate for art, culture and history and for the institutions, organizations and artists who enhance the quality of life for residents, help support local businesses and attract visitors. One standing committee, the Public Art Review Committee curates works of art owned by the City while the Portsmouth Art & Culture Commission is responsible for the artists and their advocates who create, perform and steward art/cultural expressions.

As the Americans For the Arts (AFTA) Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 (AEP6) survey (conducted between December 2022 and April 2023) documented, the arts contribute $70.2 million to the local economy.

In 2007, the City adopted Article XVII to Chapter 1, Administrative Code, Funding of Public Art: "It is hereby declared that is shall be the public policy of the City of Portsmouth to assist and encourage the participation of its citizens and visitors in the enjoyment of the many benefits which flow from the arts. Among other activities to this end, the City will allocate a portion of the expense of public building construction and significant building renovation projects to be spent on works of art which shall be available for the benefit of all without additional cost to those persons. Such works of art shall be called public art as defined in more detail herein."  

The Article also stipulates that: "One (1%) percent of the bid price or negotiated contract price for the construction of all new municipal buildings or for the renovation of existing municipal buildings, in which the bid price or negotiated price shall be in excess of Five Million ($5,000,000.00) Dollars up to Thirty Million ($30,000,000.00) Dollars (expressed in terms of actual construction costs exclusive of design and engineering fees), shall be contributed to the Public Art Trust for the purpose of funding public art. Thereafter, such funds shall be expended in accordance with the terms of this ordinance and the Public Art Trust."

In 2023, the Public Art Review Committee Ordinance was embedded in the Funding of Public Art Ordinance.

During the pandemic, the Mayor created a Citizen Response Task Force to advocate for businesses and implement creative solutions for operating under healthcare guidance from the CDC and NHDHHS. From that evolved the Mayor's Blue Ribbon Committee on Arts and Nonprofits in 2021 designed to respond to the needs of arts and culture nonprofits during the reopening and recovery phases. Continued in 2022 as the Portsmouth Arts & Nonprofits Task Force, the committee managed the city's participation in the AFTA study and worked to revise the 2002 Cultural Plan. A new Cultural Plan was completed December 2023 and adopted by the City Council.

Two formal, appointed committees now oversee implementation of the Percent for Art program and the Cultural Plan:

The Portsmouth Public Art Review Committee, established in 2023, implements the Public Art requirement, champions high-quality public art for the City of Portsmouth, NH and advises on public art-related topics. 

Public Art Review Committee (PARC) responsibilities include:  

  • Commissioning public art projects; 
  • Providing guidance for those funding, developing, and installing works of public art;
  • Ensuring that public art decisions, including those that are subject to land use approvals, follow established criteria;
  • Identifying locations for public art installations; and
  • Promoting engagement with public art sites throughout the City.

The Portsmouth Arts & Cultural Commission, established in September 2023, encourages support for arts and culture within the wider Portsmouth community and implements the Cultural Plan. The Commission's responsibilities include: 

  • Implementing the Cultural Plan of the City of Portsmouth, and conducting other studies and planning processes, as necessary, focusing on the arts and cultural community;
  • Supporting the establishment of arts and cultural institutions in Portsmouth and the surrounding area; promoting the welfare of existing arts and cultural institutions, and supporting coordination and communication among local artists, arts and cultural institutions;
  • Making recommendations to the City Council concerning arts and cultural needs within the City and creating a plan for attracting and retaining artists and arts and cultural institutions;
  • Working to increase and sustain the arts and cultural appreciation of all residents while protecting and maintaining the quality of our arts institutions and historic. and cultural assets;
  • Identifying governmental funding sources, including state and federal funding resources designated for Municipalities, to support its work; and
  • Working in coordination with and in support of the Public Art Review Committee to promote Public Art in the City of Portsmouth.