A special end of year message from Bainbridge Island Museum of Art Executive Director Sheila Hughes. 2024 was an incredible year at BIMA, and we could not have done it without the support of our wonderful community. Thank you all, and happy holidays!

BIMA’s members, donors, volunteers, artists, and supporters are the reason that this small regional museum has achieved so much in such a short time. We’re extremely proud to share our online 2023 Annual Report to the Community, a year where our regional impact, support to artists, and commitment to community reached an all-time high. 

The photos and stories capture extraordinary memories of this ‘Year of Appreciation,’ especially to you, our closest supporters and dearest friends. Enjoy this snapshot of your community investment in action — helping BIMA make waves in ways we never would have imagined ten years ago. 

Thank you for your continued friendship, support, and encouragement!

Sheila Hughes

BIMA Executive Director

In response to summer visitor patterns, Bainbridge Island Museum of Art (BIMA) will experiment with extended evening hours this summer. Beginning June 30, 2023 to coincide with the opening of the Museum’s first ever juried exhibition, BIMA Spotlight, the museum will stay open until 8:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The effort builds upon BIMA’s success with extended hours on First Fridays and will continue through September 2nd. 

Not only will the galleries be open later, but the BIMA Bistro will be open and serve beer, wine, and snacks while the Museum Store will be open for shopping. This effort was inspired by recent shifts in visitor trends, with day-trippers coming to visit Bainbridge Island later in the day than in previous years. 

BIMA hopes that these extended evening hours will serve their local audience as much as tourists. “I’m excited to give this a try,” said Korum Bischoff, BIMA’s Director of Communications & Visitor Experience. “While I’m happy to give our tourists the ability to interact with the art and culture of our region, I’m even more excited to give our local and West Sound audiences different hours in which to visit. It can be hard to escape to the museum during your work day, and, let’s be honest, parking isn’t ideal during the day on summer weekends in Winslow.” 

Bainbridge Island Museum of Art and Pegasus Coffee Partner to Create an Exceptional Visitor Experience 

The launch of the new coffee bar helps kick off the museum’s 10th Anniversary

Bainbridge Island Museum of Art is proud to announce the unveiling of a redesigned BIMA Bistro including a new Pegasus Coffee espresso bar. The launch of the new Bistro will be celebrated with a kick-off reception on Friday, May 5th. The BIMA Bistro is located in the heart of the museum, enveloped in the art of the Puget Sound region, and is known locally as the living room of the community.

In response to frequent visitor requests for espresso at the museum, the remodeled Bistro will now offer a full menu of espresso-based beverage options featuring Pegasus’ top-quality coffee, ethically sourced and roasted weekly on Bainbridge Island. The new coffee bar will complement Chef Stephanie Knutson’s rotating menu of artfully created and seasonally inspired Pacific Northwest cuisine. The Bistro’s updated look pulls from coffeehouse culture, using rich tones to create a cozy feel, and a salon-style wall featuring art from BIMA’s Permanent Art Collection.

“Coffee and art make the perfect pairing,” said Korum Bischoff, BIMA’s Director of Communications & Visitor Experience. “For years now, one of the most frequent questions we get at museum reception is whether the Bistro has espresso. We’re thrilled that the answer will finally be ’YES.’ The redesign of the Bistro space and partnership with Pegasus Coffee will enhance the overall experience for our visitors.”

In celebration of its 10th anniversary this year, Pegasus Coffee has also collaborated with BIMA to create a custom blend of coffee to be served and sold exclusively in the Bistro. The medium-roast blend features high-scoring coffees from Colombia, Sumatra, and Tanzania, and offers tasting notes of orange, spice, and subtle cocoa. The blend can be enjoyed exclusively at BIMA’s Bistro, and bags of whole bean coffee will be available for purchase at the museum’s gift shop and on the Pegasus Coffee website.

“We’re thrilled to partner with BIMA to bring together two Island institutions,” said Pegasus President and co-owner Matt Grady, “and to promote a space that Pegasus has long supported and inhabited – the intersection of great coffee, community, and the arts.”

The collaboration with the BIMA is part of Pegasus Coffee’s efforts to expand its presence on Bainbridge Island. The Coffee Bar at BIMA Bistro provides a convenient location for Island commuters and visitors alike to grab a high-quality cup of coffee just steps from the Bainbridge Island Ferry Terminal.

The Bistro is now open Wednesday-Monday 10am-4pm and Tuesday 10am-3pm.

CALL FOR ARTISTS

Bainbridge Island Museum of Art invites Puget Sound area artists to apply for the Museum’s first-ever juried group exhibition BIMA Spotlight. Submissions will be accepted from September 1, 2022, through October 15, 2022, via CaFÉ (CallForEntry.org). The exhibition opens on Friday, June 30, 2023, runs into September 2023 and is a cornerstone of BIMA’s 10th Anniversary celebrations. 

BIMA Spotlight will be a vast group exhibition filling the galleries on two floors (except for the Sherry Grover Gallery). In addition, one artist will be selected for BIMA’s Beacon Window Gallery – a two-story, 24-hour display space on the corner of Winslow Way and Highway 305. The Beacon Window Gallery Program includes a stipend for the selected artist (read more here). Artists may apply for both opportunities. 

Visual artworks of all media will be considered, with some limitations to the size and other variables, and will include film/video and visual artworks with performance elements. 

APPLY HERE

About the Jury Process

Jurors from the Puget Sound Region: 

• Eileen Jimenez (Seattle) – Indigenous queer artist, Dean of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at South Seattle College. Elisheba Johnson (Seattle) – artist, poet, curator, and co-founder Wa Na Wari. 
• Ed Archie NoiseCat (Bremerton) – artist and instructor. 
• June Sekiguchi (Lakewood) – artist and curator 
• in addition to BIMA Chief Curator, Greg Robinson, and BIMA Associate Curator, Amy Sawyer. 

The BIMA Spotlight Jury will select zero (1) to three (3) works per artist. Artists will be notified of juried selections by November 30, 2022. 

EXHIBITION DATES:

Friday, June 30, 2023, runs into September 2023

SUBMISSION PROCESS:

Submission Dates:
September 1-October 15, 2022 

Only online submissions are accepted via CaFÉ. Application Fee of $25. The fee is optional and can be waived per need. This information is confidential and not shared with jurors. 

ARTWORK MEDIA AND OTHER CRITERIA:

Visual artworks created since January 1, 2018, will be considered. Artists may submit up to six works. One (1) to three (3) works may be selected by the Spotlight Jury. 

Artwork may be for sale (retail value not included on gallery labels). BIMA does not take a sales commission on gallery exhibitions and will refer interested parties directly to the artist. 

MEDIA FORMAT:

JPG or JPEG – Dimensions: 1200 pixels or greater on the longest side. CaFÉ may readjust your dimensions after entry to fit the limitations. Size: under 5 MB 

Film/video will be limited to 30 minutes in length. The Frank Buxton Auditorium will be used on a scheduled basis for film/video loops. For technical help, click on CaFÉ HELP and go to “Uploading: Image, Audio and Video Files.” 

BIMA SPOTLIGHT EXHIBITION PHYSICAL PARAMETERS and LOGISTICS:

2-dimensional, wall-mounted artworks should not exceed 72”h x 72”w. 3-dimensional artworks should typically not exceed 72″h x 72″w, but the jury may review other works for the feasibility of installation. 

BIMA SPOTLIGHT- BEACON WINDOW GALLERY: PHYSICAL PARAMETERS and LOGISTICS:

Two-story, 24-hour display space on the corner of Winslow Way and Highway 305. Dimensions: 22 feet high x 11 feet wide. The Beacon Window Gallery Program includes a stipend for the selected artist. Applicants for the Beacon Window Gallery can learn more and apply through this link. 

Artists may apply for both opportunities. 

APPLY HERE

BIMA reserves the right to exclude any artwork deemed too heavy, fragile, vulnerable, valuable, or otherwise not feasible to install or display. 

Artists are requested to communicate any questions/inquiries via email: spotlight@biartmuseum.org.

Eligibility: 

• Works created since January 1, 2018 
• Artists must be 18 years of age or older (as of September 1, 2022) 
• Film/video projects are limited to 30 minutes 
• Some size limitations will be in effect 
• Artist must live and work in the Puget Sound region 
• Artists who have had a solo exhibition at BIMA do not qualify 
• BIMA staff and board members are not eligible

APPLY HERE

Beginning September 1, 2022, Bainbridge Island Museum of Art invites Puget Sound area artists to apply for the Museum’s first-ever juried group exhibition BIMA Spotlight. Submissions will be accepted through October 15, 2022, via an online form on CaFÉ (CallForEntry.org). The exhibition will open on Friday, June 30, 2023, run into September 2023, and be a cornerstone of BIMA’s 10^th Anniversary celebrations.

BIMA Spotlight will be a vast group exhibition filling the galleries on two floors. In addition, one artist will be selected for BIMA’s Beacon Window Gallery – a two-story, 24-hour display space on the corner of Winslow Way and Highway 305. The Beacon Window Gallery Program includes a stipend for the selected artist.

Visual artworks of all media will be considered, with some limitations to size and other variables, and will include film/video and visual artworks with performance elements.

Led by BIMA’s curatorial team, guest jurors will help with the selection. To date, guest jurors include Elisheba Johnson (Seattle), Ed Archie NoiseCat (Bremerton), and June Sekiguchi (Tacoma).

Full details and criteria, with a link to the submission page, will be posted on BIMA’s website on September 1, but initial guidelines include:

• Works created since January 1, 2018
• Artists must be 18 years of age or older (as of September 1, 2022)
• Film/video projects are limited to 30 minutes
• Some size limitations will be in effect
• Artist must live and work in the Puget Sound region
• Artists may submit up to six works
• Artists who have had a solo exhibition at BIMA do not qualify
• BIMA staff and board members are not eligible

There will be an application fee of $25, although that fee may be waived at the artist’s discretion and that information will be kept from jurors. The BIMA Spotlight Jury will select zero (0) to three (3) works per artist. Artists will be notified of juried selections by November 30, 2022.

More details will be posted HERE on September 1.

At the request of BIMA Associate Curator Amy Sawyer, featured artist Blake Blanco recently put together a Spotify playlist to pair with his exhibition, We All Dream.

Break out those AirPods and come on down to the museum for an extra-special way to connect with Blake’s work. Can’t make it in? Listen on your own time and get swept up into Blanco’s world.

Listen now on Spotify.

BIMA is proud of the support has received from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust for support of our community and cultural programming. This year, BIMA was featured in the Trust’s annual video series that tackled the subject of “Why The Arts?”

“For our 2022 Annual Video Project, we wanted to take a closer look at some of the ways the arts help the Pacific Northwest flourish and thrive and hear from some of the individuals and organizations who invest in this sector every day.”

Created by Windrider, the series explores everything from contemporary art to Native & Indigenous Art and Cultural Preservation, Performing Arts, and Arts for Children.

Thanks to Windrider and M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust for including BIMA!