Whatcom Museum of History & Art (Bellingham, WA)

City/neighborhood: Bellingham

Hours: Noon-5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday

Features:
Kid-friendly

Related info:
Gallery Guide
Neighborhood art walks

Set in the city's towering, Victorian former city hall with a sweeping view of Bellingham Bay, this impressive art and historical museum is actually a complex of sites along Prospect Street. The Main Building houses art and history exhibits, contemporary art, permanent displays of Victorian clothing, woodworking tools and toys, and a watch museum full of Victorian clocks. The ARCO Exhibit Building handles major changing exhibits of contemporary art; the Syre Education Building displays Northwest Coast and Inuit collections, as well as Victorian period rooms, logging exhibits and natural-history collections. The nearby Children's Museum (the only space to charge an admission of $2.50) is the place for hands-on activities.

With shows of major masters, including works by Willem De Kooning, Jackson Pollack and Andy Warhol, and a recent donation of works by contemporary masters John Cage, Francesco Clemente, Jasper Johns and Kiyoshi Saito, the museum is strong in contemporary art. Many exhibits explore issues of identity, race, ethnicity and popular culture through mixed media and sculptural works. Northwest and contemporary Native American works are also a staple. Programs include: after-hours arts nights, readings, slide and artist lectures and exhibit-related family activity days.

By Paysha Stockton
Special to NWsource