Recent Programs
2024
This Valentine’s Day, bring your valentine, galantine or palentine – as you wish – for a fun movie party, featuring themed drinks and food.
Presented in collaboration with the South Coast LGBTQ+ Network, the New Bedford Whaling Museum will host a special screening of the recently released Netflix film Rustin, followed by a discussion with community leaders.
Did you know that a women scientist is behind the world’s most comprehensive blue whale database? Learn more about Dr. Diane Gendron’s research and blue whales in general by watching for FREE our Blue Whales: Return of the Giants 3D film before it leaves the New Bedford Whaling Museum on March 17th.
The New Bedford Whaling Museum welcomes UMass Dartmouth Biology seniors who’ll be presenting their capstone projects on the biggest emerging issues expected to impact marine and coastal biodiversity conservation in the near future.
AHA! We HeART NB at the New Bedford Whaling Museum with an immersive art and music experience, amid the Framing the Domestic Sea exhibition.
Let your creativity set sail as we celebrate a remarkable figure in American history! Join us during February School Vacation Week for a hands-on exploration of the remarkable life and legacy of Captain Paul Cuffe. Cuffe was a seafarer, entrepreneur, educator, and visionary who became one of the wealthiest men of color in the nation.
Musician Joaquin Santos and The Dope Lotus are known for their distinctive soulful vocals, tight funky grooves, and poetic authenticity to their musical story.
Fire up your winter season with internationally renowned djembefola Sidy Maiga and steel pannist Becky Bass. Between performances, experience the joy of learning some drum beats from the djembe master himself, alongside other curious learners.
“A passionate and powerful blend of infectious Americana melodies and folky instrumentation, Matthews delivers her honest songwriting through a beautifully raw and unfiltered lens. Oozing soul, her voice bleeds with emotion and gratitude, while simple piano melodies and upbeat percussion fill you with appreciation and love for the people around us who fight for change.” — Ear Milk
Join artist Roy Rossow for an evening of art, creativity, and observation. Explore Rossow’s exhibition “The Stars That Guide Us,” and participate in a painting workshop with the artist himself overlooking the New Bedford waterfront at sunset.
INUNDATION DISTRICT is a feature-length film about the implications of one city’s decision to ignore the threats posed by climate change and spend billions of dollars on building a new waterfront district — on landfill, at sea level.
Virtual discussion focusing on the complex human relationships with seals over millennia and how that’s changed in a variety of ways over the past 4,000 years and continues to evolve as seals rebound in our region.
Navy Day, hosted with Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport, offers a full schedule of fun and educational opportunities for the public to experience the Navy’s role in environmental preservation, marine mammal protection, and underwater research, as well as the Museum’s extensive historical collection.
Kick off this year’s Moby-Dick Marathon with a delicious dinner in our Harbor View Gallery, followed by a captivating lecture, featuring master printer Jos Sances, and Melville Scholar Jeff Peterson, Ph.D.
The Sailors’ Series is an annual program that presents a wide variety of experiences and adventures by individuals with lifelong commitments to sailing, boats, and the sea.
Did you know that the average visitor only spends 21 seconds in front of a work of art? Let’s change that, together! Celebrate Slow Art Day at the New Bedford Whaling Museum on Saturday, April 14, 2024 and explore our Framing the Domestic Sea: Photographs by Jeffery C. Becton exhibition.
The New Bedford Light’s Fine Arts Club is a place to celebrate talented local artists; a marketplace where buyers, enthusiasts and artists meet.
IN THE WHALE is an award-winning feature-length film about arguably the greatest fish story ever told, though this one is true. It’s the account of a man who survived to tell the tale of being swallowed by a whale, and what happened after he was spit out.
2023
Join the New Bedford Whaling Museum for an interactive and fun animation workshop lead by artist and animator Eric of Lightbox Collaborative.
Offered in partnership with Sippican Lands Trust Join Dr. Carolyn Tepolt for a guided exploration of the tidepools along Brainard Marsh in Marion, MA. Learn about the shoreline ecosystem and identify different types of seaweed. Great for families. Wear footwear that can get wet!
Join us on April 16th for a special anniversary screening of James Cameron’s TITANIC with pre-show food and activities inspired by the film. Costumes Encouraged!
Join us for our next Lyceum Series program, featuring keynote speaker GEORGE M. JOHNSON, an Award-Winning Black Non-Binary writer, author, and activist.
Join us in-person or on Zoom as we welcome Museum Members to the 120th Annual Members’ Meeting.
The Whaling Museum is excited to bring the 26th Annual Manhattan Short Film Festival to New Bedford again. Join more than 100,000 film lovers across 400 venues and six continents to simultaneously screen and vote on The Final Ten to select the Best Film and Best Actor awards.
Audience members will participate in a dramatic “Meeting of the Body of the People”, then follow the fife and drum players to the Bourne Building gallery to experience a recreation of the “Destruction of the Tea”.
In Porto Santo, an archipelago of Madeira island, the drought rages. Gonçalves, a local farmer, tries to overcome the situation with the help of Bastiana, his loved one.
In a fishing village, José and Maria, a deeply religious couple, married for a year, did not consummate their union, in compliance with a solemn vow of chastity taken when a violent storm sank José’s father boat, nevertheless he saved himself with a crushed leg.
Together we can make an impact! Join in the fun and repurpose single-use plastics by creating a plastic jellyfish to bring home or donate to the New Bedford Whaling Museum’s upcoming Community Blooms exhibition by artist Katy Rodden Walker.
Together we can make an impact! Join in the fun and repurpose single-use plastics by creating a plastic jellyfish to bring home or donate to the New Bedford Whaling Museum’s upcoming Community Blooms exhibition by artist Katy Rodden Walker.
Together we can make an impact! Join in the fun and repurpose single-use plastics by creating a plastic jellyfish to bring home or donate to the New Bedford Whaling Museum’s upcoming Community Blooms exhibition by artist Katy Rodden Walker.
Together we can make an impact! Join in the fun and repurpose single-use plastics by creating a plastic jellyfish to bring home or donate to the New Bedford Whaling Museum’s upcoming Community Blooms exhibition by artist Katy Rodden Walker.
Join the New Bedford Whaling Museum on Thursday, February 9 and say “Forever Yours” with a color-your-own greeting card based on a Sailor’s Valentine.
Set your course for the New Bedford Whaling Museum’s newest exhibition – All Hands – this Veterans Day Weekend and learn about the important connections between the United States Navy and the American whaling fleet.
Calling all families – Come and join fellow explorers as we tour the icy winter wonderland of the Arctic this February School Vacation at the New Bedford Whaling Museum!
Admission to the New Bedford Whaling Museum on August 2, 2023 is free all day thanks to Highland Street Foundation and August Adventures! Marvel at five massive whale skeletons, explore the world’s largest ship model (Lagoda), and enjoy works by internationally known artists and regional talents.
Join the Museum as we engage hands-on-learning around seaweed and sea creatures in a fun and creative way. Families will be able to take home their own crafts!
Catembe documents the seven days of a week in the daily life of Lourenço Marques.
Portuguese Cinema in relation to the Sea Movies, Conversations & Workshops Cinema Português de Relação com o Mar Filmes, Conversas e Oficinas
We invite you to a special program offered in concert with our Common Ground exhibition, where we hear from storytellers and invite you to reflect on and share your own connections to the SouthCoast. The event begins with stories in the Cook Memorial Theater, followed by a cocktail reception with lite bites and access to the exhibition space.
We invite you to a special program offered in concert with our Common Ground exhibition, where we hear from storytellers and invite you to reflect on and share your own connections to the SouthCoast. The event begins with stories in the Cook Memorial Theater, followed by a cocktail reception with lite bites and access to the exhibition space.
We invite you to a special program offered in concert with our Common Ground exhibition, where we hear from storytellers and invite you to reflect on and share your own connections to the SouthCoast. The event begins with stories in the Cook Memorial Theater, followed by a cocktail reception with lite bites and access to the exhibition space.
During the vacation weekdays we will have a variety of Arctic activities from 9:30-11:30 each morning (Monday-Friday). Examples include crafts, take home activity sheets, a trivia game based on clues put up around the Jacobs Family Gallery (Our Whales Today Gallery)
Enjoy the museum afterhours, margaritas under the whale bones, traditional music of Mexico, and a participatory art project inspired by Mexico’s most iconic figures Frida Kahlo & Diego Rivera.
Come for the listening hour to enjoy traditional music of the Cape Verde Islands (Morna) and of Portugal (Fado), then stay for the cocktail social and access to the entire museum afterhours – a Good Friday indeed!
First Friday featuring internationally renowned djembefola Sidy Maiga and köra player Yacouba Diabaté. After the listening hour, experience the joy of learning some drum beats from the djembe master himself, alongside other curious learners on drums that he’ll provide.
Join us for the next First Friday, on Friday, July 7, for an after-hours immersive evening of spoken word within our latest exhibitions “A singularly marine & fabulous produce: the Cultures of Seaweed” (Wattles Gallery) and “Now and Soon & Somehow Forever” (Center Street Gallery). Poetry in art and art in poetry!
Join us for our September First Friday and enjoy the museum after-hours with renown violinist Mark Russell, who will be strolling through gallery spaces to enhance your audio visual experience from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. Complimentary lite bites and a cash bar will be available.
Join us at the Whaling Museum for the first Friday in August, as we continue our music journey around the world, featuring Celtic music with Aoife Clancy and Eddie Dillion.
Join us for October’s First Friday and enjoy the local sounds of DJ Andrew “Anj” Kepinski, who will be stationed upstairs amongst our main level galleries to enhance your experience until 8:00 PM. Complimentary lite bites and a cash bar will be available.
Join the New Bedford Whaling Museum High School Apprentices to celebrate their spring exhibition, Framing Our Heritage! Explore the exhibition, hear from Apprentice artists and curators, and enjoy light refreshments in the Harborview and San Francisco galleries.
In 2022, New Bedford Creative at the NBEDC oversaw the successful completion of the first-ever place-based pilot of Creating Connection in New Bedford, a national initiative by Arts Midwest to make creative expression a recognized, valued, and expected part of everyday life.
In this first fully painted feature film, a young man retraces the life and mysterious, tragic death of the world’s most famous artist, Vincent van Gogh. Meet local artist Kat Knutsen, one of the film’s 125 artists!
Falacha is the captain of a fishing boat of Nazaré who lost part of his men in a shipwreck. Among them was the husband of Aunt Aurélia, who holds Falacha responsible for this tragedy.
Ambushed by a powerful French frigate, Captain Jack Aubrey (Russell Crowe) and the crew of HMS Surprise embark on a high seas chase around the world to capture the enemy ship at any cost.
In collaboration with the New Bedford Whaling Museum, FABRIC Arts Festival presents Mátria with Catarina Gonçalves. A sensorial journey to the womb of the São Miguel Island where Natália Correia, a Portuguese poet, writer, and congresswoman, was born exactly 100 years ago.
One of the world’s best known live readings of Herman Melville’s iconic American novel Moby-Dick takes place every January at the New Bedford Whaling Museum. The Moby-Dick Marathon draws readers and enthusiasts from around the globe to the Museum’s campus and to the reading online.
Navy Day, hosted with Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport, offers a full schedule of fun and educational opportunities for the public to experience the Navy’s role in environmental preservation, marine mammal protection, and underwater research, as well as the Museum’s extensive historical collection.
Roundtable discussion between artists Candice Smith Corby and William Pettit, with Naomi Slipp, Chief Curator, NBWM. Reception to follow.
Get up close with New Bedford Whaling Museum collections that picture or are made from polar bears. These include an adult polar bear skin rug, Native Alaskan cribbage boards and animal carvings, popular trade cards, patches, and advertisements, arctic prints, and photographs.
Explore a local cranberry bog in Marion and take in the spectacular views of 23-acres of bogs surrounded by small ponds and upland forests.
This “Spring Awakening walk” at Dunham’s Brook Conservation Area will highlight a range of diverse natural habitats.
Osprey Marsh is a 19.8-acre parcel of protected upland woods, wetlands and marshland offering spectacular water views of Planting Island Cove. The recently completed Osprey Marsh Boardwalk allows for wheelchair users and people with limited mobility.
Roundtable discussion with artist and printmaker Daniel Ranalli, Katie Moore, Manager of the Marine Mammal Rescue and Research, IFAW, and Naomi Slipp, Chief Curator, NBWM. Reception to follow.
The Sailors’ Series is an annual program that presents a wide variety of experiences and adventures by individuals with lifelong commitments to sailing, boats, and the sea.
The Sailors’ Series is an annual program that presents a wide variety of experiences and adventures by individuals with lifelong commitments to sailing, boats, and the sea.
This multi-panel exhibit dives into the daily lives of these specially-adapted animals, with a focus on harbor and gray seals, the two most locally abundant species.
Join us at the Whaling Museum on Saturday, October 21 for hands on seaweed exploration with Paul Dobbins, Senior Director of Impact Investing and Ecosystems Services, Aquaculture at the WWF-US.
Get in touch with the marine environment at this workshop making Marine Botanical Seaweed Pressings! Sign up to learn about the history of seaweed pressings from the Victorian Era and other interesting facts about marine algae!
Roundtable discussion with experts in the culture and aesthetics of seaweed – including in painting, decorative arts, literature, and visual and material culture – moderated by Naomi Slipp, Chief Curator, NBWM. Light reception to follow.
Roundtable discussion with experts in modern seaweed applications – including sustainable aquaculture, renewable foodways, as a biofuel alternative, and a mode of carbon sequestration – moderated by Naomi Slipp, Chief Curator, NBWM. Light reception to follow.
Join us for The Adventures of Cray, story time with G Pa Rhymes on Thursday, July 13 at 4:00pm.
In 2022, the New Bedford Whaling Museum was awarded a major, competitive national grant through the “Save America’s Treasures” program to conserve one painting of our 22-panel panorama series: Charles Sidney Raleigh’s Panorama of a Whaling Voyage. Program attendees will be invited to view the newly conserved painting in person, seeing it as it would have looked in 1880.
Join informal conversations with experts, aficionados, librarians, archivists, curators, historic preservation specialists, historians, and collectors.
Join us on Thursday, November 2 at the New Bedford Whaling Museum for an enriching evening dedicated to Lusophone culture and heritage, featuring the popular Maria Lawton – Author, Host, and Producer of the award-winning PBS series Maria’s Portuguese Table.
Join us for a special evening – a combination of lecture and live music – featuring lecturer Manuel F. Costa, Jr., the Director of the Regional Museum of Pico, with his son Francisco Costa for the music portion of the evening.
The Portuguese & Lusophone-world Lecture Series presents: The Portuguese and Cod Fishing in the Northwest Atlantic, a Legendary Heritage with Álvaro Garrido.
Integrating marine science, animation and original music, The Underwater Carnival provides a fun, immersive experience for families to explore and compare whale species’ behaviors and characteristics.
Join us for a day-long symposium, where renowned and emerging scholars explore the global carving traditions from across the Pacific Rim that were influenced by, sat in conversation with, and had an influence on “Yankee” whaling scrimshaw.
Get ready for the “family fun band” in the Jacob’s Family Gallery with interactive silly songs and dancing, complete with giant puppets!
Join us for a screening of the 86-minute-long film, followed by a facilitated discussion with Constance R. Perry and Dain Perry. In the feature documentary Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North (2008), Producer and Director Katrina Browne uncovers the story of her forefathers, the DeWolf family of Bristol, RI, who were the largest slave-trading family in US history.
Under the Sea, the New Bedford Whaling Museum’s annual summer benefit, celebrates our ties to the sea, each other, and the coastal communities with whom we share this connection.
Join the New Bedford Whaling Museum and David Weeden, Deputy of the Tribal Historic Preservation Department and a Mashpee Wampanoag Councilman, as he discusses ties between the Wampanoag Tribe and the museum’s recent exhibition, Re/Framing the View: Nineteenth-Century American Landscapes.
In collaboration with the New Bedford Whaling Museum, FABRIC Arts Festival presents WE SEA, an Azorean band from São Miguel who have gained recognition in the regional and national circuit in recent years.
Chief Curator Naomi Slipp will discuss how some women of the nineteenth-century carved out successful careers as professional artists painting landscapes and still lifes.
Ready to eat again? A Blue Whale would be – they can eat up to 16 tons of food a day! That amount of krill could fill an entire dump truck. Learn even more amazing facts about these incredible animals at the New Bedford Whaling Museum during Thanksgiving weekend.
2022
Join us in-person or watch on Zoom as we welcome Museum Members to the 119th Annual Members’ Meeting. Hear from our Featured Speaker, Matthew Fisher, the Principal of Night Kitchen Interactive, and our Keynote Speaker, Daniel H. Weiss, the President & CEO of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Culture*Park returns to the New Bedford Whaling Museum with their annual Short Plays Marathon on Saturday, November 12th.
The New Bedford Whaling Museum is excited to bring the 25th Annual Manhattan Short Film Festival to New Bedford again. Join more than 100,000 film lovers across 400 venues and six continents for the ultimate audience award that salutes the creative talents of both directors behind the camera and actors in front of it.
Come behind the frame and explore for FREE the New Bedford Whaling Museum’s most recent temporary exhibition, Re/Framing the View: Nineteenth-Century American Landscapes. Featuring both local and national artists, this exciting exhibition is a chance to question what we “see” in traditional landscape scenes versus what we know was happening just out of view.
April Vacation Week April 18 – April 22 Expanded Hours! The Museum is now open 7 days a week, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm. During April school vacation week, we invite families to explore themes of art, history, and culture throughout the museum. From 9:30 am-no …
Behind the Scenes: The New Bedford Whaling Museum Collection and Its Challenges
February 17, 2022 February 17, 2022
Feb 17th at 7PM: Virtually join Naomi Slipp, NBWM Chief Curator, and Jordan Berson, NBWM Director of Collections, for a roundtable discussion with Steven Lubar, Professor of American Studies, History, and History of Art & Architecture of Brown University, as they discuss the challenges and benefits of managing a large Museum collection
Join award-winning author, José J. Cabral, as he discusses his recent publication, “Acushnet Avenue (Pelos Caminhos de Chiquinho),” as he takes us through a lively presentation of the novel’s protagonist’s footsteps. Learn about Cabo Verde and the Cabo Verdean American odyssey, of not only surviving but thriving, since the whaling industry, in maintaining and promoting the relationship between the US and Cabo Verde.
Join members of your local business community for a mid-week “wine” down at the New Bedford Whaling Museum!
Join us this summer as we come together to celebrate our connection to the sea, and the coastal communities it connects.
The New Bedford Whaling Museum has teamed up with Machado Silvetti Architects to explore areas for expansion and renovation. The team from Machado Silvetti will share insights to the project and invite attendees to voice their thoughts and feedback directly to the group.
Hey Kiddos! Time to get those hands muddy and break out your artistry at a fun, no-experience-needed clay workshop just for kids! Form and build a beautiful clay coral, inspired by the New Bedford Whaling Museum’s latest exhibition, “Turn the Tide: Courtney Mattison.” Art materials provided. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Limited space available.
Calling All Educators! Visit the Museum for our teacher centered event that mixes fun, connection, and exploration just for you! Join us as we highlight the Museum’s new programs, hands-on activities, and other local organizations that can add learning and fun into your classroom. Featuring music, drinks, games, and raffles underneath the Museum’s iconic whale skeletons!
Join artist, Henry Horenstein, and New Bedford Whaling Museum Chief Curator, Naomi Slipp, as they discuss the photography in this series of works, which he calls “a portrait of a unique place and time. A history.” Meet the artist and enjoy light refreshments.
Meet the artist, William Shattuck, and enjoy light refreshments as he discusses his artwork alongside Chief Curator, Naomi Slipp.
Exhibition Viewing and Roundtable Discussion – The Azorean Spirit: The Art of Domingos Rebêlo
April 7, 2022 April 7, 2022
Join us for an exhibition viewing and reception, followed by an hour-long lively talk surrounding Rebêlo’s paintings, works on paper, and his legacy.
Visit the New Bedford Whaling Museum after hours! This 21+ event mixes art, history, science, and entertainment into the First Friday of every month over the summer. Each night will feature music, signature cocktails, and lots of fun!
Visit the New Bedford Whaling Museum after hours! This 21+ event mixes art, history, science, and entertainment into the First Friday of every month over the summer. Each night will feature music, signature cocktails, and lots of fun!
Keep our neighborhood “Front and Centre” this holiday shopping season. The shops and organizations on Front, Centre, N. Water, William and Bethel streets are hosting our second annual holiday market on Sunday, November 27th from 12-4pm in historic downtown New Bedford. Shop local for everyone on your list.
Young artists are invited to submit original works of art that highlight the accomplishments and stories of women featured in the “Lighting the Way: Historic Women of the SouthCoast” project. Art that is chosen to be a part of the Ignite showcase will be shared at a showcase on Thursday, April 21, 2022, at 6:00pm.
Introducing our Lighting the Way to Justice Walking Tours! Join educators from New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park and NBWM to explore New Bedford through the stories of women who fought for Justice.
Women have shaped and been shaped by the historic port of New Bedford for centuries. Join Lighting the Way experts Ann O’Leary and Mary Howland Smoyer for a special walking tour featuring the stories of women who will give you new insights into the whaling and fishing industries as well as the city’s historic role in the Underground Railroad.
Navy Day, hosted with Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport, offers a full schedule of fun and educational opportunities for the public to experience the Navy’s role in environmental preservation, marine mammal protection, and underwater research, as well as the museum’s extensive historical collection. Admission to the museum on Navy Day is free for all valid Department of Defense identification card holders, veterans, and their families.
Join Our Sisters’ School’s 6th Grade Sister Sailors for their Family Art Showcase, as they exhibit the “City that Lit the World,” discovering “What We can Learn about our Community through History and Place.”
Acclaimed Poet and Novelist, Frank X. Gaspar, will speak about the challenges and satisfactions of writing about the Portuguese-American experience. Gaspar, whose ancestors came from the Islands of Pico and Sao Miguel, was born and raised in the West End of Provincetown, MA. His writing has been praised for their depiction of a vital and passing part of Americana, but Gaspar also focuses on literary heritage of Portuguese communities and the readership of Portuguese-American literature.
Re/Framing the View: Nineteenth Century American Landscapes The Slocum’s River Reserve Guided Walk
November 19, 2022 November 19, 2022
Similar to other coastal New England villages situated at tidal fall lines, the Slocum’s River and Russell’s Mills area of Dartmouth was a center of colonial trade and small-scale industry, as well as a hub for Native American life. This guided walk will inform visitors about how the contemporary landscape of this area links historical land uses with concerns for the future such as sea level rise due to climate change. The tour route will include unpaved trails of easy to moderate terrain. This walk may not be accessible to visitors in wheelchairs or with similar mobility needs.
Join contributing authors to the Sailing to Freedom volume, our keynote speaker, Fergus M. Bordewich, and other historians for a conference that examines the historical record and recent research about the maritime Underground Railroad.
Join Captain and Director for the National Historic Park and Landmark, Schooner Ernestina Morrissey, Tiffany J. Krihwan, for a lively talk about Ernestina Morrissey’s amazing history. Tiffany will explore the vessel’s story as one of the oldest traditionally rigged of its kind and how it continues to set sail. She’ll also share how her sailing career led her to becoming Captain of the Commonwealth’s Official Vessel and faculty member at Massachusetts Maritime Academy.
Join the New Bedford Whaling Museum as we learn how to save the species amongst the most challenging forces in The Last of the Right Whales film, produced and directed by Nadine Pequeneza of HitPlay Productions.
The Overseas Freeway: Maritime Workers and Fugitives in the Struggle against Slavery
May 19, 2022 May 19, 2022
Join us to discuss this groundbreaking exhibition that expands our understanding of how freedom was achieved by sea, and what the journey looked like for many African Americans.
Feb 24, 2022 at 7:00 PM – Join Miguel Moniz (PhD, Brown University) as he presents a broad survey of Portuguese and Cape Verdean immigration to the Upper Cape throughout the 20th century, exploring facets of cultural, economic and political life, and how these differed from the urban settings of New Bedford, Fall River, and the Boston area.
Hear from internationally-recognized artist, Courtney Mattison, as she showcases her hand-crafted and intricately detailed ceramic sculptural works and shares the story of how she arrived at the intersection of art and science, creating monumental artwork for projects around the world aimed at inspiring hope, action, and community engagement.
Join Elizabeth Lowe, Endowed Chair in Portuguese Studies at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, as she discusses why João de Melo and Antônio Lobo Antunes are important authors to read and translate, despite their being “difficult” writers.
Celebrate International Underground Railroad Month with a walking tour commemorating women who played important roles in New Bedford’s abolitionist movement. This one-hour walking tour of downtown New Bedford departs from the New Bedford Whaling Museum.
2021
You Be the Judge! Which of these Final Ten short films is the best? MANHATTAN SHORT is the ultimate audience award that salutes the creative talents of directors behind the camera and actors in front of it.
2021 Moby-Dick MarathonA celebration of all things Moby-Dick and Melville The 2021 Event The 2021 Moby-Dick Marathon A celebration of all things Moby-Dick and Melville 2021 Dates: Friday, January 8 – Sunday, January 10 Special Features and Bonus Activi …
In this two-part program, explore Ryder’s prophetic vision through his poetry, the poetry of others (including your own), and poetic themes in his paintings.
April Vacation Week The Museum will be back open 7 days a week, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. starting April Vacation Week. April Vacation Week April 19 – April 23 Expanded Hours! The Museum will be back open 7 days a week, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. starting April Vacation We …
Free Admission! This is the Highland Foundation’s AUGUST ADVENTURE day. Admission is free and we are offering special Creature Feature programming! Advance timed-entry reservations (FREE) are strongly recommended.
Celebrate Azorean American music, folklore, and maritime traditions.
Take a voyage of discovery through ancestry, whaling, and other Atlantic crossings with third-generation Azorean-American Scott Anderson to explore connections between the Azores, New Bedford, and Rhode Island.
The New Bedford Whaling Museum is seeking recorded submissions of spoken poems, recited by the authors, that draw inspiration from the visual art and writings of Albert Pinkham Ryder
Join artists and co-curators of the New Bedford Whaling Museum’s landmark exhibition A Wild Note of Longing: Albert Pinkham Ryder and A Century of American Art for a discussion about Ryder’s legacy.
Young artists are invited to ignite interest in the impact of women from the region through original art projects inspired by Organizing New Bedford: Women Who Mobilized Change, a new digital exhibit featuring seven women from Lighting the Way: Historic Women of the SouthCoast.
VIRTUAL 30th International Panorama Council Conference – The annual International Panorama Conferences are intense encounters, connecting the past, present and future of the panorama phenomenon worldwide.
Seasonal refreshments, exclusive exhibition previews, and special shopping discounts for Whaling Museum members.
A centuries-old New England tradition of learning through intellectual debate.
Gather your pod under the tent in Paul Cuffe Park on Johnny Cake Hill for Picnic on the Hill. Celebrate summer, relax, reconnect and enjoy haute picnic foods, cocktails, live music, and conversation. At-home Picnic-on-the-Go option available.
Join Monica DeAngelis, marine mammal biologist and Principal Investigator for the study, and Whaling Museum Associate Curator of Science and Research Robert Rocha for an informative discussion of monitoring efforts conducted in Rhode Island and New York…
With Dr. Andrea Bogomolni. Learn about collaborative research and engagement that is helping us understand our complex relationship with seals in the northwest Atlantic.
The Eruption of Insular Identities: A Comparative Study of Azorean and Cape Verdean Prose with Brianna Medeiros
Join the New Bedford Whaling Museum and the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth’s Center for Portuguese Studies and Culture in welcoming Ricardo Serrão Santos, the Portuguese Minister of Maritime Affairs and distinguished scholar of marine science.
Sailors’ Series The Sailors’ Series illustrated lectures present a wide variety of experiences and adventures by individuals with lifelong commitments to sailing, boats, and the sea. Supported by Ruth and Hope Atkinson Supported in part by Th …
Stormy Isles: An Azorean Tale Join Francisco Cota Fagundes as he shares his translation of 1944’s Mau Tempo no Canal and explores the relationship between the U.S. and the Azores. “Stormy Isles: An Azorean Tale” Translating Literary Heterolingualism an …
Strike a Pose!: The Yoga Challenge & Experience SouthCoast Spring Arts 2021: Strike a Pose!: The Yoga Challenge & Experience Local arts organizations are launching an innovative celebration of the arts across the South Coast region in May 2021. …
In this hour-long talk, Michael Moore will talk about his new book, We Are All Whalers: The Plight of Whales and Our Responsibility. The journey will be a raw but hopeful one.
2020
117th Annual Members’ Meeting A virtual meeting via Zoom May 20, 2020. 117th Annual Members’ Meeting May 20, 2020 4 pm virtual meeting via Zoom Registration was required Annual Report to Members Welcome from the Chair Treasurer’s Report Governance Chai …
Herman Melville’s literary masterpiece was celebrated at the Museum’s 2020 readathon of Moby-Dick.
A Voyage of Discovery with Skip Finley Author and historian Skip Finley shared some of the stories he uncovered while researching his book titled Whaling Captains of Color – America’s First Meritocracy. A Voyage of Discovery with Skip Finley Virtual Pr …
A Youth Showcase of Art Inspired by Historic Women of the SouthCoast. Young artists were invited to ignite interest in the impact of women from the region through original art projects.
Michael Lapides, Director of Digital Initiatives, explored the Museum’s photo archives and shared images depicting the lives of our most essential workers via Zoom.
Visitors joined us this February school vacation week to get expressive during the New Bedford Whaling Museum’s ART WEEK!
George Gale: A Sea-nurtured Artist Virtual Talk An exploration of the remarkable artist and mariner, George A. Gale, with Curator of Maritime History Michael P. Dyer. George Gale: A Sea-nurtured Artist Virtual Talk June 3, 2020 Virtual Talk via Zoom Re …
Virtual attendees joined artist Alison Wells and Whaling Museum Curator of Social History Akeia de Barros Gomes for a discussion of Alison’s artistic journey
Inside Out! Virtual Curator Talks For each two-week outdoor exhibition, a virtual curator talk was presented via zoom. All Curator Talks were via Zoom. Past Curator Talks Monday, August 10, 2020 Inside Out! Youth Voices for the Ocean Curator Talk with …
The Museum’s annual lecture series presents a wide variety of experiences and adventures by individuals with lifelong commitments to sailing, boats, and the sea.
Lighting the Way for All Honoring the unfinished legacy of the women’s suffrage movement through public art. Lighting the Way for All Virtual Public Art Unveiling Thursday, August 13, 2020 5:30 – 6:00 pm | Free Via Zoom No was registration required Thi …
Lighting the Way Votes Honoring the struggle for voting rights by making sure all voices are heard in the 2020 Election. Lighting the Way Votes resources were available here! Honor the struggle for voting rights by making sure your voice is heard …
Private Film Screening – Finding 52 Private Film Screening – Finding 52 December 18, 2020 6:30 pm Film Showing 8:00 pm Q&A with the Director via Zoom Tickets: $5 Finding 52: The Search for the Loneliest Whale in the World is a cinematic quest to fi …
Sailors’ Series The Sailors’ Series illustrated lectures present a wide variety of experiences and adventures by individuals with lifelong commitments to sailing, boats, and the sea. Supported by Ruth and Hope Atkinson Supported in part by Th …
SouthCoast Film Forum Presents: Maiden In 1989 Tracy Edwards leads the first all-female crew in the grueling Whitbread Round the World Race. Ultimately this film has strong messages about teamwork, communication, perseverance, and courage. SouthCoast F …
Virtual Lecture: The Last Voyage of the Whaling Bark Progress Attendees joined Dr. Gifford to rediscover the Progress’ fascinating story and what it reflects about New Bedford’s past and the process of turning the whaling industry into a “museum piece. …
Virtual Curator Talk: Art, Culture, and Adaptation with Elizabeth James-Perry Aquinnah Wampanoag, whaling descendant, and marine scientist Elizabeth James-Perry discussed her exhibition and how it connects to her family history, Wampanoag culture, and …
Virtual Film Screening: Entangled by David Abel Virtual film screening of Entangled followed by a Q&A with the director. Virtual Film Screening: Entangled by David Abel with Q&A November 13, 2020 7:00 pm Film Showing 8:15 pm Q&A with the Di …
Virtual Performance & Lecture: KabuMerikanus – The Sum of US Exploring The Cabo Verde – United States Musical Connection and Legacy with Candida Rose Virtual Performance & Lecture With Candida Rose Candida Rose is a 2nd generation, Cape Verdean Ame …
Aquinnah Wampanoag whaling descendant, and marine scientist, Elizabeth James-Perry, discussed her art …
A conversation with Dr. Akeia de Barros Gomes about what inspired this community-based project…
Panel Discussion – presented by the New Bedford Whaling Museum and the YWCA of Southeastern Massachusetts
2019
The Nautical Antiques Show kicked off this year’s Scrimshaw Weekend and featured high-quality antiques from some of New England’s most respected dealers.
An exploration of deep cultural ties and discovery of mainland Portugal, in 2019.
The Museum’s annual read-a-thon of America’s most iconic novel, Moby-Dick. Besides the main reading, the event included two mini-marathons: a Portuguese-language reading of an abridged Moby-Dick and a children’s version of the novel.
The world’s only forum devoted to the indigenous shipboard art of whalers during the “Age of Sail.”
Gaps in Analysis and New Perspectives on Whaling, World Cultures, and Contemporary Issues.
An anthology that includes sixty-one poems – all written since 2000 by contemporary American poets. A new Spinner Publications release and edited by Elizabeth Schultz and Kylan Rice.
Artists were invited to submit proposals that interpret and speak to the Cape Verdean experience in Cabo Verde or the United States for this Whaling Museum exhibition.
To celebrate the life, times, and legacy of one of New England’s most remarkable figures.
Experts in the field explored and discussed the exhibition De Wind is Op! and related themes in greater depth at this one-day symposium.
A rare behind-the-scenes look at an oceanographic research expedition in action during a live link with scientists who are exploring the wreck of the Portland.
In June, the New Bedford Whaling Museum hosted a free professional development workshop for educators. Presented by Lighting the Way: Historic Women of the SouthCoast
Educators mingled with colleagues and New Bedford Whaling Museum staff, enjoyed light refreshments and giveaways, and previewed Whaling Museum education programs during this special after-school event.
Showcasing many forms of media from our local community, this exhibition was in honor of Judge George N. Leighton.
An exhibition exploring the Collection through the lenses of wind, climate, and the sea as the drivers behind a uniquely Dutch national identity. The opening reception was free and open to the public.
Reception and celebration for the opening of this apprentice-designed exhibition.
The Museum’s February Vacation Week featured Captain Paul Cuffe Day and free “Whales Today” fun. A special ocean-themed New Bedford Science Café Kids took place on Friday.
A documentary film about the fight over the world’s richest fishing grounds. Presented in partnership with the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center.
Film Screening: Melville in Love A documentary on Herman Melville, the writing of Moby-Dick, and Melville’s secret love affair. AHA! night at the Museum. Film Screening: Melville in Love AHA! Night at the Museum February 14, 2019 Melville in Love tells …
Whaling Museum admission was free on Friday, August 9th! Sponsored by the Highland Street Foundation.
An indoor guided tour of the New Bedford Whaling Museum’s collections, exploring the historical impact of inspiring SouthCoast women.
Alex Bocconcelli, Research Specialist at WHOI, dove deep into the history of beaked whales.
Dr. Richard Connor’s lecture brought attendees ‘onboard’ for 30 years of incredible dolphin discoveries.
On this free one-hour tour, stories were told about the lives of historic women who lived and worked on Spring and Seventh Streets in New Bedford, Massachusetts.
On AHA! night, young people ages 12 to 25 years lit up the night with brilliant words illuminating the lives of historic women of the SouthCoast.
A complimentary event for Museum Members featuring seasonal libations, festive hors d’oeuvres, and live music.
A selection of culturally rich, adventure-packed and inspiring documentary films curated from the Mountainfilm festival.
Visitors learned how the U.S. Navy and the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) contribute to the protection of marine mammals, and more at the Museum’s newly installed Whales Today exhibition.
An evening with Emmy-nominated comedian, political satirist and host of CNN’s United Shades of America. W. Kamau Bell is known for his incisive, scathingly funny commentary on modern society.
Kids and young scientists discovered how dolphins and fish communicate, learned how sound travels in the ocean, found out creative ways that scientists cut down on ocean noise pollution and listened to the language of right whales.
Party for the Ocean: Winds and Waves Edition A free family event at the Museum – exploring wind, waves, whales, and ocean health. Party for the Ocean: Winds and Waves Edition Wednesday, July 31, 2019 10 am – 3 pm Jacobs Family Gallery FREE and open to …
Right Whale Day Learn to eat, see, and hear like a right whale! Hands-on marine-themed crafts and activities help foster a greater appreciation for the status and plight of this magnificent marine mammal. Right Whale Day Learn to eat, see, and hear lik …
Chief Curator Dr. Christina Connett Brophy explored some of the exceptional Golden Age paintings, in the current exhibition, through a fresh lens.
This year’s opening lecture featured stories of the Abel-J, the research vessel that William Watkins journeyed on to gather his foundational recordings of marine mammal bioacoustics.
Sailors’ Series: Azorean Whaleboat Design and Regatta An exploration of the rich heritage of the Azorean whaleboat with Bruce Halabisky, from design through restoration, and its emergence as a modern international racing class. Supported by Ruth and Ho …
Present a Museum Day ticket for free admission on Saturday, September 21, 2019.
Activities included Right Whale Day on Monday, NASA Space Day: Explorations of Faraway Places on Thursday presented by New Bedford Science Café Kids, and more!
Family programs explored wind, waves, whales and local history all summer long!
The evening reception was followed by a special seated dinner in the Bourne Building.
Who stole the jewels from the Whaling Museum’s collection and why? Presented by the New Bedford Whaling Museum High School Apprentices.
Whales Today Live An interpretive dance performance by Tilted Collab Dance Company of Cambridge, MA, inspired by the new exhibition Whales Today. Whales Today Live June 1, 2019 6 pm Reception and Exhibition Viewing 7 pm Performance The New Bedford Whal …
