Thank you for 10 amazing years, Sheila!
After ten years of service to Bainbridge Island Museum of Art (BIMA) as Executive Director, Sheila Hughes has announced her departure effective June 20, 2026, marking ten years of deeply committed and transformative leadership.
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Since joining BIMA in 2016, Hughes has led the museum to new levels of sustainability, visibility, and service through thoughtful artistic and programmatic growth. Her devotion to the mission fueled BIMA’s commitments to diversity, community engagement, and the cultivation of meaningful partnerships, while helping place the museum on the national stage. Community partner and leader Akuyea Karen Vargas remarked that Sheila “… moved art to a whole new level. She broke down barriers and built a whole new community where we can come together, across diverse cultures, to celebrate the heart of unity through the arts.”
She also elevated the Cynthia Sears Artists’ Books Collection, supporting its recognition as an internationally significant resource and anchoring BIMA’s leadership in the field of artists’ books.
“Of particular strategic importance is her role securing the promised gift of the Cynthia Sears Artists’ Books Collection and its related programs—an organization-changing development for BIMA, which is unique among museums across our country,” Chief Curator Greg Robinson emphasized. “As BIMA continues the years-long effort to build an Endowment Fund to help offset operational costs, we have Sheila Hughes to thank for crafting so many critical building blocks for BIMA’s future success.”
Throughout her tenure, Hughes brought a genuine sense of wonder and joy to the museum. Her decades of arts and spectacle experience, including executive positions at One Reel, Bumbershoot, Teatro ZinZanni, WOMAD, Summer Nights at the Pier, Gage Academy of Art, and Icicle Creek Center for the Arts, helped shape an artistically adventurous and public-centered philosophy at BIMA. Under her direction, BIMA built and produced one of the richest arrays of community and cultural events in the Puget Sound region. She spearheaded the BRAVA Awards, putting unrestricted gifts of $15,000 each in the hands of four working artists each year, launched the one-of-a-kind DogEar Festival in celebration of artists’ books, and was instrumental in creating the Within/Earshot Jazz Festival at BIMA. These initiatives cross-pollinated new audiences while keeping artists and their work at the center of every decision. She also remained a steadfast champion of accessibility, working to ensure that museum admissions remain free, as it has since the museum opened more than twelve years ago.
Reflecting on her time at BIMA, Hughes shared her gratitude for the community and people who made the work possible:
“What a gift it’s been to be trusted with this exceptional organization – and to discover the constellation of artists, activists, supporters, staff, volunteers, and community groups who want to shape and immerse themselves in this vibrant, lively, warm, and wonderful incubator of art and ideas. The work has been so deeply collaborative and imaginative – and cultivated hope even in these dark and challenging times. I once called BIMA a gateway drug to joy – it really is that powerful and transformative – and I can’t think of anything this world might need more right now.”
Equally defining was Hughes’ care for people and culture. She built an exemplary, diverse staff, closely partnered with BIMA’s Board of Directors, hired team members who shared BIMA’s values, and fostered authentic relationships with artists and partners across the Puget Sound region. “She represents the best interests and objectives of the museum, and manages to inspire those who work with her to do their very best as well, and make their own deep commitment to BIMA’s well-being,” said museum founder Cynthia Sears.
During the global COVID-19 pandemic, Sheila worked tirelessly to keep her entire staff of 40 employed, scrambled to fundraise even with the doors closed, and emerged with an organization that was stronger in the implementation of its mission, vision, and values. Known for empowering her team with autonomy and confidence, Sheila worked to create a workplace where ideas are valued and innovation is encouraged. Working with the Board of Directors, Hughes helped establish best practices in operations, management, and fundraising, while also leading quieter but equally critical efforts, including expanding the BIMA campus with off-site office and storage facilities, launching an endowment campaign, and consistently delivering a balanced budget.
Suzanna Darcy, President of BIMA’s Board of Directors, expressed heartfelt appreciation for Hughes’ leadership and the foundation she leaves behind, saying, “Sheila Hughes is the whole package and a Board Chair’s dream. Sheila is smart, insightful, inspiring, creative, and financially astute – a unique combination of skills and heart. BIMA’s Board of Directors so appreciates what she has brought to the museum as Executive Director – and as a person – and we wish her as exciting a new chapter as the one she is finishing.”
Hughes will remain in her role through June 20, 2026, supporting a thoughtful transition to a new Executive. Additional information about the search and transition process will be shared in the coming weeks.
Bainbridge Island Museum of Art extends its deepest thanks to Sheila Hughes for her extraordinary contributions, lasting impact, and unwavering belief in the power of art and the power it has to build and connect community.
Cynthia Sears, Museum Founder
“When I first dreamed of an art museum on Bainbridge Island, I fantasized that we might find an executive director who would guide it with dedication, grace, and clarity of vision. Sheila is that dream come true. She represents the best interests and objectives of the museum, and manages to inspire those who work with her to do their very best as well, and make their own deep commitment to BIMA’s well-being. She is also a wonderful friend and makes the best pies in the world.”
Dana Quitslund, current Board of Directors:
“Sheila has been the ideal Executive Director, in part because she’s remarkably skilled in so many areas–she manages people, finances, and a very ambitious set of programs so well. She led our way through the pandemic years, making pivot after pivot and keeping BIMA on a financially sustainable path. Years before joining the board, I was drawn to BIMA because it felt alive and had such high standards; these were part of the culture Sheila inspired in her team. Still, what I love most about her tenure here is her moral leadership: she inspires the board, staff, and BIMA’s many supporters to hold up art and artists in all their diversity, to welcome all to our museum, and to build close relationships with people and organizations in the region we serve. She inspires us to think of the future and the critically important connections we share.”
Ralph Siegel, past Board President & current Board of Directors:
“I have served on the boards of more than a dozen not- for-profit organizations ranging from arts organizations to social services providers and to civic enterprises… And never have I had the privilege of working with any Executive Director who brings such a broad range of skills and talents to bear. Not only did she deliver on our mission of bringing the contemporary art and craft of the Pacific Sound region to the visitors to our museum, but she also excelled in budgeting, operational oversight, strategic planning, and in building a cohesive team of talented people. She was a visionary in establishing BIMA as a community treasure and guided us all through the uncharted waters of managing and growing during a global pandemic. She treated every challenge as an opportunity, and BIMA emerged from each challenge stronger and more effective. She understood and responded to the needs of all of our stakeholders, enhancing our relationships and building important partnerships. Thank you, Sheila, for giving so much of yourself during your time with us. You will be missed.”
Korum Bischoff, BIMA Deputy Director:
“Sheila’s leadership and reputation in the Puget Sound region have shaped multiple generations of arts leaders—mine included. From Bumbershoot to Summer Nights at the Pier, Teatro ZinZanni to the Goodwill Arts Festival, some of the biggest arts events ever to happen in the Pacific Northwest happened because of Sheila, and somehow BIMA was lucky enough to be her home for the last ten years. Anyone who has worked on a project with her knows to buckle up, because she’ll push you beyond your own imagination with her passion, energy, and dedication. She challenges those around her to be better versions of themselves, both professionally and personally. Whether it’s a handmade card with a note tucked inside or a warm apple pie to start a meeting after a hard week, you always know that as much as she cares about the project, she cares even more about the people.”
David Lewis, past Board President & current Board of Directors:
“Sheila is my mentor, my guide, an educator, a source of great pride and joy, all with a good sense of humor. Her passionate commitment to BIMA, its staff, the museum’s donors, members, and visitors, runs deep, beyond the walls of BIMA, inspiring me every day to recognize this remarkable community we call home.”
Liz Walters, past Board President:
“Sheila’s arrival as Executive Director was transformative in the early years of BIMA. Her ability to envision and communicate new opportunities, her commitment to art and justice, and her unflagging habit of rolling up her sleeves to get the really important stuff done, shaped the deep love and respect that BIMA enjoys today.”
Joe Wilcynski, past Board President:
“In my opinion, hiring Sheila as the Executive Director changed the trajectory of the museum. She brought the heart of an artist and the mind of an accountant to the organization. I so loved working with her.”
Mark Levine, past Board President & current Board of Directors:
“I once read that ‘we are all drops of water on the sea of life… but some of them do sparkle,’ and Sheila really does SPARKLE!”