AHA! Night: Preservation Celebration Highlights the Art, History, & Architecture of New Bedford

Enjoy WHALE’s new self-guided walking tour and explore the tall ship Ernestina-Morrissey as part of the free arts and cultural event.  

National Preservation Month and the kick-off to ArtWeek SouthCoast combine for the perfect night in AHA! Night: Preservation. Celebration. on Thursday, May 8th, in downtown New Bedford. First Citizens’ Federal Credit Union sponsors this month’s celebration of art, history, and architecture.

On AHA! Night, the Waterfront Historic Area League (WHALE) will celebrate the launch of its “Not Just Anywhere” self-guided walking tour of many of its downtown preservation projects from the 1960s through the 2010s. Powered by the AWEgmented app, which is available for free in the app store for Apple and Android devices, the tour’s unofficial starting point will be 1 Johnny Cake Hill. That’s also where Mayor Jon Mitchell will join WHALE for remarks at 4:00 pm, celebrating the rededication of the Selmar Eggers Building. Damaged in a gas explosion, WHALE moved and restored the building in the late 1970s. It was recently updated by its new owners and houses a number of local businesses, including the Kettle Black Gallery, which will host artist demonstrations later in the evening. Toast to the project with a glass of wine from the cash bar, proceeds to benefit WHALE, or snag a Sorbae Frozen Treat from the truck that will be popping up outside the Harbor Hotel from 4:30-7:30 pm.

You can also learn about the history and beauty of the Ernestina-Morrissey, the 1894 tall ship and National Landmark, which will be open for tours on AHA! Night from 5-8:00 pm. The Whaling Museum is also offering free access to the entire museum from 4-7:00 pm: take a self-guided tour with the Bloomberg Connects app, then stop by and add to the “Cardboard Harbor” interactive art station. The Fishing Heritage Center will look back at The Barnacle, an independent magazine that covered New Bedford and Fairhaven’s working waterfront for over a decade, beginning at 7:00 pm.

KICK OFF YOUR AHA! NIGHT: PROGRAMS, BINGO, AND DOCENT-LED TOUR

Not sure where to go on AHA! Night? The AHA! team will be handing out schedules and answering questions at the AHA! table in Custom House Square. While there, you can pick up AHA! Night Bingo Card to gamify your AHA! Night experience. Turn in your completed card before 7:00 pm and be entered to win an AHA! T-Shirt.

The AHA! Table is also where you can take a tour with an AHA! Docent. Kat Knutsen, a New Bedford-based artist and musician, will guide participants through the evening’s highlights and hidden gems. The tour begins at 6:00 pm at the AHA! table and will last approximately 45-60 minutes. Attendees can “hop off” at any time to further enjoy their AHA! Night experiences. No registration required.

ADDITIONAL AHA! NIGHT ACTIVITIES

Here are some of the activities also happening this AHA! Night:

• Learn the do’s – and more importantly, the DON’Ts – of preserving photos and artworks in your home archive or collection. In this AHA! Moment, Allie Copeland, the New Bedford Public Library’s Art Curator, will show you which simple repair materials are safe, how to store things, how to avoid damaging your stuff, and how to determine when to consult a professional. Plus, attendees will receive 10% off their first custom framing order at the Art Box. The Art Box, 246 Union Street, 6-8:00 pm
• Discover how art, paint, and architecture can work together in a historic renovation. Architect Anthi Frangiadis will be joined by Jonathan Burgess of J. Burgess Remodeling & Construction and the homeowners of a historic home in Fairhaven to discuss how to balance preservation and modern conveniences, paint colors, and designing for an art collection. The Drawing Room, 22 William Street, 6-7:00 pm
• Meet Ruth & Abby, the 1850s Ladies, in this AHA! Moment. Hear real stories of the past and learn what New Bedford was like in their day. Johnny Cake Hill and Union Street, 5-7:00 pm
• See over 3,000 pieces of artwork created by students from elementary through high school in the annual New Bedford Public Schools Art Show. Paul Rodrigues Administration Building, 455 County Street, 4:30-7:30 pm
• Listen to the indie rock, folk, and 20th-century minimalism-inspired music of Christian Camarao. In this AHA! Seaport Session, Christian, who is co-director of the Roots and Branches Festival, will perform live in Wing’s Court outside of Destination Soups and Brick Pizzeria. Wing’s Court, 5-7:00 pm
• Hear from local artist Deb Coolidge in an ArtTALK at the art museum. Deb’s work is featured in the exhibit Radical Reinvention: Contemporary Ceramic Sculpture. Museum admission is free on AHA! Night from 5-8:00 pm. New Bedford Art Museum, 608 Pleasant Street, ArtTALK at 6:00 pm
• View the work of guest artist Marie Antoinette, a New Bedford native living in Maryland, bringing her vibrant mixed-media collage artwork back to her roots. Explore Alison Wells’s original work, including prints, cards, and Ceramic Goddesses by guest artist Marianne Stenenne. Alison Wells Fine Art Gallery, 106 William St., 4-8:00 pm
• Play games and learn about animals through biofacts (animal skulls, feathers, tracks) with the Buttonwood Park Zoo! Test your knowledge or learn something new. Custom House Square, 5-7:00 pm
• Feeling crafty? Make your own stained glass design with tissue paper. Pilgrim United Church Home at 634 Purchase Street, 5-7:00 pm
• Watch and learn from Joan DeCollibus as she demonstrates her quilt-making process, from initial concept to the final stitch. Joan will share tips, inspirations, and reflections on how quilting connects her to both craft and nature. Kettle Black Gallery, 1 Johnny Cake Hill, 6:00 pm
• Mandy from Wicked Good Henna will be at the library’s Youth Services providing free henna tattoos! Great for ages 6+. New Bedford Free Public Library, 613 Pleasant Street, 5-7:00 pm
• Enjoy a reception for Judith Klein’s Spring Exhibit featuring paintings, printmaking, drawings, new unique pottery, jewelry, and woodwork. Judith Klein Art Gallery, 127 W. Rodney French Blvd., second floor S287, 4-8:00 pm
• It’s Game Night at the RJD, with family-friendly games from 4-6:00 pm, with games for 21+ from 6-8:00 pm. Bring your favorite board, card, and lawn games. Rotch-Jones-Duff House & Garden Museum 396 County Street
• Poet Cat Speranzini is the featured poet for Anomaly Poetry’s open mic night. Hear her work and sign up to share your own at the mic. Co-Creative Center, 137 Union Street, 7:00 pm until the poems run out
• Stop by the 3rdEyE open house for the kick off to the 5 Pillars of Hip Hop featuring a live spoken word performance by Elle. Also, tag the free wall, create some art, and vibe out to some classic Hip Hop! 3rdEyE Youth Empowerment, 230 Union Street, 5-8:00 pm
• Join or enjoy the monthly live podcast “Live From AHA!” hosted by the Artists Index at 6:00 pm at PLAY Arcade. Kids Karaoke also returns from 6-8:00 pm, with 21+ karaoke beginning at 8:00 pm. PLAY Arcade, 34 Union Street
• Grab a bite to eat at one of the many restaurants and bars in downtown New Bedford.
• Downtown boutiques and galleries will be open late so you can shop for the perfect gift.
• Listen to the Buttonwood Brass Band from 6-8 pm during their AHA! Night residency at the Harbor Hotel.
• Later in the evening, enjoy the Neal McCarthy Trio at Pour Farm Tavern from 8-11:30 pm.

AHA! NIGHT FAST FACTS

• AHA! Nights are always free and open to the public.
• Look for the yellow flags! Most participating locations will prominently display a yellow AHA! flag to help you find AHA! Night activities.
• Park for free on AHA! Nights at the Elm Street and Zeiterion Garages.
• Museums, galleries, and shops will be open late.
• In case of rain, some events may move indoors or be rescheduled.
• The most up-to-date schedule is always available on the AHA! website. (Events are added every day!)
• On AHA! Night, a printed program can be found at the AHA! Welcome Table in Custom House Square, the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park Visitors Center, the New Bedford Art Museum, and the New Bedford Free Public Library.

UPCOMING AHA! CALENDAR

MAY 8th: Preservation. Celebration.

JUNE 12th: AHA! Pride

JULY 10th: Kids Rule (Adults Too!)

AUGUST 14th: Summer in the Seaport

SEPTEMBER 11th: NB Cultures

OCTOBER 9th: Tunes, Treats & Creative Streets

NOVEMBER 13th: Made in NB

DECEMBER 11th: NB Festive

ABOUT AHA NEW BEDFORD

AHA! New Bedford offers and showcases free arts and cultural programming in downtown New Bedford on the second Thursday of each month, February through December. Since 1999, AHA! Nights have helped build and promote a creative economy that, alongside other arts organizations and supporters, transformed downtown New Bedford into the vital cultural hub it is today. Learn more at ahanewbedford.org. 

AHA! Seaport Sessions is supported in part by the Wicked Cool Places grant. AHA! Moments is supported in part by the Art is Everywhere grant. Both are funded by the City of New Bedford, through its Arts, Culture & Tourism Fund and are facilitated by New Bedford Creative at the NBEDC. The New Bedford Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency, also supports both AHA programs.

The AHA! Docent program is funded in part by the New Bedford Cultural Council and the Dartmouth Cultural Council, local agencies supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.