About the Collection: This exclusive collection of archival prints provides an overview of the works housed within the Whatcom Museum. These stunning prints are the highest quality reproductions ever produced from these works. This exclusive collection will continually be updated as new works are added to the offering.
Michael Lawson, Untitled
FEATURED WORKS
ABOUT THE MUSEUM
Occupying three distinctive and historically significant facilities in the heart of Bellingham’s cultural district, the Whatcom Museum provides rich educational programs and exhibitions about art, nature and Pacific Northwest history. We seek to stimulate inquiry about our changing cultural, natural, and historical landscapes, from the youngest to the oldest minds, and to inspire preservation of and creative contributions to our region.
The Museum’s collections include more than 200,000 artifacts and art pieces of regional importance, including a vast photographic archive. A non-profit organization operated jointly by the City of Bellingham and the Whatcom Museum foundation, the Whatcom Museum is accredited nationally by the American Association of Museums, and is a Smithsonian Institution Affiliate.
History
Established in 1944 as a municipal entity operating out of the 1892 City Hall building (an historic Victorian landmark), the museum has evolved to become the largest museum between Seattle, Washington and Vancouver, British Columbia. Thanks to the efforts of a dedicated community of supporters, the Museum maintained its presence through a devastating fire in 1962, a period of rebuilding that culminated triumphantly in the opening of a fully restored building in 1974, and continued to expand through 1992 with nearby building acquisitions to house research, education, children’s and exhibition needs. However, by the late 1990s it became clear that Museum, which lacked the climate-controlled spaces necessary to host the highest-quality exhibitions, needed a new facility.
Opened in late 2009, the Whatcom Museum’s new Lightcatcher building was conceived as a cornerstone of the city’s nascent cultural district, a family cultural destination that would combine fine art galleries with family interactive space under one, “green” roof. With the addition of the Lightcatcher to the Museum campus and an outstanding response to the facility’s inaugural exhibitions, the Whatcom Museum enhances its status as a notable, Pacific Northwest cultural destination.
Buildings
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Old City Hall is a beloved city landmark, its Victorian cupolas and central clock tower a stately community presence since 1892. Aptly dedicated to local history, the building also continues to fulfill its role as civic center by hosting a variety of public programs.
The Lightcatcher is a striking work of architecture whose iconic, 180-foot long glass wall signals an “idea … so promising that it could be a point of departure for a whole new generation of Northwest contemporary architecture,” according to critic Lawrence Cheek. Featuring fine art and the unique Family Interactive Gallery (FIG), the Lightcatcher also is home to the Museum Store and the Lightcatcher Café.
The Syre Education Center is home to the Museum’s cherished photo archives. A former firehouse, it has been converted to include classroom space and permanent historical exhibits for group tours and school field trips.
![Darius Kinsey, Cliffs of snow and ice 300 feet high, August [1903] on Mount Baker, WA](/graphics/collection_img/145_what0014.jpg)
