It's time to celebrate! June 8th is both AHA! Pride and World Ocean's Day. In honor of both events, the New Bedford Whaling Museum is hosting several FREE and exciting activities at the Museum.

Community Blooms
4:00 - 7:00 PM
Whales Today Exhibition
Together we can make an impact! Join in the fun and repurpose single-use plastics by creating a plastic jellyfish to bring home or donate to the New Bedford Whaling Museum’s upcoming Community Blooms exhibition by artist Katy Rodden Walker. Scheduled to open in the fall of 2024, this collaborative and immersive exhibition raises awareness about plastic pollution in our oceans, waterways, and food chains, and the natural phenomena of jellyfish blooms. The inside portion of the New Bedford Whaling Museum will close at 7:00 PM.

About the Artist & Facilitator:
Katy Rodden Walker is an interdisciplinary artist interested in exploring complex relationships and interconnectedness between humans and nonhumans, challenging perceptions of boundaries between humans and the environment at a micro and macro scale. She uses various materials to blur boundaries and create connections within space, and illuminate what is largely unseen. Katy earned her BA in East Asian Studies with a minor in Japanese, from Bates College. She studied Japanese language and cultural studies through the Associated Kyoto Program at Doshisha University in Kyoto Japan, where she also studied ceramics after classes. She has an MFA from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.

Music at Cuffe Park
5:00 - 6:00 PM
Cuffe Park
Enjoy the summer air in the New Bedford Whaling Museum's Cuffe Park while listening to a concert by the Sippican School's Festival Band, Jazz Band, and Concert Choir.

Hip Hop Cypher!
7:00 - 9:00 PM
Entrance Plaza
What is a cypher? A hip hop cypher is an informal, improvised, freestyle cyclical rapping session where people take turns or, an open mic! The AHA! Cyphers will be happening from April – September at the Co-Creative Center from 7:00 – 9:00pm with the exception of June when they will be hosted by the New Bedford Whaling Museum on the plaza. The Cyphers will feature a local emcee and producer who will be highlight and featured during the cyphers. The featured emcee will improvisationally rhyme over instrumentals in a rap cypher that will also include the emcees from the public. The featured producer will be highlighted with a 30 minute segment of their instrumental that the emcees will rhyme over. The featured emcee will also have a 30 minute performance set at the end of the cypher. The Cyphers will include rhyming games and will be family friendly and open to public participation. The cyphers will be hosted by Hendrick Hernandez and Bristol County Castro from Sleepless In New England as well as by Iean Morgan of MIDI Studios. We want thank our funders the New England Foundation for the Arts.

What is AHA!?
AHA! (Art, History, Architecture) provides a free platform for New Bedford’s creative community to showcase their talents collectively; making arts, culture, and creative expression accessible to all. Learn more about AHA! and explore the full schedule of activities online at ahanewbedford.org.