It’s a FREE First Friday at the Whatcom Museum on Friday, April 3rd! That means FREE Admission and extended hours with some great programs to check out!
From the Whatcom Museum website:
Rock on at the Whatcom Museum this April with activities and crafts celebrating the new exhibition Painted Forest: The Science and Beauty of Petrified Wood. The exhibition showcases stunning fossilized rock specimens from around the world, on loan from the Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks & Minerals. This Free First Friday, combine art and science with hands-on activities like shaping earth treasure trinket dishes and painting glittering geodes using watercolor techniques. Stop by our touch table and hold minerals and rocks from Seattle’s Burke Museum and view displays from Mount Baker Rock and Gem Club. Throughout the day, take a tour of the new art exhibitions in the Lightcatcher and take a guest curator-led tour of Vivid Victorian with Naomi Whiting. In the evening, you can also take a tour of Old City Hall tour to learn more about our iconic building, and don’t miss our evening rock concert with Ike and the Old Man in the Rotunda Room to wrap up your visit.
Sweet Art Tour of Personal to Political for ages 1 – 5
The Lightcatcher Gallery | 250 Flora St. | 10:15 am
Walk through the Personal to Political exhibition with an educator for a short & sweet introduction to the artists whose work is on view. Developed for children 1 – 5 with an accompanying caregiver, we’ll explore the gallery, read a short story, and make a craft inspired by the exhibition.
Baby & Toddler Music Classes with Little Sapling Music
The Lightcatcher Studio | 250 Flora St. | 10:30 am, 11 am & 11:30 am
A fun and engaging music class for littles ages 1 – 5 with an accompanying caregiver. Facilitated by award-winning singer + songwriter, educator, and kid enthusiast Taber Darland.
Geology Show & Share with Mount Baker Rock & Gem Club
The Lightcatcher | 250 Flora St. | 11 am – 3 pm
Mount Baker Rock & Gem club will be on hand to show off marvelous minerals and glittering gems. Stop by to learn about the geologic processes at work in Washington State and ask your own questions about the local gems and minerals under your feet.
Guided Docent Tours of Art Galleries
The Lightcatcher Gallery | 250 Flora St. | 1 & 6 pm
Explore the exhibitions From the Vault: Hard Edge/Soft Ground and Personal to Political: Celebrating the African American Artists of Paulson Fontaine Press with a guided tour.
Burke Museum Rocks and Minerals Touch Table
Old City Hall Rotunda Room | 121 Prospect St. | 1 – 3 pm
Be dazzled by lustrous minerals and wondrous rocks on loan from the Burke Museum. Examine geologic specimens to learn how sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous rocks are formed and test the properties of different minerals to understand the importance of rocks and minerals in our daily lives.
Glittering Geodes Watercolor Painting
The Lightcatcher Studio | 250 Flora St. | 1 – 3 pm
Explore wet-on-wet watercolor techniques as you paint colorful shapes inspired by geodes in our education collection. Then experiment with adding salt to create depth, texture, and shimmer to your geode painting. All ages are welcome to play with watercolors in this drop-in activity.
Vivid Victorian Tours with Guest Curator Naomi Whiting
Old City Hall Gallery | 121 Prospect St. | 3 pm & 6 pm
Join Naomi Whiting, a textile specialist, conservator, and Bellingham resident with a long-standing interest in historical clothing, for a tour of Vivid Victorian: Whatcom County Fashions from 1860-1900. Set against 19th century black-and-white photographs, Vivid Victorian features colorful ensembles that dazzled social events and held up to the rugged streets of the era. Learn about the history behind these dresses and the creation of the exhibition from the curator herself.
Earth Treasure Trinket Dishes
The Lightcatcher Studio | 250 Flora St. | 4 – 6 pm
Shape air-dry clay made from natural earth minerals into customized trinket dishes and trays. Decorate your art with treasures from the earth like shells, sea glass, and rocks to create a piece of one-of-a-kind home decor.
Guided Docent Tour of Old City Hall
Old City Hall | 121 Prospect St. | 6 pm
Explore Old City Hall on a guided tour and discover stories and facts about the building and the characters who once worked in this iconic space.
Ike and the Old Man
Old City Hall Rotunda Room | 121 Prospect St. | 6 – 7:30 pm
Ike and the Old Man are a father-son duo who play an eclectic mix of tunes from the ’50s to the present. Covering songs from The Commodores to Coldplay, from Steve Miller to Stone Temple Pilots—occasionally throwing in some Dave Brubeck and Miles Davis for fun! Listen to classic and contemporary rock music while celebrating the opening evening of Painted Forest.
