BIMA is now open daily 10am-5pm.

A time to reflect

As the museum reopens more fully this spring, and we again sense the pleasure of being a gathering place with art as the centering experience, we are also called to reflect.

We continue to be profoundly grateful for the generosity of our extended community. Through gifts of time, talent and resources, efforts large and small, deep commitment and hard work, and a thousand strokes of luck, BIMA has been able to reopen when many other arts organizations remain shuttered. We are grateful to be here, conscious of our good fortune, and are working to help other organizations back to their feet—reminded every day that we can pay forward this gratitude by fostering connection, healing, challenge, and inspiration through art.

This moment is also one of profound change, marked by unfathomable and continued examples of racial and social injustice, inequity, and violence across the US. BIMA’s response to this inflection point begins with self-inquiry and a commitment to make visible the values that we hold close. With that, we’re working to do and be better, to cultivate and support safe spaces, and to ensure that all voices are heard, valued, and welcomed.

As we lean into this learning, we turn first to the artists who can lead the way for us all. As a museum, we are both privileged and responsible to be the best spotlight, platform, and petri dish that we can, particularly for contemporary artists of the Puget Sound region. In BIMA’s front Beacon window right now hangs “Song for Generations” a particularly relevant piece of work by artist Michelle Kumata, a comment on the legacy of harm related to the Japanese American incarceration. This work captures the complexities of a shameful and wrenching historical trauma within this community and the country while serving as a poignant reminder that racially motivated violence still exists. At BIMA, we are proud to champion and support voices like hers, voices that help keep these issues present in our minds and hearts as a foundation to mitigating harm.

Thank you for joining us at the museum, for immersing yourself in the pleasures and perspectives of the artists we showcase, for sharing the values we hold, for lending a hand as we put our cultural community back together, and for working together to lean into the work that we have in front of us.

Summer Camps are a great way to keep kids busy and their minds and hands engaged.

Education

BIMA invites learners of all ages to explore the power of art through creative expression, active engagement, and inclusive dialogue. The ArtsGrowth Initiative, which encompasses all of BIMA’s educational offerings, was born from the Museum’s commitment to provide access to arts and culture in the Puget Sound region.

BIMA’s diverse array of programs, most of which are offered low-cost or free-of-charge, invite everyone into the museum to discover the relevance of art in our lives and in our communities. Whether you are attending a lecture, trying your hand at a new technique in a workshop, looking to engage in programs for those dealing with Early Stage Memory Loss, enjoying a summer camp, exploring the world of Artist’s Books, or just dropping into a drop-in gallery program, there are options for nearly every age and ability level.

Field Trips

BIMA is proud of its robust Field Trip program that welcomes more than 2,000 students each year.

Learn more
Students enjoying a field trip

Drop-In Programs

Meet the Artist

An informal opportunity to engage with exhibiting artists surrounded by their work in the galleries. Ask questions and learn first-hand about their inspirations and processes. Free, no registration required.

Art in Action

Drop-in and create your own art while you are visiting the art museum! Join teaching artists in one of BIMA’s galleries for make-and-take art projects designed for all ages. Free, no registration required.

Docent-led Artist’s Book Hours

Take a closer look at the current Artist’s Book show in the Sherry Grover Gallery. On selected days, hosts are available to answer your questions and help you explore these detailed and intricate hand-made works of art.

Go Figure Drink & Draw

Come for a drink and stay to draw during this fun, free, clothed-model session hosted by BIMA at the Bainbridge Brewing Alehouse. Open to anyone 21+ that is interested in working from the model, regardless of experience level. Every third Thursday

Artists young and old enjoy a drop-in art project

Lectures & Talks

Barbara Earl Thomas gives an Eye On Artist presentation in the Frank Buxton Auditorium.

Artist Talks

Hear exhibiting artists speak about their work, inspiration, methods and materials.

Open Book Tours

Join an Artist’s Book expert for a guided showing of selected works outside the display cases in the Sherry Grover Gallery, allowing viewers to see the movement and multiple dimensions so critical to the appreciation of the book arts.
See scheduled times

Classes & Workshops

BIMA offers a range of opportunities to hone your craft or try something new. Practice your life drawing skills at its weekly Go Figure! life drawing sessions. Prefer something less formal? Try Drink & Draw next door at the Alehouse. Or, try something completely new at BIMA’s monthly workshops.
See what’s happenin’

Workshops with BIMA's teaching artists are a great way to engage mind and body.

Camps & Teen Intensives

BIMA offers a wide range of camps and teen intensives.

An artful break awaits elementary through high school-aged students at BIMA. The younger set will find fun-filled art camps exploring many mediums and experiences. Older students will enjoy summer intensives to help them build a portfolio for the next chapter of their lives.

2021 lineup coming soon!

Creative Aging

Look Again

We invite individuals living with early-stage memory loss and their care partners to enjoy a facilitated art discussion in the museum’s galleries in a relaxed and welcoming environment.

Mindfulness Meditation

Join us for a weekly group mindfulness meditation practice led by Steve Parsons. Mindfulness meditation is a practice focused on breathing techniques and quieting one’s thoughts. Meditation has been shown to support both pain and stress management.

For more information about our Creative Aging programs or to receive email updates, please email anika@biartmuseum.org.

Guest enjoy art by Chris Maynard during "Look Again," a program for those dealing with early stage memory loss.