Narwhal: Revealing an Arctic Legend at The PEM

SALEM, MA –  This fall, the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) invites visitors to dive deep into the world of narwhals. These unique ocean dwellers, sometimes called the “unicorns of the sea,” spend their lives in the Arctic waters of Canada, Greenland, Norway and Russia. Learn about their changing Arctic ecosystem through firsthand accounts of scientists and Inuit community members. Hear soundscapes of the Arctic, including the evocative vocalizations of the narwhal, and touch an 8-foot-long cast of a real narwhal tusk.

On view in The Dotty Brown Art & Nature Center, this family-friendly, interactive exhibition is part of PEM’s interdisciplinary Climate + Environment Initiative. Narwhal: Revealing an Arctic Legend includes contemporary Inuit sculptures and prints and a historic book from PEM’s Phillips Library collection. The exhibition is organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service in collaboration with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and is on view at PEM September 28, 2024 through June 15, 2025.

Exhibition Opening Celebration: A Narwhal Carnival
Saturday, September 28 | 10 am–3 pm | Included with admission
Meet fantastical marionette puppets walking through the galleries and create your own whimsical sea creature using recycled materials with a local artist. Plus, enjoy an ocean-themed PEM Pals with us! Designed for children (5 and under) and their caregivers, PEM Pals aims to engage and excite all of the senses through books, movement, music, art and hands-on activities. Find out more at pem.org.

Walkabout Puppets with Purple Rock Productions
10 am–3 pm
Meet very special marionette characters ready to share their joy and invite playfulness into your museum visit.

PEM Pals with Teresa Coelho
10:30–11:30 am | Main Atrium
Move, groove, sing and listen with Teresa Coelho, director of Music Together® of Salem. Explore ocean animals and stories through music and enjoy a reading of Little Narwhal, Not Alone by Tiffany Stone.

Drop-In Art: Recycled Fantastic Creatures
11 am–3 pm | Create Space Studios
Meet local artist and art therapist Bruce Orr and explore sea creatures with features and superpowers stranger than fiction! Tinker with a wide variety of recycled materials, and learn how you can give life to used household items to create new artworks.

Gallery Activation: Get to Know Narwhals
11 am–3 pm | Exhibition Gallery
Come curious for a hands-on exploration of what makes narwhals unique at our in-gallery discovery cart.