Since 1988, the Bernard Osher Lecture Series has been the PMA’s flagship annual event, welcoming visionary cultural leaders, scholars, and thinkers to Maine to share their insights and experiences with museum audiences

PMA Director Mark Bessire with 2017’s Osher guest speaker, Theresa Secord.
PMA Director Mark Bessire with 2017’s Osher guest speaker, Theresa Secord.
Thelma Golden, Director and Chief Curator of The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York City was the guest speaker in 2018.
Thelma Golden, Director and Chief Curator of The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York City was the guest speaker in 2018.
  • 2026 Bernard Osher Lecture: Women Laughing
    53:16
  • Bernard Osher Lecture featuring Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw, June 6, 2023
    1:02:10
  • Bernard Osher Lecture with Dr. Adrienne L. Childs, “David C. Driskell: Interiors, Objects, and the Spirit of Form” July 13, 2021
    1:01:37
  • 2020 Bernard Osher Lecture
    59:56

The annual Bernard Osher Lecture Series is made possible by the Peggy and Harold Osher Endowment at the Portland Museum of Art.