New Bedford Whaling Museum

Address
18 Johnny Cake Hill
New Bedford, MA 02740 United States Get Directions
Phone (508) 997-0046

Events at this venue

Today

  • Boundless: The Book as Art

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

    What is a book? In its simplest form, it is a repository of words, images, information, or ideas but how can a book be reinterpreted or altered and still be a book? Where is “art” in bookmaking? How do design, structure, and materiality relate to the book as art? These questions underlie Boundless: The Book as Art, a major exhibition in the Wattles Family Gallery opening in October 2026. The New Bedford Whaling Museum has over 20,000 books in its collection that range from rare folios, first editions and scrolls to scrapbooks, journals, logbooks, and artist books. Spanning nearly 500 years, these works were printed around the globe and in dozens of languages and cover topics as diverse as shipbuilding, natural history and global exploration to visual arts, poetry and literature. In Boundless, a variety of book formats from the Museum collection are placed in conversation with works from contemporary artists including Andrea Dezsö (b. 1968), Melanie Mowinski (b. 1970), Anneli Skaar (b. 1969), and Tracey Cockrell who transform and rethink the idea and format of the book. When exhibited alongside historic books, these contemporary works—complex and varying in structure and design—create a dialogue around the boundaries of traditional book […]

  • LIFELONG LEARNING: Short-course in the History of Photography, 1839-1900

    LIFELONG LEARNING: Short-course in the History of Photography, 1839-1900
    New Bedford Whaling Museum 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA, United States

    Co-Led by Naomi Slipp, Douglas and Cynthia Crocker Endowed Chair for the Chief Curator & Director of Museum Learning; Marina Dawn Wells, Assistant Curator of History & Culture This unique virtual course combines six weekly 80-minute sessions of lecture and discussion, with a culminating hands-on workshop at the Museum. Learn what photography is and how it transformed the world directly from experts in the field using the vast resources of the NBWM photography collection as your study materials. Everyone walks around today with a camera in our pocket. But that was not always the case. Our world is saturated with photographic images – from magazine covers and Facebook feeds to Instagram and billboards–but have you ever stopped to wonder how these images work, what they are trying to say to you, or what histories they may connect with? This course introduces life-long learners to the history of photography, from the invention of the medium in 1839 to the birth of Kodak and snapshot photography in 1900. Photographs will be studied as art objects and historical artifacts. Themes include technological innovations; debates between art photography, commercial photography, and documentary photography; government and private patronage; individual or collective endeavors; original and published […]

  • LIFELONG LEARNING: Short-course in the History of Photography, 1839-1900

    LIFELONG LEARNING: Short-course in the History of Photography, 1839-1900
    New Bedford Whaling Museum 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA, United States

    Co-Led by Naomi Slipp, Douglas and Cynthia Crocker Endowed Chair for the Chief Curator & Director of Museum Learning; Marina Dawn Wells, Assistant Curator of History & Culture This unique virtual course combines six weekly 80-minute sessions of lecture and discussion, with a culminating hands-on workshop at the Museum. Learn what photography is and how it transformed the world directly from experts in the field using the vast resources of the NBWM photography collection as your study materials. Everyone walks around today with a camera in our pocket. But that was not always the case. Our world is saturated with photographic images – from magazine covers and Facebook feeds to Instagram and billboards–but have you ever stopped to wonder how these images work, what they are trying to say to you, or what histories they may connect with? This course introduces life-long learners to the history of photography, from the invention of the medium in 1839 to the birth of Kodak and snapshot photography in 1900. Photographs will be studied as art objects and historical artifacts. Themes include technological innovations; debates between art photography, commercial photography, and documentary photography; government and private patronage; individual or collective endeavors; original and published […]

  • Author Book Talk: Janna Malamud Smith

    New Bedford Whaling Museum 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA, United States +1 more

    Thursday, October 29 | 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Free, virtual program; registration required About the Author: Janna Malamud Smith is a writer and psychotherapist. She is the author of five books, Private Matters: In Defense of the Personal Life (1997) and A Potent Spell: Mother Love and the Power of Fear (2003), were chosen as “Notable Books” by The New York Times Sunday Book Review, My Father is a Book: A Memoir of Bernard Malamud (2006), was selected as a Washington Post Best Book of the Year, and a New York Times Editor’s Choice, An Absorbing Errand: How Artists and Craftsmen Make Their Way to Mastery, and When the Island Had Fish: The Remarkable Story of a Maine Fishing Community. Her articles and essays have appeared nationally and internationally in newspapers, magazines and literary journals including The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The International Herald Tribune, The Christian Science Monitor, American Scholar, Family Circle and The Threepenny Review, and she writes regularly for Cognoscenti, an opinion website for WBUR a Boston NPR station. She studied American History and Literature in college, and then pursued a graduate degree in clinical social work. She is mostly retired from clinical practice […]

  • National Authors’ Day 2026

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

    Celebrate National Authors’ Day at the New Bedford Whaling Museum National Authors’ Day, observed each year on November 1, is dedicated to recognizing the writers whose work educates, entertains, and preserves our cultural heritage. In honor of the day, the New Bedford Whaling Museum invites visitors to celebrate the authors who illuminate maritime history, whaling traditions, and coastal life through their words and illustrations. Throughout the day, explore a special pop-up book sale in the Jacobs Family Gallery featuring a thoughtfully curated selection from the Museum Store. Titles will include maritime history, whaling adventures, regional and coastal culture, and illustrated books for both children and adults—perfect for history enthusiasts, families, and lifelong learners alike. Visitors will also have the opportunity to meet select authors in person, hear about the research and inspiration behind their work, and have books signed during the event. These informal encounters offer a unique chance to connect directly with the storytellers and scholars who help bring the Museum’s collections and New Bedford’s seafaring past to life. All activities are included with regular Museum admission. Join us in celebrating the power of storytelling and discover the voices that continue to shape our understanding of the sea and […]

  • LIFELONG LEARNING: Short-course in the History of Photography, 1839-1900

    LIFELONG LEARNING: Short-course in the History of Photography, 1839-1900
    New Bedford Whaling Museum 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA, United States

    Co-Led by Naomi Slipp, Douglas and Cynthia Crocker Endowed Chair for the Chief Curator & Director of Museum Learning; Marina Dawn Wells, Assistant Curator of History & Culture This unique virtual course combines six weekly 80-minute sessions of lecture and discussion, with a culminating hands-on workshop at the Museum. Learn what photography is and how it transformed the world directly from experts in the field using the vast resources of the NBWM photography collection as your study materials. Everyone walks around today with a camera in our pocket. But that was not always the case. Our world is saturated with photographic images – from magazine covers and Facebook feeds to Instagram and billboards–but have you ever stopped to wonder how these images work, what they are trying to say to you, or what histories they may connect with? This course introduces life-long learners to the history of photography, from the invention of the medium in 1839 to the birth of Kodak and snapshot photography in 1900. Photographs will be studied as art objects and historical artifacts. Themes include technological innovations; debates between art photography, commercial photography, and documentary photography; government and private patronage; individual or collective endeavors; original and published […]

  • First Friday: The Art of Hip Hop

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

    Experience the artistry, rhythm, and creative force of hip hop culture during this special First Friday evening at the New Bedford Whaling Museum. Through music, dance, spoken word, and visual expression, this program celebrates hip hop as a dynamic and evolving art form—one that bridges generations and communities through storytelling, movement, and sound. Featuring live performances curated in partnership with 3rd EyE Unlimited, the evening will highlight local and regional talent, including young adults and emerging artists who embody the spirit of creativity, collaboration, and social connection at the heart of hip hop. Enjoy a night of movement and music with a live DJ, dance showcases, and interactive art demonstrations, all set against the backdrop of New Bedford’s historic waterfront in the Museum’s Harbor View Gallery. A cash bar (must present ID) and light refreshments will be available throughout the evening. Program Schedule: 5:00 PM – Doors open; bar and galleries available for browsing 6:00 PM – DJ set: The soundscape of hip hop 6:30 PM – Dance performance featuring local youth and community artists 7:00 PM – Spoken word and graffiti art showcase (presented digitally) 8:00 PM – Collaborative performance: “The Movement of Expression” 8:30 PM – Closing community […]

  • LIFELONG LEARNING: Short-course in the History of Photography, 1839-1900

    LIFELONG LEARNING: Short-course in the History of Photography, 1839-1900
    New Bedford Whaling Museum 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA, United States

    Co-Led by Naomi Slipp, Douglas and Cynthia Crocker Endowed Chair for the Chief Curator & Director of Museum Learning; Marina Dawn Wells, Assistant Curator of History & Culture This unique virtual course combines six weekly 80-minute sessions of lecture and discussion, with a culminating hands-on workshop at the Museum. Learn what photography is and how it transformed the world directly from experts in the field using the vast resources of the NBWM photography collection as your study materials. Everyone walks around today with a camera in our pocket. But that was not always the case. Our world is saturated with photographic images – from magazine covers and Facebook feeds to Instagram and billboards–but have you ever stopped to wonder how these images work, what they are trying to say to you, or what histories they may connect with? This course introduces life-long learners to the history of photography, from the invention of the medium in 1839 to the birth of Kodak and snapshot photography in 1900. Photographs will be studied as art objects and historical artifacts. Themes include technological innovations; debates between art photography, commercial photography, and documentary photography; government and private patronage; individual or collective endeavors; original and published […]

  • LIFELONG LEARNING: Short-course in the History of Photography, 1839-1900

    LIFELONG LEARNING: Short-course in the History of Photography, 1839-1900
    New Bedford Whaling Museum 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA, United States

    Co-Led by Naomi Slipp, Douglas and Cynthia Crocker Endowed Chair for the Chief Curator & Director of Museum Learning; Marina Dawn Wells, Assistant Curator of History & Culture This unique virtual course combines six weekly 80-minute sessions of lecture and discussion, with a culminating hands-on workshop at the Museum. Learn what photography is and how it transformed the world directly from experts in the field using the vast resources of the NBWM photography collection as your study materials. Everyone walks around today with a camera in our pocket. But that was not always the case. Our world is saturated with photographic images – from magazine covers and Facebook feeds to Instagram and billboards–but have you ever stopped to wonder how these images work, what they are trying to say to you, or what histories they may connect with? This course introduces life-long learners to the history of photography, from the invention of the medium in 1839 to the birth of Kodak and snapshot photography in 1900. Photographs will be studied as art objects and historical artifacts. Themes include technological innovations; debates between art photography, commercial photography, and documentary photography; government and private patronage; individual or collective endeavors; original and published […]

  • Author Book Talk: Jen Rose Smith

    New Bedford Whaling Museum 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA, United States +1 more

    Thursday, November 19 | 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Free, virtual program; registration required About the Author: Jen Rose Smith is a dAXunhyuu (Eyak, Alaska Native) geographer interested in the intersections of coloniality, race, and indigeneity as read through aesthetic and literary contributions, archival evidences, and experiential embodied knowledges. She is an Assistant Professor of Geography at the University of Washington, and received her Ph.D. from UC Berkeley in Comparative Ethnic Studies, her Master's Degree from the same department, and holds a BA in English Literature and the Environment from the University of Alaska, Southeast. She has published in Environment and Planning D: Society and Space, Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, and The Geographical Journal. Her first book Ice Geographies: The Colonial Politics of Race and Indigeneity in the Arctic was released by Duke University Press in May 2025. About the Book: Ice animates the look and feel of climate change. It is melting faster than ever before, causing social upheaval among northern coastal communities and disrupting a more southern, temperate world as sea levels rise. Economic, academic, and activist stakeholders are increasingly focused on the unsettling potential of ice as they plan for a future shaped by […]

  • New Ecologies: May Babcock

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

    Providence based artist May Babcock (b. 1986) is an eco-centric artist that creates paper works and sculptural forms from natural materials she sources from local environments. Her masterfully crafted works are rooted in place and reflect the texture, color, and sometimes shape of the grasses, sediment, and fiber she collects and manipulates. In her most recent body of work, on view at the New Bedford Whaling Museum in November of 2026, she creates a collection of “new ecologies” constructed from natural sites around southern New England. “I wander rivers and coastlines, observing novel plant communities surviving in distressed lands and waters. Collected fibers and sediment turns into paper pulp, which coats discarded electrical and internet communication wire. I make many small, abstract sculptures of plant forms and water. With no planning or preparation, and in stream of consciousness, I spontaneously compose these smaller elements into wall sculptures, amalgamations. This act of discovery and connecting reflects the growth of novel relationships—New Ecologies emerging out of collapsing systems.” Bio: I’m May Babcock, a papermaking artist using natural materials in New England. I grew up in rural Connecticut surrounded by forests, rivers and ponds, and vegetable and flower gardens. I received scholarships to […]

  • LIFELONG LEARNING: Short-course in the History of Photography, 1839-1900

    LIFELONG LEARNING: Short-course in the History of Photography, 1839-1900
    New Bedford Whaling Museum 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA, United States

    Co-Led by Naomi Slipp, Douglas and Cynthia Crocker Endowed Chair for the Chief Curator & Director of Museum Learning; Marina Dawn Wells, Assistant Curator of History & Culture This unique virtual course combines six weekly 80-minute sessions of lecture and discussion, with a culminating hands-on workshop at the Museum. Learn what photography is and how it transformed the world directly from experts in the field using the vast resources of the NBWM photography collection as your study materials. Everyone walks around today with a camera in our pocket. But that was not always the case. Our world is saturated with photographic images – from magazine covers and Facebook feeds to Instagram and billboards–but have you ever stopped to wonder how these images work, what they are trying to say to you, or what histories they may connect with? This course introduces life-long learners to the history of photography, from the invention of the medium in 1839 to the birth of Kodak and snapshot photography in 1900. Photographs will be studied as art objects and historical artifacts. Themes include technological innovations; debates between art photography, commercial photography, and documentary photography; government and private patronage; individual or collective endeavors; original and published […]