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A P R I L O N - L I N E E V E N T S

A MESSAGE FROM THE PORTSMOUTH MUSEUMS

The staff of the Portsmouth Museums have missed seeing all of our members, donors, volunteers, and visitors this past year — but we re-main optimistic that brighter days are ahead.

While we’ve been temporarily closed due to the impact of the pan-demic, the staff has been making some much needed improvements to enhance the visitors’ experience, developing on-line content, and opening an on-line museum shop.

We previously shared some restorations to our Lightship Portsmouth Museum. Take a peek at the final touches we’ve added at the end of this issue.

Check our museum websites, and Facebook pages for new content and announcements. Our mascot, Andalo, along with all of the staff can’t wait to welcome you back!

While 2020 put a halt to our face-to-face events and activities, we’ll now share some of our favorites to enjoy at home. This year April brings Nano Day, the National Math Festival, and Earth Day.

Many of the activities come from the National Informal STEM Education Network (NISE Net) and help explain “nanotechnology,” which is how things work at the smaller-than-microscopic scale. We’re not only talking about futuristic topics, but how we are already impacted by nanotechnology. We see nano particles in sunscreen and other medications, how we model technology after animal adaptations, how solids and liquids interact differently, and how using the right tools and computers change what we know. Norfolk State University staff and students bring their ex-pertise in Materials Science, Biology, Chemistry and more to make S.T.E.M. activities fun for our visitors. And, you might just learn something! Check out the Children’s Museum website for videos and DIY experiments.

We have previously celebrated the National Math Festival by offering math games at the museum. This year, the entire in-person festival has moved online and so are we! We’re sharing fun math activities to try at home and highlighting ways to incor-porate math into your everyday routines and conversations. Things like counting billboards or types of vehicles on road trips are just one way, but we also like taking

Andalo!

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walks and counting items of a chosen color and making our own picture graphs.

For more Nano and math games, activities and resourc-es for at home, click on the Children’s Museum website at: www.childrensmuseumvirginia.com/onlinelearning

Earth Day 2021This year, we celebrate Earth Day on Thursday, April

22. The connection that we have to nature, plants, and the land is integral to our health and all that we are. Earth Day reminds us to take care of our planet—whether it’s cleaning up litter, planting more trees, recycling and re-purposing, or going on a walk in a green space amidst the wildflowers. Earth Day 2021 will mark the 51st anniversa-ry of this global event.

Over the past year, the majority of peoples’ focus has been on safety, cleanliness, staying healthy and conve-nience. This includes the increased use of disposable items or the idea of “throw-away convenience.”

Today, Earth Day is not only a day to increase aware-ness of environmental problems but it’s also become a popular day for many communities to gather together and clean up litter, plant trees, or simply reflect on the beauty of nature.

From families at home, to students in classrooms, to or-ganizers in your communities, there are ways for anyone to make a difference. Change starts with action!

We are sure you know the phrase, “REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE,” but how can we do that?

REUSE What can you repurpose?

REDUCE How can you shop differently? For ex-ample, shop at local markets that support sustainability.

RECYCLE Explore how your town recycles. What other items can be recycled if there is a need for this product? Did you know items like instrument strings, batteries (some types), water filters (like Brita) and even some household appliances can be recycled?

Be sure to check out www.earthday.org for more infor-mation and feel free to share your thoughts and ideas on our social media pages.

A P R I L O N - L I N E E V E N T S (CONTINUED)

O N - L I N E P R O G R A M

SKETCHBOOK-SKILLS: ONLINE DRAWING CLASS

Mondays & Thursdays June 7, 10, 14, 17, 21, 2021

7:00 P.M.

Via Skype Meetings — Presented by the Portsmouth Art & Cultural Center

Interested in improving your drawing skills? This special online class (ages 15 to adult) will energize your drawings of people, animals, still lifes, and landscapes, as well as fantasy subjects. You will be able to share your art and receive constructive feedback in a positive (vir-tual) environment from fellow artists and instructor, Matthew Park-er. Mr. Parker has taught art classes for James Madison University

and in countries throughout the world including South Africa, Korea, and Thailand. The course consists of five 45-minute group lessons and one final 30-minute private session with the instructor (date and time TBD). The majority of drawing will be done as “homework” outside the class sessions. The cost for this 6-session class is $100 per person ($90 for members). This is an online class so participants will need strong internet connection with a computer or device with webcam and microphone. Call 757 393-8543 or visit www.portsmouthartcenter.com to register. Deadline: Friday, June 4, 2021, by 4:00 p.m.

ART SCAVENGER HUNTS IN PORTSMOUTHPick flyers up at the Visitor’s Kiosk at Water & High Streets, Portsmouth, or download from links below!

In 2011, the non-profit art group Support Portsmouth Public Art (SPPA), founded by former Museum and Fine Arts Commissioner Dr. John Joyce, installed the first of their publicly funded art projects outside of the Children’s Museum of Virginia. SPPA was founded with the notion of purchasing artwork to place throughout the City. Their first purchase was a bronze sculpture entitled “I’ve Been Kissed,” by Pokey Park of Tucson, Arizona. With each following year more ideas and art projects flourished. The group commissioned paintings and sculptures that focused on Portsmouth’s unique histo-ry and/or shared the significance of selected sites.

Included here are two Art Scavenger Hunts to help you locate and identify some of these artworks around the City. Gather your friends and family to stretch your legs, breathe fresh air and share in this adventure.

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“Walk Your Art Out” was created by Keith Toler of Portsmouth’s Parks, Recreation & Tourism Department to inspire all of us to be outdoors during the pandemic. Download and print a copy here http://portsmouthartcenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Art-Form-with-Guide-1.pdf. To receive a free Portsmouth magnet (while supplies last), complete the form, including a sentence or two about the art or its location and send it to the Tourism Office, City of Portsmouth, 801 Crawford St., Portsmouth, VA 23704.

“Toads on High Street” was inspired by a children’s book “I Have Been Kissed” authored by John Joyce and inspired by the sculpture by Pokey Park. His character “Bufo” goes in search of his special friend “Ana.” See if you can find her following the clues that take you from the 100-700 blocks of High Street. Download a flyer at https://portsvacation.com/2021/02/18/toads-on-high-street/.

"I've Been Kissed" bronze by Pokey ParkToads On High Street

cover painting by Stephen Grunnet

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www.childrensmuseumva.comwww.portsmouthartcenter.com

www.portsmouthnavalshipyardmuseum.comwww.portsvaAfricanAmericanHeritage.com

THE PORTSMOUTH LIGHTSHIP’S NEW LETTERING! Update: The lettering for the Lightship Portsmouth Muse-um was completed in mid-January. This particular job only covered the red portion of the hull, which was in the worst condition. Perhaps someday we can tackle the rest of the ex-terior paint. But for now, the ship is looking much happier! Kudos to Ross Patterson and thanks to Jeff Harper in Engi-

neering for working with the contractors to see us through this project which has been a long time coming. It’s a great thing when research enhances a straight-up maintenance project like painting to bring an extra layer of historical accuracy.Left: the ship’s new hull markings! January 2021

Highlights from the Portsmouth Colored Community Library Museum: This slide show tells the story of the Community Library, how it served as Portsmouth’s African American library from 1945 until 1963, and how it became a museum. Visit the PCCLM webpage’s Online Learning tab at https://portsvaafricanamericanheritage.com/online-learning/ and click on “Highlights from the Portsmouth Colored Community Library Museum.”

NEWONLINEFEATURE!