Like so many people in Portland and beyond, we’ve thoroughly enjoyed following along on the Adamses’ journey to see what exciting new project or wall will be graced with their creative genius next. From bold and powerful murals to unique apparel and textiles packed with color and personality, Ryan and Rachel Gloria Adams have been catalysts in transforming spaces, (and products) into vibrant and energizing experiences for visitors and locals alike.

Ryan Adams is a painter and muralist and Rachel Gloria Adams is a visual artist. The two have been married for 6 years, and reside in Ryan's hometown of Portland, Maine with their two daughters. Ryan's background in traditional graffiti led him to creating large-scale mural work and hand lettered design and signage. Rachel has developed a vibrant, graphic pattern-based visual language filled with references to the natural world. Independently, they’ve worked hard at building and cultivating their creative practices. Together, they’re making waves—sharing their vibrant, often thought-provoking art with Maine’s largest city, and we are so here for it!

Rachel has worked as an arts organizer and educator, exhibiting artwork throughout New England. Her background working as a project manager for Designtex, a Portland-based digital printing firm that specializes in wallpaper and fabric design was a great foundation for her next venture—TACHEE, a textile based company that celebrates the printed surface. TACHEE designs utilize imagery that Rachel developed through painting. We can’t get enough of Rachel’s style, but we’re also big fans of the brand’s eco-conscious mindset; from soy-based inks and natural dyes, to their very local screen printing partner, Little Chair Printing. Also noteworthy are TACHEE’s collaborations; one with GoGo Refill, showing Rachel’s designs on a beautiful, reusable Swedish dish towel and another with Linnea Company. Linnea specializes in diverse and inclusive hand-sewn dolls—the TACHEE collab doll has two different hairstyles and outfits styles to choose from.

Apart from TACHEE, Rachel is exhibiting and reimagining public spaces—bringing vibrancy to the walls of Oxbow Brewery, One Longfellow Square, The Children’s Museum & Theatre, and many other community-filled spaces. Her first solo murals in the Children’s Museum are a great example of Rachel’s ability to breathe life into any space. The ‘Go With the Flow’ mural shapes play on the theme of the exhibit beautifully—a room filled with swirling pools, cranks, and levers that can move as kids explore the interactive water tables.

Ryan’s background in art began at a young age, recreating drawings from his cartoons and comic books. A pivotal moment at age 11 can be attributed to Henry Chalfant and Martha Cooper’s book, Subway Art, documenting the 1970s and 80s subway graffiti movement. Ryan’s curiosity and interest in letterforms and graffiti expanded from there. He’s become well known for his ‘gem’ style of work—a geometric breakdown of letterforms with shadows and highlights included to create depth and movement throughout the pieces. His work tends to be bold, colorful and clever; often including statements within. The gem style is a brilliant fusion of text and geometry, speaking to Ryan’s background in graffiti and hand-painted signage experience, which spans a decade plus. He’s exhibited work throughout New England and has collaborated with businesses such as Highroller Lobster Co, Bissell Brothers, Samsung, News Center Maine, and many more—livening up office spaces, breweries (and beer cans), and even people’s homes. Did we mention he’s also an L.L.Bean cover model?!

In the summer of 2021, Ryan and a team embarked on one of the largest gem murals in the state at the Gem Theater in Bethel, ME. Inspired by conversations with students at Telstar Middle School, the mural says “WE GO TOGETHER, WE GROW TOGETHER”—a powerful statement that spans 9,000 sq. feet and uses 28 colors! We can’t even begin to imagine how much time it must’ve taken just to plan this beauty out. Another one of our favorites is ‘The Elements of Development’ for the Public Library in Towson, MD. The scale of this piece is UNREAL. Ryan worked with Bee Daniel, Kelly Rioux, and Phoebe Clark over the span of 42 days (with a lot of rain days) to complete this incredible feat. He gives a special shoutout to Rachel, as always, for holding down the fort at home during this project.

Whether they’re collaborating or working independently, the Adamses are creating thoughtful, socially engaging art that invites pause and reflection. “Within 10 days of Floyd’s death, Ryan had painted a portrait of Floyd in the alley behind downtown concert venue Aura, one piece in a multipart mural he collaborated on with two other artists. The Portland Press Herald, Maine Public, and local television news stations all turned out to cover its completion. “Now, the spotlight is on Black creatives and other business owners that have been overlooked,” Ryan says. “It’s wonderful getting this attention, but I’ve literally been painting around the entire city for about a decade.” — Downeast Magazine, April 2021 issue.

Together, Rachel and Ryan started the Piece Together Project, a set of rotating murals that represent and honor members of the East Bayside community. “By creating these vibrant murals, we celebrate the people that built and thrived in a truly special neighborhood. Their faces serve as an inspiration for future generations and a catalyst for engagement among visitors and residents, young and old alike.”

On more than one occasion, we’ve asked ourselves when this creative fam manages to get a full night’s sleep—between all of the work, juggling two kiddos, businesses, exhibitions and residencies! We were psyched to get the opportunity to connect with Rachel and Ryan on some of our burning questions—

How did the artistic collaboration between you two begin? Was there a specific moment/project?

Ryan: Before we even had our first date, I was aware of Rachel through her work and some mutual friends. So when we first started hanging out, it was immediately a part of the conversation. Some of my favorite memories from those early years were of us having a lazy Sunday on the couch working on our own paintings, binge watching trashy TV and ordering takeout. To me it was kind of inevitable that we would eventually try to do something together. Outside of helping each other on our individual jobs, our first collaborative mural was a piece on Munjoy Hill that says ‘Love, Portland’ where we infused the gem style with Rachel’s flowers.

Rachel: The collaboration started when we first started dating and would have ‘art/craft/and takeout’ dates. We would see each other’s processes and that started the conversation. 

What’s a phrase you hear time and time again when working in a public space?

Ryan: Oh wow, I may have even made a drinking game out of this because it happens so often (drinks to be had AFTER the job, of course). But I get a lot of ‘You missed a spot!’, ‘You spelled it wrong!’, ‘Do you freehand that?’, and ‘My (insert relative here) paints too, look!’. I honestly love all of it though. I love that people get excited and engaged with the work. 

Rachel: ‘You missed a spot’, lol. 

Dream client or goal you’re working towards?

Ryan: Ralph Lauren. No question. :-D. 

Rachel: Marimekko. All day. 

It must be challenging to create artwork that stands as its own piece but is inevitably *also* going to become an Instagram backdrop for passersby. How do you think about the different ways people relate to your public work? It also seems like that’s one of the great parts about your public work—an accessible and immersive experience for all.

Ryan: Exactly, I love seeing people interact with it on any level. Even when people are like ‘meh’, but they take a minute to stop and digest the piece. To me, accessibility is a major part of the work. Growing up, my family wasn’t really the type to visit art galleries. In my opinion that’s not totally their fault, I think that those spaces are traditionally excluding and uninviting. Especially to folks who are not already entrenched in that world. But I personally know the value that the arts can bring to people’s lives. So, I’m always excited to introduce colorful works to people who might not have the opportunity or think to get to the museums and galleries. 

Rachel: With murals, I feel like the piece becomes part of the landscape and the environment. So it is very important to consider the surrounding community when making them. I hope that they eventually serve as a landmark or place that people can use to convene and interact. 

Do the two of you have differing superpowers or collaborative strengths?

Ryan: It’s sort of like Captain Planet, but with 2 people instead of 5. I feel like I am the technical/precision geek, and the relentless work horse. Where Rachel is the heart, brains, color genius and layout specialist. We know and trust each other’s strengths so when there is a question in a certain lane, we know who might be able to answer it best. 

Rachel: We both acknowledge and respect each other’s strengths. Which makes designing and working together fluid and easy because of the mutual respect and admiration. 

Thank you so much to Rachel and Ryan, for taking the time to connect with us here at PDC, and for sharing your endless creativity with your community! We are beyond lucky.

@rachelgloriaia | @shoptachee | @ryanwritesonthings | @piece.together.project