Shared_Studios is a multidisciplinary art, architecture, and technology organization focused on grounding the connective potential of the Internet in physical spaces to create more secure, accessible, and meaningful encounters across distance. This talk by the founder of Shared_Studios tells the story of its first global initiative -- Portals -- and explains how the shared context of art, the presence of architecture, and the pervasiveness of certain technologies, creates a new opportunity to continuously connect diverse spaces from playgrounds and public parks.