Friday, August 14
9:00 AM–5:00 PM | Explore the Museum (Free with Museum Admission)
Included with purchase of Museum Admission, Museum Membership, or Weekend Pass.
Enjoy:
- Self-guided exploration using Bloomberg Connects
- Guided Museum tours at 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM
- Family whale scavenger hunt
- 3D theater experience (+$4)
10:00 AM–4:00 PM | Seamen’s Bethel Open House (Suggested Donation)
Visit the historic chapel and Herman Melville statue as part of your self-guided exploration of New Bedford’s Melville landmarks.
10:30 AM | In the Footsteps of Douglass & Melville Walking Tour (Free)
A guided walking tour presented by the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park & Visitors Center. (Meet at the National Park Service on William Street.)
11:00 AM | Herman Melville Statue Dedication (Free)
Join Mayor Jon Mitchell, New Bedford Port Society President Phil Oliveira, sculptor Stefanie Rocknak, and community leaders at the Seamen's Bethel for the unveiling of the bronze monument honoring the acclaimed author at the historic chapel that inspired the Whaleman’s Chapel in Moby-Dick.
1:30 PM | Welcome Gathering
Meet fellow attendees while enjoying lemonade, fresh fruit, coffee, tea, and cookies in the Harbor View Gallery.
2:00 PM | Opening Remarks
Marina Dawn Wells, Ph.D., Assistant Curator of History & Culture, welcomes attendees and reflects on New Bedford’s influence on Herman Melville and Moby-Dick.
2:15 PM | Featured Conversation & Audience Q&A
Naomi Slipp, Ph.D., Chief Curator & Director of Museum Learning, moderates a conversation with Adrienne LaFrance, Executive Editor of The Atlantic.
Topics include:
- Melville as journalist and cultural critic
- The legacy of The Atlantic
- Why Moby-Dick continues to resonate through politics, media, technology, and identity
3:30 PM | Coffee Break & Book Browsing
Refreshments and opportunities to meet presenters and continue the conversation.
3:45 PM | Melville Scholars’ Roundtable
Moderated by Marina Dawn Wells, Ph.D., join a lively discussion with Melville Scholars on a range of topics:
- Labor, obsession, morality, and the sea
- New Bedford as Melville’s creative catalyst
- Why Melville continues to matter today
Featured Melville Scholars
- Bob Wallace
Wallace is past president of the Melville Society, and co-founded the Melville Society Cultural Project at the New Bedford Whaling Museum in 2001. He coordinates the art collection of the Melville Society Archive, where he has curated exhibits on "Melville’s Maritime Prints," "Melville and Douglass" and "The Art of Whaling."
- Mary K. Bercaw Edwards
Bercaw Edwards is a Professor of English at the University of Connecticut. Her publications include Sailor Talk: Labor, Utterance, and Meaning in the Works of Melville, Conrad, and London (2021) and Cannibal Old Me: Spoken Sources in Melville's Early Works (2009). A U.S. Coast Guard-licensed captain, Bercaw Edwards has 58,000 miles at sea, all under sail.
- Gerard Anthony McGowan
McGowan is a scholar of 19th-century American literature and an authority on the work of Herman Melville. Affiliated with the United States Military Academy at West Point, his research examines Melville’s engagement with maritime culture, global exchange, and the philosophical currents of his time.
5:30–7:30 PM | Cocktail Reception & Visit to the Herman Melville Statue (Ticketed)
Enjoy live music in the Lagoda Gallery before strolling across the street to the newly installed Herman Melville statue for photographs, and remarks by the sculptor Stefanie Rocknak, and special performances celebrating Melville’s connection to New Bedford.
7:30 PM | Melville After Dark
Continue the evening with the Pearly Baker Band as part of the Summer Sound Series on Purchase Street, followed by literary salons hosted by community partners featuring readings, music, storytelling, and Melville-themed activities.
