2025 ANNUAL REPORT
REPORT CREDITS
EDITORS
Annelise Conway
Peyton Dauley
ART DIRECTION & DESIGN
Mary-Lynne Bohn, Accent Design
PHOTOGRAPHY
Drew Furtado, Michael Lapides
Dear Friends,
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT & CEO AND BOARD CHAIR
AMANDA McMULLEN President & CEO
R.DAVIS
WEBB Chair, Board of Trustees
What do you say when a year takes your breath away? Thank you seems like the only right response, and we have our members to thank for making 2025 truly exceptional!
As a marker of the Museum’s vibrancy, our visitation through our doors in New Bedford grew 8.9% over 2024 to 89,431. In a year when the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) reported that half of all U.S. museums were welcoming fewer visitors than they were prior to the pandemic, the New Bedford Whaling Museum stood tall, surpassing our 2019 visitation with ease. Further, our reach was extended by a second year of strong traveling exhibitions. A stunning 100,509 additional visitors experienced the Museum through our shows circling the country.
Committed to serving students, the Museum was pleased to see the number of school group visits increase by 21%. Additionally, participation in our free programs and community events was up more than 16%. The Museum drove cultural tourism for the region, growing our group tours by 55%.
We hit all these great heights during a year that our team also was moving through the rigorous process of AAM reaccreditation and advancing ambitious work to develop our new Welcome & Exhibition Center. Nearly 200 of you have stepped forward to propel our capital campaign across the important milestone of $30M. We still have more to do in our final push in 2026, but we remain grateful to all who visit our galleries, enjoy our programs, and share our commitment to the bright future ahead.
R.Davis Webb
Amanda McMullen Chair, Board of Trustees President & CEO
Whale you be mine?
On February 13, 2025 the Museum celebrated love, friendship, and everything in between with a fun, free, and filled to capacity Valentine’s program! Whether you were sharing the day with a partner, your besties, or flying solo, there was something for everyone to enjoy. Highlights of the evening included DIY Valentine Station, Photo Booth Under the Whales Music, Chocolate Tasting, Couples & Friends Sketching Session, and Poetry in Love.
YEAR IN REVIEW
2025 By the Numbers...
89,431 VISITORS IN NEW BEDFORD
478 SCHOLAR VISITS
2,294 MEMBER HOUSEHOLDS
13,635 VOLUNTEER HOURS
All Aboard!
2025 marked a milestone year for regional access and visitation, as the long-awaited New Bedford–Fall River rail line officially opened, connecting the South Coast directly to Boston. The new service brought visitors to New Bedford by rail for the first time in decades, expanding access to the New Bedford Whaling Museum and strengthening the city’s role as a cultural destination. The arrival of MBTA riders at the Museum underscored the transformative impact of improved public transportation on tourism, as the Museum saw a 41% increase in Boston visitation.
7,096 FIELD TRIP STUDENTS
16,758 BIG BLUE PICTURES VISITORS
485 SQUID DISSECTIONS
100,509 VISITORS TO OUR TRAVELING SHOWS
New eMuseum
In 2025, the Museum launched eMuseum, a new online portal providing access to its collections of more than one million objects. The holdings include notable strengths in costume and textiles, photography, fine and decorative arts, global material culture, rare books and manuscripts, and natural history. Nearly 100,000 object records are currently available online. eMuseum is a dynamic, working database that updates in real time as new research becomes available.
Moby-Dick Book Club
The Moby-Dick Book Club, a virtual three-part series exploring Herman Melville’s iconic American novel included engaging, thoughtprovoking conversations led by some of the world’s leading Melville scholars. Marina Dawn Wells, Assistant Curator of History & Culture, moderated the series, which had over 600 registrants and took place monthly September, October, and November preparing readers for the 30th Moby-Dick Marathon.
Cape Verdean Contemporary
The Museum was proud to share stories of the Cape Verdean Contemporary, with two special new exhibits wholly dedicated to uplifting stories of the Cape Verdean diaspora. Claridade: Cape Verdean Identity in Contemporary Art explored global Cape Verdean identities, while Morabeza: Cape Verdean Community in the South Coast featured personal stories and objects from our neighbors.
Going Social
The Museum team has officially gone viral! Our two most popular posts this year highlight our collection and merchandise in short skits. Together, the two posts generated over 341,000 views, helping drive a total of 43 million views across social media and advertising this year.
American Flag, 1795–1818. Courtesy of the New Bedford Whaling Museum.
Sculptor Christian Gonçalves and friends, Community Cape Verdean Contemporary Opening, June 13, 2025.
Attendee, Moby-Dick Marathon, January 2025.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
2025-2026
R. Davis Webb, Chair
Bernadette Souza, Vice Chair
Ricardo Bermudez, Treasurer
Paulina R. Arruda, Clerk
Susan Costa
Douglas Crocker II
Betsy Fallon
David A. Gomes
Edward M. Howland
Margaret Howland
Jim Hughes
Michael Keating
Lloyd Macdonald
Gilbert Perry
Victoria Pope
Maria A. Rosario
Lucy Rose
Anthony R. Sapienza
Tricia Schade
Mark Schmid
Nancy L. Shanik
Wick Simmons
Ellen Stone
Carol M. Taylor
Lisa Whitney
Susan Wolkoff
STAFF
Kayleigh Almeida
Robert Amaral
Monica Aspden
Scott Bishop
Melanie Botvin
Noah Broude
Sarah Budlong
Annelise Conway
Alexander Corralejo
Kelly Corralejo
Xavier Corralejo
Katherine Crouse
Peyton Dauley
Erika Fernandes
Gillian Fournier
Mikayla Garzelloni-Roderick
Rachel Gonzalez Pires
Victoria Hughes
Eleanor Huntress
Michael Lapides
Ymelda Rivera Laxton
Kaylee McKenna
Amanda McMullen
Emily Mead
Loredana Mello
Henry Moniz
Xaneth Morales Rochez
Allison Myron
Jackson Neves
Dania Noriega
Julie O’Boy
Beatriz Oliveira
John Pimentel
Hannah Pittsley
Yamilex Ramos Peguero
Kaiya Rebelo
Suhey-Lee Rivera
Emma Rocha
Robert Rocha Jr
Fallon Rosario
Rachel Rossi
Emily Roznoy
Traecy Saint-Louis
Nathan Samoriski
Samantha Santos
Nathan Silveira
Naomi Slipp
Madeline Smith
David Soares
Michelle Taylor
Mason Terra
Nelson Terra
Waverly Verissimo
Marina Dawn Wells
Carol Wilkinson
Caitlin Wood
VOLUNTEER COUNCIL
Robert Saltzman, President
James Verni, Vice-President (January-April)
Cynthia Stone, Vice-President (May-December)
Judith Giusti, Corresponding Secretary
Jane Pucello, Recording Secretary
Sylvia White, Comptroller
VOLUNTEERS
James Anderson
Susan Arena
Marion Aymie
Dudley Baker
Melody Barlow
Mary Biltcliffe
David Brownell
Diana Bullard
Erin Burlinson
Keith Cabral
Brady Camplin
Lorraine Carey
Russell Carey
Charles Chace
Carole Clifford
Penny Cole
Mary Crothers
Sylvia Daley
Melissa Desjardins
Leanne Farrell
Mary Farry
Deborah Fauteux
David Ferkinhoff
Marilyn Ferkinhoff
Patricia Fernandes
Patrick Flatley
Debby Flynn
Thomas Flynn
William Fortier
Michele Fortin
Jennifer Gady
Lucia Garcia
Nancy Gentile Keighley
Patricia Gerrior
Joseph Gomes
Susan Grosart
Matthew Hackett
Myra Hart
Michael Hevey
Dana Holmberg
David Horsky
Veronika Horsky
Renata Hotysova
Robert Hussey
Doreen Jennings
Ellen Johnston
Donna Junier
Priscilla Keffer
Michael Kelly
Kamile Khazan
Dyan Kieltyka
Anne Kirschmann
Barbara Kratovil
Kimberly Lauzon
Janice Linehan
Maura Lohrenz
Lee Loranger
Charles Loveridge
Rosemary Lucas
Judy Lund
Larry Lutvak
Joseph Macy
Kathy Mann
Kathleen McAuliffe
Mary McCann
Elaine McDonald
Jerome McGourthy
Richard McLaren
Linda Mello
Joanne Mendes
John Middleton
Robert Mogilnicki
Morgan Mowbray
Michael Murray
Kimberly Nave-DelVecchio
William Nussbaum
Cody Oliveira
Thomas Openshaw
Grace Osediacz
Robert Pallack
Gabriel Pereira
Helen Pereira
Barbara Poznysz
Dennis Pucello
Mierhamza Rahimi
Mark Rees
Jennifer Rodriguez
Lee Sayers
Richard S chenker
Christina S ewall
Joanne S eymour
Margarida Silva
Sandra Smith
James S oden
Lois Spirlet
Charles Stockbridge
Ellen Stone
June Strunk
Diane Sullivan
William Tatro
Marianne Taylor
Michael Taylor
Stephen Theberge
Michele Thomas
Beverly Trenholm
Raymond Vezina
Joyce Viera
John Visser
Lorna Walker
Amanda Wamboldt
Gordon Waring
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
R. Davis Webb, Chair
Bernadette Souza, Vice Chair
Ricardo Bermudez, Treasurer
Paulina R. Arruda, Clerk
Susan Costa
Douglas Crocker II
Edward M. Howland
Jim Hughes
Anthony R. Sapienza
Tricia Schade
Mark Schmid
Wick Simmons
Susan Wolkoff
MUSEUM ADVISORY COUNCIL
Anthony R. Sapienza, Chair
Lisa Schmid Alvord
Christina Bascom
Nathaniel J. Bickford
Mary Jean Blasdale
Joanne Cameron
Paula Cordeiro
Carl J. Cruz
Roy Enoksen
Armand Fernandes
Barbara Ferri
John N. Garfield, Jr.
Vanessa Gralton
Lucile P. Hicks
Maryellen Sullivan Hughes
Patricia A. Jayson
William N. Keene
David N. Kelley II
Betsy Kellogg
Frances F. Levin
Joaquim Livramento
Ralph Martin
Joseph E. McDonough
George B. Mock III
Eugene Monteiro
Faith Morningstar
Barbara Moss
Barbara Mulville
Celeste Penney
Alice Rice Perkins
John C. Pinheiro
Carlos Ribeiro
Donald S. Rice
Cathy Roberts
Brian Rothschild
Tina Schmid
Janet P. Whitla
David Wyss
AUDIT & RISK COMMITTEE
Susan Wolkoff, Chair
Ricardo Bermudez
David A. Gomes
Michael Keating
Lloyd Macdonald
Lucy Rose
Wick Simmons
R. Davis Webb
BUILDINGS & GROUNDS COMMITTEE
Mark Schmid, Chair
Douglas Crocker II
John N. Garfield, Jr.
Edward M. Howland
Jim Hughes
Victoria Pope
Quentin Ricciardi
Anthony R. Sapienza
Carol M. Taylor
R. Davis Webb
Susan Wolkoff
CAPITAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE
Douglas Crocker II, Co-Chair
Wick Simmons, Co-Chair
Paulina R. Arruda
Christina Bascom
Jewelle & Nathaniel Bickford
Betsy Fallon
Jim Hughes
Betts Howes Murray & F. Wisner Murray
Anthony R. Sapienza
Tricia & Chris Schade
Bernadette Souza
Carol M. Taylor
R. Davis Webb
Wistar Wood
CAPE VERDEAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Carlos A. Almeida, Co-Chair
David A. Gomes, Co-Chair
Patricia L. Andrade, M.D.
Candida Rose Baptista
Angelo Barbosa
Ronald Barboza
Jose Cabral
Carl Cruz
Marilyn Gonsalves
Joaquim Livramento
Gene Monteiro
Louis M. Riccardi
Lucy Rose
R. Davis Webb
COLLECTIONS COMMITTEE
Douglas Crocker II, Chair
Vanessa Anderson
Constance Bacon
Mary Jean Blasdale
Mary Chandor
Carl J. Cruz
Vanessa Gralton
Margaret Howland
Barry Levenson
Frances Levin
Barbara Moss
John H. Ricketson
Tina Schmid
Ellen Stone
R. Davis Webb
Lisa Whitney
FINANCE COMMITTEE
Ricardo Bermudez, Chair
Jose S. Castelo
Douglas Crocker II
Lloyd Macdonald
Nancy L. Shanik
Wick Simmons
R. Davis Webb
GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE
Tricia Schade, Chair
Paulina R. Arruda
Carl J. Cruz
David A. Gomes
Michael Keating
Betts Howes Murray
Bruce Rose
R. Davis Webb
INVESTMENT COMMITTEE
Ricardo Bermudez, Chair
Gilbert Perry
Wick Simmons
R. Davis Webb
David Wyss
MUSEUM LEARNING COMMITTEE
Susan Costa, Chair
Denise Carrington
Geralyn Ducady
Tobey Eugenio
Alejandro Latinez
Helen Montague
Carol Spencer Monteiro
Maria A. Rosario
Robert R. Saltzman
Tricia Schade
Bethany Silva
Darri Stephens
Cynthia Stone
R. Davis Webb
David Welty
PORTUGUESE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Onésimo Almeida, Ph.D., Co-Chair
Gilbert Perry, Co-Chair
Michael Benevides
Rep. Antonio Cabral
Joao Caixinha
Jose S. Castelo
Anthony A. Cruz
Paul Curado
Gregory DeMelo
Maria Gloria de Sa
Tiago de Sousa
Steven Duarte
Armand Fernandes
Mónica Bensaude Fernandes
Louise D. Medeiros
Willits Mendonca
Paula Celeste Gomes Noversa, Ph.D.
John C. Pinheiro
Sara da Silva Quintal
Donald G. Rei
Jose Ribeiro
Fernando G. Rosa
John Vasconcellos
R. Davis Webb
SUMMER BENEFIT COMMITTEE
Betsy Fallon, Co-Chair
Lisa Whitney, Co-Chair
Jeremy Collier
Michael Grogan
Katherine Read
R. Davis Webb
WOMEN’S HISTORY ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Ellen Stone, Chair
Paulina R. Arruda
Christina Bascom
Lee Blake
Carole Clifford
Jan da Silva
Betsy Fallon
Deborah Kovacs
Ann O’Leary
Victoria Pope
R. Davis Webb
Lisa Whitney
COMMUNITY PARTNERS
Our community partners—local nonprofits and cultural organizations doing vital work—are essential to creating meaningful, accessible programs. The Whaling Museum was proud to offer space at reduced fees to community partners, amplifying their impact and strengthening our shared commitment to the Greater New Bedford community. These partners include:
3rd EyE Unlimited
AHA! (Art, History, Architecture)
New Bedford
Alma Del Mar Charter Schools
Azorean Maritime Heritage Society
Barr Foundation
Buzzards Bay Coalition
Buzzards Bay Area Habitat for Humanity
Cape Verdean Association in New Bedford
Cape Verdean Recognition Committee
Consulate of Portugal in New Bedford
Community Boating Center
Culture*Park Theatre of New Bedford
Descendants of Whaling Masters
Downtown New Bedford, Inc.
Explore New Bedford
Highland Street Foundation
Human Rights Commission (City of New Bedford)
International Guild of Knot Tyers
Jewish Federation of Greater New Bedford
Massachusetts Cultural Council
Massachusetts Educational Opportunity Association
Mass Humanities
Nativity Preparatory School
Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport
Naval War College Museum
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park
New Bedford Creative
New Bedford Economic Development Council
New Bedford Festival Theatre
New Bedford Film Festival
New Bedford Film Forum
New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center
New Bedford Historical Society
New Bedford Ocean Cluster
26 Community Partner Events
7,875 Attendees to Free Events
New Bedford Port Society (Seamen’s Bethel / Mariner’s Home)
New Bedford Public Library
New Bedford Public Schools
New Bedford Symphony Orchestra
New England Fishery Management Council
NorthStar Learning Centers
Our Sisters’ School
PAACA Recovery Support Center
People Acting in Community Endeavors (PACE)
Queer Arts Council of New Bedford
South Coast Artists
SouthCoast Chamber of Commerce
SouthCoast Community Foundation
SouthCoast Film Forum
South Coast Neighbors United
UMass Dartmouth
Unexpected Music
Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head
Youth Opportunities Unlimited (YOU)
Our Sisters’ School students, January/February 2025.
County of Bristol Gaol Book, 1785–1823. Ink on paper.
Loan courtesy of the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office.
PUBLIC PROGRAMS & EVENTS
Public programs offer new, vibrant, and accessible ways for our guests to connect with the Museum’s mission and content. From interactive workshops to thought-provoking lectures, our diverse range of programs in 2025 ensured that there was a rewarding experience awaiting each and every attendee.
Signature Annual or One-Time Events
• Melville Scholars Dinner – Friday, Jan 3, 2025
• Moby-Dick Marathon Day #1 –Saturday, Jan 4, 2025
• Moby-Dick Marathon Day #2 –Sunday, Jan 5, 2025
• Navy Day – Saturday, Mar 22, 2025
• Sounds Like a Story: Perri Lynch Howard (Off-site) – Saturday, Jul 26, 2025
• CETACEAN (The Whale) –Wednesday, Sep 24, 2025
• Cape Verdean Independence and the Making of a Nation, October 1, 2025
• New Bedford Lyceum with Bill McKibben – Saturday, Oct 25, 2025
• Halloween at the Museum / Deep Sea Monsters – Friday, Oct 31, 2025
• National Authors’ Day Celebration –Saturday, Nov 1, 2025
• Yo-Yo Ma Plays Bach’s Cello Suites Simulcast – Friday, Nov 21, 2025
• City Celebrates with Toe Jam Puppet Band – Wednesday, Dec 31, 2025
AHA! Night Series (free monthly community program)
• Whale You Be Mine? – Thursday, Feb 13, 2025
• The New Whaler’s Bookshop –Thursday, Mar 13, 2025
• Project Planet: Sea Change –Thursday, Apr 10, 2025
• Preservation. Celebration! & ArtWeek Kickoff – Thursday, May 8, 2025
• Pride: Community Chain: We Are Stronger Together – Thursday, Jun 12, 2025
• Kids Rule! Toe Jam Puppet Band –Thursday, Jul 10, 2025
• Summer in the Seaport – Thursday, Aug 14, 2025
• International Knot Tyers Expo –Thursday, Sep 11, 2025
• Tunes, Treats, and Creative Streets –Thursday, October 9, 2025
• Made in NB – Thursday, Nov 13, 2025
• NB Festive – Thursday, Dec 11, 2025
First Friday Series
• Down to the Sea in Ships – Friday, Feb 7, 2025
• HCCR Band & Community BLO OMS
– Friday, Mar 7, 2025
• Moonbelies – Friday, Apr 4, 2025
• Sidy Maiga & Afrimanding Band –Friday, May 2, 2025
• Joaquin Santos & The Dope Lotus –Friday, Jun 6, 2025
• The Jethros – Friday, Jul 4, 2025
• A Theatrical Preview of The National Spelling Bee – Friday, Aug 1, 2025
• KabuJazz Ensemble feat. Candida Rose – Friday, Sep 5, 2025
• Indie Music Showcase: A Moving Feast for the Ears – Friday, Oct 3, 2025
• Punk Meets Classical – Friday, Nov 7, 2025
• Winter Brass – Friday, Dec 5, 2025
Lecture & Cultural Series
• Portuguese & Lusophone-World Lecture Series
o Screening of Malassadas Day –Thursday, Mar 20, 2025
o Echoes of Pico – Thursday, Apr 17, 2025
o The Captain’s Coup – Thursday, Nov 6, 2025
• Sailors’ Series
o A Voyage to the Arctic with Captain Graham McKay – Mar 27, 2025
o Young Sailors, Big Horizons –Wednesday, Nov 12, 2025
Film Programs & Festivals
• Sweet Freedom – Sunday, Mar 16, 2025
• 28th Annual Manhattan Short Film Festival – Thursday, Sep 25, 2025
• The Climate Future Film Festival –Friday, Oct 24, 2025
Virtual Education & Community Engagement
• Virtual Moby-Dick Book Club (3)
o Tuesday, Sep 16, 2025
o Tuesday, Oct 21, 2025
o Tuesday, Nov 18, 2025
• Quarterly Local History Guild:
o SouthCoast Women Creating Change – Tuesday, Mar 11, 2025
o Whale Communication & Ocean Noise – June 10, 2025
o Shipwrecks! – Sep 9, 2025
o My Favorite Things: Collection Highlights – Tuesday, Dec 9, 2025
• Cape Verdean Identity in Contemporary Art – Oct 22, 2025
• Tracing your Ancestors: Researching Cape Verdean Genealogy – Nov 12, 2025
School Vacation Programming
• Nautical Myths, Legends & Sea Creatures – Feb 15 – 22, 2025
• Maritime Makers & Marine MarvelsApr 21 – 27, 2025
Actress, author, and comedian Karyn Parsons kicks off the 2025 Moby-Dick Marathon.
EXHIBITIONS & PUBLICATIONS
Complicated Legacies: Museum History, White Supremacy, and Sculpture
October 11, 2024 – October 13, 2025
Complicated Legacies examined Black activism and white supremacy in the U.S. between 1914-1916 by centering a bust of Jonathan Bourne created by John Gutzon Borglum for the Museum in 1915. Borglum was a celebrated sculptor who held deeply problematic racist ideologies. The exhibition asked, does an artist’s beliefs impact how we interpret a sculpture? Is a sculpture defined by the politics of the maker, patron, or subject? How might the museum, in its long history, have supported racist ideologies and how can we confront these histories and engage audiences in conversation about the ongoing legacies of historical harm, and racial and social injustice today?
Up from the Depths: Natural Selections from our Collections
October 11, 2024 – October 13, 2025
For the first time in over a century, our natural history collections were the subject of a stand-alone exhibition installed like a cabinet of curiosities. Designed to wonder and amaze, Up from the Depths highlighted a variety of terrestrial and aquatic natural history objects derived from the natural world. Some appeared as they would in nature; others were modified by an artist or collector to surprise and delight.
“Entangled in the Lines”:
Figuring Moby-Dick
November 8, 2024 – March 8, 2025
Artwork related to Herman Melville and Moby-Dick from the NBWM’s collection, especially drawn from the Elizabeth Schultz collection, exemplified how Herman Melville’s text is expansive and left up to interpretation. Artists used loose lines, striking colors, and unexpected forms to express various experiences of the novel, and to create portraits of its individual characters. Together, these prints and drawings impressed a sense of the “boggy, soggy, squitchy picture” that Melville’s prose provides.
Community BLOOMS: Katy Rodden Walker
November 22, 2024 - April 21, 2025
Community BLOOMS was a community-focused art and science project by regional interdisciplinary artist and UMass-Dartmouth MFA graduate Katy Rodden Walker. Moved by the expansive plastics pollution and increase in jellyfish blooms in the ocean due to warming waters, Walker developed a community-focused exhibition out of engaging hands-on workshops to educate and engage the public. This participatory project invited visitors to create jellyfish from recycled beach trash, which were then used to build an immersive underwater world with a soundscape and video projection. Visitors could consider environmental change and activism through this unique environment.
Lighting the Way: SouthCoast Women’s Lives, Labors, Loves
December 13, 2024 – May 4, 2025
Women have always shaped the South Coast of Massachusetts and its histories. Their contributions to domestic and civic life, to education and public institutions, to the cultural fabric of New Bedford and its neighbors, and to the political and social environs of the area are immeasurable. This exhibition focused on over 300 objects in the collection made by and for women, and shared their stories. Throughout, diverse stories cut across race, age, class, ability, ethnicity, immigration status, gender identity, and sexuality to demonstrate the unique and evolving experiences of women in this region.
Our Sisters’ History: An Exploration of New Bedford During the 1800s
March 30, 2025 – April 19, 2025
This exhibition by sixth graders from Our Sisters’ School was a culmination of student research using primary sources at the New Bedford Whaling Museum. The unit “New Bedford in the 1800s” aimed to deepen the arts, literary, and social studies curricula of the integrated humanities and arts programs. Through historical inquiry and imagination, students at Our Sisters’
School told, rewrote, and amplified stories and forged a deep connection to our community’s past.
Overheard Underwater:
Perri Lynch Howard
May 17, 2025 - November 11, 2025
Perri Lynch Howard, self-described as a “sound artist interested in quiet,” has travelled the world recording sounds in the environment both above ground and underwater investigating ideas around sound and quiet, and working to chart and capture sites at the forefront of extreme environmental change. This exhibition transformed the Center Street Gallery into an underwater arctic environment, featuring items from the collection related to sound and hearing, a wallpaper surround developed from arctic imagery in the collection, and an immersive soundscape sampled from bio-acoustic recordings in the William A. Watkins Collection of Marine Mammal Sound Recordings at the Museum.
Morabeza: Cape Verdean Community in the South Coast
May 24, 2025 - February 24, 2026
With loans from over 45 individuals and community organizations and executed in collaboration with the Cape Verdean Advisory Committee, Morabeza was a community effort to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Independence of Cabo Verde from Portugal and tell the story of the Cape Verdean diaspora across the region. Featuring personal items, oral histories, music, photographs, and belongings, the exhibit highlighted the rich Cape Verdean cultural traditions and organizations in New England and explored continuing connections with Cabo Verde, affirming its import to the region’s history and future.
Claridade: Cape Verdean Identity in Contemporary Art
June 13, 2025 - December 7, 2025
Featuring over a dozen contemporary visual artists and filmmakers of Cape Verdean descent, Claridade explored the role of visual art in defining diasporic community, shaping individual identity, and affirming culture. An array of work,
including sculpture, fiber arts, mixed media works on paper, paintings, poetry, and video installation, reflected the distinct personal experiences and visual identities of artists who were born on Cape Verde, those who emigrated to the United States, and those born in the United States and the Netherlands.
Coquilla Nut Carvings:
An Afro-Brazilian Artform
September 20, 2025 - August 30, 2026
This exhibition highlights over 25 small carved coquilla nut miniature snuff boxes from a private collection. These items were a distinctive vernacular tradition in the 1700s and 1800s in the Black Atlantic, with evidence suggesting some were made on shipboard during maritime voyages between Brazil and America, England, and Europe. A selection of items from the Museum collection help highlight the artistic contributions of Black mariners in the Atlantic, and Brazil’s centrality in maritime networks of the 1800s.
Bristol County: Incarcerated
October 13, 2025 - December 28, 2026
Showcasing items related to the history of New Bedford’s Ash Street Jail, this installation draws from a recent acquisition of intake photography and a large loan from the Bristol County Sherriff’s Office. Built in 1888, the Ash Street Jail became the primary detention center in Bristol County for most of the 1900s. Items illuminate the experiences of residents and employees
at the oldest continuously operating jail in the country.
Ahab’s Head: American Vengeance, An installation by Heidi Whitman
December 13, 2025 - May 3, 2026
Inspired by reading the novel MobyDick during the COVID-19 pandemic, contemporary artist Whitman aimed to capture Captain Ahab’s madness and ominous feeling of dread that pervade the novel. In a site-specific installation, Whitman hung sculptural rope forms that cast shadows on wall-drawn charts depicting fictitious whaling voyages. A unique soundscape, weapons from the collection, and two giant assemblages inspired by Ahab’s head and the destruction of the Pequod encouraged visitors to reflect on themes of violence and destruction in American society.
PERMANENT EXHIBITIONS
Kid’s Corner / Above & Below
Opened April 2025
A calming play space for our littlest visitors stocked with ocean-themed children’s books, soft toys, and engaging activities – including a felt ocean, hand puppets, blocks, and boats! An exhibit titled Above and Below invites kids to look closely, ask questions, and think about the choices artists make when they create art.
The City that Lit the World
Opened July 2025
This gallery charts the growth of New Bedford from a small coastal village to
a booming city. The whaling industry catalyzed New Bedford’s economic growth and shoreside work grew as an essential part of the whaling industry. This exhibit explores how New Bedford transformed because of whaling, and how whaling connected New Bedford to the world.
Exploring Our Ecosystem: Climate Change, Whales, and Us
Opened September 2025
In this gallery, featuring four articulated whale skeletons, visitors learn how watersheds and ecological networks connect people, environment, and plants, explore how human activity and climate change impacts ecological balance, and consider collective responsibilities to protect the earth.
Sailors’ Nook
Opened November 2025
Visitors of all ages can imagine living and working on a whaling ship in this pretend-play space with hands-on activities, dress-up clothes, telescopes, play food, stuffed animals, and more. Guests can sit at the desk to write a logbook page or find a comfortable spot to read a maritime-themed picture book.
Forging Independence | Building a Nation
Opened December 2025
A new suite of conjoined galleries explores stories of independence, struggle, and citizenship in the South Coast region during the late colonial and early Republican period (1760-1830). Focused on historical events leading up to, during, and after the American Revolution, the exhibit pays particular attention to regional events and the stories of individuals, framed within larger statewide and national arcs, and invites visitors to form connections to today.
2025 PUBLICATIONS
Botvin, Melanie, Ymelda Rivera Laxton, Naomi Slipp, et al. Cape Verdean Contemporary
Vistas: A Journal of Art, History, Science and Culture, Winter 2025
Vistas: A Journal of Art, History, Science and Culture, Summer 2025
Ahab’s Head: American Vengeance, An installation by Heidi Whitman, December 2025 - May 2026.
BEYOND NEW BEDFORD
Touring exhibitions and loans allow objects from the Museum collection and projects organized by our curators to travel, building brand exposure and increasing accessibility to and awareness of the Museum and its mission.
TRAVELING EXHIBITIONS
A Spectacle in Motion: The Grand Panorama of a Whaling Voyage ‘Round the World
Minnesota Marine Art Museum March 18, 2025 - March 1, 2026
Seals and Society
Aquinnah Cultural Center
August 6 – September 14, 2025
Sailing to Freedom: Maritime Dimensions of the Underground Railroad Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum September 27, 2024 - December 2026
African American Museum in Philadelphia September 13, 2025 – April 26, 2026 College of Charleston September 19, 2025 – May 31, 2026
COLLECTION OBJECTS ON SHORT-TERM LOAN
Mystic Seaport Museum: Entwined, March 2, 2024 – April 5, 2026.
Peabody Essex Museum: Draw Me Ishmael: The Book Arts of Moby Dick, June 1, 2024 – January 2026
Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum: Monsters and Mermaids: Legends of the Sea, from August 2024 – October 2026
New Bedford Art Museum: Time Capsule: A Slice of Life in 19th Century New Bedford. October 1, 2024 – April 27, 2025
Mystic Seaport Museum: Spineless: A Glass Menagerie of Blaschka Marine Invertebrates. October 21, 2023 –March 3, 2025
Alexey von Schlippe Gallery of Art, University of Connecticut: Melville Society Annual Conference Exhibition, June 5, 2025 – June 20, 2025
Cahoon Museum of American Art: Taverns to Trades: American Folk Art Signs, September 17, 2025 –December 21, 2025
Photo courtesy of Minnesota Marine Art Museum.
GIFTS, PURCHASES AND TRANSFERS
2025.1, ODHS Purchase
Albumen carte-de-visite of a young African American woman from ca. 1867
2025.2, Transfer from Virginia Aquarium Foundation
Eight right whale flipper bones and a rib fragment
2025.5, Gift of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Brain of Risso’s Dolphin (Grampus griseus) in glass jar sitting in 95% ethanol
2025.6, Transfer from National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution
Non-data waxy earplug possibly from a fin whale
2025.7, Gift of Robert Rocha
Two posters by Wyland titled “Whales of the World” and “Dolphins of the World”
2025.8, Gift of John R. Masson and Michel Jodoin
Photograph of the cadet class of New Bedford High School
2025.9, Gift of Eugene Monteiro, Jennette Monteiro Leal, and Robert F. Monteiro Cape Verdean American Veterans Association uniforms, including for the Drum & Bugle Corp, Men’s Association, and Women’s Auxiliary
2025.10, Gift of Marie Barnes
Two family albums from ca. 1880-1920 documenting members of a regional Cape Verdean American family
2025.11, Given in Honor of Marian Shaw Smith by Martha B. Chace-Blatchford and Jonathan D. Chace
Ephemera and photographs of whaling wife Marian Shaw Smith (1866-1913) and missionary Isaac O. Stringer (18661934)
2025.12, Gift of Dorothy Lopes
Laminated certificate of Naturalization for Antonio Lourenco Lopes
2025.13, ODHS Purchase
Sonya Kelliher-Combs (Alaska, b. 1969), New Artifact, Seal Effigy Totems, 2024. Mixed media, 12 x 12 inches
2025.14, Gift of Martha B. ChaceBlatchford and Jonathan D. Chace
Three pieces of scrimshaw: a Chukchi walrus tusk; fossilized mastodon tusk; and whalebone swift from Captain Horace Smith and Marion Shaw Smith
2025.18, ODHS Purchase
Tripp, Kendrick, and Gardner archive, related to New Bedford-area family, circa 1778-1878
2025.19, ODHS Purchase
Carte-de-visite of seated woman by New Bedford photographer Hannah H. Worthing
2025.20, Gift of the Estate of Joseph Rishel
Māori wahaika (hand club); one wood and one whale bone
2025.21, Gift of the Estate of Nancy Richmond Whittier
Letters written on shipboard by whaling wife Nancy Knights Richmond (18191898)
2025.22, ODHS Purchase
Carte-de-visite of standing woman by New Bedford photographer Hannah H. Worthing
2025.23, Gift of Andrew Konnerth
Melon oil collected in 1964 from a pilot whale by Marine Scientist Andrew Konnerth
2025.24, ODHS Purchase
Boston Slave Riot, And Trial of Anthony Burns (Boston: Fetridge and Company, 1854)
2025.26, ODHS Purchase
Twenty Union Street Railway Company tokens and leather “Car Fares” pouch
2025.27, Anonymous Gift
Broadside: “Alaska Packers Association Four Masted Bark Star of Shetland –Built at Bath, Maine, 1899”
2025.28, ODHS Purchase
Hand-colored lithograph of abolitionist and former enslaver James G. Birney. Lithographed and published in New York and New Bedford, ca. 1844
2025.31, ODHS Purchase
1804 Dartmouth, Bristol County land deed
2025.32, Anonymous Gift
Cardboard packaging for 1-8 Bit Stock by Morse Twist Drill and Machine Co.
2025.33, Gift of Samuel Chapin
Charterparty document for the Plymouth, MA sloop Union
2025.34, Gift in memory of Katharine Copeland Newhall, Francis Pitcher
Copeland, and Katharine Courtis
Richmond Pitcher
Oil painting of whaleship Lancer and Asian carved ivories
2025.35, Gift of the Cape Verdean Recognition Scholarship Committee
Scholarship Awards Program from 2025 Cape Verdean Recognition Committee ceremony
2025.36, Gift of Susan Cameron
Fifteen maritime photographs of and around New Bedford
2025.37, Gift of the Kingman and Greenhalgh Families
Assorted New Bedford pamphlets and ephemera, 1902-1963
2025.38, Gift of the Zeman and Greenberg Families
Cast iron widow’s walk rail from New Bedford home taken by eminent domain and demolished to build Route I-195 in the 1960s
2025.40, Gift of Lois Wiseman
Bill of Sale of Sloop Yacht Torment, 1896
2025.42, Gift of Bryanna and Matthew Botvin
New Bedford “Le Compte’s Men’s Shop” wooden clothes hanger
2025.43, Gift of the Family of Lincoln B. Hathaway
Ephemera of the Hathaway Family and shoe manufacturing company, Hathaway, Soule & Harrington, Inc.
2025.55, Gift of Robert Tupper
Robert Tupper watercolor of the Doris Gertrude
UNACCESSIONED COLLECTIONS
ED2025.5, Gift of R.M. Wiggin
Old Dartmouth Historical Society Booklet, A Visit to the Whaling Museum, 1939
IA2025.1, Gift of Amy Thurber 1966 Bylaws for the Old Dartmouth Historical Society
Anonymous Gift Bacon, John U. The Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald (New York: Liveright Publishing Corporation, 2025)
Gift of A. Carol Fitzgerald Ricketson Daniel, and A. Carol Fitzgerald. The History of New Bedford, Bristol County, Massachusetts (New Bedford: Published by the Author, 1858). Reprinted, 2022.
Gift of Carl Cruz Hilton, Als, Mazie M. Harris, Aaron Bryant, and Anthony Barboza. Eye Dreaming: Photographs by Anthony Barboza. Getty Publications, 2022. Autographed by Anthony Barboza.
Gift of Evan England
Bernet, Etienne. Dictionnaire Biographique des Équipages des navires Baleiniers Français au XIXe siècle: Capitaines – Hapronneurs – Matelots (Biographical Dictionary of the Crews of French Whaling Ships in the 19th Century – Captains – Harpooners –Sailors). Fécamp, France. 2020.
Bernet, Etienne. Capitaines et Armatuers Baleiniers Francs-Maçons Au XIXe siècle (Freemason Whaling Captains and Shipowners in the 19th Century). Fécamp, France. 2020.
Gift of Ginger Benlifer in honor of Stuart M. Frank, a friend from childhood, and in memory of Brian David Benlifer, her husband, who was born and raised in New Bedford and worked at the New Bedford Whaling Museum as a teen. Frank, Stuart M. Biographical Dictionary of Scrimshaw Artists: Five Centuries of the Occupational Folk Art of the Whalers, Volume One and Two. Scrimshaw Forensics, 2025.
Gift of Mark D. Foley
Frank, Stuart M. Biographical Dictionary of Scrimshaw Artists: Five Centuries of the Occupational Folk Art of the Whalers, Volume One and Two. Scrimshaw Forensics, 2025.
Gift of Heidi Whitman
Whitman, Heidi. Reckoning. 2025.
Gift of Leslie Ragan
Ragan, Leslie. Salmon Popping: Commercial Fishing in the Bering Sea: A Deckhand’s Journal. 2025.
Gift of the University of Barcelona
Aguilar, Àlex, Max Aguilar. La huella ballenra en el norte de la peninsula Ibérica: Inventario-guia de restos históricos (The Whaling Footprint in the North of the Iberian Peninsula: Inventory-guide of Historical Remains). University of Barcelona, 2025.
2025 CONSERVATION TREATMENTS
1992.100.1161, Plaster Relief of the Arrest of Paul Revere
In-painting and crack repair
1899, Nellie Maude Pairpoint & Thomas J. Pairpoint
New Bedford Glass Museum Collection Transfer
2001.100.2513, Dutch Tall Clock, Atlas Figure
Repair and in-painting
Circa 1753, Gerrit Knip Kendall Whaling Museum Collection Transfer
1917.9, Plaster Model of a Sperm Whale Repair
Date Unknown, Maker Unknown
Gift of American Museum of Natural History, NY
Thomas J. Pairpoint and Nellie Maude Pairpoint, The Arrest of Paul Revere, 1899. New Bedford Whaling Museum Collection
Left: Sonya Kelliher-Combs, New Artifact, Seal Effigy Totems, 2024. Mixed media. ODHS purchase, 2025.
MUSEUM LEARNING
Education is at the heart of NBWM’s mission to ignite learning through explorations of art, history, science, and culture. Through field trips, school groups, adult learning opportunities, and group tours, we welcomed learners of all ages into the Museum, and delivered off-site programs in classrooms and our community.
K-12 SCHOOL GROUPS
1st Choice Educational Tours/ St. Agnes School
Abraham Lincoln Elementary School
AFS High School Student Exchange
Alfred J. Gomes Elementary School
Alma del Mar Charter School
Anchor Academy (JRI Therapeutic Day School)
Annie Fisher STEM Magnet School
Asa Messer Elementary School
Assawompset Elementary School
Atlantis Charter School
Avon Middle High School
Barnstable High School
Berkley Middle School
Betsey B. Winslow Elementary School
Birchwood Middle School
Blackstone Academy Charter School
Bourne Intermediate School
Cape Cod Academy
Cass Homeschool Group
Chilmark School
Community Partnership Middle School
Concord Academy
Consulate General of Portugal in Boston
Dearborn Academy
DeMello Elementary School
Dighton Elementary School
Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School
East Providence High School Life Skills Special Education Program
Elements Learning Program
Envoys Inc - Little Red School
escola secundaria de Rabo de Peixe
Fairhaven Public Schools
Falmouth Academy
Falmouth High School - Women in STEM
Friends Academy
George R. Austin Intermediate School
Global Learning Charter Public School
Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School
Green Meadow Waldorf School
Harmony Tours - The Howard School
Hawthorne Valley Waldorf School
Henri A. Yelle Elementary School
Henry B. Burkland Elementary School
High Point Regional High School
Irwin Jacobs Elementary
James M. Quinn Elementary School
Joseph Case High School
Keith Middle School
Kingston Intermediate School
Lincoln Elementary School
Long Branch Middle School - ETA
Ludlow High School
Martin Elementary School
Marvin Homeschool
Mary K. Goode Elementary School
Milton Academy
Montrose School
Moses Brown School
Mt. Hope High School
Nativity Preparatory Academy
Nazarene Christian Academy
New Bedford High School
North Pembroke Elementary School
Norwell Co-Op
Oak Bluffs Elementary School
New Bedford Whaling Museum Apprentices visit the Marine Biological Lab in Woods Hole, February 2025.
Oak Ridge School
OLOGS Homeschool CoOP
Our Sisters’ School
Paul Cuffee School
Portsmouth Abbey
Quashnet School
Richardson Olmsted School
Riverview School
Rodman Elementary School
Roosevelt Middle School
Saint Paul School
Samuel Fuller School
Seven Hills ASPiRE! Hopedale
Shady Hill School
Sippican School
Southeastern Regional Voc Tech High School
Sparhawk Academy
St. Andrew’s School
St. Teresa of Calcutta School
St. John Paul II Preparatory Division
St. Marks School
St. Mary’s Catholic School
St. Michael School
Stoughton Homeschool Group
Swift Elementary School
Tabor Academy
Teaticket School
The Cambridge School of Weston
The Edgartown School
The Learning Community
The Mead School
The Wheeler School
The Woodward School
Thomas R. Rodman Elementary School
W. Taylor School
Westport Elementary School
Whaling City Alternative Junior/Senior
High School
Wheeler High School
Whimsical wild heart Co-Op
AFTER SCHOOL, CAMP, OR YOUTH PROGRAMS
Adventurer’s Book Club, Millicent Library
Aquidneck Island Day Camp
Bristol Warren COZ
City of Tosashimizu
Dr Day Care, Smithfield
Early Learning Child Care Inc
Fairhaven 4-H Group
Falmouth Recreation Department
Harwich Recreation
Kennedy Summer Day Program
Kids Klub
Little People’s College
Living Classrooms Foundation
Lloyd Center for the Environment
Merrimack Valley King’s Kids Pathfinder Club
New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center
New Bedford Parks Recreation & Beaches
New Bedford Police Department Summer Program
Newport Recreation
Sgt. Wm. H. Carney Day Care
Sharon Community Education- STAR Camp
Summer Turtle Program, Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head
The National Aquarium
The UCAP School Summer Program
Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) Education Dept
Washington Heights Youth Builders
World Ocean School
YMCA-New Bedford
COLLEGE GROUPS
Bentley University
Bristol Community College
Brown University
College of the Holy Cross
Massachusetts Maritime Academy
Mystic Seaport Museum
Rhode Island School of Design
Sea Education Association
Showa Boston Institute
The Pennsylvania State University
University of Chicago
University of Connecticut Avery Point
University of Massachusetts- Boston Upward Bound Program
University of Massachusetts- Dartmouth Wheaton College
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
OFFSITE OUTREACH
Massachusetts Teachers STEM Fair
STEM4Girls, UMass Dartmouth
NBPS Sail into Kindergarten
NBPS Back to School Extravaganza
Feast of the Blessed Sacrament Family Day
Jaws 50th Anniversary HarborFest
Dia de Kriansa / Children’s Day 2025
Party for the Planet, Buttonwood Park Zoo
Nativity Preparatory School New Bedford
Swift Elementary School
Keith Middle School Night of Wonder Family Fest, PACE & GNBYA
HIGH SCHOOL APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM
The New Bedford Whaling Museum’s High School Apprenticeship Program provides students in New Bedford with resources and experiences that deepen community engagement, promote personal and professional development, and cultivate college and career success. Apprentices complete projects exploring topics like ocean science and conservation, the history of New Bedford, and the stories of the people whose culture, language, and accomplishments are exhibited throughout the Museum. The program also supports Apprentices during the college application and financial aid process, including college campus visits, career speakers, and career shadow opportunities.
HIGHLIGHTS
• 19 Apprentices earned stipends for over 320 hours of programming.
• Four senior Apprentices graduated and entered post-secondary education at the Cleveland Institute of Art, UMass Boston, Boyce College, and Bristol Community College.
• 11 Apprentices across three grades participated in a rigorous three-day residential science course at the Marine Biological Lab in Woods Hole, MA, as part of the MBL’s High School Science Discovery Program.
• Apprentices participated in the Cape Verdean Recognition Parade and the Feast of the Blessed Sacrament Parade; led squid dissections for the Something Fishy Camp organized by the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center and the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park; facilitated hands-on programming for over 100 children at the New Bedford YMCA summer day camp; and assisted in community programs during school vacation weeks and the Moby-Dick Marathon.
The Museum concluded FY2025 in a position of notable financial strength, reflecting solid operating performance, balance sheet growth, and meaningful progress on capital projects and strategic initiatives.
Owing to the exceptional generosity of our supporters, contributed income was nearly $4.1 million—more than half of total operating income. This generosity also advanced the capital campaign by an additional $11.7 million toward its goal. In addition, volunteers contributed more than 13,600 hours of service —an in-kind contribution valued at over $572 thousand.
During the year, the Museum team presented a robust slate of exhibitions and programs that attracted more than 89,000 visitors. Consequently, revenue from admissions, the museum store, and public programs increased by 9%, 10%, and 22%, respectively. Total expenses increased 4% year over year, reflecting prudent staffing decisions and proactive cost management. Importantly, 73% of total expenses directly supported Museum programs. Operating income of $7.3 million exceeded operating expenses by just over $1.0 million. This represents an operating surplus of $127 thousand plus $890 thousand in restricted funds for future exhibitions and programs.
The Museum’s financial position remains strong and with very little debt. We are grateful to the donors who strengthened the endowment through their generous gifts. Together with portfolio gains, the endowment increased from $20.6 million to $23.3 million in 2025.
In December, in partnership with Mass Development and M&T Bank, a $15 million taxexempt bond was issued, achieving a lower cost of capital to support the construction of the new Welcome & Exhibition Center. A comprehensive financing package is now in place to bridge multi-year pledges and ensure construction progresses according to schedule.
Last month, the Museum’s annual independent financial audit was conducted and a clean opinion was issued, affirming our commitment to fundraising efficiency and sound fiscal management.
2026 is off to a steady start and the Museum is well positioned to address the challenges ahead. Our commitment to building and sustaining the financial capacity to advance our educational and cultural mission remains steadfast. We extend our sincere appreciation to the donors whose continued generosity makes this progress possible. Thank you and congratulations to the entire Museum team for another successful year!
Ricardo Bermudez
Treasurer
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024
DONORS
Individual Donors
The following individual contributors supported the Museum with gifts to the Museum Fund, membership, and other special initiatives between January 1 and December 31, 2025. This list does not include capital campaign donors. Campaign donors are recognized on pages 24-25. Though space restraints permit us to list only cumulative giving of $150 or more, the Museum is grateful for support at every level.
$100,000+
Christina M. Bascom
Jennifer W. & R. Davis Webb
$50,000 - $99,999
Anonymous (2)
Nancy Braitmayer
Cynthia & Douglas Crocker II
Irwin M. Jacobs
Sloan M. & Wick Simmons
$25,000 - $49,999
Anonymous
Marnie Ross Chardon & Marc E. Chardon
Michael J. Dury
Laurie & Peter Grauer
Alison K. Hedges & Robert J. Saunders
Cathy & Henry Roberts
Ann Webster
$10,000 - $24,999
Anonymous (2)
Thomas P. Barry & Nancy L. Shanik
Joanne & David Cameron
Gardner Chace
Victoria & David Croll
Tally & John N. Garfield, Jr.
Carolyn & Robert Macy Gelpke
Lucile P. & William C.S. Hicks
Marianna C. & Edward M. Howland
Maryellen & James Hughes
Martha & Michael Keating
Betsy & Rusty Kellogg
Lisa & John Lofberg
Ann & Lloyd Macdonald
Amanda & Quentin McMullen
Jane & Neil* Pappalardo
Anthony R. Sapienza
Tricia & Chris Schade
R. Patricia & Edward Schoppe, Jr.
Bonnie & Bob Stapleton
Maryellen Sullivan Hughes
Carol M. Taylor & John H. Deknatel
Susan & Harvey Wolkoff
Allison & George Wood
$5,000 - $9,999
Anonymous
Talbot Baker, Jr.
Laurie & David Barrett
Maria & Wael Bayazid
Pamela & Ricardo Bermudez
Martha & Peter Blatchford
Wendy & Peter Cowie
Joan Decollibus & Douglas A. Balder
Joan Dolian & Per Moen*
Ruth B. Ekstrom
Vanessa & John Gralton
Randy Harris
Fran & William N. Keene
Gordon K. Lenci
Margaret & Per G.H. Lofberg
Doris & John Ludes
Susan McLaren & Philip Guymont
Debbie Chervinsky Moll & Jonathan Moll
Faith & Richard Morningstar
Laura & Tait Nielsen
Carolyn Osteen
Jill & Thomas Pappas
Carolyn & James Rubenstein
Donna Sachs & Gilbert Perry
Fredi & Howard H. Stevenson
Sigrid & Ladd Thorne
Patricia Diane Valas
Grace & David A. Wyss
$2,500 - $4,999
Patricia A. and Mark S. Allen
Wendy D. & Eugene C. Andreassi
Paulina R. & Henry M. Arruda
Deborah A. Baker
Mary Jean & R. William* Blasdale
Eric A. Braitmayer
Marni Clippinger & Sheffield van Buren
Tommie & Jack Desmond
Patricia & Armand Fernandes
Molly & Jeffrey Goodman
Susan & Gary Grosart
Herbert St. John Webb III
Gig & Scott W. Lang
Judy Light
Caroline K. & George B. Mock III
Reidar Rasmussen & Laura McLeod
Louis M. Ricciardi
Edgenie H. & Donald S. Rice
Margot & Mark Schmid
Barbara & Thomas Slaight
Janice M. Smyth
Ellen Stone
Margot D. Stone
Stephen Taber
Mallory & John Waterman
Kathleen K. Wattles
Janet P. Whitla*
Ann & Hans Ziegler
$1,000 - $2,499
Anonymous (2)
Patricia Altschuller
Patricia L. Andrade, M.D.
Maureen & Ray Armstrong
Margherita & Michael Baldwin
Melody Barlow
Sam Barrington
Holly & Dana Barrows
Catherine A. Bartholomew & John H. Ricketson
Robin & Milo C. Beach
Jackie & John Beauregard
Hillary & Jeffery C. Becton
Jessie & Thomas Bourneuf
Elizabeth & Edward C. Brainard II
Nannette & William M. Braucher
Janet Brown & Michael Brewer
Rid Bullerjahn
Jayne & Richard Burkhardt
Ann & David T. Caldwell
Alexandra Callen & James Bailey
Cindy Gray Carey & Christopher W. Carey
Alzira & Jose S. Castelo
Christine & Eric Cody
Jennifer & Jeff Collins
Annelise & Ian Conway
Mary W. Cook
Janet & William Coquillette
Paula Cordeiro & David O’Brien
Nancy & David Corkery
Susan & Antonio Costa
Gary Cox
Byron A. Crampton
Carl J. Cruz
Victoria & Robert Cunningham
Jane & Jerry Dauterive
Amanda Dean
Priscilla & Allan Ditchfield
Stephanie Randazzo Dwyer & Dan Dwyer
Harriet Edelman & Christopher Hillyer
Jean & Ford Elsaesser
Betsy Fallon & Michael L. Waters
Helga Faulenbach
Linda & Charles W. Findlay
Caitlin & Karen Fisher
Stephen Fletcher & Michael D. Walden
Mary Ellen & Ed Flynn
Viki A. Fowler & John D. Kelleher
Elsie R. Fraga*
Madeleine & Ian Fraser
Elise Frick & John A. Garraty, Jr.
Deborah & Peter R. Gates
Margaret & Clark Gee
Sarah H. Godfrey
Abby & David Gray
Gay & Francis C. Gray
Marjorie & Nicholas Greville
Nancy & Michael Grogan
Lisa Gross & Richard Hoffman
Karen Hagberg & Mark Jackson
Anne & Jerry Heller
Polly & Prentiss C. Higgins
Denise & Charles Hixon
Helen Hobbs
Margaret Howland
Robert Howland
Bess & Jim Hughes
Jamee & Michael Kane
Mona & Robert Ketcham
Susan Keyes & James Sulat
Katherine A. Kirby
Susan & Michael Kramer
Nancy W. & Edward F.* Kurtz
William Land
Patricia P. Lawrence
Susan Leclair & James Griffith
Sarah & Seth Lederman
Judith N. Lund
Dora Beatty & Peter Macdonald
Holly & Joseph E. McDonough
Elizabeth & Thomas McKay
Emily Mead & Robert Santos
Susan & Anthony Morris
Michael Morrissey
James Mullen
Joanna & David Nikka
Pamela T. & R. Henry Norweb
Barbara & Harry O’Hare
John O’Shaughnessy
Linda Owens
Christine W. Parks
Louise Parks
Alice Rice Perkins & Mark C. Perkins
Carol & Albert Pierce
Emily & John C. Pinheiro
Karen & Claude James Prieur
Katherine Read &
William Sommerville
Kim Redfield & Theodore M. Romanow
Mr. & Mrs. Peter Richmond
Deborah C. Robbins
Susan & Brian Rothschild
Barbara & Michael Schaefer
Tina & Paul Schmid
Kristin & Roger Servison
Gilbert L. Shapiro
Bonnie & Louis Silverstein
Jeannie & Mason Smith
Amanda Strong
Richard Tabors
Michelle Taylor
Elizabeth & Peter Turowski
Heather & Bill Vrattos
Mary Ellen & Bob White
Lisa & George Whitney
Sonjia & William Whitney
$150 - $999
Anonymous (3)
Neilson Abeel
Susan & Charles Abizaid
Bette & Roger Adair
Mary Elizabeth & Charles Adler
Linda Almeida & Robert Monteiro
Onésimo Almeida
Susan & Bruce Almeida
* deceased
C. Douglass Alves
Melissa & Wes Alwang
Nancy Ames & Peter Nelson
Dana Anderson
Erik Anderson
James Anderson
Robert Anderson
Ruth Anthony
Luciana Aquino-Hagedorn & Charles Hagedorn
Patricia & Christopher B. Arnold
Lisa & Al Arthofer
Jane & Gary Ash
Nancy & R. Elliot Ashley
Peter Bailet
Deborah Baker
Jennifer & Charles Baker
Jeanne & Perry A. Ball
Susan S. Barnet
William Barr & John Vasconcellos
Kim Barry & Adrian Tio
Michael Barry
Ana & Dudley Bauerlein
Gale & Tom Beaton
Denise & Thomas Beaudoin
Tamara & Carl Beckman
Patricia & Dante Bellini
Charlotte R. Berman
Leslie & Robert Bernert
Tracey & Dennis Berrios
Jennifer Bertrand & Christopher Smith
Rachel Besen & Ami Chitwood
Suresh Bhatia
Jeffrey Bilezikian
Renie L. Bithell & Douglas J. Carver
Linda & John Bodenmann
Virginia & Myles Boone
Penny Brewer & Nathan Bekemeier
Jennifer & John Brindisi
Anne Broholm
Daneen Brooks
Carol H. Brown
Hanne & Robert Browne
Sharon K. & Thomas F. Brownell
Leigh Brownell-Currens & Michael Currens
Ellen Bruzelius & William Tifft
Diana & William Bullard
Laurie & John K. Bullard
Sally Bullard
Tia & Peter Bullard
Christine Burgess
Adrian Burke
Benjamin Burns
Barbara & Carleton Burr
Marylou & Thomas Butero
Susan M. Camacho & William J. Hollman
Joaquin Camara
Kenneth Camara
Sophronia Camp & Jeffrey McMahon
Janine Cann
Betty Ann & Jack Cannell
Lorraine & Russell Carey
Lisa & David Carlen
Ellen & Edward Carlson
Ellen & Daniel Carlucci
Paula Carmichael & Richelle Russell
Amy Carroll & Evelyn Crocker
Mr. Jordan Castro
Margaret S. & Peter L. Caton
Ruth H. & Richard W. Cederberg
Diane Chimowitz
Richard Cifelli
Brenda & Tom Clark
Amanda Cobb & David Halberstadt
Danielle D. & Louis D. Coffin
Jared Coffin
Patrice D. & Jeremiah L. Coholan
Carol & Alex Collier
Sally L. Conkright
Heather Conover & Stephen Brass
David Considine
Anne T. Converse
Merry & John Conway
Alison Coolidge & Tom Boreiko
Janelle Cooper* & Kathleen Hanson
Spencer Cowles
Sheila & Edward A. Crapo
Eileen Cristello
Ruth & Robert Crocker
Edwina W. & James M. Cronin
Sarah & Howard Crowell
Tom Crowley
Brenda Cullen
Nancy & Larry Culpepper
Eileen Cunningham
Sally & David Curtin
Cheryl & Philip Cusick
Katherine & Frederick Dabney
Joan Dalton & Stephen Taylor
Judith & Murray Danforth
Kayla & Trevor Dannon
Steven & Thomas Darwin
Natalie Davis
Angela & Eric Dawicki
Sue & Bob Daylor
J. Abra Degbor & Peter Silva
Helen DeGroot
Charles Deknatel
Ramona & Matthew Delaney
Judith R. & Charles F. DeMailly, Jr.
Cynthia & Rhet H. C.* Denault
Madeleine Deschamps & Edward P. Hoffer
Jane A. Desforges & Michael J. White
Anne Devaney
Brenda & Ronald Dias
Pamela & Robert DiFilippo
Ellen T. & Irving W. Dingwell
Marsha Jackson
Joanne & Paul Doherty
Nicole Doliner
Mary Beth & John Dowd
Lauren Doyle & Kevin Grant
John Drakulich & Andy Hoen
Deborah & Henry Drinker
Mary Anne Dufault
Caroline & Robert R. Duncan III
Jacqueline Dupuis
Elizabeth & Vincent Dziezyk
Barbara & Don Easterday
Stephanie & Burton Edwards
Nancy E. & Lawrence K. Edwards
Melanie & Tanina M. Edwards-
Tavares
Oufa El Houkssous & Martin Bentz
Cornelia & Robert Elmore
Isabelle Engelsted
Joanne & Michael Ertel
Jacqueline & Robert Weston Evans
Annette Ewing
Maureen & Hugh Fanning
Mary Feeney
Joan Ferrante & Robert Wallace
Alice Fine
Shannon Finning
Karen G. & Michael J. Fiorile
Chelsea Fontaine & Daniel Reid
Robert Forrester & Scott Gibbs
Ann C. Fox & Leo H. Brautigam
Helen & Andrew Fredricks
Janet Freedman
Virginia & George French Parker
Jennifer & Bill Gady
Joyce & Victor Gagnon
Denise P. Gallo
Debra Gayle & Michael Malone
Suzanne and George C. Gebelein
Karen & Adam Gent
Nancy Gentile & Mark Keighley
Patricia Gerrior & Gordon T. Waring
Elizabeth Gibbs & Eliot Raymond
Robin & Bradford Gibbs
Sarah S. & Vasant A. Gideon
Karen & Jack Gierhart
Lynne & Burney M. Gifford
Catharine Gilfeather & Wellesley Whooten
Kim & Steven Gladstone
Brian Glennon
Joseph R. Glennon III
Barbara & Milton Glicksman
Kim & Bronson Goddard
Dianne T. & Terence A. Gomes
John Gomes
Marilyn L. Gonsalves
Frank Gracia
Anna & Scott Graham
Barbara Lemperly Grant & Frederic D. Grant, Jr.
Roger Grayson
Ellen & Gerard Grenier
Judith & Michael Grimley
Nancy W. Grinnell & David Sharp
Cherry & James Gronski
Teresa & Peter Hacunda
Hope & Samuel Hale
Deborah & Gary Hamilton
Teresa & Mark E. Hanson
Patricia Harrigan & Peter Fleishman
Maria & David Harrington
Patricia A. Harrington
Anne Harris
Edith Harte & Karl Matlin
Helena & Kenneth Hartnett
Juliana & Todd Hassett
Carla & Stephen Hatfield
Marion & Frank Hauck
Susan E. & Jeffrey O. Hawes
MaryAnn C. Hayes
Pamela & James Hayes-Bohanan
Peter Hayhow
Laurie Hays & Fen Montaigne
Pamela & Ted Haznar
Hailee Hearburg & Steven Crowell
Dorothy A. Hebden-Heath
Susan Heide
Adair & Arnold Heitmann
Carl Helmetag
Holly Herbster & Jennifer Macpherson
Judith L. & Edward F. Herlihy
Sophia Hermann & Owen Gwilliam
D. Lesley Hill & Alan Stone
Helen & Norman Hills
Natalie & Ralph S. Hirshorn
Janet & Richard Hitchcock
Amy Holden & Brian Freyermuth
Margaret & Buell Hollister
Cathleen S. & Donald T. Hood
Jeanne Hopkins & John Bernardi
Merita Hopkins & James Ring
Barbara & Timothy Horan
Alison Horrigan & Deborah Morris
Carolyn Hotchkiss
Jessie W. Howland
Neelakshi Hudda
Johanna & Ian Hughes
Paul J. Hughes
Elizabeth Huidekoper
Laura & Ray Hunt
Nina & James Hunt
Catherine & Ross Hunter
Lucy Iannotti & David M. Prentiss
Judith & Paul Igoe
Thomas Ilka
Pilar & Rich Jablonski
Evelyn & Ned Jackson
Maggie Jackson & John Hitchcock
Richard B. Jacobs
Hope & David L. K. Jeffrey
Dorothy & Geoffrey Jenkins
Doreen Jennings
Keegan & Scott Johnson
Sara H. Johnston
Donna T. Junier
Kathryn Kavanagh & Swapan Mallick
John Keating
Andrea & Henry R. Keene
Judy Keller
Michelle & Michael Kelly
Mary Ellen Kennedy
Carol & Paul Kerrissey
Julia & Stephen Kiechel
Sara & William King
G.E. Kingery
Anne & Peter Kirschmann
Andrew Kohlenberg
Kathryn Koken & John Preece
John Koschwanez
Rhett & Susan Krause
Naoko Kugler
Tali & Mark Kwatcher
Tenney & Raymond C. Lantz, Jr.
Bruce W. Larson
Holly Laurent
Joan Lawrence
Lisa & Michael Lawrence
Amy & Clinton Lawton
Jeannette Leal
Jessica Leasaure & Julian Rubio
Robert Leclair
Margaret & Timothy Lee
Rhiannon Lee
Mary Ellen H. Lees
Martha C. Leonard
Paul E. Levasseur
Virginia & Barry Levenson
Frances Levin
Ottilie & Jeffrey Levine
Anne G. Lewis
Amy & Christina Lionheart
Kenneth Lipman
Catherine Livezey
Joaquim Livramento
Erika Lopez & Timothy Beaulieu
Lee & Raymond Loranger
Judith & Jeffery Lovelace
Mary Ellen Lowney & S ean Francis Cahillane
Lisa & Steven D. Lubar
Susan & Donald H. Luce
Joe Lukaszevicz
Charles Lunney
Zora T. & Alan F. Lynch
Andrea & Thomas Macha
Jane S. Mackey
Cathryn & Christopher MacLean
Diana & Bruce MacPhail
Becki Maki & Jeremy Collier
Mary D. Mandeville
Rose & Harold N. Mandly III
Katey Marancik & Harvey Walsh
Ann & Robert Marklin
Maureen M. & Michael S. Martowska
M. Holt Massey
Henry Mastey
Colleen McCarthy & Alexander Bauer
Fair Alice & Peter H. McCormick
Freddy & Alexander McFerran
Diane & Frank McNamee
Kathryn McNiel
Edward Meaney
Joan Medeiros
Louise D. Medeiros
Natalie A. & Charles W. Mello
Pamela & Charles Mello
Joanne Mendes
Patricia Merritt
Leslie Meyer-Leon & Robert Kleinberg
Martha & R. Michael Sullivan
Frances Middendorf
Carol & Kate Miller
Nancy D. Mitton
Kathleen & William Mogayzel
Bunny & Robert Mogilnicki
Benita & Gene Monteiro
Melinda & Michael Monteiro
Donna & Jim Moody
Elizabeth Isherwood Moore
Hannah C. & Michael Moore
Barbara Moran & Brian Collins
Franco Mormando
Weld S. Morse
Kathy & Morgan Mowbray
Regina M. Mullen
Richard and Jill Munch
Karen & James Myslik
Lara Neri
Deborah Winslow Nutter & Alan Huntington Rutan
Kathy & Michael Oboyle
Maureen O’Brien
Roseanne & Joseph O’Connell
Ann Ogilvie
Joseph O’Hare
Pamela & Bruce J. Oliveira
Claudia & Nelson Ostiguy
Rachel Pachter & Jeremiah Hill
M. Palmer
Katherine & James Parker
Marcia & Gary Parker
Susan Parker & Gregory Viglianti
Sarah B. Parks
Monique Pavao
Ingrid & Paul Pawlowski
Pamela & Richard M. Peirce
Susan & David Pellerin
Cynthia W. & Noel Pelliccia
Richard Perkins
Janice G. & Barry W. Perry
Joseph M. Perry
Kim Perry
Alice & Robert Petersen
Janice & Robert Phelps
Beverly & James Philip
Jane & Eric Philippi
Eleanor & Richard Phillips
Nathan Pierce
Maria & Adam Pimentel
Maria & Victor Pinheiro
Laurie & Kenneth Piquette
Joy Plaisted & Royd Bjornoy
Pamela & Christopher Polloni
Diane & Jeffrey Pontiff
Victoria Pope and Joel F. Brenner
Alexis & William Popik
Sara & Christopher Quintal
Roseann Radosevich &
Richard A. Pline
Sasha & Mark Rasmussen
David Ray
Clara Read & Jay Hurd
Rosemary & Victor Rebello
Mark Rees
Barbara & Terrence Reideler
Carmin Reiss & Eric Green
Crystal & William Ribich
Margaret-Ann Rice
Karen Richmond & Robert Starnes
Mary Ellen & William Rill
Cynthia & Edward Ritter
Kathleen A. & Ronald M. Rivera
Ashley & Shirley M. Robbins
Cecelia & Stephen Roberts
Judith & George Robinson
Gabriel Rocha
Mark Rodgers
Kathryn Rogers & Robert Clancy
Cynthia & Bruce Rose
Sarah & Andrew Rose
Cecilia & Lewis C. Ross
Mary Rourke & Kenneth Green
Elizabeth & Jeffrey Roy
Anthony Russell
Lee M. Russell
Robert R. Saltzman
Rev. Stephen B. Salvador
Ruth & Dererk Santos
Annette Suaden & Dale Chatwin
Kathleen & Richard Saunders
Marie Saunders
Meaghan Sawin & Lauren M. Walsh
Barbara Schmider
Angela & Stephen Schroeder
Deborah Scott & Ralph C. Martin II
Josie Sentner
Carla Sherman*
Susan & George Shuster
Louise & Larry T. Shwartz
Sharon Silva & Dennis Dahms
Stephen Silverstein
Claudia Lewis Silvia & Peter Silvia
Eleanor & Richard Sinnott
Glena & Richard D. Sisson, Jr.
Paula & Michael Sitarz
Elizabeth B. Sittenfeld
Fiona & John Six
Donna Small & James D. Thompson
Charles Smiler
June A. Smith & Kenneth A. Shwartz
Madeline Smith
Marlene & Christopher Smith
Robert B. Smith
Anne Snyder
Jennifer Sonnabend
Bernadette Souza
Kendra & David St. Aubin
Irene B. & Roger Stanford
Margaret Starnes & Ryan Richmond
Janet C. Stegman
Sarah Stelmach & Jeremy Brown
Judith L. & Robert L. Sterns
Jean C. Stewart
Barbara-Jean & Thomas Stiles
Frederick Stillman
Susan J. & Charles M. Stillman
Amanda & Peter C. Stone
Catherine M. Stone
Sylvia & Eivind Strand
William M. Straus
Kathleen & Walter Suchon
Joan Supir & Joel Ristuccia
June & William Swanson
Shannon P. & George R. Synan
Christine & Charles Tansey
Patricia & Richard Taylor
Richard S. Taylor
Matthew Thomas
Kathleen & E.R. Thompson
Joan & Edwin Tiffany
Mary Timmins & James Onderdonk
Jack Towle
Sarah & James Treco
Joan Gerster & Fred Trezise
Pamela R. Trippe
Mary R. & Jeffery P. Tuck
Robert Turnan
James Turner
Barbara & Darryl Umland
Roswell Underwood
Catherine & William Van Meter
Stephanie Van Patten & George W. Shuster, Jr.
Theresa & Harvey Varnet
Melody Veldorale & Jeffrey Beaudry
Lawrence Velho
Elaine & Jeff Vercellone
James Vieira
J & S Vogel
Alfred J. Walker*
Melanie & Flavian Wallis
Ellen S. & Laurence S. Walsh
Emily Walter & Jarrett McPhee
Rebecca & Austin Ward
William Warden
Gloria & Richard Waterhouse
Sara D. Waters
Ellen & Donald Watson
Elizabeth & Robert M. Wax
Andrew Webb
Mr. and Mrs. Scott A. Webster
Courtland Weddle
Jane & Russell H. Weigel
Laurie & James Wheaton
Bailey & Philip Whitbeck
Anna Whitcomb & Sam Knight
Amelia & Lewis White
Anne & Alec White
Tracy Whitford & Charles Loveridge
Nancy & Eric Whitlock
Deborah & Andrew Wiley
Virginia & John Wilkens
Melonie Wilson
Kathryn & Robert Windsor
Debra Pughe & John Winet
Judith & Dennis Winn
Marcy Wintrub & Duane Barton
Richard Wolverton
Karin E. Wood & Peter C. Bogle
Stephen Wood
Geneva Woodruff
Margaret Wool & Vincent Mor
Martha Worley
Dennis Xifaras
Karen & William Young
Trusts, Funds, Corporate, Foundation and Government Support
The following institutional contributors supported the Museum with cumulative giving of $150 or more between January 1 and December 31, 2025. This list does not include capital campaign donors, who are recognized on pages 24-25.
$100,000+
The Henry Luce Foundation
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) - Coastal Resiliency Fund
The William M. Wood Foundation, Bank of America NA, Trustee
$50,000 - $99,000
Art Bridges Foundation
Institute of Museum and Library Services
Massachusetts After School Partnership
Massachusetts Cultural Council
SouthCoast Community Foundation
– Acushnet Foundation Fund
SouthCoast Community Foundation
– Jacobs Family Donor Fund
$25,000 - $49,999
Bank of America
Kenneth T. & Mildred S. Gammons
Charitable Foundation
Grimshaw-Gudewicz Charitable Foundation
Island Foundation
National Historical Publications & Records Commission
The Gordon and Marjorie Osborne Foundation
Schrafft Charitable Trust
Servedwell Hospitality
The Wyeth Foundation for American Art
$10,000 - $24,999
BayCoast Bank
The Howard Bayne Fund
The Carney Family Charitable Foundation
Highland Street Foundation
The M&T Charitable Foundation
Massachusetts Charitable Society
Van Sloun Foundation
The Sidney J. Weinberg, Jr. Foundation
$5,000 - $9,999
Alliance Bernstein
Association for the Relief of Aged Women
Baldwin Wealth Partners
Bristol County Savings Charitable Foundation
Helen E. Ellis Trust
Move the World Foundation
City of New Bedford –Community Development Block Grant
Sylvia Group an Alera Group Company
Tonix Pharmaceuticals
$2,500 - $4,999
Allan Smith & Company, CPAs PC
Behavioral Concepts BCI
Bristol County Savings Bank
Burr Brothers Boats, Inc.
The Castelo Group
CHT Foundation
Fiber Optic Center, Inc.
Merrow, Inc.
New Bedford Day Nursery Fund
SouthCoast Community Foundation - Greater New Bedford Youth Alliance Fund
Taunton Federal Credit Union
$1,000 - $2,499
Babbitt Chainwheels
BankFive
Barden’s Boat Yard, Inc.
Beetle, Inc.
Bensaude Hotels Collection
Boston Marine Society
Bristol Wealth Group
Cape Cod 5
Clean Uniforms and More
Clube Madeirense S.S.
Sacramento, Inc.
Consulate of Portugal
Demoulas Foundation
Eastern Bank Foundation
Fall River Women’s Union
First Citizens’ Federal Credit Union
Imtra Corporation
Ludes Family Foundation
Marion Antique Shop
The Markel Family Philanthropic Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Pittsburgh
National Endowment for the Humanities
New Bedford Foss Marine Terminal
Nye Lubricants, Inc.
Saltonstall Architects
Saunders-Dwyer Home for Funerals
Sensing Systems
SouthCoast Health
Vineyard Offshore
$500 - $999
Azorean Maritime Heritage Society
The Beacon Mutual Insurance Company
Cruising Club of America
Dartmouth Public Libraries
Descendants of Whaling Masters, Inc.
Fairhaven Cultural Council
The Franchise Group
Frank Corp. Environmental Services
International Congress of Maritime Museums
The Newport Experience
The Office: Performing Arts & Film
Westport Cultural Council
$250 - $499
Acushnet Public Library
Ames Free Library
Attleboro Public Library
Auburn Public Library
Barrington Public Library
Berkley Public Library
BISCA Tournament Club
Blanding Public Library
Brockton Public Library
Brownell Library
Lighting the Way: SouthCoast Women’s Lives, Labors, Loves, December 2024–May 2025.
Cape Verdean Association of New Bedford
Commonwealth Retirement Benefits
Cranston Public Library
Dedham Public Library
Dighton Public Library
East Providence Public Library
East Smithfield Public Library
Eldredge Public Library
Fall River Public Library
Falmouth Public Library
James White Memorial Library
John Curtis Free Library
Jonathan Bourne Public Library
Joseph H. Plumb Memorial Library
Lakeville Public Library
Mansfield Public Library
Marion Library Association
Mattapoisett Free Public Library
Maury Loontjens Memorial Library
Medfield Memorial Public Library
Middleborough Public Library
The Millicent Library
Neves Travel
New Bedford Free Public Library
North Providence Union Free Library
North Smithfield Public Library
Plymouth Public Library
Portsmouth Free Public Library
Raynham Public Library
Rhode Island Foundation –Anonymous Fund
Rogers Free Library
Sandwich Public Library
Somerset Public Library
South Yarmouth Library
SouthCoast Film Forum, Inc.
Sturgis Library
Swansea Free Public Library
Tauck World Discovery
Taunton Public Library
Thomas Crane Public Library
Tiverton Public Library
Wareham Free Library
West Yarmouth Library
Westport Free Public Library
$150 - $249
American Historical Print Collectors Society
The Barr Foundation
Carter’s Clothing and Footwear
Child & Family Services
Cruz Management Company, Inc.
DG Service Company
The International Guild of Knot Tyers
LifeStream, Inc.
MA Educational Opportunity Association
Mass Humanities
MassDevelopment
Nativity Preparatory School
New Bedford Economic Development Council
New Bedford Ocean Cluster
New Bedford Port Authority
The New Bedford Port Society
New Bedford Symphony Orchestra
New England Aquarium
New England Fishery Management Council
PAACA Recovery Support Center
PACE Inc.
Portsmouth Friends Church
South Coast Neighbors United
Theresa Street
VentureWell Ocean Enterprise
Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head
Whitfield - Manjiro Friendship Society
Honor/Memorial Contributors
The Museum is grateful for gifts made in Memory or Honor of friends of the Museum between January 1 and December 31, 2025.
In Honor of Chace Allain
Cynthia Leary
In Memory of Mary Andresini
Anonymous
In Honor of A.J. Austin
Anonymous
In Honor of Stanley Baran
Susan Baran
In Memory of Elaine M. Barney
Robert J. Barney
In Memory of Michael Baumann
Sarah Mayper
In Honor of William Bowser
Anne G. Lewis
In Memory of Gerald Bruen
Lorraine & Russell Carey
In Honor of Jayne & Richard Burkhardt
Bess Dawson Hughes & Jim Hughes
The Steinert Family
In Memory of John Carmo
Tanina M. & Melanie Edwards-Tavares
In Memory of Elaine & Paul Chervinsky
Debbie Chervinsky Moll & Jonathan Moll
Holly Boyer & Gerry Chervisnky
In Memory of Lewis M. Coco
Anonymous
In Memory of Janelle Cooper M.D.
Anonymous (3)
Tess Buchannan
Maria Pimental
In Honor of Carl J. Cruz
Christina M. Bascom
In Honor of Florence Delano
Leigh Brownell-Currens & Michael Currens
In Memory of William R. Elfers
Deborah Elfers
In Honor of Betsy Fallon
G.E. Kingery
In Honor of Martin Foil
David Sisk
In Honor of Robert Macy Gelpke
John Drakulich & Andy Hoen
Abigail Olson
In Memory of Adeline &
Daniel Gentile
Nancy Gentile & Mark Keighley
In Honor of Helen K. Goddard
Kim & Bronson Goddard
In Honor of Anna Gomes
Michelle Gomes
In Honor of Henry Grant
Leonard Grant
In Honor of David Harrow
Katherine Curcio
In Memory of Franklin W. Hobbs III
Helen Hobbs
In Honor of Edward Howland II
Anonymous
In Memory of Llewellyn Howland III
Neilson Abeel
Jessie W. Howland
In Memory of Rip Hudner
Michael S. Hudner
In Memory of Robert A. Kugler
Naoko Kugler
In Memory of Alec Lebel
Lana & Richard Lebel
In Honor of Frances F. Levin
Anonymous
Jane & Russell H. Weigel
Marjorie Williams & Michael Tushman
In Memory of Brad Lowe
Fredericka V. Caldwell
In Honor of Carolee Matsumoto & David Gilbertson
Franco Mormando
In Honor of Amanda McMullen
Maryellen Sullivan Hughes
In Memory of Beverly McVeigh
Shawn McVeigh
In Memory of Danielle Menard
Mazurowski
Anonymous
In Honor of Eugene A. Monteiro
Christina M. Bascom
In Honor of Muddy Waters Farm
Steven Moss
In Memory of Lawrence P. Mulvey
Patricia Mulvey
In Memory of John B. Nicholson
Gale & Tom Beaton
In Honor of Morgan Oestmann
Samuel Province
In Honor of Adam Overbay
Bridget Donnelly
In Honor of Celeste Penney
Jane S. Mackey
In Honor of Norberto Perez
Anonymous
In Memory of Nick Petit
Nicole Petit
In Honor of Cathy &
Henry P. Roberts
Elaine P. & Joseph E. Grever
In Honor of Robert C. Rocha, Jr.
Karen Hagberg & Mark Jackson
In Memory of Captain Mike &
Peggy Rodgers
Mark Rodgers
In Honor of Cheryl Rousevell Kuechler
Kathryn McNiel
In Honor of Anthony R. Sapienza
Karen & William Young
In Memory of Richard T. Saunders
Saunders-Dwyer Home for Funerals
In Honor of Rep. Paul A. Schmid III & Dr. Christine Schmid
James McNamara
In Memory of John Schnut
Sybil Hoffmeyer
In Memory of Elizabeth W. Scholter
Laura E. McLeod & Reidar Rasmussen
In Honor of Gilbert L. Shapiro, MD
Barbara & Michael Schaefer
In Memory of Deborah S. Simonds
Susan Lukesh
In Honor of Aldegundes “Gunga” Tavares
Bette & Roger Adair
In Honor of Antone Tavares
Carl J. Cruz
In Honor of Dr. Carol M. Taylor
Jennifer & Charles Baker
In Honor of Mary Timmins
James Onderdonk
In Memory of Bill Titcomb
Sharon Titcomb
In Memory of Leighton B. Tuck
Mary R. & Jeffery P. Tuck
In Memory of L. Byrne Waterman
Patricia Diane Valas
In Memory of John Waters
Sara D. Waters
In Honor of Bailey Whitbeck
Maxine Silverman
Bourne Society
The Bourne Society honors those who have included the Old Dartmouth Historical Society/ New Bedford Whaling Museum in their estate plans (as known to us as of December 31, 2025).
Anonymous (2)
William Adamson*
Howe Allen & Timothy Evans
Richard S. Anderson*
Robert Anderson
Hope Atkinson*
Ruth S. Atkinson*
Sylvia Thomas Baird*
Natalia Bento & James G. DeMello
Robert O. Boardman*
William J. Boylhart*
Elizabeth & Edward C. Brainard II
Nancy & John W.* Braitmayer
Sally Bullard
Crystal C. & Edwin Campbell*
Esther W.* & Samuel F. Chalfin
Marnie R. Chardon & Marc E. Chardon
Byron A. Crampton
Ruth B. Ekstrom
Temple Fawcett
Elsie R. & Norbert P. Fraga, D.M.D.*
Christina & Peter Gargas*
Arthur Gartaganis*
Susan & Gary Grosart
Berna & Joseph Heyman
Joan & Ed Hicks*
Johanna S. & Frederic C. Hood*
Margaret C. Howland*
Maryellen Sullivan Hughes
Elizabeth Huidekoper
Mary A. & Peter G. Huidekoper*
Fran & William N. Keene & Sons
Katherine A. Kirby
Betty K. Knowles*
Annette L. Lantzius*
Patricia P. & Robert A.* Lawrence
Albert E. Lees III
Gordon K. Lenci
Margaret P. Lissak*
Elizabeth I. & J. Greer McBratney*
Peter H. McCormick
Helen Z. & David W. McKnight*
Laura E. McLeod
Louise A. Melling*
Martha Miller*
Gratia Rinehart Montgomery*
Elizabeth W. Morse & Robert L. Austin
Barbara Mulville
Patricia Nottage*
Arthur H. Parker*
Rev. Diana W. & Daniel A.*Phillips
Rosemary Phillips
Polly Duff Phipps
Craig A.C. Reynolds*
Judith Westlund Rosbe
Irving Coleman Rubin
JoAnne L. & Louis M. Rusitzky*
Anthony R. Sapienza
DONORS,
Barbara Sawtelle*
Roberta H. Sawyer*
Barbara Schaefer
Alan Schroeder
Joseph Sciuto*
Ruth J. Souza*
Louis O. St. Aubin, Jr.*
Ruth Young Taylor*
Josephine Ashley Thayer*
Sandra & Roderick H. Turner, M.D.*
Suzanne Underwood*
Elinor & Thomas C. Weaver*
Raymond Butler Weiss
Dorothy & Thomas H. West*
Janet P. & Dean Whitla*
E. Andrew Wilde, Jr.*
Alice Hunt Williams*
Edward H. Wing, Jr.*
Laura & Douglas Wolford
Lagoda Society
The Lagoda Society honors the Museum’s most generous donors with a cumulative giving of $100,000 or more (as of December 31, 2025). Deceased members of our Lagoda Society are recognized posthumously in the year of their death, or with a living spouse.
Anonymous (3)
Lisa Schmid Alvord & Joel Alvord
Amelia Peabody Charitable Fund
The Hope Atkinson Revocable Trust
Jule A. Austin Trust
Babbitt Chainwheels
Deborah A. Baker
Talbot Baker, Jr.
Bank of America
Pamela & Joseph M. Barry
Christina M. Bascom
BayCoast Bank
Thomas P. Barry & Nancy L. Shanik
Jewelle W. & Nathaniel J. Bickford
Mary Jean & R. William* Blasdale
Nancy Braitmayer
Bristol County Savings Charitable Foundation, Inc.
Jayne & Richard Burkhardt
The Carney Family Charitable Foundation
City of New Bedford - Community Development Block Grant
City of New Bedford - Community Preservation Act Trust Fund
Ann Marie & Richard Connolly
Nancy & Lawrence Coolidge
Nancy & David Corkery
Cynthia & Douglas Crocker II
Victoria & David Croll
Jessie Ball duPont Fund
Michael J. Dury
Edward Livingston Baker Trust
Helen E. Ellis Trust
Helga Faulenbach
Marilyn & David Ferkinhoff
Patricia & Armand Fernandes
Barbara & Paul J. Ferri
Fidelity Foundation
Anne Patterson Finn & Christopher Finn
Kenneth T. & Mildred S. Gammons
Charitable Foundation, Inc.
Tally & John N. Garfield, Jr.
Carolyn & Robert Macy Gelpke
Vanessa & John Gralton
Laurie & Peter Grauer
Grimshaw-Gudewicz Charitable Foundation
Alison K. Hedges & Robert J. Saunders
Lucile P. & William C.S. Hicks
Highland Street Foundation
The Howard Bayne Fund
Jessie W. Howland
Marianna C. & Edward M. Howland
Bess Dawson Hughes & Jim Hughes
Maryellen Sullivan Hughes
Caroline & Lawrence Huntington
Institute of Museum and Library Services
Island Foundation, Inc.
Irwin M. Jacobs
Patricia A. Jayson
Darlene L. & Gerald R. Jordan, Jr.
Keith W. Kauppila
David N. Kelley II
Betsy & Rusty Kellogg
Cynthia K. & Peter R. Kellogg
The Kresge Foundation
Ladera Foundation
Patricia P. Lawrence
Albert E. Lees III
Marguerite Lenfest
Frances Levin
Margaret & Per G.H. Lofberg
The Henry Luce Foundation
Ann & Lloyd Macdonald
Leigh & Jean F. Mason III
Massachusetts After School Partnership, Inc.
Massachusetts Cultural Council
Massachusetts Department of Economic Development
Massachusetts Historical Commission
WAYS TO GIVE
Holly & Joseph E. McDonough
Katharine R. Merck
Barbara & Howard Miller
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Portugal
Caroline K. & George B. Mock III
Faith & Richard Morningstar
Elizabeth W. Morse & Robert L. Austin
Diana & Hugh M. Morton
National Endowment for the Humanities
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Park Service
Helen and Manuel F. Neto
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park
Norfolk Charitable Trust
Nye Lubricants, Inc.
Jane & Neil* Pappalardo
Celeste Penney
Ute & Patrick Prevost
The Quarterdeck Foundation
Edgenie H. & Donald S. Rice
Cathy & Henry Roberts
Carolyn & James Rubenstein
Joan & Harris H. Rusitzky
Anthony R. Sapienza
Tricia & Chris Schade
Tina & Paul Schmid
William E. Schrafft & Bertha E. Schrafft Charitable Trust
Gilbert L. Shapiro
Sloan M. & Wick Simmons
SouthCoast Community Foundation
SouthCoast Community Foundation - Acushnet Foundation Fund
SouthCoast Community Foundation - Henry H. Crapo Foundation Fund
Sovereign - Santander Bank
Dola Hamilton Stemberg
The Robert F. Stoico / FIRSTFED Charitable Foundation
Martha & Bernard Taradash
Carol M. Taylor & John H. Deknatel
Terra Foundation for American Art
United States Department of Education
U.S. Small Business Administration
Kathleen K. Wattles
Jennifer W. & R. Davis Webb
Ann Webster
The David P. Wheatland Charitable Trust
Janet P. Whitla*
Karen E. & Bruce A. Wilburn
Susan & Harvey J. Wolkoff
The William M. Wood Foundation
Grace & David A. Wyss
Gifts in Kind
The New Bedford Whaling Museum is grateful to the following individual and corporate donors who made in-kind gifts that supported the Museum’s operations between January 1 and December 31, 2025.
Aviary Books
Robert J. Barney
Design Principles, Inc.
Flora Home
Ground Floor Coffee
Little Moss
Martignetti Companies
Moby Dick Brewing Company, Inc.
New England Clam Jams
OCD Beverage Catering LLC
Beatriz Oliveira
Padanaram Outfitters
Palace Theater
The Pilates Place
Salt on elm
Scuttlebutt
Servedwell Hospitality
Soul Serenity Massage
Strawberry Moon
Every year, the New Bedford Whaling Museum relies on thousands of supporters to fund 64% of our annual operating expenses. Thank you for supporting the Museum’s unique exhibitions, education programs, research and community events!
To learn more, visit www.whalingmuseum.org/support/give.
For information regarding gifts of appreciated stock, IRA charitable distributions, bequests or planned gifts, please contact Emily Mead, Chief Philanthropy Officer: emead@whalingmuseum.org or (508) 717-6850.
For assistance with individual or corporate memberships and sponsorships, please contact Gillian Fournier, Membership Coordinator, at (508) 717-6853.
Visitor views Ellen Gallagher, DeLuxe, 2004–05. ICA Boston. Gift of Barbara Lee,
The Barbara Lee Collection of Art by Women. Courtesy Hauser & Wirth and Gagosian.
CONTINUED MOMENTUM:
A new Welcome and Exhibition Center
The New Bedford Whaling Museum moved steadily ahead with expansion plans in 2025.
Stay tuned in 2026 for news, hard-hat tours and naming opportunities for supporters at all levels! To learn more, visit whalingmuseum.org/open-doors , or contact Emily Mead, Chief Philanthropy Officer, at emead@whalingmuseum.org.
Open Doors Campaign Individual Supporters as of March 1, 2026
Anonymous (6)
Margaret & Robert Ackerman
Lisa Schmid Alvord & Joel Alvord
Richard S. Anderson*
Patricia & Christopher B. Arnold
Paulina R. & Henry M. Arruda
Sally Reyering & Chris Baldwin
Margie & Michael Baldwin
Susie Rogers & Whitt Barnard
Laurie & David Barrett
Thomas P. Barry & Nancy L. Shanik
Pamela & Joseph M. Barry
Christina M. Bascom
Maria & Wael Bayazid
Pamela & Ricardo Bermudez
Jewelle W. & Nathaniel J. Bickford
Mary Jean & R. William* Blasdale
Linda & Willard Boothby
Ellen & J. Thomas Bowler, Jr.
Nancy & John W.* Braitmayer
Nannette & William M. Braucher
Victoria Pope & Joel Brenner
Laurie & John K. Bullard
Rid Bullerjahn
Judith & Thomas Bullitt
Christine Burgess
Jayne & Richard Burkhardt
Barbara & Carleton Burr
Patricia Callahan
Joanne & David Cameron
Betty Ann & Jack Cannell
Cindy Gray Carey & Christopher W. Carey
Rena & Bukk Carleton
Cecily & Riaz Cassum
Ann Marie & Richard Connolly
Mimi Coolidge
Mary Wagley Copp & Belton A. Copp
Janet & William Coquillette
Nancy & David Corkery
Susan & Antonio Costa
Loretto & Dwight Crane
Cynthia & Douglas Crocker II
Victoria & David Croll
Molly & Chris Cutler
Elizabeth & Jeremiah Daly
Carol M. Taylor & John H. Deknatel
Tommie & Jack Desmond
Cynthia & Bryon Deysher
Priscilla & Allan Ditchfield
Michael J. Dury
Cynthia C. Dyer
Kathy Hartigan & Tim Dyer
Nancy D. & James D. Edwards
Deborah, Amelia & Kate Elfers
Cynthia Redel & Michael Esposito
Marilyn & David Ferkinhoff
Matthew Fink
Anne Patterson Finn & Christopher Finn
Jill & Thomas French
The Fulton Family
Tally & John N. Garfield, Jr.
Elise Frick & John A. Garraty, Jr.
Deborah & Peter Gates
Suzanne & George Gebelein
Margaret & Clark Gee
David Gomes
Evelyn Goodhue
Lucinda B. & Stephen F. Gormley
Laurie & Peter Grauer
Elaine P. & Joseph E. Grever
Marjorie & Nicholas Greville
Amanda Cobb & David Halberstadt
Maria Rosario & James Harris
JoAnn & Byron Hensley
Lucile P. & William C.S. Hicks
Polly & Prentiss C. Higgins
Madeleine Deschamps & Edward P. Hoffer
Marianna C. & Edward M. Howland
Margaret Howland
Bess & Jim Hughes
Maryellen & James Hughes
Open Doors Event featuring New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell, Representative Antonio Cabral, Representative Christopher Hendricks, and members of the Board of Trustees, June 2025.
Heidi & Arthur Huguley III
Elizabeth Huidekoper
Irwin M. Jacobs
Patricia A. Jayson
Nan Johnson
Patricia & John M. Kalisz
Jamee & Michael Kane
Martha & Michael Keating
Ann & George Keches
Fran & Will Keene
Cynthia K. & Peter R. Kellogg
Betsy & Rusty Kellogg
Kate & Matt Kennedy
Trudy Kingery
Anna Whitcomb & Sam Knight
Jerry Knowles
Jock Knowles
Heather Parsons & Andrew Kotsatos
Tamar & Dan Krockmalnic
Monica & Scott Laurans
Sarah & Seth Lederman
Barry Levenson
The Lofberg Family
Doris & John Ludes
Ann & Lloyd Macdonald
Jane S. Mackey
Cathryn & Chris MacLean
Marsha & Mark MacLean
Debra Gayle & Michael Malone
Sara Campbell & Ken Maloney
Lyle Howland & John Manning
Janet R. Markel
Beth & Carmine Martignetti
Deborah Scott & Ralph C. Martin II
Freddy & Alexander McFerran
Elizabeth & Thomas McKay
Amanda & Quentin McMullen
Susan Mead
Joanne Mendes
John Menzel
Nancy D. Mitton
Benita & Gene Monteiro
Faith & Richard Morningstar
Susan & Anthony Morris
Barbara Mulville
Betts Howes Murray & F. Wisner Murray
Manuel Neto & Family
Pamela T. & R. Henry Norweb
Jane & Neil* Pappalardo
Donna Sachs & Gilbert Perry
Leigh & Peter Phillips
Suzanne & William Prescott*
Ute & Patrick Prevost
Karen & Claude James Prieur
Dana Rebeiro
Edgenie H. & Donald S. Rice
Joanne Riley
Cathy & Henry Roberts
Lucy Rose
Carolyn & James Rubenstein
Michelle M.* & Sanford H. Russell
Anthony R. Sapienza
Susan Sargent & Tom Peters
Tricia & Chris Schade
Tom Schillaci
Margot & Mark Schmid
Tina & Paul Schmid
Katherine Stemberg & William Schnoor
Laura Ryan Shachoy & Jamey Shachoy
Gilbert L. Shapiro
Ross E. Sherbrooke
Sloan M. & Wick Simmons
Bernadette Souza
John D. Spooner
Bonnie & Bob Stapleton
The Steinert Family
Dola Hamilton Stemberg
Fredi & Howard H. Stevenson
Donald Stewart
Katherine & R. Newcomb Stillwell
Catherine M. Stone
Cynthia Stone
Ellen Stone
Margot D. Stone
Peter Stone
Susan Keyes & James Sulat
Joan Dalton & Stephen Taylor
Philip Tifft
Ellen Bruzelius & William Tifft
Heather & Bill Vrattos
Jane M. & Paul V. Walsh
Elizabeth Fallon & Michael L. Waters
Anne B. & Richard D. Webb*
Jennifer W. & R. Davis Webb
Lisa & George Whitney
Carole & John Whittemore
Sally & Peter Wilde
Susan & Harvey Wolkoff
Allison & George Wood
Laura & Wistar Wood
Grace & David A. Wyss
Ann & Hans Ziegler
Institutional donors to the Open Doors Capital Campaign, through April 15, 2026
Anonymous
Bristol County Savings Charitable Foundation
The Carney Family Charitable Foundation
City of New Bedford – U.S. Department of Treasury Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund award (federal award number SLFRP1067) to the City of New Bedford
Design Principles, Inc.
Island Foundation, Inc.
The Manton Foundation
Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund – a program of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, administered through MassDevelopment and the Mass Cultural Council
Tonix Pharmaceuticals
The William M. Wood Foundation, Bank of America NA, Trustee
* deceased
Rendering of Welcome & Exhibition Gallery Space
Janilda Bartolomeu (b. 1992), In the Belly, 2025 Cyanotype and embroidery on cotton; wood, salt, and audio speaker. Loan courtesy of the artist.