Gary Jobson (photo: Billy Black)

Gary Jobson, world-class sailor and president of US SAILING will be the first of 12 distinguished speakers in a combined lecture series beginning on Thursday, February 2 at the Whaling Museum.

Gary Jobson will present “Sailing: Speed and Passion.” A world class sailor, television commentator and author, Jobson is President of US SAILING, the national governing body of sailing in the United States. He has authored 17 books on sailing, is Editor-at-Large of Sailing World and Cruising World magazines and has been ESPN’s sailing commentator since 1985. In October 2003 he was inducted into the America’s Cup Hall of Fame by the Herreshoff Marine Museum. In 1999, Jobson won the Nathanael G. Herreshoff Trophy, US SAILING’s most prestigious award. He currently races a Swan 42, Mustang, and an Etchells, Whirlwind.

Jobson’s illustrated talk is the first of 12 programs scheduled this winter and spring – February 2 through May 10 – part of the Whaling Museum’s three signature lecture series now combined: the Sailors’ Series (5 programs), Man and Whales (3 programs), and the Old Dartmouth Lyceum (4 programs). Held on Thursday evenings, all programs include a reception at 6:30 p.m. in the Jacobs Family Gallery followed by the lecture at 7:30 p.m. in the Cook Memorial Theater.

Admission to each lecture: member, $15; non-member, $20. Select any number of programs when you confirm. Subscription to the combined series: members, $165.00 for all 12 lectures; non-members, $225.00. For tickets please call (508) 997-0046 Ext. 100.

The Sailors’ Series (SS) celebrates its 22nd year with illustrated lectures presenting a wide variety of experience and adventures by individuals with lifelong commitments to sailing, boats, and the sea. Thursdays: February 2 and 16, March 22, April 12 and 19.

The Man and Whales series (M&W) examines our changing views of marine mammals with science-themed lectures that bring focus to important whale conservation topics through the expertise of those who dedicate their professional lives to these issues. Thursdays: March 1, 15 and 29.

The Old Dartmouth Lyceum series (ODL) illuminates broader historical themes with fine and decorative arts by examining significant holdings in the Museum collection, including 19th century landscape painting, ceramics and glassware. Thursdays: April 5 and 26, May 3 and 10.

Schedule:

February 16 – John Rousmaniere: “The Golden Pastime,” an illustrated history of American yachting history. (SS)

March 1 – Dr. Peter Capelotti: “The Whaling Expedition of the Ulysses 1937–38.” (M&W).

March 15 – Dr. Stephen Godfrey: “When Whales Walked the Earth: Fossil Whales and Olfactory Evolution.” (M&W)

March 22 – Douglas Adkins: “Dorade; the History of an Ocean Racing Yacht.” (SS)

March 29 – Capt. Stacy Pedrozo, USN, C.O., Naval Justice School, and Capt. Tom Fetherston, USN Retired, “Whose Homeland Security? Protecting Marine Mammals While Protecting National Security.” (MW)

April 5 – Stuart P. Feld, Hirschl & Adler Galleries: “Museum acquisitions during the tenure of Director and Curator Richard Kugler.” (ODL)

April 12 – Capt. Sean S. Bercaw: “Full Sail into Cuba on the Amistad.” (SS)

April 19 – Rich Wilson: “Race France to France, Leave Antarctica to Starboard.” (SS)

April 26 – Kirk J. Nelson: “New Bedford Glass and Its Context.” (ODL)

May 3 – Keith Kauppila: “Visual Culture of the Civil War,” (ODL)

May 10 – Chris Gustin: “Finding Form.” (ODL).

The 2012 lecture series is presented by BayCoast Bank, and sponsored in part by C. E. Beckman, and Hampton Inn Fairhaven/New Bedford.

"Ahab" by Leonard Baskin, from his "Moby Dick Suite" of lithographs, 1970.

MOBY! – The New Bedford Whaling Museum and the Zeiterion Performing Arts Center come together to celebrate the iconic tale of the great white whale November 3-5.

Imaging Moby!, an exhibition of contemporary art inspired by Herman Melville’s novel, “Moby-Dick” opens at the Museum on Friday, November 4 at 5:00 p.m. and includes works by Rockwell Kent, Leonard Baskin, and Richard Ellis. Admission is free to the exhibit.

Imaging Moby! is drawn from the collection of Elizabeth Schultz, scholar, poet, professor emerita at the University of Kansas, and author of “Unpainted to the Last”: Moby-Dick and Twentieth-Century American Art (1995). Dr. Schultz has been collecting art inspired by Moby-Dick for decades. A member of the Melville Society, she donated her collection of twentieth-century paintings, prints, and other graphic works to the museum earlier this year.

Dr. Schultz noted, “the special joy of having the collection at the Whaling Museum is that, along with the Melville Society Cultural Project, I imagine working with many committed groups to develop new ways of using these visual images to present Moby-Dick and the stories of whales to diverse audiences – children and adults, Americans and people from other cultures.”

A reception in the Jacobs Family Gallery in honor of Dr. Schultz will follow the exhibit opening.

The Imaging Moby! exhibit is part Moby! – a series of related programs in art, on screen, in the community and on stage to mark the 160th anniversary of Melville’s classic – in partnership with the Zeiterion Performing Art Center, the New Bedford Whaling Museum and New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park.

A silhouette of Captain Paul Cuffe (c.1812) and his compass (c.1800) will be part of a new exhibit at the Museum recognizing his life and accomplishments, opening Sept. 23 at 5:30 p.m. A new park will be dedicated in his honor on Saturday, Sept. 24. Lectures on Cuffe are also part of a two-day free public program, "Old Dartmouth Roots, a Genealogy & Local History Symposium, Sept 23-24.

The New Bedford Whaling Museum and its partners proudly present four free public programs over two days recognizing the life and accomplishments of Captain Paul Cuffe at the New Bedford Whaling Museum, September 23-24, culminating with the dedication of a park in his honor.

Paul Cuffe (1759-1817) was the free-born son of an African father and a Native American mother. A skillful mariner, he was also a successful merchant, philanthropist, community leader, civil rights advocate and abolitionist. In 1780 he petitioned for the right to vote as a landowner and taxpayer. He established the first integrated school in America and became an advisor to President James Madison.

On Friday, September 23, a genealogy presentation titled “The Cuffes and the Wainers,” will be offered by George Wortham, a Cuffe/Wainer descendant, at 1:45 p.m. in the Cook Memorial Theater.

At 5:30 p.m., the museum will open a new exhibit, the “Cuffe Kitchen Gallery.” The multi-media exhibit will highlight the gallery, which recreates an 18th century kitchen, the wooden panels of which came from Cuffe’s home in Westport. Funded in part by Mass Humanities, the exhibit will provide an opportunity to ponder the social and racial issues faced by Cuffe. A reception will follow in the Jacobs Family Gallery.

The evening will conclude with a keynote lecture, “Paul Cuffe, His Life and Times,” presented by award-winning Cuffe biographer, Lamont D. Thomas at 6:30 p.m. in the Cook Memorial Theater.

On Saturday, September 24, dedication ceremonies for Captain Paul Cuffe Park will begin at noon at Union Street and Johnny Cake Hill. Located on Whaling Museum property, the park is adjacent to the site where Cuffe operated his store, Cuffe & Howards.

The park’s designer, Nan Sinton, is a nationally recognized landscape designer, horticulturist and former director of public programs for Harvard University’s Arnold Arboretum. The president and co-founder of Sinton & Michener Associates, Inc., Sinton has designed gardens throughout North America and Europe.

The new park incorporates a large compass rose within an elaborate terrace of brick, bluestone, granite and Belgian paving blocks that recall Cuffe’s own ship’s compass – part of the museum collection. Plantings include boxwood; bayberry and sea roses donated by Sylvan Nursery, Inc., Westport, Mass. Construction and plantings were executed by G. Bourne Knowles & Company, Inc., Fairhaven. The park will include new interpretative wayside panels on Cuffe’s life, produced by New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park. The Cuffe commemorative plaque and new lighting were funded in part by a grant from the City Works Community Improvement Program, administered by the City of New Bedford Community Development Block Grant Program.

The park site previously included 20th century whaling equipment including a 1936 harpoon cannon now on exhibit in the museum plaza, and a small garden given by the Garden Club of Buzzards Bay in 2003. Club members will continue to oversee the new planting.

All events are free to the public and will be held at the Whaling Museum as part of “Old Dartmouth Roots: A Genealogy & Local History Symposium,” which is funded through a grant from the Education through Cultural and Historical Organizations (ECHO), administered by the United States Department of Education, Office of Innovation and Improvement.

In its announcement, AAM stated that reaccreditation is awarded only after a comprehensive yearlong examination and peer review of all aspects of the Whaling Museum’s mission, operations and programming. “Accreditation is emblematic of many things, the highest standards in museum operations, outstanding public programs, and long-term sustainability among them,” said Ford W. Bell, AAM president. “Accreditation is clearly a significant achievement. But put simply, it means the citizens of the communities served by these museums have in their midst one of America’s finest museums.”

In her letter to museum president, James Russell, Dr. Bonnie W. Styles, Chair of the AAM Accreditation Commission, wrote “We found the museum to be a highly performing organization that has a solid strategic plan, excellent community engagement and is dealing strategically and realistically with budget hardships. We particularly liked the three-tier intern apprenticeship program. The museum is also a good example of merging history and science together in exhibits and programming.”

Mr. Russell noted the importance of reaccreditation. “We are extremely proud of this achievement. It validates years of hard work on the part of our dedicated trustees, volunteers and staff – evaluated against the strictest professional and national standards. This honor elevates all of New Bedford and the South Coast region, and it reenergizes us in the continued building of a greater, stronger Whaling Museum,” he said.

AAM Accreditation recognizes the highest standards in individual museums and ensures that museums continue to uphold their public trust. Developed and sustained by museum professionals for 40 years, the AAM museum accreditation program is the field’s primary vehicle for quality assurance, self-regulation and public accountability.

Old Dartmouth (modern-day Acushnet, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, New Bedford and Westport) is a region steeped in history. Family histories – some recorded and many yet untold – each represent a unique thread in this region’s rich narrative. Come and learn how to explore your family’s past and discover its role in the growth of our region and the nation. Be prepared for new insights and surprises. As Helen Keller wrote, “There is no king who has not had a slave among his ancestors, and no slave who has not had a king among his.” Old Dartmouth Roots will reveal the intersection of history, destiny and opportunity in Old Dartmouth, which has produced countless inspirational stories.

Partners in Old Dartmouth Roots include the New Bedford Free Public Library (NBFPL), New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, New Bedford Preservation Society, New Bedford Historical Society, and other local community organizations.

Old Dartmouth Roots will feature presentations from several expert genealogists and historians. Keynote speakers include Judith Lucey, Maureen Taylor and Lamont D. Thomas.

Judith Lucey is Assistant Archivist, New England Historic Genealogical Association (NEHGS), Boston. She joined the staff of NEHGS in 2003, after receiving a B.S. in Education from Northeastern University and an M.S. in Library and Information Science from Simmons College. In addition to her expertise on how to begin personal genealogy research, she specializes in Irish genealogy, Newfoundland, 19th and 20th century genealogy, Italian genealogy, and the history of Cambridge and Somerville, Mass.

Maureen Taylor is an internationally recognized photo identification and family history expert. The author of a number of books and magazine articles, she offers a range of dynamic, interactive seminars on photographs, genealogy, and history. Maureen has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Hallmark Television, “The View,” Better Homes & Gardens, the Boston Globe, Martha Stewart Living, MSNBC, PBS Ancestors, and more. The Wall Street Journal called her “the nation’s foremost historical photo detective.” Ms. Taylor will also be available for private consultations during the day for a fee.

Lamont D. Thomas is a Pulitzer Prize Nominee author and a retired university professor. He is a leading authority on the life and times of Captain Paul Cuffe. Thomas holds B.A. and M.A. degrees in history from Trinity College. He is the author of “Paul Cuffe: Black Entrepreneur and Pan-Africanist” and “Rise to be a People: A Biography of Paul Cuffe,” both published by University of Illinois Press.

Old Dartmouth Roots Schedule

Thursday, September 22, 2011

9:00 a.m.: Registration and Coffee – Jacobs Family Gallery, NBWM.

10:00 -10:15 a.m.: Welcome – James Russell, President NBWM.

10:15 -11:00 a.m.: “How to Get Started on a Genealogy Search,” presented by Judith Lucey, Assistant Archivist, New England Historical Genealogy Assoc. (NEHGS), Boston.

11:15 am-12:30 p.m.: “Panel on Local Resources in Various Libraries and Centers,” presented by Paul Cyr, NBFPL; Judy Farrar, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth; Michael P. Dyer, NBWM.

12:30 -1:30 p.m.: Luncheon – courtesy of the NBWM.

1:30-2:45 p.m.: Concurrent Sessions – Common Threads: (a) “Introduction to Portuguese and Cape Verdean Genealogy,” presented by Judith Downey, NBFPL, and James J. Lopes, NBWM; (b) “History of Jewish New Bedford,” presented by Judy Farrar.

3:00-3:15 p.m.: Coffee and Refreshments.

3:30-4:30 p.m.: Concurrent Sessions: (a) “Quaker Roots: the Rodmans, Russells and the Rotches,” presented by Judith Downey; (b) “The French Canadians,” presented by Paul Cyr.

6:30 p.m.: “Sitting in New Bedford with the Photo Detective,” presented by Maureen Taylor, photo analyst and family history expert. Cook Memorial Theater, NBWM. This lecture is made possible by the Samuel D. Rusitzky Fund.

Friday, September 23, 2011

8:30 a.m.: Coffee and refreshments – Jacobs Family Gallery.

9:00-10:15 a.m.: Concurrent Sessions – Unlikely Connections: (a) “The Grinnells and the Howlands; the Jacobses and the Knoxes,” presented by James Grinnell and Katherine Culkin; (b) “Cemeteries of the Old Dartmouth Region – Acushnet, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, New Bedford, and Westport,” presented: Joan Barney, NBFPL, Betty Slade, and Judith Navas Lund, former Curator, NBWM.

12:30 -1:30 p.m.: Luncheon – courtesy of the NBWM.

1:45-3:00 p.m.: Concurrent Sessions – Family Ties: (a) “The Cuffes and the Wainers,” presented by George Wortham; (b) “The Irish,” presented by Andrew Pierce.

3:00-3:15 p.m.: Coffee and Refreshments.

3:30-4:45 p.m.: Concurrent Sessions: (a) “Wampanoag Genealogy,” presented by Andrew Pierce; (b) “Decoding the History of Logbooks and Crew Lists,” presented by Michael P. Dyer and Judith Navas Lund.

5:30 p.m.: Opening of the Cuffe Kitchen Gallery, NBWM.

6:30 p.m.: Reception and lecture titled “Paul Cuffe, His Life and Times” presented by award-winning Cuffe biographer, Lamont D. Thomas. Jacobs Family Gallery and Cook Memorial Theater, NBWM.

Saturday, September 24, 2011

12:00 Noon: Dedication of Captain Paul Cuffe Park, northeast corner of Union Street and Johnny Cake Hill. In the event of inclement weather, the dedication will be conducted in the Cook Memorial Theater.

Also: Walking tours of the National Park, shuttles to Rural Cemetery will begin from the Museum plaza.

Old Dartmouth Roots is free and open to the public, however, pre-registration is preferred. To register, CLICK HERE or call Museum Admissions: (508) 997-0046, ext. 100.

All events are planned to be held at the New Bedford Whaling Museum or adjacent venues unless otherwise noted. All events are free except as noted. Admission to the Museum Galleries is subject to daily pricing schedules.

At 2:00 p.m. a Volunteer and Trustee Remembrance at the Seamen’s Bethel will precede the annual meeting. Family, friends and associates are invited to join the volunteer council and the board of trustees as they gather in fond remembrance of departed members.

At 4:00 the trustees and membership of the Old Dartmouth Historical Society will convene in the Museum’s Cook Memorial Theater for their 108th Annual Meeting.

The annual meeting is followed at 6:00 p.m. by the opening of the Museum’s latest exhibit, Sitting in New Bedford.

Located in the Gratia Houghton Rinehart Gallery, Sitting in New Bedford whimsically uses eclectic collections to show the many faces, everyday and unique objects, and surprising aspects of this city’s present and past. Furniture, workbenches and unique places people “sat” are just some of the diverse mix of art and artifacts included, some never seen before.

Curator Dr. Greg Galer, drawing upon pop-culture terminology, suggests the exhibit as a three dimensional “mash up.” By bringing together diverse materials, both complimentary and seemingly dissonant, one finds a fascinating and fun resonance, a perfect take for the summer. Come see and join the many ways of “sitting in New Bedford.” The exhibit even offers opportunities to sit for your own portrait and add your face to the many in the gallery.

The day concludes with After Hours featuring live music, refreshments and cash bar from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the Jacobs Family Gallery sponsored by Fiber Optic Center, Inc., Whaling City Sound, and Perfect Pour LLC.

Captain Benjamin Waterworth in the cockpit of MINOTS LIGHT with boom gallows, sailing close-hauled, by Norman Fortier, 1951.

Llewellyn Howland III will present Ready About: The Business and Pleasure of Yachting on Buzzards Bay on Tuesday, April 26 at 7:30 p.m. in the Cook Memorial Theater at the New Bedford Whaling Museum. This third program in the popular 4-part Sailors’ Series begins with a pre-lecture reception at 6:30 p.m. in the Jacobs Family Gallery.

Mr. Howland will talk about some of the major figures in the sport of yachting on Buzzards Bay – designers, builders, sail makers, and sailing professionals, as well as owners and amateur skippers and crew. He will also discuss the ways in which economics, technology, and social and political change have influenced the sport and the shape and function of yachts themselves.

A native of South Dartmouth, where his uncle Waldo Howland operated the Concordia Company boatyard, Llewellyn Howland III is an editor, yachting historian, and antiquarian bookseller. He served as historical consultant to the New Bedford Whaling Museum for its current exhibit Charmed by the Sea: 150 Years and More of Yachting on Buzzards Bay.

Sailors’ Series admission: $15 for members, $20 for non-members. To reserve tickets, please call 508-997-0046 ext. 100 or email plowe@whalingmuseum.org

Now in its 21st year, the 2011 Sailors’ Series is sponsored by C.E. Beckman Co. and Citizens~Union Savings Bank.

The nomination was made by Congressman Barney Frank. “The New Bedford Whaling Museum serves as an invaluable and unique resource that has been of great benefit for both scholars and the general public. In recognition of its extraordinary service to the community, I am pleased to nominate the Whaling Museum for an Institute of Museum and Library Sciences National Medal,” Congressman Frank said.

In noting the recognition, James Russell, Museum president and CEO said, “We are extremely grateful to Congressman Frank for his nomination as the Whaling Museum continues to evolve and tell the story of the region in new and inspiring ways which will be forever linked to the sea.”

Headquartered in Washington, DC, the mission of the IMLS is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development.

The IMLS National Medal is awarded to “selected institutions which demonstrate extraordinary and innovative approaches to public service and inclusiveness, exceeding the expected levels of community outreach, and may also include libraries and museums advancing global cultural understanding.”

Vessels and casks crowd Merrill's Wharf along side the Philadelphia & Reading Coal & Iron Co. (right) in this 1896 photograph by Orville Bassett.

A new exhibit titled Changing Tides: The New Bedford Waterfront in Transition, opens on AHA! Night, Thursday, February 10, at 6:30 p.m. Admission to the opening is free.

Once as America’s richest whaling port, to its current status as the nation’s #1 commercial fishing port, the New Bedford waterfront and the work that goes on there have seen enormous transformation. Installed in the San Francisco Room, which overlooks the harbor, the exhibit explores the port’s many changes with images selected from the Museum’s immense photo collection. The photographs date from the 1870s to the 1980s, revealing the port’s many transitions and the evolution of the vessels calling it home.

Kate Mello, the Whaling Museum’s Photo Archivist, is curator for the exhibit. “These images were selected from thousands of photos in our collection because they illustrate how dynamic the changes in the port have been over last 150 years. They underscore the ongoing change that only seems to accelerate with every passing year,” said Ms. Mello.

From the San Francisco Room, the exhibit overlooks New Bedford’s famed commercial fishing fleet – a major economic engine for the region – and hailed by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick as “a vital part of our history and economy” in his recent letter to President Obama seeking regulatory redress for the fishery.

This program is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Changing Tides closes June 19, 2011.

Dr. Greg Galer, the Museum's VP of Collections & Exhibitions, inspects the Moby-Dick section of the Ellis Mural, which will be exhibited as part of multiple events and activities of the 15th Annual Moby-Dick Marathon

The holiday season is over. A quiet midwinter weekend’s ahead. A great time to decompress with a good book… so good, you can’t put it down for 25 hours! It all starts this Friday. Here’s a rundown of the activities:

Friday, January 7, 5:30 p.m.: Weekend activities kick off on the eve of the Marathon – with a ticketed buffet dinner and cash bar at 5:30 p.m. in the Jacobs Family Gallery. The buffet, a hearty winter meal of baked stuffed breast of chicken with gravy, oven-roasted potatoes, garden vegetables, tossed salad, cranberry sauce, crusty rolls & butter, will be followed by cake squares, assorted pastry, steaming hot coffee and punch – provided by Riccardi’s Restaurant and Buffet Catering. Tickets are $18. Call (508) 997-0046 ext. 100.

7:15 p.m.: Free public lecture: “Is Moby-Dick Still the Great American Novel?” Dr. Elizabeth A. Schultz, professor emerita, University of Kansas, and Melville Society scholar.

Saturday, January 8, 10:00 a.m.: “Stump the Scholars” A fun quiz game with the Melville Society on all matters Moby-Dick. Prizes will be awarded.

12:00 p.m. Noon: Moby-Dick Marathon Begins in the Lagoda Room, Bourne Bldg.

1:30 p.m. (approx.): At the Seamen’s Bethel – Chapters 7, 8 and 9 are read (and sung) in the “Whaleman’s Chapel.” With Rev. Dr. Edward R. Dufresne, as Father Mapple, and Joanna Weeks, vocalist.

3:00 p.m. (approx.): Marathon continues in the Jacobs Family Gallery of the Whaling Museum.

Ongoing Activities Throughout the weekend:

- Special Exhibit: “Visualizing Melville”

- Images of Moby-Dick, presented by the Museum’s Apprentices in the Cook Memorial Theater

- LIVE Streaming @ www.whalingmuseum.org

- Tweets: #MDM15

- Refreshments will be served throughout the Marathon.