Nantucket Historical Association Names Gallery After The Late Arie L. Kopelman

The Nantucket Historical Association announced Thursday afternoon that they will be honoring Arie L. Kopelman, a lifelong summer resident and former NHA president, with the official naming of the Whaling Museum’s Scrimshaw and Decorative Arts Gallery, ARIE L. KOPELMAN GALLERY, in his honor. The NHA said that Kopelman’s passion for decorative arts and Nantucket history, as well as his tremendous support of the Nantucket Historical Association over his lifetime, all culminated in the decision to bestow this honor on him in his remembrance.

“Early last fall, Arie and I spent considerable time talking about his passion for the NHA and a gift that he and his wife, Coco, were considering,” former NHA Board of Trustees President Annabelle Fowlkes said in a press release. “As we reached an understanding, with no detail left to chance, the ARIE L. KOPELMAN GALLERY came to be. He envisioned it to be the permanent home to the finest examples of Nantucket Decorative Arts, including Scrimshaw, Weathervanes, Trade Signs, and, of course, his beloved Windsor Chairs displayed side by side. It was an absolute pleasure and an honor to know him as a friend and fellow board President. I am so glad that he knew this vision would come to life, and I only wish he were here to celebrate with us today. His passion, commitment, leadership, and generosity to the NHA are missed, but will now be memorialized in the museum he helped build”

Arie L. Kopelman passed away in 2024 and the NHA describes him as a passionate steward of American history and culture. His tenure as President of the NHA was from 2000 to 2003. He was also on the Whaling Museum building committee from 2000 to 2005, the acquisitions committee for 10 years, and alongside his wife Coco, Friends of the NHA members for over 25 years.

“Arie was a beloved friend and an extraordinary leader, and we are honored to remember his dedication to the NHA with this gallery naming,” NHA Board of Trustees President Lucinda Ballard said. “When he spoke about the NHA, his eyes would light up. It made you realize how vitally important its mission is to our year-round and visiting communities and the role the NHA plays as a steward of Nantucket’s history, which Arie was so passionate about. He regaled me with stories of the wonderful time he had as Board President at the NHA and assured me that I would, too. I am delighted that we can celebrate him with this gift in a place he loved so dearly.”

“On behalf of the organization, we are forever grateful to the Kopelman Family for their generous support and the naming of the Arie L. Kopelman Gallery,” Niles Parker, the NHA’s Gosnell Executive Director added. “It is a perfect way to honor Arie’s interests and his legacy at the NHA.”

Outside of his professional life, the world of American antiques and preservation was Kopelman’s other true passion. As NHA President, Kopelman led the ambitious and successful campaign to revitalize the Nantucket Whaling Museum, a project he considered the “crown jewel” in its fleet of properties. Rallying a coalition of like-minded summer residents, he spearheaded the $24.5 million fundraising effort that enabled a complete renovation of the museum. It reopened to the public in 2005 as a state-of-the-art tribute to the island’s maritime legacy. Beyond his leadership at the NHA, Arie was an avid collector, and served for over 25 years as Chairman of the Winter Antiques Show in New York, where his vision and guidance were instrumental in cementing the show’s celebrated focus on American decorative arts.

In recognition of his extraordinary contributions, the ARIE L. KOPELMAN GALLERY celebrates his enduring love for Americana—especially scrimshaw, weathervanes, and important historic antiques—and honors a legacy rooted in beauty, craftsmanship, and an abiding reverence for the past. The Nantucket Historical Association expressed their thanks to the Kopelman family for their gracious support in Arie’s honor and is inviting visitors to enjoy this newly named gallery space, open during Whaling Museum hours (daily, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.)