Please join Portland Art Museum curator and guest juror Grace Kook-Anderson, fellow Whatcom Museum members, and featured exhibition artists for a reception to celebrate the opening of the exhibition Acts of Healing and Repair.

Bellingham National is a biennial showcase of artists’ work from across the country, both established and up-and-coming. This year’s exhibition will spotlight visual artwork — textile and fiber, sculpture, painting, illustration, photography, video, and glass — all reflecting on the theme of healing. For many of the selected artists, this is their first time showing in Bellingham. For others, their first time exhibiting work in Washington State. We’re thrilled to welcome them all, and you, to the Whatcom Museum.

Top row (L to R): Ashlie Benton; Forest Wanderer, 2022; Graphite, gold leaf, glitter, fabric, acrylic on panel; 30 x 24 x 1.5 in. Courtesy of the artist. Lindy Boustedt; Please Understand, 2023; Video; 2: 44, Courtesy of the artist.
Susan Ressler; The Dance, 2023; Archival pigment print; 16 x 16 in. Courtesy of the artist.

Bottom row (L to R): Alex Hirsch; Blue Night, 2023; Watercolor on Paper; 30.25 x 22 in. Courtesy of the artist.
Ethan Edward; The Ball and the Box, 2023; Photography; no dims, Courtesy of the artist.
Jo Cosme; Ballads of Desolation, 2019; Archival pigment ink on Hahnemühle FineArt Baryta paper; 16 x 24 in. Courtesy of the artist.
Edie Dillon; My Favorite Dress (I Never Wore it Again) (detail),2023; Welded steel; 61 x 36 x 19 in. Courtesy of the artist.

The Whatcom Museum acknowledges that we gather on the traditional territory of the Lhaq’temish – Lummi People – and the Nuxwsá7aq – Nooksack People – who have lived in the Coast Salish region from time immemorial. The Museum honors our relationship with all of our Coast Salish neighbors and our shared responsibilities to their homeland where we all reside today.