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
Ceate 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
Teddy (Bear) Talks
10:30 AM — 11:00 AMCalling all curious kids (ages 2 and up), their grown-ups, and favorite stuffed friends! Join PMA educators for a playful, art-filled adventure through the galleries, designed to spark early learning through stories, movement, and joyful exploration.
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New Caregiver Meet-up
11:00 AM — 12:00 PMTake a break from the routine and recharge with art. Connect with other new parents and caregivers, share stories, and enjoy a moment for yourself at the PMA. Join a guided visit exploring artworks through the lens of parenthood and caregiving, led by PMA Educators. All are welcome to feed, soothe, or step out as needed. Wear your baby or bring your stroller (back carriers are not permitted in the galleries). Continue the conversation afterwards over complimentary coffee or tea at the PMA Café.
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Teen Zine Launch | Homer High School Fellows
3:30 PM — 5:30 PM"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 lead by the Teen Council at 4:30pm! 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 winner’s art practices."
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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
