A SINGULARLY MARINE & FABULOUS PRODUCE”:

Wattles Gallery

Opening: June 16, 2023 | Closing: December 3, 2023

“This kelp, oar-weed, tangle, devil’s-apron, sole-leather, or ribbon-weed,— as various species are called,—appeared to us a singularly marine and fabulous product, a fit invention for Neptune to adorn his car with, or a freak of Proteus.” Cape Cod, Henry David Thoreau

Drawing together a wide range of media made by men and women between 1800 and today, the exhibition explores how American, European, and British audiences were drawn to the myriad unique and mysterious qualities of this vegetation of the sea.

This exhibition centers around one painting, Seaweed Gatherers, created in Pont-Aven, France by Acushnet, Massachusetts native Clement Nye Swift. The painting depicts the shoreline economy of seaweed collection for iodine production, and was exhibited in the 1878 Paris salon, before being shipped to the United States when Swift returned home in 1881. Swift’s painting serves as a vehicle for exploring the wide-ranging social meanings of intertidal zones and seaweed, and its uses as depicted in French, British, and American art and culture.

The exhibition programming and 230-page catalog make connections between the cultural histories of seaweed, and the urgent environmental issues of today related to climate change, global food insecurity, and sustainability. How is seaweed a material of interest in the past, and providing critical answers to our future?

Message From The Treasurer

As Treasurer of the New Bedford Whaling Museum, it is my pleasure to provide an overview of the Museum’s 2022 financial performance.

Our goal for 2022 was to outperform the prepandemic year of 2019 and we did, with an 8% increase in total revenue and support compared to that benchmark. On a year over year basis, once again our loyal and generous community of supporters came together with the result that contributed income for operations was up 20% from 2021. This support from donors/members was vitally important as this was the first year in three without the benefit of government relief funding.

Given our strong balance sheet and recognizing and anticipating the continuing economic uncertainties, the Museum made an important in-year decision to run a planned deficit (our first in ten years) in order to make a series of well-considered investments. These investments supported staff capacity building and marketing outreach in order to continue advancing the goals outlined in our five-year strategic plan. As a result, we improved our product and attracted 70,000 to the Museum’s offerings including a rich slate of exhibitions, programs, events, and now 3-D movies in our theater.

On the capital side and in a difficult year for markets generally, the Museum ran a successful campaign that added $654 thousand to its modest but vital endowment and raised more than $2.5 million toward the planned expansion at the adjacent 11 William Street property acquired in 2021.

After ten plus years with the same auditor it was time we put our account out for competitive bid. We did and ended up choosing the same auditor. Last month, our annual financial audit was completed and a clean opinion issued, assuring us that the Museum continues to demonstrate its commitment to fundraising efficiency and strong fiscal management. This commitment has earned the Museum the highest Candid “Platinum Seal” and the top four-star rating from Charity Navigator.

As I write, 2023 is off to a strong start. As usual, we aim to exceed our goals and your expectations in the year ahead. I encourage you to visit the Museum often to enjoy all that you love, and be surprised by all that is new. Your generosity and trust keep the New Bedford Whaling Museum vibrant and strong –thank you!

Hardwick (Wick) Simmons, Treasurer