Art, nature, and community link us together and help us make sense of the world around us. Join us in exploring these themes through the Whatcom Museum’s fall college program, Passport to the Natural World. To participate in FREE passport activities, grab a passport booklet and collect stamps to punch your ticket to an exclusive Museum After Dark Celebration.
Passports can be picked up at the Museum’s Lightcatcher Building or at any of the activities below. This program is only available for local college audiences, and runs from September 10, 2022, to October 27, 2022. To learn more about the program and how to participate, explore the webpage below!
Passport to the Natural World is a companion program to the Museum’s fall exhibition, Un/Natural Selections: Wildlife in Contemporary Art. This exhibition is organized by the National Museum of Wildlife Art, in Jackson, WY and comprising of works from their permanent collection. You can learn more about Un/Natural Selections on the exhibition page. Generous support for this program provided by Art Bridges.
Ongoing Passport Activities
Un/Natural Selections Guided Tours
Sketching from the Hall of Birds
Geocaching in the Great Outdoors
Explore Un/Natural Selections through an interactive guided tour. Guided Tours are led by experienced docents and the Whatcom Museum’s Curator of Art, Amy Chaloupka.
Guided Tours
September 10, 2022 – January 8, 2023
Thursdays and Saturdays, 1PM-2PM
Curator Tours
September 16 and October 21, 2022
1 – 2 pm
Tours meet in the lobby of the Lightcatcher Building.
Visit the John M. Edson Hall of Birds and draw a local feathered friend. Passports will be stamped at the Museum’s front desk.
Every Wednesday – Sunday, 12 – 5 pm
Whatcom Museum
Old City Hall Building
121 Prospect Street, Bellingham, WA
Explore four of Bellingham’s natural wonders through a geocaching adventure. Once you find all four spots, reward yourself with a stamp in your passport.
First geocaching coordinates: 48°44’16”N 122°28’50”W
Campus Activities
Animal
Pose Yoga
Capturing the Landscape with Andrea Joyce Heimer
Animals as Natural Therapy Visit
Nature
Movie Night
Join instructor Lindsay Worley for a class full of classic yoga poses and relaxation techniques inspired by animals.
Tuesday, September 27, 2022
4 – 6 pm
Northwest Indian College
Log Bldg #7
2522 Kwina Road, Bellingham, WA
Get outside and make art inspired by Whatcom County’s natural landscapes with local artist Andrea Joyce Heimer.
Tuesday, October 4, 2022
1 -4 pm
Whatcom Community College
Cascade Building
237 W Kellogg Road, Bellingham, WA
Experience the joy and mindfulness benefits of animal encounters while petting Animals as Natural Therapy’s farm animals.
Thursday, October 13, 2022
2 – 4 pm
Whatcom Museum
Lightcatcher Courtyard
250 Flora Street, Bellingham, WA
Chill out and explore the world’s natural beauty with a nature documentary.
Tuesday, October 18, 2022
4 – 6 pm
Western Washington University
Fraser Hall
516 High Street, Bellingham, WA
Museum of Rain Book Discussions
Share your thoughts in a mini book club this fall! Take a break from schoolwork by reading The Museum of Rain, a 44-page novella. Written by exhibition artist and author Dave Eggers, this story traces the ties between family, memory, and the natural world.
After reading the novella, grab a bite to eat and share your thoughts in a pop-up book discussion. Attendance is only needed at one discussion to receive a stamp.
Books are available to be picked up or borrowed from these specific locations:
The Whatcom Museum – Lightcatcher Building Front Desk
Bellingham Public Library – Central Branch
Northwest Indian College – Lummi Library
Western Washinton University- Special Collections in Wilson Library
Bonus stamp event—hear the author in-person! A conversation with Dave Eggers
Tuesday, October 18, 7 – 9 pm; Free; Whatcom Community College-Heiner Theater, 231 W. Kellogg Rd., Bellingham, WA
The Museum welcomes artist and author Dave Eggers for an evening conversation with Seattle author Jeff Schwager. Eggers will discuss his artwork, a few of which are included in the exhibition, his book The Museum of Rain, as well as his latest novels. This event is co-presented by Village Books with book sales and an author signing at the event. Admission is free and seating is first-come, first-served. Learn more HERE.
Thursday, September 29, 2022, 4 – 6 pm
Northwest Indian College – NWIC Lummi Library
2522 Kwina Road, Bellingham, WA
Thursday, October 6, 2022, 4 – 6 pm
Whatcom Community College – Learning Commons 160
310 W Kellogg Road, Bellingham, WA
Thursday, October 13, 2022, 4 – 6 pm
Whatcom Museum – Lightcatcher Building
250 Flora Street, Bellingham, WA
Thursday, October 20, 2022, 4 – 6 pm
Western Washington University – Viking Union Room 567
516 High Street, Bellingham, WA
Museum After Dark
Experience the Whatcom Museum in a whole new way with our Museum After Dark passport celebration. Explore Un/Natural Selections and dive into a variety of activities sprinkled throughout the Museum!
- Live music
- Free food
- Raffle prizes
- Community art demonstrations
- Giant paint by number canvas
- Photo booth
- Pop-up gallery tours on the hour with exhibition artist Preston Singletary and Curator of Art Amy Chaloupka
This event is for college students only. To enter Museum After Dark, please show your student ID or a Whatcom Museum “Passport to the Natural World” booklet for free admission. Each passport holder is allowed one guest.
Thursday, October 27, 2022
6 – 8 pm
Whatcom Museum – Lightcatcher Building
250 Flora Street, Bellingham, WA
Getting Around
