Bellingham National 2019—Water’s Edge: Landscapes for Today
February 2 – May 19, 2019; Lightcatcher building
Juried by Bruce Guenther, Adjunct Curator for Special Exhibitions at the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education
The Whatcom Museum is hosting the third biennial Bellingham National 2019 Juried Art Exhibition and Awards. Juried by Bruce Guenther, Adjunct Curator for Special Exhibitions at the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education, the theme of the exhibition is Water’s Edge: Landscapes for Today. Guenther selected artwork submitted by artists from across the United States that represents an investigation of contemporary art practices, and addresses our understandings of the Earth, climate change, and the evolving relationships of humanity to Nature. Works range from traditional interpretations of the observed landscape to the metaphoric and spiritual manifestations of the landscape through image, color, language, and mapping of our felt responses to Nature and the world. The top three artists, chosen by the juror, received cash awards at the opening reception, and the exhibition includes a “People’s Choice” award, based on the public’s vote for their favorite piece.
Juror’s Choice Award Winners:
1st place: Philip Govedare; Artifact; Oil on canvas
2nd place: Natalie Niblack; Watershed; Oil on canvas
3rd place: Patti Bowman; Wave 1; Encaustic on panel
party
docent tours
Take a docent-led tour Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 1:30pm to learn more about the artists and artwork chosen for Bellingham National 2019 Juried Art Exhibition & Awards. Our trained docents will provide insight into the theme of the exhibition, as well as the background behind some of guest juror Bruce Guenther’s selections for the exhibition. Tours start in the lobby of the Lightcatcher building, last one hour, and are included with admission.
Washington Remembers WWII: Their Sacrifice. Our Freedom.
January 19 – April 14, 2019; Old City Hall
Before they liberated concentration camps or freed countries from tyranny, men and women in uniform fought enemy forces everywhere — in factories on the Washington home front and on beaches abroad. They braved the unknown, lived through the unthinkable, and changed who we are. “I’ve had a wonderful life. … I would go through it […]
The Elephant in the Room: The Allure of Ivory and Its Tragic Legacy
September 8, 2018 – March 31, 2019; Old City Hall In conjunction with our Lightcatcher exhibition, Endangered Species: Artists on the Front Line of Biodiversity, the Museum will explore the story of ivory from pre-history to modern times, featuring a selection of ivory from the Museum’s collection. The exhibition will cover areas of research in […]
partners
Join the Whatcom Museum Wed., Oct. 10, 5:30pm for a free film showing during Doctober at the Pickford Film Center of the documentary, When Elephants Were Young (90 min.), tying into the Museum’s exhibition, The Elephant in the Room: The Allure of Ivory and Its Tragic Legacy. Directed by Victoria, BC, director Patricia Sims, this film is about Wok and his young elephant Nong Mai, who share a life of struggle and street begging in gritty Bangkok. Their tender bond reveals a complex relationship where elephants live with humans even though they are wild animals. Find more info here.
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, […]
docent tours
Offered on select dates based on volunteer availability at 2:30pm at the Lightcatcher. Check our online calendar for specific dates.
The Whatcom Museum has been making connections with linguistics and Native speakers throughout the Pacific Northwest to expand the Native language component of People of the Sea and Cedar. We will continue to develop our Lummi language translations and recordings together with Lummi Nation instructor Smak i’ya’, Matt Warbus, tribal elders, and Lummi Nation students. We look forward to sharing more in the gallery throughout the rest of this year and into 2019.
John M. Edson Hall of Birds
Opened March 16, 2017; Ongoing; Old City Hall This new 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 […]
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.
Kinseys in Color
Ongoing, Old City Hall Curated by Jeff Jewell, Photo Archives Historian Before the development of color film, there was a way to make a color photograph — you painted it by hand! Known as tinting, it’s a meticulous, time-consuming process. The exhibition Kinseys In Color features fifteen examples of this art form by Darius and Tabitha […]
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 […]
