‘A Spectacle in Motion’ opens at Marine Art Museum | Arts & Entertainment

The Minnesota Marine Art Museum (MMAM) is proud to present “A Spectacle in Motion: The Grand Panorama of a Whaling Voyage ‘Round the World,” an immersive exhibition offering a rare glimpse into 19th-century maritime history. On view now through March 1, 2026, this extraordinary exhibition brings to life the age of whaling and global exploration through one of the most significant surviving moving panoramas. 

Originally completed in 1848 by New Bedford artists Benjamin Russell and Caleb Purrington, “The Grand Panorama” spans an astonishing 1,275 feet in length and eight feet in height. This monumental artwork (the longest artwork in the United States) was created as a commercial entertainment spectacle, capturing the drama and adventure of a whaling voyage that traversed the world’s oceans. As a moving panorama, the artwork was once displayed on rotating spools, creating a dynamic, immersive viewing experience for 19th-century audiences. It toured the East Coast and traveled as far west as St. Louis, transporting viewers to distant lands and exotic seascapes at a time when global travel was rare and exhilarating. 

Owned and preserved by the New Bedford Whaling Museum in Massachusetts, “The Grand Panorama” illustrates a typical mid-19th-century whaling expedition, with scenes depicting the Azores, Cape Verde, Brazil, Tahiti, and Hawaii. The panorama brings to life people, places, vessels, and wildlife, offering historical, firsthand, and imagined perspectives of a whaler’s journey. 

At MMAM, this historic artwork will be displayed in an innovative, evolving format. Forty feet of “The Grand Panorama” will be shown at a time, with new sections revealed periodically, allowing visitors to experience different phases of the whaling journey throughout the exhibition’s duration. Visitors are encouraged to return for multiple viewings to follow the unfolding narrative of high-seas adventure. Audiences interested in viewing the advancement of the panorama in person may find the current schedule at mmam.org/a-spectacle-in-motion. 

MMAM invites the public to experience this rare and extraordinary exhibition, offering a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to engage with a landmark piece of American maritime art. 

This exhibition project was organized by the New Bedford Whaling Museum, curated by Naomi Slipp, Douglas and Cynthia Crocker Endowed Chair for the Chief Curator, and is presented by the Minnesota Marine Art Museum. MMAM acknowledges sustaining support from generous contributions from foundations, corporations, individuals, members, and volunteers, including ongoing support from our Board of Directors, the Mardag Foundation, the Elizabeth Callender King Foundation, the Morgan Family Foundation, and donors like Dr. Janelle Cooper and Kathleen Hanson. Special thanks to our lead sponsor, Hiawatha Broadband Communications, Inc., and the Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support.