With $2.7 million already raised, Portsmouth Music and Arts Center invites the Seacoast community to help complete a campaign designed to increase access to arts participation and expand into the South Meeting House
September 2026
Portsmouth Music and Arts Center (PMAC) has announced the public launch of its $3.5 million Arts for All Campaign, a major investment in the future of arts education and community connection on the Seacoast.
The campaign enters its public phase with significant momentum: $2.7 million, or 77 percent of the campaign goal, has already been raised through early support from individuals, foundations, and community partners. PMAC is now inviting the wider community to help raise the remaining $800,000 and bring the campaign across the finish line.
Adding to that momentum, the first $225,000 in gifts made during the public phase of the campaign will be matched by an anonymous foundation, doubling the impact of new contributions.
“For the past two decades, PMAC has played an integral role in the cultural fabric of this community,” said Eli Kaynor, PMAC’s Chief Development Officer. “This exciting moment is about opening our doors wider, and allowing more people to experience the enriching benefits of the arts.”
The Arts for All Campaign is centered on three priorities: expanding access to arts education; creating a new home for visual arts at Portsmouth’s historic South Meeting House; and strengthening PMAC’s long-term organizational sustainability.
Together, those investments are intended to give PMAC the space and resources to respond to growing community demand while remaining accessible and sustainable for generations to come.
A New Chapter for a Portsmouth Landmark
A centerpiece of the campaign is PMAC’s planned expansion into the historic South Meeting House on Marcy Street, where the organization will establish a dedicated visual arts center with classrooms and studios, exhibition space, and opportunities for community arts programming.
For PMAC Arts for All Campaign Committee’s Honorary Chair Senator Martha Fuller Clark, who represented Portsmouth and Seacoast communities in the State Senate, the project represents a continuation of the South Meeting House’s longstanding role as a place for community connection.
“I remember when they used to do concerts at the South Meeting House, and I brought my son, who is now in his 50s, in a basket to those concerts,” recalled Sen. Martha Fuller Clark. “That’s 50 years ago, so the building has been a focus for the neighborhood for a long time, and it’s nice to see it being revitalized.”
“One of the things that’s so amazing about the South Meeting House is its location in the heart of the community,” added Bill Durling, Chair of PMAC’s Board of Directors. Built in the 1860s, “It’s a core part of the history of Portsmouth. This next chapter in the history of the building will be focused on visual arts, which is such an important part of the Seacoast.”
Purpose-Built Space for the Arts
The South Meeting House project brings together PMAC, the Schleyer Foundation, Chinburg Properties, and ARCove Architects to preserve and reactivate the historic building.
The Schleyer Foundation is supporting major structural and architectural improvements to the building, while PMAC’s campaign will help create and equip the spaces needed for arts education and programming.
“The South Meeting House is going to be intentionally designed for art,” shared Aris Moore, a PMAC teaching artist. “There will be a gallery to show rotating artwork and student work. We’re going to have large classrooms for our classes during the year and PMAC’s summer camps where the kids can really spread out.”
Moving PMAC’s visual arts programming to the South Meeting House will also create room for music programming to expand at PMAC’s existing home at 973 Islington Street. The result will be two complementary spaces devoted to creative learning and community engagement.
Expanding Access to the Arts
The campaign reaches beyond new space. It will also support PMAC’s commitment to making high-quality arts education available to all people, regardless of age or economic circumstances.
Since its founding in 2002, PMAC has grown into a nonprofit music and visual arts center that serves more than 1,000 students annually and reaches thousands more through free events. Its programs span generations and include private lessons, visual arts classes, ensembles, youth camps, exhibitions, performances, and free community programming.
At the heart of that growth is PMAC’s mission to build community through the arts and provide people with opportunities to reach their creative potential.
“I think that everyone has a little bit of artist in themself,” said Bill Durling. “So the Arts for All Campaign is about providing everyone in the greater Seacoast community with the opportunity, the tools, the resources, and the knowledge to become an artist in their own way.”
For Moore, the community benefits go beyond learning an artistic skill.
“The arts are a way for us to connect to ourselves and form healthy connections with each other,” she said. “So I think Arts for All is a way to make us all healthier, stronger, and more connected — to ourselves and each other.”
Building for the Future
The campaign’s third priority focuses on strengthening PMAC itself, ensuring that the organization has the financial and operational capacity to sustain its expanded programs and growth.
“Increasing our financial strength will allow us to expand operational capacity, reduce overhead, and strengthen our ability to innovate and remain responsive to the needs of our community,” Kaynor said.
With more than three-quarters of the campaign goal already committed, PMAC is now opening the effort to the full community.
“I don’t think this campaign has the same strength without full community participation and support,” said Sen. Fuller Clark. “This is a campaign for all, and that involves people of all different backgrounds, people of all different ages, people of all different experiences who can all participate in this movement going forward.”
Community members can participate in the Arts for All Campaign by making a gift online, mailing or delivering a check to PMAC, donating stock, or discussing other giving options with PMAC’s leadership team. During the matching-gift opportunity, eligible contributions will be matched dollar-for-dollar by an anonymous foundation.
To learn more about the Arts for All Campaign or make a gift, visit pmaconline.org/arts-for-all or contact PMAC at 603-431-4278.
About Portsmouth Music and Arts Center
Portsmouth Music and Arts Center (PMAC) is a nonprofit community music and visual arts school that has served the greater Seacoast community since 2002. PMAC’s mission is to build community through the arts by providing all people with the opportunity to achieve their full creative potential, regardless of age, ability or economic status. PMAC offers music and visual arts education for students of all ages and creates ensemble, performance, exhibition, and community engagement opportunities for students, professionals, and audiences.
