Third Thursday | Precious Stories with Springer’s Jewelers and the Museum of Beadwork
Third Thursdays at the PMA is Art for All!
On the third Thursday of every month, the PMA offers free admission all day and evening for all. Explore the galleries, enjoy family-friendly art-making and activities, or experience a dynamic lineup of rotating music, food trucks, films, performances, and programs.
What gives a piece of jewelry its value? Not just what it’s worth, but what it means? Jewelry is more than metal and stone; it carries memory, identity, and story.
During May’s Third Thursday, explore how meaning and lived experience shape the objects we treasure. Through guided prompts, conversation, and hands-on making, this evening invites you to reflect on the pieces you wear and hold onto—and perhaps discover new ones!
Featured Experiences
Ask a Jeweler
5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Bring a piece of jewelry that’s meaningful to you. The estate team from Springer’s Jewelers will be on hand to share insight into materials, craftsmanship, and possible provenance, offering a deeper understanding of the objects you treasure most.
Pop-Up Shop: Estate Jewelry
5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Browse a curated selection of estate jewelry from Springer’s Jewelers, spanning eras and styles. Try pieces on, explore their histories, and find something that speaks to you.
Bracelet Beading Workshop: “Wildflower” with the Museum of Beadwork
4:00 p.m.
$25; registration required
Create a custom, four-strand bracelet using Japanese glass beads, leather cord, and a button toggle closure. Participants will choose from a range of colorways and be guided step by step through the process. All materials included. Recommended for ages 8 and up.
About the Museum of Beadwork
Located in Portland, Maine, the Museum of Beadwork is the only institution that focuses on the cultural and artistic significance of beadwork in art and adornment through breathtaking exhibits, hands-on classes and workshops, and other community-building programs.
Springer's Jewelers is the sponsor of Precious: The Value of Ornament. They are a coastal New England institution — a family-owned collection of stores in the downtowns of Bath, Portland, and Portsmouth, serving New England patrons and visitors since 1870. Maine's oldest operating jewelry store, and one of the oldest fine jewelers in the United States.
Events and Activities
Museum Playdate! Gardens and Springtime
10:00 AM — 12:00 PMCelebrate spring with us through artmaking, gallery wandering, and family activities inspired by gardens, flowers, and the season in full bloom. Bring the little ones and experience our beloved Teddy Bear Talks, make art together, and find community! Need a boost? Caregivers can grab free coffee from the PMA Cafe. No schedules, no sign-ups—just a relaxing morning at the museum. Schedule 10:00–10:30 a.m. — Teddy Bear Gallery Talk (bring your favorite stuffy!) 10:30–11:30 a.m. — Hands-On Art Making 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. — New Parent Meet-Up Designed for children ages 6 and under and their caregivers. Upcoming Museum Playdates May 21 — Gardens and Springtime June 18 — Ocean Adventure July 16 — Summer in Maine August 20 — Outdoor Imagination PMA Museum Playdates Museum Playdate is a monthly morning for young children and their caregivers to slow down, explore, and make things together. Our educator-led experiences are designed for our youngest visitors and their adults in mind. Every gathering has its own theme, with gallery adventures, art projects, storytime, and family activities—plus free coffee and a chance for caregivers to connect with others.
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Teen Zine Launch! with Homer High School Fellows
3:30 PM — 5:30 PMFREE ADMISSION! The PMA Teen Zine has launched! Pick up your copy in the Great Hall, chat with the authors, and join us for a gallery activity led by the Homer High School Fellows.The Teen Council program brings together former Homer High School Fellows to create a PMA Teen Zine and to advice staff with a youth perspective on education, marketing, programming, and interpretive materials. The program aims to promote access, equity, and belonging at the museum while helping council members develop essential skills for careers in the arts and museum fields. A zine is a handmade publication created to foster real-world relationships between readers and their cultural communities through the sharing of ideas, artistry, knowledge of third spaces, and the encouragement of reproduction for accessible communication and collaboration. The Teen Council elected to lean into the DIY ethos of zines and titled the inaugural PMA Teen Zine: Ai Ain’t It! This issue interrogates the impacts of Ai on the environment, authorship, and teen creativity, while inspiring young people in Portland Maine to deepen their relationships to place, to themselves, and to each other. Featured is an article, comic, gallery game, Portland art scene map, and a behind-the-scenes look at the Tidal Shift winners' art practices.
Learn More
Bracelet Beading Workshop: “Wildflower” with the Museum of Beadwork
4:00 PM — 5:30 PMCreate a custom, four-strand bracelet using Japanese glass beads, leather cord, and a button toggle closure. Participants will choose from a range of colorways and be guided step by step through the process. All materials included. Recommended for ages 8 and up.$25; registration required. About the Museum of BeadworkLocated in Portland, Maine, the Museum of Beadwork is the only institution that focuses on the cultural and artistic significance of beadwork in art and adornment through breathtaking exhibits, hands-on classes and workshops, and other community-building programs.
Learn More
