Upcoming Exhibitions

TREASURES FROM THE TRUNK: THE STORY OF J.J. DONOVAN

Opens July 28, 2013

J. J. DONOVAN WAS A GUIDING CITIZEN in Bellingham's formative years. His life and career as a civil engineer, lumberman, railroad superintendent, progressive business man and community builder, will all be explored in an exhibition of historical photographs, artifacts and ephemera, in Old City Hall starting on July 27, 2013. The exhibition will draw from the "Donovan Papers," a recently discovered treasure trove of letters, diaries and company correspondence that were saved for decades by Donovan's descendants. These historic documents, many of which will be reproduced for display, were generously made available for research to the exhibit's guest curator Brian Griffin.  Presented by Sanitary Service Company.

J.J. Donovan Calling
In 1925, J.J. Donovan posed with chief operator Lillian Bond and Pacific Telephone & Telegraph managaer Ben Reno to commemorate 35 years of telephone service on Bellingham Bay.

Courtesy of the Whatcom Museum Collection
#1971.102.15

VANISHING ICE: ALPINE AND POLAR LANDSCAPES IN ART 1775-2012

November 3, 2013-March 2, 2014

Vanishing Ice introduces the rich artistic legacy of the planet’s frozen frontiers now threatened by climate change, a phenomena understood by the public primarily through news of devastating climactic events. The exhibition offers another perspective by providing visitors an opportunity to experience the majesty of sublime landscapes that have inspired artists, writers, and naturalists for more than two hundred years. More...

William Bradford
American, 1823 – 1892
Caught in the Ice Floes, ca. 1867
Oil on canvas
37 1/2 x 55 1/4 inches (Framed)
Courtesy of the New Bedford Whaling Museum (Kendall Collection), New Bedford, MA

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