Brushstrokes and Soundwaves 

The morning of May 2nd was crisp and full of promise as six students from the SAFE Club stepped onto the streets of Portland, guided by their facilitators, Olivia Bean and Tony Keyes. Their destination? The Portland Museum of Art, a place where time stood still on canvases and creativity thrived in every corridor.

Inside, the students wandered through halls lined with 19th-century paintings—moody landscapes, portraits frozen in expressions of joy and sorrow, scenes that whispered secrets of a bygone era. Yet, it was a different kind of art that truly captured their attention—a moving sculpture that responded to its surroundings, twisting and shifting like a living entity. They stood mesmerized, watching as light and motion merged into something entirely new.

 

Then came an experience none of them had expected—a concert unlike any other. As a musician filled the gallery with melody, children from various programs painted freely, letting the notes guide their strokes. Colors bled into one another, shaped by rhythm and harmony, until their creations were layered over the very score of the music itself. The students marveled at the concept, their minds racing with ideas of how sound and vision could merge to tell a single story.

Still buzzing with excitement, they set out for Congress Street, where the First Friday Art Walk had transformed the city into a celebration of creativity. Artists lined the sidewalks, their hands shaping clay, weaving fibers, sketching portraits. The students spoke with painters, photographers, and sculptors, each conversation deepening their appreciation for the many forms art could take. Some picked out handmade pieces, not just as souvenirs, but as tokens of inspiration—proof that creativity was not confined to galleries but lived in the hands of those who dared to make something new.

As dusk settled over Portland, the group walked back with their treasures in hand—artwork, ideas, and the memory of a day where music, paint, and human connection had blended into something unforgettable.

 

by Olivia Bean, MYC Youth & Family Coordinator

May 2025