National Geographic’s Greatest Wildlife Photographs

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March 9, 2024 - September 8, 2024

Lightcatcher Building

 

Witness some of the most surprising animal behavior in Greatest Wildlife Photographs, a new exhibition from National Geographic. The very best wildlife pictures from the pages of National Geographic magazine have been chosen to be displayed at the Whatcom Museum. Curated by renowned nature picture editor Kathy Moran, this exhibition is a celebratory look at wildlife with images taken by National Geographic’s most iconic photographers such as Michael “Nick” Nichols, Steve Winter, Paul Nicklen, Beverly Joubert, David Doubilet and more. Showcasing the evolution of photography, the images convey how innovations such as camera traps, remote imaging, and underwater technology have granted photographers access to wildlife in their natural habitat.

For 115 years, National Geographic has pioneered and championed the art of wildlife photography, and captivated generations of engaged audiences with a steady stream of extraordinary images of animals in nature. From the very first such image to appear – a reindeer in 1903 – National Geographic Society’s publications have broken new ground and push the bar higher again and again, establishing an unmatched legacy of artistic, scientific, and technical achievement. These are the Greatest Wildlife Photographs.

 

About the National Geographic Society

The National Geographic Society is a global nonprofit organization that uses the power of science, exploration, education and storytelling to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world. Since 1888, National Geographic has pushed the boundaries of exploration, investing in bold people and transformative ideas, providing more than 15,000 grants for work across all seven continents, reaching 3 million students each year through education offerings, and engaging audiences around the globe through signature experiences, stories and content. To learn more, visit www.nationalgeographic.org or follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

VUMBI PRIDE
Photograph by Michael Nichols 
Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, 2011

SEA LIONS 
Photograph by David Doubilet 
Hopkins Island, Australia, 1984

 

Also coming to the Whatcom Museum in 2024:

Nature photographer take photos with mirror camera on peak of mo

Add YOUR best PNW nature photography to our community photo exhibition! Submissions open now.
GET THE SHOT
March 9, 2024 – September 8, 2024
Lightcatcher Building

Painting of a Megalodon

Celebrating acclaimed scientific illustrator and paleoartist David W. Miller in his largest-ever exhibition.
UNEARTHED: ART & SCIENCE SURVEY THE FOSSIL RECORD
April 27, 2024 – September 29, 2024
Old City Hall

The Whatcom Museum acknowledges that we gather on the traditional territory of the Lhaq’temish – Lummi People – and the Nuxwsá7aq – Nooksack People – who have lived in the Coast Salish region from time immemorial. The Museum honors our relationship with all of our Coast Salish neighbors and our shared responsibilities to their homeland where we all reside today.

Photographer Ronan Donovan

 

The Whatcom Museum is proud to host National Geographic Explorer and acclaimed wildlife photographer Ronan Donovan at the Mount Baker Theatre. His work is also on display in National Geographic’s Greatest Wildlife Photographs, on view in the Lightcatcher building March 9 – September 8, 2024. TICKETS ON SALE SOON!

National Geographic Related Events:

View Calendar

Bellingham resident Errol Mauler and his pets Nuisance, Sam, and Fluff.

The Pet Show

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March 9, 2024 - September 8, 2024October 21, 2023 - April 14, 2024

Old City Hall

Errol Mauler, who lived on Wynn Road, had been informed that his house cats could never be trained to do tricks like Sam, his Fox terrier. Undaunted, Errol spent hours teaching Nuisance and Fluff to jump through a hoop, roll over, leap in and out of a box, climb a ladder, and shake hands. In May 1962, the two felines joined Sam to show photographer Jack Carver just how great they were. Errol went on to teach his cat Herbie how to dial a telephone in 1975, an accomplishment that made it into “Ripley’s Believe It or Not.” This and other heart-warming images of domestic companions, all from the Whatcom Museum Photo Archives, will appear in a new exhibition, The Pet Show, opening in October on Old City Hall’s first floor.

 

Now add YOUR pet to the show!

Animals have held an indelible place in our hearts for thousands of years. From symbols of divinity in ancient Egypt to trusted companions today, we take as many pictures of our pets as we do of our human family members and friends. (Probably more!) So let’s see ’em! Send us your favorite pet photo, and we’ll include it as part of our digital display in The Pet Show gallery in Old City Hall. Then stop by and see your photo along with our archival images that, together, highlight the pets of Whatcom County.

Photo Submission Guidelines:

  • 3 MB minimum photo preferred
  • One photo per family/submission
  • Please include Owner name(s) and Pet Name(s) (optional)

Photos will be reviewed and added to the gallery slideshow the beginning of each week and will be ready for viewing during the museum’s regular hours, Wednesday – Sunday.

Terms:
By submitting a photo, you agree to its use in both the digital gallery slideshow and on the museum’s social media platforms during the run of the exhibition (October 21, 2023 – April 14, 2024). The museum holds discretion on image selection and will not include any image deemed inappropriate. Appropriate images will be retained for posterity in the museum’s photo archives if submitter includes contact address.

 

 

 

The Whatcom Museum acknowledges that we gather on the traditional territory of the Lhaq’temish – Lummi People – and the Nuxwsá7aq – Nooksack People – who have lived in the Coast Salish region from time immemorial. The Museum honors our relationship with all of our Coast Salish neighbors and our shared responsibilities to their homeland where we all reside today.

Twin Sisters Range

Get the Shot

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March 9, 2024 - September 8, 2024October 21, 2023 - April 14, 2024March 9, 2024 - September 8, 2024

Lightcatcher Building

 

Calling all nature photographers! Submissions open NOW

 

Submit your best Pacific Northwest photo for inclusion in our gallery’s digital display, which will be on view during National Geographic’s Greatest Wildlife Photographs exhibition, opening in March. This is a celebration of community photography at its best; open to all ages and skill levels.

 

We’ll see you – and your work – at the museum!

 

*Submissions are limited to three images per person.

 

Also coming to the Whatcom Museum in 2024:

 

The Whatcom Museum acknowledges that we gather on the traditional territory of the Lhaq’temish – Lummi People – and the Nuxwsá7aq – Nooksack People – who have lived in the Coast Salish region from time immemorial. The Museum honors our relationship with all of our Coast Salish neighbors and our shared responsibilities to their homeland where we all reside today.

Museum gallery with abstract paintings hanging on the wall and a pedestal with a black abstract sculpture

Learning to Look

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March 9, 2024 - September 8, 2024October 21, 2023 - April 14, 2024March 9, 2024 - September 8, 2024December 17, 2022 - December 31, 2024

Old City Hall

Abstract image with red and green square and circle shapes and two white vase-like objects in the center

John Cole (1936–2007); Untitled Still Life in Red, c. 1974; Oil on canvas; Gift of Lucille Cole. Whatcom Museum Collection, 2019.10.17.

Art isn’t limited to paint on a canvas. We can see it in the natural world, historical objects, and the architecture around us. We all have the tools to appreciate and understand art. In our new permanent exhibition, Learning to Look, you’ll find that art is everywhere, and art is for everyone.

Comprising of artworks from the collection, Learning to Look, is arranged to break art into seven core elements: line, shape, form, texture, value, space, and color. Through question prompts and interactive activities, the exhibition introduces the world of art to visitors of all ages. By learning to look together, we create a richer understanding of art and its place in our world. Stop in the gallery to learn something new or apply your skills as you explore the diverse works of the collection.

The Museum is offering interactive school tours of this exhibition for K-12 students. Educators can reach out to our Education Department to book a tour.

People looking at an exhibition at the Whatcom Museum

People of the Sea and Cedar

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March 9, 2024 - September 8, 2024October 21, 2023 - April 14, 2024March 9, 2024 - September 8, 2024December 17, 2022 - December 31, 2024

Lightcatcher Building

 

REOPENING FEBRUARY 2, 2024

 

“ln our tradition, our way of life, everything is a living thing.”

– George Swanaset, Sr., Master Carver and Teacher, Nooksack Indian Tribe

With help from valued advisors and guides, the Whatcom Museum reintroduces People of the Sea and Cedar, a permanent exhibition centering the voices and experiences of the Lummi Nation and Nooksack Indian Tribe.

Through first-person storytelling, photography, art, and artifacts, People of the Sea and Cedar presents both historical and contemporary perspectives about the Indigenous communities that have lived in, cared for, and contributed to this region since time immemorial. The gallery explores Tribal traditions, cultural preservation, fights for recognition and equity, environmental stewardship, and artistic and political contributions.

Visitors will also see works by some of today’s influential Indigenous artists, such as Dan Friday, Louie Gong, Jason LaClair, Marvin Oliver, and Susan Point, as well as Salish story poles, created by Master Carvers Morrie Alexander and Dale James in the 1970s and restored in 2022 by Conservators and Master Carvers Felix M. Solomon and Goo’la Slacoon Ralph Bennett.

We sincerely thank members of the museum’s Indigenous Advisory Committee for sharing their time, knowledge, concerns, and hopes for an exhibition that honors Coast Salish history and cultures.

In addition to the guidance of the Whatcom Museum’s Indigenous Advisory Committee, People of the Sea and Cedar is also made possible by generous grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities and Humanities Washington, as well as input, audio recordings, and videography from Children of the Setting Sun Productions.

The Whatcom Museum acknowledges that we gather on the traditional territory of the Lhaq’temish – Lummi People – and the Nuxwsá7aq – Nooksack People – who have lived in the Coast Salish region from time immemorial. The Museum honors our relationship with all of our Coast Salish neighbors and our shared responsibilities to their homeland where we all reside today.

 

National Endowment for the Humanities logo

Humanities Washington logo

 

John M. Edson Hall of Birds

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March 9, 2024 - September 8, 2024October 21, 2023 - April 14, 2024March 9, 2024 - September 8, 2024December 17, 2022 - December 31, 2024

Old City Hall

Opened March 16, 2017; Ongoing; Old City Hall

This exhibit in Old City Hall provides a glimpse into the local history and culture of the Victorian Era, when taxidermy flourished and mounted animals often decorated interior spaces. For the Museum, this collection of birds is also important to the building’s history. If it hadn’t been for John M. Edson, Old City Hall might not be standing here today. While city officials were considering demolishing it, Edson saw an opportunity to not only save the building, but also to create a public museum within its walls. He dreamed of having a permanent home for his bird specimen collection, and the museum became the perfect showcase.

Now, more than 80 years later, the Whatcom Museum has taken this important collection and reinterpreted it as an educational experience. Designed in collaboration with the North Cascades Audubon Society, the exhibit provides opportunities to learn about bird migration, conservation success stories, birds in peril, and the importance of studying bird specimens today. Alongside the interpretive panels and the birds themselves, the Hall of Birds provides a variety of interactive opportunities, including video clips of birds in our local habitats, audio files of Puget Sound-area bird calls, and hands-on activities for children. We look forward to sharing this important collection with visitors for years to come.

The Whatcom Museum acknowledges that we gather on the traditional territory of the Lhaq’temish – Lummi People – and the Nuxwsá7aq – Nooksack People – who have lived in the Coast Salish region from time immemorial. The Museum honors our relationship with all of our Coast Salish neighbors and our shared responsibilities to their homeland where we all reside today.

 

partners

Join volunteers from the North Cascades Audubon Society in the John M. Edson Hall of Birds on the fourth Sundays of each month. Drop-in between 1-3pm to learn more about birds of the Pacific Northwest, as well as about migration, conservation, birds in peril, and the importance of studying bird specimens today.

Pacific Northwest History

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March 9, 2024 - September 8, 2024October 21, 2023 - April 14, 2024March 9, 2024 - September 8, 2024December 17, 2022 - December 31, 2024

Old City Hall

Ongoing; Old City Hall

The Museum’s 1892 Old City Hall building features a variety of exhibits that tell the stories of the building’s architecture, the city’s early days, logging history, and waterfront industry.

Orientation Theater

Get a sense of place, and where we are in this fourth corner of the country, through an audio-visual journey of Old City Hall and the early days of Bellingham. Located on the main level of Old City Hall, in the gallery that was once the first mayor of Bellingham’s office in the late 1890s, you’ll learn a variety of historical facts and trivia.

Green Gold: Logging the Pacific Northwest

Relive the history of logging in our corner of the Pacific Northwest through photographs, artifacts, and stories documenting both the good and the bad of Bellingham’s timber era during the mid- to late- nineteenth century. Historic video footage takes you back to a time when only the sheer strength of the lumberjacks felled the enormous trees. Learn what it took to be a lumberjack, the long days and hard work. Find out what a “road monkey” and a “river rat” did for their jobs.

Maritime History Gallery

Walk into the second floor Allsop Gallery for a lesson on Bellingham’s maritime heritage. From early steam ships, to fisheries, to notable schooners plying the shores of Bellingham Bay, you’ll get a waterfront history overview through photographs, artifacts, interactives, and model ships while looking through the gallery windows to the Bay. See messages visitors have placed in our “Message in a Bottle.” We hope you’ll visit our Maritime Gallery and leave your own message of encouragement.

Model boats from H.C. Hanson designs, created by J.K. “Jim” Young

In 2004, Jim Young visited the Whatcom Museum and learned about the extensive collection of H.C. Hanson original line drawings. Already an experienced model builder, Jim loved the idea of creating intricate, exacting models of vessels that are an important connection to our community. Seven of his Hanson models are now on exhibit, including a fishing trawler, tug, and yacht, all built to scale from the original drawings.

John M. Edson Hall of Birds

Partnering with the North Cascades Audubon Society, this exhibit features our founding collection of more than 500 mounted birds, with interpretation, videos, and hands-on activities highlighting Pacific Northwest flyway zones, migration patterns, habitats, nests, and more.

Learning to Look

Art isn’t limited to paint on a canvas. We can see it in the natural world, historical objects, and the architecture around us. We all have the tools to appreciate and understand art. In Learning to Look, you’ll find that art is everywhere, and art is for everyone. Comprising of artworks from the collection, the exhibition is arranged to break art into seven core elements: line, shape, form, texture, value, space, and color. Through question prompts and interactive activities, the exhibition introduces the world of art to visitors of all ages.

 

The Whatcom Museum acknowledges that we gather on the traditional territory of the Lhaq’temish – Lummi People – and the Nuxwsá7aq – Nooksack People – who have lived in the Coast Salish region from time immemorial. The Museum honors our relationship with all of our Coast Salish neighbors and our shared responsibilities to their homeland where we all reside today.