NANTUCKET, MA—The Nantucket Historical Association (NHA) is excited to announce the creation of new gallery space in the Whaling Museum to showcase more of the NHA’s growing fine-art collections. Construction on the expansion will get underway this January and open to the public in early 2027.
The new construction expands the Williams-Forsyth Gallery, created in 2019, and adds the H.L. Brown, Jr. Family Foundation Gallery. Past NHA board president Annabelle Fowlkes, whose family foundation is funding the expansion, said, “We are thrilled to be able to support the NHA’s ability to tell the island’s stories. This additional gallery space will enable the NHA to display a broader array of artifacts in its flagship building for the community and visitors to enjoy. We look forward to seeing how the NHA team will bring this new space to life, through exhibitions that reflect the island’s history and character.”
After analyzing the various properties owned by the NHA, the association determined that the first floor of the Peter Foulger Building (opened in 1971 and incorporated into the Whaling Museum in 2005) was the best-suited for conversion to additional gallery space. The gallery expansion will prioritize building for the future, with state-of-the-art climate control, lighting, and technology upgrades to ensure proper care and interpretation of objects, as well as universal design principles to make the space accessible for all.
“We could not be more excited to get this project underway as we start the new year and are thankful for the tremendous support of Annabelle Fowlkes and the H.L. Brown, Jr. Family Foundation. This space provides the NHA with much-needed galleries for its growing collections and will be a living reflection of where art, history, and community meet,” said NHA Board President Lucinda Ballard.
“We echo our gratitude for the support of this exciting project, and the NHA looks forward to providing the year-round community and visitors alike with more space and access to discover this island’s unique history,” said NHA Gosnell Executive Director, Niles Parker.
The Whaling Museum will begin this expansion project during its winter closure period in January 2026. The Whaling Museum will reopen on February 11, 2026, but the art gallery spaces will remain closed for the rest of the year. Selections from the NHA’s painting collections will be on view during construction on the second floor of the Whaling Museum and at the Whitney Gallery at the NHA Research Library (7 Fair Street). For questions and to learn more, please contact [email protected].
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