Up Close & Personal: The Body in Contemporary Art
October 30, 2021 – February 27, 2022; Lightcatcher building
Curated by Amy Chaloupka from the Collection of Driek and Michael Zirinsky The extended isolation of the pandemic has undeniably affected our collective consciousness, especially our heightened awareness of the body and its vulnerabilities. Sharing life “in person” once again is a celebratory moment, but also cause for self-reflection. How will we wish to operate […]
Artists x Artists
November 20, 2021 - May 8, 2022; Old City Hall
Curated by Amy Chaloupka, Curator of Art As a companion show to Up Close & Personal, this exhibition explores intimate portraits of artists by artists. Some artists turn the camera on themselves or depict dear friends and colleagues in their work. Many artists are situated within their creative spaces or appear with the familiar tools […]
The Fairhaven Hotel
November 13, 2021 - March 20, 2022; Old City Hall
Curated by Jeff Jewell, Historian and Photo Archivist In 1890, the Fairhaven Hotel embodied the posh sophistication that the booming City of Fairhaven eagerly wished to project. This was what the rising metropolis would look like! Yet, with the collapse of the economy in 1893, the hotel soon symbolized Fairhaven’s failed dreams, and worse, false promises. Modernization […]
Celebrating our Matriarchs
This virtual exhibition is part of our collaborative Community Photo Project tied to Matika Wilbur’s exhibition Seeds of Culture: The Portraits and Stories of Native American Women.
We all know women who have inspired and influenced us, taught us, raised and cared for us, mentored and encouraged us to become better people. From the past to our shared present, matriarchal figures have an enduring importance.
As part of the project, we invited community members to share a photo of a matriarch important to them. Submissions were accepted during March and are now displayed below. We’re excited to share these photographs with you, along with words from the photographers.
Do you see your photo and would like to add more information? Contact us at info@whatcommuseum.org.
Geometry and Color: Sonia Delaunay and Bellingham Public School Students
Virtual Exhibit; Ongoing
As part of their distance learning materials, local students were asked to make artwork in the style of influential, Paris-based artists Robert and Sonia Delaunay. While the Delaunays’ works have been displayed in exhibitions at museums around the world, it turns out that Sonia Delaunay’s work can be found closer to home. The Whatcom Museum […]
People of the Sea and Cedar: A Journey Through the Tribal Cultures and History of the Northwest Coast
Ongoing, Lightcatcher People of the Sea and Cedar, in the second floor gallery of the Lightcatcher building, shares the history and art of the Northwest Coast people, blending both historical and contemporary perspectives. This exhibit features artifacts from the Museum’s collection, such as Coast Salish artwork and carvings, woven blankets, hand-made tools, cedar hats, clothing, […]
The Whatcom Museum acknowledges that we gather on the traditional territory of the Lhaq’temish – Lummi People – and the Nuxwsá7aq – Nooksack People – who have lived in the Coast Salish region from time immemorial. The Museum honors our relationship with all of our Coast Salish neighbors and our shared responsibilities to their homeland where we all reside today.
John M. Edson Hall of Birds
Opened March 16, 2017; Ongoing; Old City Hall This exhibit in Old City Hall provides a glimpse into the local history and culture of the Victorian Era, when taxidermy flourished and mounted animals often decorated interior spaces. For the Museum, this collection of birds is also important to the building’s history. If it hadn’t been […]
partners
Join volunteers from the North Cascades Audubon Society in the John M. Edson Hall of Birds on the fourth Sundays of each month. Drop-in between 1:30-3:30pm to learn more about birds of the Pacific Northwest, as well as about migration, conservation, birds in peril, and the importance of studying bird specimens today.
History Exhibits at Old City Hall
Ongoing; Old City Hall The Museum’s 1892 Old City Hall building features a variety of exhibits that tell the stories of the building’s architecture, the city’s early days, logging history, and waterfront industry. Green Gold: Logging the Pacific Northwest Relive the history of logging in our corner of the Pacific Northwest through photographs, artifacts, and […]
