Portsmouth NH 400th Inc. Announces 2023 Calendar Photo Contest

Portsmouth NH 400th, Inc. is planning multiple ways to celebrate 2023 – from January to December – and one way is with a commemorative, full-color wall calendar.

PNH400 is now accepting submissions from Portsmouth-based photographers so the calendar showcases the best local talent, professional and amateur. There are thirteen prizes – feature placement of the winners’ images in the printed calendar. One photograph per month plus a cover image will be selected. The calendar will also include the dates of all signature PNH400 events and special observances, along with fun historical facts and figures.

The calendar will be available by Fall 2022, for holiday sales and to ensure that everyone with a calendar starts off 2023 with a way to follow the 400th celebration from Day One.  In addition to being sold as a commemorative item along with other PNH400 merchandise, the calendar will be distributed to sponsors of signature events.  

“We’d love to see the calendar in every home and business, so that the Portsmouth NH 400 anniversary celebration is there in spirit, throughout the year,” said PNH400 Managing Director Valerie Rochon. “We expect the PNH400 calendar will be a wonderful keepsake, too. Imagine having one place to check all the event dates, jot down notes of your own PNH400 celebrations and a visual reminder or scrapbook of PNH400 Fun.”

Anyone wishing to submit an image should follow these guidelines:

• Submit images that display quintessential and/or iconic Portsmouth scenes (places, events, etc.) with a sense of place: identifiable Portsmouth spaces, places and seasons. Portsmouth encompasses 15.7 square miles of land and two square miles of water. Find your shot within those boundaries.
• The PNH400 tagline is “History lights our way,” so images that pay particular attention to the play of light on their subjects are encouraged.
• Try to avoid advertising and individual business signage. (Though some iconic scenes will undoubtedly include iconic signs!) Exceptions might be made.
• Images must be color digital images, no less than 12x9 inches at 300DPI.
• Images must have been taken between January 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022.
• Not all images submitted will be used in the calendar. By submitting photos the artist agrees that the images may be used by PNH400 for social media and in printed and online calendars, and other collateral.
• Credit will be given wherever possible.
• Submit up to ten images, using this online form.

The Submission Deadline is June 30, 2022.                                               

Portsmouth organizations planning events, projects and programs for the anniversary celebration in 2023 are reminded to submit their details using the online Official Program Application. Once approved by the Portsmouth NH 400th, Inc. Management Team, the Official Partner Programs will be listed on the PortsmouthNH400.org calendar and will be authorized to use the PNH400 Official Partner logo. Local organizations, businesses, groups and interested individuals are encouraged to plan programs to help celebrate and support the goals, vision, mission and values of the 400th. The Official Program Application, is available online.

Interested applicants are asked to submit their information as soon as possible (no later than June 30, 2022), as the PNH400 marketing campaign starts early in 2022. For more information contact hello@portsmouthnh400.org

The PNH400 Team also reminds the community they can make tax-deductible donations directly through the City’s secure online payment portal by clicking on the “Donate Now!” button at PortsmouthNH400.org. Donations may be made by electronic check (no fee) or by credit card (the 2.9% fee goes to the service provider and is not retained by the City). The portal accepts major credit cards, Venmo and PayPal. All donations to Portsmouth NH 400 through the City of Portsmouth portal are tax deductible to the extent the law allows.

About Portsmouth NH 400th, Inc. (PortsmouthNH400.org)

The goal of Portsmouth NH 400th Inc. is to give the community an inclusive opportunity to tell the stories that are important to them, through programs, events, exhibits and legacy projects. Portsmouth NH 400th will celebrate the diverse and animated social, political, intellectual, cultural, economic and spiritual history of Portsmouth from before settlement in 1623 to the present. Portsmouth NH 400th Inc. invites individuals and organizations considering programs and events for the Portsmouth NH 400th Anniversary celebration to join the collaborative effort. A key intention is for the Portsmouth NH 400th Inc. team to engage the next generation(s) in exploring what the City’s 2023 legacy might be and how they might steward Portsmouth and its history beyond 2023.