Upcoming Events
February 2020
Old City Hall History Tour
Take a fun, informative docent-led tour of Old City Hall on Sundays at 12:30pm. Our trained guides take participants down to the basement of Old City Hall to see the historic jail rooms, including a padded cell from the days of prohibition! They share insights into the early use of the basement as the city jail, as well as tell unique stories. Tours include an overview about the architecture of the venerable building, as well as the history of the…
Find out more »Travelogue: UHURU 65 Degrees South, or How I Learned to Sail
In 2011 Mike Powell, a landlubber with a camera, went aboard his brother’s boat UHURU, an Oyster 62, for two months. He headed south from the Falkland Islands, across the Drake Passage to the Antarctic peninsula, around the Horn and up into Chilean Patagonia. During the trip the crew used all their toys, experienced great sailing, scuba diving, ice climbing up mountains and skiing down them, and fly fishing in Chile via horseback. This story has been shared with sailors…
Find out more »Old City Hall History Tour
Take a fun, informative docent-led tour of Old City Hall on Sundays at 12:30pm. Our trained guides take participants down to the basement of Old City Hall to see the historic jail rooms, including a padded cell from the days of prohibition! They share insights into the early use of the basement as the city jail, as well as tell unique stories. Tours include an overview about the architecture of the venerable building, as well as the history of the…
Find out more »Museum Advocates: Behind-the-Scenes with the Museum Registrar
Join the Museum Advocates for their monthly presentation. Maria Coltharp, Museum Curator of Collections & Registrar, will discuss what is involved in organizing an exhibition, as well as the differences between a registrar and a curator. Coltharp is responsible for the development, care, and safekeeping of the Museum’s collections and all objects borrowed in the course of producing exhibitions. She works closely with the Curator of Art and the Director of Exhibitions to handle exhibition planning and logistics. 11:30am meeting,…
Find out more »Bellingham’s Federal Building: Things You Never Knew
Local historian Kolby LaBree was hired to research and help the City of Bellingham with historical interpretation of downtown’s Federal Building on Cornwall and Magnolia Streets. Built in 1910, the Federal Building was surplussed in the late 1990s, and then the City assumed ownership in 2004. Learn more about LaBree’s work on the preservation and restoration plan for the building. LaBree is co-owner and operator of Bellinghistory with the Good Time Girls, local providers of entertaining and educational guided history…
Find out more »Old City Hall History Tour
Take a fun, informative docent-led tour of Old City Hall on Sundays at 12:30pm. Our trained guides take participants down to the basement of Old City Hall to see the historic jail rooms, including a padded cell from the days of prohibition! They share insights into the early use of the basement as the city jail, as well as tell unique stories. Tours include an overview about the architecture of the venerable building, as well as the history of the…
Find out more »Travelogue: Circumnavigating Vancouver Island at 65
Robbie Munger came to paddling late in life. At 61 he took up sea kayaking with the intent of doing a solo paddle through the Inside Passage. The rugged waters and extreme conditions created a container for him to sort and heal the early deaths of both his beloved wife (and mother of his four children) and brother. The thrill of being alone on the open seas quickly became something he longed for more of. At age 65, Munger embarked…
Find out more »Millinery Designer Wayne Wichern Discusses Sculptural Hat Forms
Join millinery designer Wayne Wichern for a presentation and conversation about the creation of his exquisite hats, in celebration of the exhibition The Global Language of Headwear. Behind each hat design is a shaping tool known as a hat block, which felt and straw are pulled, or “blocked,” over to give a hat its unique shape. These blocks are infinite in variety and complexity and come together with the material to create wearable works of art. Wayne will also discuss…
Find out more »Old City Hall History Tour
Take a fun, informative docent-led tour of Old City Hall on Sundays at 12:30pm. Our trained guides take participants down to the basement of Old City Hall to see the historic jail rooms, including a padded cell from the days of prohibition! They share insights into the early use of the basement as the city jail, as well as tell unique stories. Tours include an overview about the architecture of the venerable building, as well as the history of the…
Find out more »Audubon Fourth Sundays: A Short History of Bird Watching
Join us for a special Audubon at the Museum program in conjunction with Whatcom Reads book selection, To the Bright Edge of the World, by Eowyn Ivey. Though people have always had reasons to be interested in birds, over the past century bird watching, or birding, has developed from a fringe pastime into one of the most popular hobbies in America. It can even be considered an extreme sport! Join North Cascades Audubon Society volunteer Paul Woodcock and learn about…
Find out more »Insects in Decline: Implications for the Future
Insects are declining in a global phenomenon happening even here in the Pacific Northwest. Dr. Merrill Peterson of Western Washington University will discuss vivid examples of these declines, describe how they threaten our lives, and examine evidence that such declines underlie dwindling bird populations. He will also make the case that, as keen naturalists and citizen scientists, birders can make important contributions to monitoring the region’s insects, and that learning about our fascinating insect diversity can be immensely rewarding. $5…
Find out more »The True Cost Film Screening and Discussion
To complement the Lightcatcher exhibition, The Global Language of Headwear, we are hosting a free screening and discussion of the documentary film, The True Cost. This is a story about clothing. It’s about the clothes we wear, the people who make them, and the impact the industry is having on our world. The price of clothing has been decreasing for decades, while the human and environmental costs have grown dramatically. The True Cost is a groundbreaking documentary film that pulls…
Find out more »March 2020
Old City Hall History Tour
Take a fun, informative docent-led tour of Old City Hall on Sundays at 12:30pm. Our trained guides take participants down to the basement of Old City Hall to see the historic jail rooms, including a padded cell from the days of prohibition! They share insights into the early use of the basement as the city jail, as well as tell unique stories. Tours include an overview about the architecture of the venerable building, as well as the history of the…
Find out more »Travelogue: Family Bike Touring, Before and After Kids!
Freeman Anthony is a civil engineer by trade and an avid cyclist. He and his partner, Iris, toured in Asia, Europe, and North America before starting a family. After their children arrived, they continued to tour with a few tweaks to their approach. Freeman will present a few of their tours both with and without children including stories from the road, logistics, and lessons learned. $5 suggested donation/members free
Find out more »Downtown Art Walk at Old City Hall
Join us this spring for Downtown Art Walk at Old City Hall. Check out the exhibition Moving Forward, Looking Back: Washington’s First Women in Government, in honor of the centennial celebration of women’s suffrage and the passage of the 19th Amendment, giving women in the United States the right to vote. Also on exhibit is Two Views: Photographs by Ansel Adams and Leonard Frank, documenting the conditions and experiences of people of Japanese descent incarcerated at internment camps in the…
Find out more »Old City Hall History Tour
Take a fun, informative docent-led tour of Old City Hall on Sundays at 12:30pm. Our trained guides take participants down to the basement of Old City Hall to see the historic jail rooms, including a padded cell from the days of prohibition! They share insights into the early use of the basement as the city jail, as well as tell unique stories. Tours include an overview about the architecture of the venerable building, as well as the history of the…
Find out more »Across Generations: Women in Politics
What can Millennials teach Baby Boomers? How can women of different generations uplift and empower each other? Join the Advocates for a panel discussion and intergenerational mixer to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment and the new exhibit Moving Forward, Looking Back: Washington’s First Women in Government. Guests include activists, representatives, and political leaders across the generational spectrum. 11:30am meeting, noon program Photo: Suffragettes in Seattle, 1909. Gift of Gloria Martin, Whatcom Museum 1993.66.1
Find out more »The Richards Building: Restoration Phase 2
Historical Society president Wes Gannaway will discuss the restoration of the Richards Building. After the sale of the building in 2019, a major project has been to eliminate the passage of moisture through the original brick walls that has resulted in damage to interior walls. During the interior work, new knowledge has come to light, answering many of the questions about the original construction. Gannaway has been involved with the building prior to the first restoration project in the early…
Find out more »Old City Hall History Tour
Take a fun, informative docent-led tour of Old City Hall on Sundays at 12:30pm. Our trained guides take participants down to the basement of Old City Hall to see the historic jail rooms, including a padded cell from the days of prohibition! They share insights into the early use of the basement as the city jail, as well as tell unique stories. Tours include an overview about the architecture of the venerable building, as well as the history of the…
Find out more »Toward a More Perfect Democracy Lecture Series: Imperfect Democracy
The Whatcom Museum is partnering with the League of Women Voters and the Ralph Munro Institute of Civic Education to offer presentations on the third Thursday of each month, from March through June, focusing on the continued struggle for suffrage, voice, and equal representation by those who were left out of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote 100 years ago. This month’s presentation will discuss how social inequality has undermined the implementation of our democratic ideals.…
Find out more »Old City Hall History Tour
Take a fun, informative docent-led tour of Old City Hall on Sundays at 12:30pm. Our trained guides take participants down to the basement of Old City Hall to see the historic jail rooms, including a padded cell from the days of prohibition! They share insights into the early use of the basement as the city jail, as well as tell unique stories. Tours include an overview about the architecture of the venerable building, as well as the history of the…
Find out more »Fourth Sundays: Audubon at the Museum
Join volunteers from the North Cascades Audubon Society in the John M. Edson Hall of Birds to learn about migration, conservation, birds in peril, and the importance of studying bird specimens today. The exhibit provides a variety of interactives, including video and audio files, and hands-on activities for children. All ages welcome.
Find out more »Washington’s Undiscovered Feminists with Mayumi Tsutakawa
In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage, writer and curator Mayumi Tsutakawa presents five “woman warriors” in the arts and journalism from the past century whose stories inspire. Meet the pioneering photographer Imogen Cunningham, Black American jazz musician Ruby Bishop, Chinese American artist Priscilla Chong Jue, leftist journalist Anna Louise Strong, and Native American linguist Vi Hilbert. Drawing on her own experience as an activist and writer, she explores how these women inspired others and changed our state…
Find out more »Deadly Deception: The Plight of Birds and Plastic Pollution
Life in the wild is a constant hunt for sustenance, but what may seem like a nourishing morsel to a bird may actually be a deadly piece of plastic. Jaco ten Hove and Chris Brewer will describe the innumerable hazards of discarded plastic to the survival of birds including absorption of toxic pollutants, entanglement from discarded fishing gear and other plastic, and consumption of plastic particles. As we learn more about how plastic refuse endangers our oceans and its critters,…
Find out more »Old City Hall History Tour
Take a fun, informative docent-led tour of Old City Hall on Sundays at 12:30pm. Our trained guides take participants down to the basement of Old City Hall to see the historic jail rooms, including a padded cell from the days of prohibition! They share insights into the early use of the basement as the city jail, as well as tell unique stories. Tours include an overview about the architecture of the venerable building, as well as the history of the…
Find out more »April 2020
Travelogue: The Border Project— Exploring the Mexico/US Border by Bicycle
Bikepacking has brought a whole new meaning to backcountry adventures as it continues to grow internationally. Bikepackers all over the globe are creating new routes, and connecting dirt, gravel, and other somewhat questionable ‘roads’ together to form long-distance adventure routes via bicycle. Jenny Schmidt spent six weeks traveling from San Diego, CA, to Corpus Christi, TX, connecting the first series of gravel/dirt roads along the Mexico/US border. Learn about the arduous challenges of building a route through politically charged areas…
Find out more »Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day Live!
In the spirit of the Smithsonian Museums, which offer free admission every day, Museum Day Live! is an annual event hosted by Smithsonian magazine in which participating museums across the country, including the Whatcom Museum, open their doors to anyone presenting a Museum Day Live! ticket—for free! Usually held in September, this year’s Museum Day Live! will be celebrated in April to coincide with the Smithsonian’s Earth Optimism Summit. The ticket grants access to both the Lightcatcher building and Old…
Find out more »Old City Hall History Tour
Take a fun, informative docent-led tour of Old City Hall on Sundays at 12:30pm. Our trained guides take participants down to the basement of Old City Hall to see the historic jail rooms, including a padded cell from the days of prohibition! They share insights into the early use of the basement as the city jail, as well as tell unique stories. Tours include an overview about the architecture of the venerable building, as well as the history of the…
Find out more »Sea Stories of a Lifetime Love Affair with Boats, Ships, and the Ocean
Join Capt. Debbie Dempsey for a talk about being a merchant mariner, as well as to share information about the Community Boating Center. Dempsey is a lifelong professional mariner whose non-traditional career has been documented in film, books, and articles. She is also the recipient of numerous awards. Dempsey recently retired as a pilot on the notorious Columbia River Bar. 11:30am Museum Advocates meeting, noon program
Find out more »The History of the Camp Glacier Civilian Conservation Corps Project
Join local author Michael Impero for a presentation and photos about Camp Glacier F-12, a project of the Civilian Conservation Corps, established during Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s presidency in the 1930s. Camp Glacier F-12 in Whatcom County was established between Maple Falls and Glacier, just east of Boulder Creek on the Mount Baker Highway. The camp was administrated under the leadership of the U.S. Army. The presentation will cover the history of this camp, from its start in 1933 to its…
Find out more »Old City Hall History Tour
Take a fun, informative docent-led tour of Old City Hall on Sundays at 12:30pm. Our trained guides take participants down to the basement of Old City Hall to see the historic jail rooms, including a padded cell from the days of prohibition! They share insights into the early use of the basement as the city jail, as well as tell unique stories. Tours include an overview about the architecture of the venerable building, as well as the history of the…
Find out more »Toward a More Perfect Democracy Lecture Series: Diversity and Demographic Change
The Whatcom Museum is partnering with the League of Women Voters and the Ralph Munro Institute of Civic Education to offer presentations on the third Thursday of each month, from March through June, focusing on the continued struggle for suffrage, voice, and equal representation by those who were left out of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote 100 years ago. This month’s presentation will look at how increasing diversity poses challenges and creates opportunities in Bellingham…
Find out more »Old City Hall History Tour
Take a fun, informative docent-led tour of Old City Hall on Sundays at 12:30pm. Our trained guides take participants down to the basement of Old City Hall to see the historic jail rooms, including a padded cell from the days of prohibition! They share insights into the early use of the basement as the city jail, as well as tell unique stories. Tours include an overview about the architecture of the venerable building, as well as the history of the…
Find out more »Old City Hall History Tour
Take a fun, informative docent-led tour of Old City Hall on Sundays at 12:30pm. Our trained guides take participants down to the basement of Old City Hall to see the historic jail rooms, including a padded cell from the days of prohibition! They share insights into the early use of the basement as the city jail, as well as tell unique stories. Tours include an overview about the architecture of the venerable building, as well as the history of the…
Find out more »Fourth Sundays: Audubon at the Museum
Join volunteers from the North Cascades Audubon Society in the John M. Edson Hall of Birds to learn about migration, conservation, birds in peril, and the importance of studying bird specimens today. The exhibit provides a variety of interactives, including video and audio files, and hands-on activities for children. All ages welcome.
Find out more »The Great Goat Roundup: Translocation of Olympic National Park Mountain Goats
In 2013, the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife began formally cooperating with Olympic National Park to eliminate non-native mountain goats and to augment the remnant native populations in the Cascades, which have declined by 70% or more since the 1950s. Since the summer of 2018, this project, which involves collaboration with numerous tribes as well as students and faculty from Western Washington University, has translocated nearly 300 goats to the Cascades. Dr. David Wallin will review the years of…
Find out more »
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