Hundreds of portrait-painted panels will be collected and assembled into an architectural sculpture to grace Parson Main Square for five months this summer and fall in Rochester, NH. Art Esprit volunteers will construct and install the sculpture on-site on Saturday, June 4, beginning at 10:00 a.m. The day of festivities will also include an outdoor, public art-making workshop and other activities. “Rochester Creates: Portraits!” will be on display in the square until Oct. 23.

In the meantime, somebody’s got to paint all those portrait panels! This is where you come in. People of all ages and skill levels are invited to make their own contribution to the community portrait. There is no charge to participate, and Art Esprit will provide all materials.

“Rochester Creates: Portraits!” is designed for people of all ages. Through the words and brushstrokes of all generations, the project will explore Rochester’s identity as a community of individuals.

Here’s how it works: Everyone is invited to paint a portrait of their choosing on a plywood panel (6 or 12 square inches). Organizers encourage participants to consider anything as their subjects — your pet, your home, yourself, or whatever your imagination may inspire. Portraits may be visual images or painted with words, such as an image-evoking phrase or short poem.

You can work on your own, with your family, or with a group of friends. Art Esprit borrows space at artstream studios at 56 North Main Street in Rochester, so you can pick up your panels there during gallery hours (Monday through Friday, noon to 6:00 p.m., and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.). Using acrylic paints, paint and/or write your portrait on one side, then paint the back and edges of the panel with your choice of color. Panels must be delivered (dry!) to Art Esprit before May 21. All panels will be weatherproofed by Art Esprit to ensure their longevity.

For those who prefer guidance, a public workshop run by local artist Susan Schwake is scheduled for Friday, May 30, from 10:00 a.m. to noon, at the Rochester Public Library, 65 South Main Street, Rochester. Please call the library’s Children’s Room at 603-335-7549 to register.

The final assemblage in June, when hundreds of panels will be formed into one sculpture, will be a spectacle to behold. Art Esprit president Adam Pearson and fellow members of the community arts group will spontaneously design and construct the finished piece on-site at Parson Main Square. “There’s no way to know what the end product will look like,” says Pearson, who doesn’t betray a note of nervousness about this prospect.

In addition to watching the community portrait come together on installation day, plenty of festivities and activities are planned, including a free on-site workshop hosted by artist Lizz Van Saun. Working alongside the sculpture as it’s made, Lizz will lead the creation of a mosaic mural for permanent display in the Rochester Community Center, which will also be the final home for the community sculpture. In late October, after five months greeting residents and visitors to the Lilac City, the panels will be dismantled and transformed into wall murals for the center.

“Rochester Creates: Portraits!” is generously supported by Profile Bank, the project’s Corporate Underwriter. Additional support comes from Colonial Hill Care and Rehabilitation Center (Gold Sponsor); Eastern Propane and Norman Vetter Foundations (Silver Sponsors); and Home Depot, which has graciously donated the plywood and weatherproofing materials.

To learn how you can participate by painting a panel or becoming a sponsor, contact Art Esprit member Mary-Jo Monusky at 603-350-0333.