New stars honoring Portsmouth residents are coming to the Flood Wall. The Portsmouth Arts Commission picked two people from a field of ten strong candidates. This comes as part of a big project to repaint and improve the area of the floodwall murals.
Taking their place on the wall of honor are Maxine Malone, Director of Wings of Hope, who is well-known for her work in the community, and the late Jeremy Burnside, founder of Friends of Portsmouth.
The commission said the Stars Project, which honors citizens who have achieved something in their field or who are dedicated to the community, paused for years due to the condition of that section of the floodwall.
Artist April Deacon submitted a new design to showcase original start recipients and leave plenty of room for new honorees. The repainting will take place in stages, as the budget allows, and work will start next spring.
Submissions for new Floodwall Starts will be open from January to May 2025.