Submitted by Whatcom Museum
Note: Due to extended COVID-19 restrictions, the Museum campus is closed through January 13, or until further notice. The Museum Store remains open at 25% capacity. Please check here for updates.
January Programs
Whatcom County Historical Society
History of Dirty Dan Harris by Lanny Little (Virtual)
Thursday, Jan. 14, 7:30–9pm; $5 suggested donation/Members free
Register here
Local painter and muralist Lanny Little will give a presentation on beloved Fairhaven historic icon Dirty Dan Harris. Learn more about Dirty Dan and his influence on Bellingham, specifically Fairhaven. Little’s murals can be found throughout the area. He has also created videos about historic buildings in Fairhaven, the Mount Baker Theatre, and the history of railroads in the Pacific Northwest. The program format is via YouTube livestream. A link to access the livestream will be emailed to registrants the day of the event. You can also visit our YouTube channel to watch the talk.
Humanities Washington
Civil Conversation in an Angry Age by David Smith (Virtual)
Thursday, Jan. 21, 6–7pm; $5 suggested donation/Members free
Register here
At what point does the conversation become a battle? Philosopher David E. Smith takes a deep look at those moments when civility breaks down. Smith explores how we can have meaningful, respectful conversations on notoriously difficult topics like politics, religion, and morality. This presentation is part of Humanities Washington’s Speakers Bureau. Registration is free but required. Participants will receive an email confirmation with the Zoom login info once they sign up.
North Cascades Audubon Society
Fourth Sundays: Audubon at the Museum
Sunday, Jan. 24, 1:30–3:30pm* (drop-in); Included with admission/members free
Old City Hall | 121 Prospect St.
A volunteer from the North Cascades Audubon Society will be on hand in the John M. Edson Hall of Birds to answer questions about migration, conservation, birds in peril, and more. All ages welcome. Volunteers and visitors will follow social distancing. Check our website for hours and potential closures. *Please check the Museum’s website for closure updates.
North Cascades Audubon Society
A Tale of Two “Puffins” (Virtual)
Tuesday, Jan. 26, 7–8:30pm; Free
Register here
In 2004, a team of collaborators has been assessing the status and trends of two closely related “puffins,” the rhinoceros auklet and tufted puffin, on coastal and Salish Sea colonies. Scott Pearson from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife will describe the natural history and breeding habitats for these seabirds and compare population trends and more. Registration is free but required. Participants will receive an email confirmation with the Zoom login info once they sign up.
February Programs
Collectors Show and Tell (Virtual)
Saturday, Feb. 6, 2–3:30pm; $5 suggested donation/Members free
Registration coming soon on Eventbrite.com
Do you have a collection of unique items? We’ve got the event for you! In commemoration of our Anatomy of a Collection exhibition, we are inviting community members to show off their collections in a virtual “Show and Tell.” The program consists of a panel with three prominent collectors followed by a community show and tell. Apply on our website if you wish to present your items. Registration is free but required. Participants will receive an email confirmation with the Zoom login info once they sign up.
Whatcom County Historical Society
Washington State Northwest Regional Archives with Janette Gomes (Virtual)
Thursday, Feb. 11, 7:30–9pm; $5 suggested donation/Members free
Registration coming soon on Eventbrite.com
Archivist Janette Gomes of the Northwest Regional Branch of the Washington State Archives will give a presentation about the branch, which is based on the WWU campus. The branch acts as a resource for public records and information management and holds records such as birth, death, and marriage documents, court records, and more. The program format is via YouTube livestream. A link to access the livestream will be emailed to registrants the day of the event. You can also visit our YouTube channel to watch the program.
North Cascades Audubon Society
Intro to Raptors of Northwest Washington
Tuesday, Feb. 23, 7–8:30pm; Free
Register here
Join Sue Cottrell for an introduction to the 15 raptor species seen in Northwest Washington. Cottrell has studied birds of prey and guided outdoor trips for more than 30 years. Cottrell will share her current research and photos of her projects working with red-tailed hawks and American kestrels. Registration is free but required. Participants will receive an email confirmation with the Zoom login info once they sign up.
North Cascades Audubon Society
Fourth Sundays: Audubon at the Museum
Sunday, Feb. 28, 1:30–3:30pm* (drop-in); Included with admission/members free
Old City Hall | 121 Prospect St.
A volunteer from the North Cascades Audubon Society will be on hand in the John M. Edson Hall of Birds to answer questions about migration, conservation, birds in peril, and more. All ages welcome. Volunteers and visitors will follow social distancing. Check our website for hours and potential closures. *Please check the Museum’s website for closure updates.
Exhibitions
Vintage Vaudevillians
Through Jan. 17, 2021
Old City Hall | 121 Prospect St.
Curated by Jeff Jewell, Historian and Archivist
This photographic exhibition in Old City Hall’s first floor main gallery highlights a dozen vaudeville acts that performed in Bellingham in the early 20th century. Originally used to promote the acts, these publicity photos were saved by James Warwick, stage manager at downtown theaters during vaudeville’s heyday.
All Dressed Up…
Jan. 30 – July 11, 2021
Old City Hall | 121 Prospect St.
Curated by Maria Coltharp, Collections Curator
When one thinks about the Whatcom Museum collections, many things may come to mind: The John M. Edson Hall of Birds, the masterpieces in the art collection, the Photo Archives, or the history collection. Perhaps lesser known is the incredible clothing collection that includes hundreds of examples of historic garments spanning from the 1800s through the mid-20th century. Historic clothing has the ability to transport people to a different time or place. All Dressed Up…will highlight some of the more colorful examples of artistry-as-fashion in the Museum’s collection.
Conversations Between Collections: The Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Whatcom Museum
Through March 7, 2021
Lightcatcher Building | 250 Flora St.
We’re pleased to present three American masterworks from the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM). Two exhibitions titled Conversations Between Collections highlight the three works on view from the SAAM in conversation with art from our permanent collection. Fritz Scholder’s Indian and Contemporary Chair, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith’s State Names, and Jasper Francis Cropsey’s The Coast of Genoa allow for fresh perspectives around investigations of place and identity.
Anatomy of a Collection: Recent Acquisitions and Promised Gifts
Through March 21, 2021
Lightcatcher Building | 250 Flora St.
Curated by Amy Chaloupka, Curator of Art
To mark 10 years since the Lightcatcher building’s construction, the Whatcom Museum is celebrating works of art welcomed into the permanent collection during this time. This exhibition acknowledges the long-standing relationships with area artists and patrons who have helped to shape and expand the collection. More than 70 works are on view, many for the first time at the Museum.
Ongoing Exhibitions
Jac Trautman: The Specter of the Young and Indigenous
Ongoing
Lightcatcher Courtyard | 250 Flora St.
Jac Trautman is a photographer and artist from Seattle and a member of the Duwamish tribe. In this series of seven photographs that incorporate splitting and projection techniques in their single-exposure frames, Trautman presents the various ways in which people project their idea of landscape onto the world. The subjects of his photographs are tribal youth of the Lummi Nation who collaborate with Children of the Setting Sun Productions to create the Young and Indigenous Podcast. The podcast is a forum for the Lummi community to express their opinions and share untold stories.
People of the Sea and Cedar: A Journey Through the Tribal Cultures and History of the
Northwest Coast
Lightcatcher Building | 250 Flora St.
People of the Sea & Cedar shares the history and art of the Northwest Coast Native people, blending both historical and contemporary perspectives. View historic photographs and artifacts from the Museum’s collection, participate in hands-on learning experiences, listen to a Lummi language interactive, and watch videos showcasing Lummi and Nooksack weavers and carvers.
John M. Edson Hall of Birds
Old City Hall | 121 Prospect St.
Designed in collaboration with the North Cascades Audubon Society, the Hall of Birds features the Museum’s founding collection of more than 500 mounted birds accompanied by interactive opportunities for visitors to learn about bird migration, conservation, habitat, and more.
