Portland Drawing Survey

Portland Drawing Survey is sourced by open call for drawings from anyone in Maine (with a focus on Portland). It acts as an archive of what people are drawing- a medium that rarely makes it into galleries. People of all ages hailing from all neighborhoods of Portland are represented. PDS leans away from artist statement writing and instead asks artists about the physical and material conditions surrounding the creation of a drawing. These interviews cover the time of day people draw, or the time of year, what they sat on, and more! Discussing the material conditions of a drawing connects artists to the physicality of creating a drawing and invites readers to delight in the evasive and magical process of creation.

Portland Drawing Survey on Instagram

Artist bio
Jo Ophardt moved to Portland, Maine to pursue painting at The Maine College of Art & Design and found the New England attitude to be quite agreeable. They are interested in the connection of the mind, body, and outside world that drawing offers. Jo is the editor of Portland Drawing Survey Magazine where they circulate drawings from all corners of Portland. They recently had a show at the UNE Biddeford Gallery called Direct Snap, containing their work about American Football.

Image caption: Jo Ophardt, Portland Drawing Survey Issue 1 Cover, 11×8.5″, 2025