Morabeza: Cape Verdean Community in the South Coast at New Bedford Whaling Museum

New Bedford Whaling Museum 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA, United States

The temporary exhibition Morabeza: Cape Verdean Community in the South Coast is hosted in the San Francisco galleries, adjoining the permanent gallery devoted to Cape Verdean culture that opened in 2011. It features personal stories, oral histories, music, photographs, and belongings from individuals and community organizations to tell the story of the Cape Verdean diaspora across the region, spanning the South Coast, Rhode Island, and Cape Cod.

Claridade: Cape Verdean Identity in Contemporary Art at New Bedford Whaling Museum

New Bedford Whaling Museum 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA, United States

In 2025, communities across the world will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Cape Verdean independence from Portugal. New Bedford and the greater South Coast area of New England are home to one of the largest and longest-standing Cape Verdean communities outside of Cabo Verde. In marking this occasion, the New Bedford Whaling Museum presents the Contemporary Cape Verdean 2025 project, which explores the Cape Verdean American and Cape Verdean experience through the lens of contemporary art and community storytelling. The exhibition Claridade: Cape Verdean Identity in Contemporary Art, hosted in the Wattles Family Gallery, weaves together work by contemporary Cape Verdean and Cape Verdean American visual artists and filmmakers. The title of the exhibition is inspired from the Cape Verdean literary review Claridade that ran intermittently from 1936 to 1960. Portuguese for “clarity” or “light,” the publication served as a platform for discussion and analysis around Cape Verdean identity. Working as a space for similar reflections and consideration, the exhibition will include sculpture, fiber arts, mixed media works on paper, paintings, poetry, and video installation and include artists who were born on Cape Verde, those who emigrated to the United States, and those born in the United States and the […]

Deep Sea Monsters: Halloween Day at the Whaling Museum

New Bedford Whaling Museum 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA, United States

Dive into a Halloween-themed afternoon at the Whaling Museum, where maritime history meets spooky fun! Discover the stories of "monsters" brought home by sailors throughout history, embark on a scavenger hunt with some not-so-scary spooky whales of our own, and join an undersea quest in the movie Deep. Some of the "monsters" brought home by sailors were based on partial sightings of real animals, and were magnified by fear, imagination, and the perils of whaling life. These included: Kraken – The legendary giant squid, said to drag ships beneath the waves. Modern science confirms colossal squids (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) do exist, with eyes the size of dinner plates. Leviathan – A biblical sea serpent, sometimes described as a monstrous whale. Likely inspired by sperm whales, which can grow over 60 feet long and dive a mile deep. Sea Serpents – Frequently reported in the 18th and 19th centuries, often likely sightings of oarfish, long ribbon-like fish that can exceed 30 feet. Merfolk & Sirens – Rooted in sightings of manatees and dugongs, transformed into eerie tales by sailors’ imaginations. Ghost Whales – Pale, scarred whales that evaded harpoons inspired legends and stories like Mocha Dick, the real-life inspiration for Moby-Dick. These […]

Free

The Captain’s Coup: Activist Journalism on the Portuguese Revolution

New Bedford Whaling Museum 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA, United States

The Captain’s Coup: Activist Journalism on the Portuguese Revolution Part Three of the 2025 Portuguese Lusophone-World Lecture Series Illustrated Presentation for The Captains’ Coup Book Event: 2025 Professors Daniela Melo and Timothy Walker will present highlights from their new scholarly edition of Wilfred Burchett’s writing on Portugal’s 1974 “Carnation” Revolution—published in English for the first time by Verso Books (UK). Drawing on Burchett’s original English-language manuscripts discovered in the National Library of Australia, their illustrated talk explores the role of activist journalism in documenting the downfall of Europe’s longest-standing dictatorship and the grassroots mobilization that made it possible. About Wilfred Burchett (1911–1983) Wilfred Burchett was a prolific and controversial Australian foreign correspondent described by some as “one of the most important journalists of the twentieth century.” He gained international prominence for his groundbreaking reporting on the “atomic plague” in Hiroshima following the 1945 U.S. bombing. Burchett’s work on the Portuguese Carnation Revolution includes rare, in-depth interviews with military leaders, political figures, and everyday people—farmers, fishermen, factory workers, and rural women—offering a vivid and inclusive account of the revolution’s impact. His reporting foregrounds popular mobilization over elite narratives, illuminating the emotional and narrative dimensions of political transformation.

$5 – $10

First Friday: Punk Meets Classical, The Legge Family Jam & More

New Bedford Whaling Museum 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA, United States

Join us at the New Bedford Whaling Museum on First Friday, November 7, for an electrifying night of music led by Ian Legge, the genre-defying punk cellist and Berklee College of Music graduate known for blending formal classical training with raw punk energy. Ian has performed and recorded with a diverse range of artists, from the Grammy Award Winning 8-Bit Big Band to Sum 41, NOFX, A Wilhelm Scream, and more. Now he is releasing his first full length album of covers called Arrangements Vol. I, featuring a total of 10 tracks consisting of 5 string arrangements and 5 full-band arrangements from bands such as Ramones, Blink 182, Turnstile, New Found Glory, Descendents, and more! The evening kicks off in the Cook Memorial Theater with the 5-string arrangements performed by Ian and The Punk Cellist Quartet, followed by a spirited Legge Family jam session in the Jacobs Family Gallery, and culminating in a full-blown punk show in the Harbor View Gallery, where Ian will perform the 5 full-band songs from the album, along with other local punk acts.—all curated to take the audience on a progressive ride through genre, tradition, rebellion…and the Museum!More about Ian Legge Known as “The Punk […]

$10 – $20

Tracing your Ancestors: Researching Cape Verdean Genealogy

New Bedford Whaling Museum 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA, United States

Join leading archivists and genealogical researchers as they describe personal journeys to trace their ancestral roots and share useful tools and fruitful avenues for conducting your own genealogical research. Moderated by Naomi Slipp, Douglas & Cynthia Crocker Endowed Chair for Chief Curator and Director of Museum Learning at the New Bedford Whaling Museum, this free, online program is a unique opportunity to learn more about how to find the branches on your family tree with a special focus on Cape Verdean-descended people, and is offered as a companion to the Museum’s Cape Verdean Contemporary project. About the speakers: A proud Cape Verdean, Carl J. Cruz is a past member of the Board of Trustees and Co-Chair of the Cape Verdean Advisory Committee at the New Bedford Whaling Museum, Vice-President of the New Bedford Historical Society, and a member of the Board for the New Bedford Free Public Library. Cruz curated the exhibition "From Slavery to Freedom, Frederick Douglass The New Bedford Years, 1838-1842” and is an avid historian and genealogist, with a passion for sharing the stories of his family and the region with others. Cynthia Evans is the Director of Research for 10 Million Names at American Ancestors. She […]

Free

Sailors’ Series: Young Sailors, Big Horizons

New Bedford Whaling Museum 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA, United States

Adventure. Teamwork. Resilience. In just four years, the Community Boating Center’s OffShore team has logged more than 7,500 nautical miles with 150 young sailors and coaches—building confidence, skill, and community every step of the way. This past summer, the team embarked on their biggest challenge yet: competing in their first international race, the Marblehead to Halifax. Against seasoned competitors, the crew not only held their own—they triumphed, bringing home a division win. Now, hear the story directly from the sailors themselves. Team members will share unforgettable memories from their transformative journey, the highs and lows of offshore racing, and what comes next as they set their sights on the 2026 Newport to Bermuda Race. Come be inspired by these remarkable young voices, join in the conversation during an engaging panel discussion, and enjoy a post-program reception with the sailors. This program will include a moderated panel discussion with opportunities for audience Q&A, followed by a reception.

Free

Moby-Dick Virtual Book Club

New Bedford Whaling Museum 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA, United States

Join the Moby-Dick Book Club, a virtual three-part series exploring Herman Melville’s iconic American novel. Whether you're reading it for the first time or returning to it with fresh eyes, all are welcome to take part in engaging, thought-provoking conversations led by some of the world’s leading Melville scholars. Marina Wells, Assistant Curator of History & Culture, will moderate the series, which meets virtually on the third Tuesday of the month in September, October, and November 2025 from 5:30 to 6:30pm. These sessions will prepare readers for the 30th Moby-Dick Marathon at the New Bedford Whaling Museum, taking place on January 3, 2026. Each session centers on a guiding theme and includes a suggested reading schedule—but participants are encouraged to read at their own pace and join when they can. Bring your thoughts, questions, and interpretations to share with fellow readers and Melville experts alike. Virtual Session Schedule: Tuesday, September 16, at 5:30pm Extracts to Chapter 47 Theme: Making Meaning in Moby-Dick Featured Guests: Professors Tony McGowan & Tim Marr Tuesday, October 21 at 5:30pm Chapter 48 to Chapter 95 Theme: Race, Nation, and Representation Featured Guests: Professors Bob Wallace & Wyn Kelley Tuesday, November 18 at 5:30pm Chapter 96 […]

SIMULCAST: We the People Yo-Yo Ma plays Bach’s Cello Suites

New Bedford Whaling Museum 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA, United States

This November, Yo-Yo Ma will perform Bach’s complete suites for solo cello for the first time in one evening at home in Boston. It’s music that he has offered to communities on all six continents, in moments of joy and in times of tragedy. For him, it exemplifies how culture helps us to seek truth, build trust, and act in service. This is more than a concert for Yo-Yo: it is an invitation to listen to each other and the world around us, to celebrate our community and the ways in which people all over the world—and here in Massachusetts—are bringing us together, creating shared space for connection, reflection, and action, and imagining a better future. Live broadcast, one night only Enjoy a live simulcast of the event as it happens, from The New Bedford Whaling Museum. Hear every note and get an up-close view of Yo-Yo Ma’s artistry. People across Massachusetts will come together in libraries, theaters, and community spaces to enjoy a powerful, uplifting evening of music, free of charge and for one night only. Celebrate the power of connection, reflection, and imagination: join friends and neighbors for this must-see live broadcast! Admission to this simulcast event is […]

Free

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Photo Credit: Josh Souza