WHATCOM MUSEUM ANOUNCES FEBRUARY PROGRAMS

Love your Museum

Brown Bag: Celebrate Ground Hog's Day with Joy Jam!

Thursday, February 2, 12:30 PM

Whatcom Museum Old City Hall, 121 Prospect Street

$3 Suggested donation/museum members free

Joy Jam brings musical light to long, winter days through traditional music from Ireland, Quebec and Cape Breton. The group creatively weaves their special blend of harmonies and rhythms into the magical sound of traditional jigs, reels, polkas, hornpipes and waltzes. The band includes Robin Brown (fiddle), Paul Englesberg (flute and concertina), Marc Leonard (whistles), Merry Teesdale (guitar), and Mixie Eddy (octave mandolin and piano).

Thursday Travelogues: —"North Wales--Wild and Harsh, Poetic and the Past" by Richard Lee 'Dick' Harris

Thursday, February 2, 7 – 9 PM

Whatcom Museum Old City Hall, 121 Prospect Street

$3 Suggested Donation

Come and enjoy an armchair journey to a variety of spectacular and interesting places. Local travelers share their slides and stories as part of this Travelogue Series. No need to pre-register - just bring your curiosity! Light refreshments served. Co-sponsored by Bellingham Parks and Recreation and Whatcom Museum.

School's Out! Workshops at the FIG: Mechanical Marvels I

Friday, February 3, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Whatcom Museum Family Interactive Gallery, Lightcatcher Building, 250 Flora Street

$5/$3 For Museum members, Ages 5+ with an Adult

*Registration Required, Space Limited

Using recycled materials and a battery, build a magnetic crane that works by producing an electrical current. Register at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or at the FIG. Materials included with tuition.

Downtown Art Walk

Friday, February 3, 6:00 – 9 PM

Whatcom Museum Lightcatcher Building, 250 Flora Street

FREE!

Enjoy the exhibitions Lesley Dill's Poetic Visions: From Shimmer to Sister Gertrude Morgan, and Delivered Daily: The News Photography of Jack Carver on this free admission night. The Youth Jazz Band plays from 6:30 – 8 PM.

Curator's Tour: Lesley Dill's Poetic Visions

Sunday, February 5, 2 PM

Whatcom Museum Lightcatcher Building, 250 Flora Street

Free with admission

Join Whatcom Museum Curator of Art, Barbara Matilsky, for an insightful and engaging tour of the Lesley Dill exhibition. Meet in the Lightcatcher entry at 1:45 PM.

Guild Gathering & Program: Evaluating Jewelry Dear to our Hearts

Thursday, February 9, 9:30 AM

Whatcom Museum Old City Hall, 121 Prospect Street

Guests Welcome

Mary Harding, local jeweler and jewelry appraiser will be our presenter. Mary has a national reputation in jewelry appraising and will share some of her experiences in her talk. Coffee at 9:30 AM with the meeting beginning at 10 AM. Open to the public at no charge.

Toddler Art Exploration with Gabriel Miles

Thursdays, February 9, 16, 23, 11 AM – 12 PM

Whatcom Museum Family Interactive Gallery, Lightcatcher Building, 250 Flora Street

$35/$25 For Museum members, Age 2 – 4 with an Adult

Toddlers, with the help of their parents and teaching artist Gabriel Miles, learn about the foundations of art through creative exploration. During the three-session class, new hands-on projects based on works of art in the Lightcatcher galleries will be presented. To register, contact Carrie Brooks at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or (360) 778-8985. Fees will be collected at the first class; materials included with tuition.

Whatcom County Historical Society Program: Good Time Girls Present: Bellingham's Historical Identity

Thursday, February 9, 7:30 PM

Whatcom Museum Old City Hall, 121 Prospect Street

FREE

Join Marissa McGrath and Sara Holodnick, "The Good Time Girls," for an exploration of Bellingham's civic and historical identity. McGrath and Holodnick discuss how they make history accessible to tour-goers, the importance of highlighting our city's well-rounded past, and the value of "edutainment" when discussing underrepresented and marginalized groups.

Brown Bag: The Eruptive History of the Active Volcano in Our Backyard

Thursday, February 16, 12:30 PM

Whatcom Museum Old City Hall, 121 Prospect Street

$3 suggested donation/Museum members free

Dave Tucker, WWU Geology Department research associate, presents the most recent geologic findings about past volcanic activity from Mount Baker and discusses the hazards we can expect in the future. Dave has a Master of Science in Geology from WWU; he has been researching volcanic geology of the Baker area for 15 years and is co-author of an upcoming USGS publication about Baker activity over the past 10,000 years.

Thursday Travelogues: - Scenes from Rwanda – People, Mountain Gorillas and Akagera National Park by Lisbeth and Alan Fritzberg

Thursday, February 16, 7 – 9 PM

Whatcom Museum Old City Hall, 121 Prospect Street

$3 Suggested Donation

Come and enjoy an armchair journey to a variety of spectacular and interesting places. Local travelers share their slides and stories as part of this Travelogue Series. No need to pre-register - just bring your curiosity! Light refreshments served. Co-sponsored by Bellingham Parks and Recreation and Whatcom Museum.

School's Out! Workshops at the FIG: Mechanical Marvels II

Friday, February 17, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Whatcom Museum Family Interactive Gallery, Lightcatcher Building, 250 Flora Street

$5/$3 For Museum members, Ages 5+ with an Adult

*Registration Required, Space Limited

Kids full of energy they need to release? This high-speed workshop is the answer! Using recycled materials, they will build a rubber band race car that is powered by what physicists call potential energy which becomes kinetic energy when released. Register at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or at the FIG. Materials included with tuition.

MixIt: Mardi Gras at the Museum

Saturday, February 18, 8 – 11 pm

Whatcom Museum Lightcatcher Building, 250 Flora Street

$10/$5 for museum members, 21+

Celebrate Carnival with the high-energy sounds of Snug Harbor Band! This brassy 8-piece band infuses upbeat soul with contemporary music and jazz standards. Watch live circus entertainment, masquerade in a mask you make or get a festive facepaint from an expert. Decorate a Mardi Gras necklace in your own way or take inspiration from the necklace in our Lesley Dill exhibition. 21 +. Advance tickets call 778-8963.

Kuntz and Company Presents: Shimmer

Saturday, February 25, 7 PM, $10/ $5 for Museum Members

Sunday, February 26, 2 PM, free with admission

Whatcom Museum Lightcatcher Building, 250 Flora Street

Shimmer is a new dance piece created by Pam Kuntz in response to Lesley Dill's artwork that will be performed in the Lightcatcher galleries, surrounded by Dill's exhibition. Kuntz & Company, a non-profit dance/theatre company is directed by Pam Kuntz and features professional artists collaborating with community participants. This project is supported by a Humanities Washington Opportunity Grant and the Washington State Arts Commission.

Leap Year at the FIG

Wednesday, February 29, 12:30 PM – 4:30 PM

Whatcom Museum Family Interactive Gallery, Lightcatcher Building, 250 Flora Street

Museum Admission/Museum Members Free

Leap to the FIG and learn all about this special day that only occurs every four years. Make art projects or play one of the FIG's very own Leap Year games.