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2023 Winter Raffle

Enter a raffle to be one of the first groups to take our new Legends and Lore of Port Townsend tour. Winner gets a private tour (group size up to 12) led by our staff, gifts inspired by stories from the tour, and a special visit after the tour with our collections team to learn how our tours are developed using research and items in our collection. Tickets are $5 each or $20 for five tickets and can be purchased at the museum during our regular hours or by appointment through the vernal equinox. All proceeds benefit JCHS exhibitions, and we'll draw a winner on March 20! Email giving@jchsmuseum.com to request tickets! Visit our walking tours page to learn more about our Legends and Lore of Port Townsend tour!

Now & Then

Jefferson Museum of Art & History 540 Water Street, Port Townsend, WA, United States

For the second year in a row, we are delighted to share an exhibition featuring now-and-then images by PTHS photography students in our Community Gallery (formerly Women's Jail Gallery) downstairs at the Jefferson Museum. Featuring roughly 60 sets of photos, Now & Then visually illustrates some of the ongoing evolution of Port Townsend. Referencing historic images from JCHS's collection, students in David Egeler’s Photography and Advanced Media classes locate where the photos were taken and work to recreate the framing and angle of view in the present day. The resulting photo essays in this year’s Now & Then exhibition are on view through the end of March.

Land & Seascapes by Jesse Watson

Jefferson Museum of Art & History 540 Water Street, Port Townsend, WA, United States

Local artist Jesse Watson's artwork often reflects his passions—drawing on themes of social justice, diversity, humanity, as well as environmental beauty and conservation. His work has appeared in many places and publications, but you may recognize it from some of the cafes, pubs, and galleries right here in Port Townsend. We're thrilled to present a selection of Jesse's land and seascape paintings, which will be on view in our classroom through the end of April.

Landscapes: Real & Imagined

Jefferson Museum of Art & History 540 Water Street, Port Townsend, WA, United States

From the abstract to the realistic, Landscapes: Real & Imagined focuses on Joan Jonland, Stephen Yates, and Thomas Wilson (1931 - 2015)—three painters who have lived and worked in Port Townsend for the majority of their lives as artists. Each artist's reverence for our natural environment emerges in their unique approach, creating art that inspires and challenges us to see the land differently. Along with the work of Jonland, Yates, and Wilson, this exhibition features many selections from our permanent collection and local collectors that have never been publicly displayed. Landscapes was co-curated by Cliff Moore and Ann Welch. Special thanks to the artists, JCHS's Art Advisory Committee, and all our members, donors, and volunteers who support exhibitions in the Ferguson Gallery!

March First Saturday

Jefferson Museum of Art & History 540 Water Street, Port Townsend, WA, United States

Join us every first Saturday of the month at the Jefferson Museum for free admission, extended hours, and Art Walk activities!

Under Water Street

Jefferson Museum of Art & History 540 Water Street, Port Townsend, WA, United States

Casting most of his sculpture in bronze, local artist David Eisenhour portrays and interprets organic forms to tell stories of natural history and human experience. Visit this selection of Eisenhour's work exploring climate change and rising sea levels at the Jefferson Museum through July 30. Special thanks to Suzanne Lamon for Under Water Street exhibit design.

April First Saturday

Jefferson Museum of Art & History 540 Water Street, Port Townsend, WA, United States

Join us every first Saturday of the month at the Jefferson Museum for free admission, extended hours, and Art Walk activities!

Artist Talk with David Eisenhour, Joan Jonland, and Stephen Yates

Jefferson Museum of Art & History 540 Water Street, Port Townsend, WA, United States

REGISTER VIA SIMPLETIX Saturday, April 22 at 7:00 PM at the Jefferson Museum of Art & History Pre-registration required, capacity limited to 30 Suggested donation: $10 In celebration of our Landscapes: Real & Imagined and Under Water Street exhibitions, join local artists David Eisenhour, Joan Jonland, and Stephen Yates to hear the stories behind their work. Each artist’s reverence for our natural environment emerges in their unique approach, creating art that inspires and challenges us to see and consider our world differently. Pre-registration is required to attend this event and capacity will be limited to 30. Sponsored in part by the City of Port Townsend Arts Commission

Rothschild House Opening

Rothschild House 418 Taylor Street, Port Townsend, WA

Saturday, April 29, 12:00 - 2:00 PM at the Rothschild House Free, no registration required but donations are appreciated! Join us for a special reopening celebration of the 1868 Rothschild House with an open house and picnic! Come celebrate the unique objects within the home, our wonderful public lands, and stories of the Rothschild family! Bring a picnic, take in the views from the bluff, enjoy lawn games (croquet, anybody?), and tour this very special 154-year-old house. This free event will kick off our 2023 season at the Rothschild House. Regular open hours will be 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM, Fridays and Saturdays starting May 5. Visit our historic houses page for more information about the house and the Rothschild family, plus accessibility and parking information to help you plan your visit.

Author Talk with Ivy Anderson and Devon Angus

Northwest Maritime Center 431 Water Street, Port Townsend, WA, United States

First Friday Author Talk: A discussion on the history of sex work with the co-writers and editors of Alice: Memoirs of a Barbary Coast Prostitute REGISTER VIA SIMPLETIX Friday, May 5 at 7:00 PM Livestreamed and in-person at Northwest Maritime Center Suggested donation: $10 This program will be offered in-person (capacity limited to 75) and by livestream. All registered attendees will receive a recording of this program. Join writers and historians Ivy Anderson and Devon Angus in a discussion about the history of sex work and their book, Alice: Memoirs of a Barbary Coast Prostitute (Heyday Books). They will also share themes in Alice's story that extend to issues facing sex workers today, thoughts about shifting ideas of gender roles, and some newly uncovered research about Alice herself and the history of sex work in Washington State. About Alice: Memoirs of a Barbary Coast Prostitute In 1913 the San Francisco Bulletin published a serialized, ghostwritten memoir of a prostitute who went by the moniker Alice Smith. “A Voice from the Underworld” detailed Alice's humble Midwestern upbringing and her struggle to find aboveboard work, and candidly related the harrowing events she endured after entering “the life.” While prostitute narratives had been […]