1. Events
  2. Portsmouth Art & Cultural Center
Today

Recurring

Sailing to Freedom: Maritime Dimensions of the Underground Railroad

Portsmouth Art & Cultural Center 400 High Street, Portsmouth, Virginia

Based on the book Sailing to Freedom, this exhibit highlights little-known stories and describes the less-understood maritime side of the Underground Railroad, including the impact of African American paid, and unpaid, waterfront labor. This exhibit was made possible by the New Bedford Whaling Museum and the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth.

Recurring

Olde Towne Farmer’s Market

Portsmouth Art & Cultural Center 400 High Street, Portsmouth, Virginia

Enjoy seasonal fruits, vegetables, baked goods, meats, eggs, flowers, art, and handcrafted skincare products and merchandise - all unique and one of a kind to the Tidewater, Virginia region.

Art on a String

Portsmouth Art & Cultural Center 400 High Street, Portsmouth, Virginia

April is Kite Month, during which the museum recognizes this annual spring event by offering kites that can be colored so visitors can create artwork that flies. The Kite Art Activity is free.

Recurring

I Am A Man

Portsmouth Art & Cultural Center 400 High Street, Portsmouth, Virginia

The 1960-1970 decade unleashed hope for the future and profound change as the civil rights movement sought to desegregate public spaces and secure the right to vote for African Americans. Inspired by the voice of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., thousands of courageous people risked their lives to end Jim Crow segregation. Photographs by amateurs, […]

Recurring

Saturday Painting Sessions: Courtyard Canvas Creations (18+)

Portsmouth Art & Cultural Center 400 High Street, Portsmouth, Virginia

Adults with any art skill level can create a unique painted canvas in the museum courtyard for them to take home. These painting sessions are free, but participants will need to sign-up in advance. Register by contacting Kendra Banks at 757-393-8501 ext. 6511 or email her at banksl@portsmouthva.gov.

THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT IN HAMPTON ROADS, VA

Portsmouth Art & Cultural Center 400 High Street, Portsmouth, Virginia

Dr. Charles H. Ford is a Professor of History and Interim Dean at Norfolk State University. His presentation will provide a local perspective on the national civil rights movement and is in conjunction with the exhibit I AM A MAN: Civil Rights Photographs in the American South, 1960-1970. This free program is a part of […]

Recurring

Movement and Light: The Barrier Islands of Virginia

Portsmouth Art & Cultural Center 400 High Street, Portsmouth, Virginia

The exhibit talk will be at 1:30 p.m. followed by a reception at PACC on Saturday, May 13th Pam Ponce, a Virginia Beach artist, will be presenting a multi-year project. She has spent several seasons photographing the Virginia Nature Conservancy’s Volgenau Virginia Coast Reserve, an environmental treasure of barrier islands and lagoon landscapes located off […]

2023 Outdoor Sculpture

Portsmouth Art & Cultural Center 400 High Street, Portsmouth, Virginia

Reception: May 5, 5:00- 8:00 p.m. Since 2006, the Portsmouth Art & Cultural Center has hosted an exhibition of sculptures in the historic courtyard. Pick up a ballot inside to cast your vote for your favorite sculpture. Your vote helps determine which sculpture receives the People’s Choice Award, Seawall Award, and the SPPA Juror’s Choice […]

First Saturday: Free Exhibit & Music Performance by Chan Hall

Portsmouth Art & Cultural Center 400 High Street, Portsmouth, Virginia

William “Chan” Hall is a smooth jazz recording artist based in Richmond. Since the age of 15, he has had extensive training in keyboard and percussion instruments. His influences include Marcus Johnson, Bob Baldwin, and Joe Sample. Hall has performed throughout the Eastern U.S., sharing the stage with one of his idols, Herbie Hancock. His […]

First Friday: Concert in the Courtyard “The Band Vontrelle”

Portsmouth Art & Cultural Center 400 High Street, Portsmouth, Virginia

The Portsmouth Jazz Experience brings great music to the local region one note at a time. This group wowed First Friday crowds in 2021 and 2022, so we are looking forward to the return of Vontrelle’s amazing vocals, along with some of this area’s most talented musicians. This event is free and open to the […]