Portsmouth NH 400 Legacy Sculpture "Endeavor"

Artist Sijia Chen and her sculpture Endeavor

“Endeavor” is a 24-foot tall, 3-ton stainless steel sculpture created by Sijia Chen for Bohenko Gateway Park (Market Street) adjacent to the Piscataqua River. The initiative a Portsmouth NH 400 (PNH400) Legacy Project was managed by a subcommittee who spearheaded projects intended to last beyond the 2023 celebration and enrich the city for future generations.

In collaboration with the City of Portsmouth, the PNH400 Legacy Project Subcommittee issued a Request for Proposals for a public art sculpture in September 2022. More than 30 artists submitted over 40 proposed designs. A review team, including representatives from the City and the community as well as others with expertise in public art, were charged with the task of selecting a design for this PNH400 Legacy Project. The Sculpture Review Team was unanimous in their choice of Sijia Chen’s design, “Endeavor.” (See sidebar for list of Subcommittee and Review Team members.)

After her selection, Ms. Chen conducted a series of live and virtual visioning sessions in Portsmouth in March 2023 to collect residents’ ideas for the iconography to be included in the papercut designs in the final sculpture. The images all connect to Portsmouth’s maritime history, from an Indigenous Peoples’ canoe to a clipper ship to the Albacore submarine. Educational signage at the site explains the themes and their historical context. For photos of the fabrication of the sculpture and the finished installation, see galleries below.

Chen is a multi-disciplinary visual artist who has created permanent public art projects in China and in locations across the United States, including Claremont CA and North Kansas City MO. Her work is included in the collections of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, Inside-Out Art Museum in Beijing, Guangdong Art Museum, Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, and Shantou University. She received her MFA from Tyler School of Art and her BFA from Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts.

PNH400 raised over $150,000 to cover the design, fabrication, transportation, documentation and installation expenses including installation insurance. Lead donors to the project (photo below) included the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation’s Joseph G. and Jean E. Sawtelle Fund in memory of Joseph G. Sawtelle, Portsmouth NH 400th, Inc., Sue and Bob Thoresen, M. Christine Dwyer, The Kane Company, The Dana and Shaula Levenson Family, The Fuller Foundation and Jack and Pam Blalock in Memory of L. Richard and Barbara M. Blalock.

Endeavor donors