- Executive
- Curatorial
- Education
- Development
- Communications
- Visitor Services
- Cultural Programs & Rentals
- Finance
- Museum Store
- BIMA Bistro
- Facilities
Executive

Sheila Hughes
Executive Director

Sheila Hughes
Executive Director
Philadelphia-born Sheila Hughes is often mistaken for a Pacific Northwest native, and has been a prominent figure in the Seattle Arts and Non-profit landscape for more than 25 years. She served as Principal, Producer and COO of One Reel, the creative powerhouse responsible for Bumbershoot, WOMAD, Summer Nights at the Pier, Lake Union Family Fourth, and Teatro ZinZanni Seattle & San Francisco, as well as dozens of Northwest and touring concerts, theater and circus arts, youth programs and spectacles.
Following her departure from One Reel in 2010, Sheila served as Executive Director of several important Pacific Northwest cultural institutions, to include Icicle Creek Center for the Arts, Gage Academy of Art, and now, most enthusiastically, Executive Director of the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art.
As a volunteer, board member and advocate for several organizations which deliver essential services to our region, Sheila supports the Downtown Seattle Food Bank, Pike Market Senior Center, Path with Art and Earshot Jazz. Equally passionate about music/art and cooking/gardening, and an unapologetic fan of the ‘festival’ as an art form, she was proud to hear one of her two daughters describe her as a blend of Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart.
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Who are your top 3 favorite artists?:
Right now: Jungle, Joe Max Emminger, & Yotam Ottolenghi. -
What is the most played song in your iTunes or Spotify library?:
Chanchullo by Ruben Gonzales & Soul Sauce by Cal Tjader. -
What is the most unusual job you've ever had?:
I drove an ice cream truck in North Philly.
Curatorial

Greg Robinson
Chief Curator

Greg Robinson
Chief Curator
Greg grew up in Seattle and went to graduate school in New York City to earn his master’s degree in Public Administration from NYU. His arts career was accidental – while director of facilities planning at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City in the 1980s, he helped launch one of the largest hospital art collections in the country. That’s how he got ‘the bug.’
Subsequently, he held positions including executive director of Pratt Fine Arts Center in Seattle, director of William Traver Gallery in Tacoma, and executive director of the Museum of Northwest Art (MoNA) in La Conner.
Greg serves the non-profit art community throughnumerous selection panels for exhibitions and awards, including the Betty Bowen Award Committee of Seattle Art Museum since 1999. Career highlights include several book projects on Puget Sound artists, serving on the board of the American Craft Council, and volunteering as a strategic facilitator and coach for smaller non-profit organizations.
“If I bring anything to BIMA it is endless curiosity. My job is to mine our regional art world for diverse talent – both long-standing careers that are deserving, and artists that are new (at least to me) in this ever changing landscape. At BIMA we cook up exhibitions from scratch – we have no real recipe to follow, just great – and fresh — ingredients!”
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Do you volunteer anywhere?:
I volunteer for smaller non-profit organizations, helping them to solve problems and envision futures. -
What is the most played song in your iTunes or Spotify library?:
Protection by Massive Attack. -
What is your favorite book?:
Anything on art & antiques.

Amy Sawyer
Associate Curator

Amy Sawyer
Associate Curator
Before transplanting to Seattle from Tulsa, Oklahoma in 2015, Amy’s experience in the arts had its similarities to many aspiring artists. She worked as a barista, singer/songwriter, book artist and wide-eyed dreamer viewed through the lens of her upbringing in the “buckle of the bible belt.” She received her B.A. in Art History from the University of Oklahoma and began her museum career as an education assistant at Philbrook Museum of Art. She has always found herself encouraging other artists to show their work in the community and helping them find creative ways to connect people with their work through music, festivals, home shows, etc. All the while, looking for ways an emerging or under-recognized artist connects to a museum.
In 2014, she stepped through the doors of Bainbridge Island Museum of Art for the first time as a visitor and an artist — on the way to show her art at a First Friday Art Walk event in Winslow. She immediately felt welcomed with the kind of warm hospitality that makes room at the table for you – no closed doors. She was hooked. She began working as an intern at BIMA through the University of Washington’s Museology Certificate program in 2015 and her passion for finding and creating access points for artists’ voices in the museum is what she gets to do every day with the amazing mentorship and collaboration of the BIMA team. As an emerging curator, she strives to bring to light that intersection where life and art connect and is dedicated to assisting emerging and under-recognized artists expand their voices and community at BIMA
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What is the most unusual job you've ever had?:
Assistant for a livestock auctioneer. -
What is your go-to morning drink?:
8oz quad Americano. -
Do you volunteer anywhere?:
Fremont Abbey Arts Center

Kim Seigel
Gallery & Volunteer Manager

Kim Seigel
Gallery & Volunteer Manager
At the dawn of time, Kim was an art student, veterinary tech, then master picture framer and independent business owner. Exploring art preservation led to a 2009 UW Museum Studies Certificate. She arrived at BIMA in 2014 via an internship through Seattle University. Chief Curator Greg Robinson promoted her to the Curatorial Associate/Volunteer Coordinator position where she now nimbly spends her days spanning both roles, then nightly entertains her husband and the paw-n-terouge.
Kim is passionate about art and process and finds inspiration sharing the BIMA experience with the many audiences the Museum reaches. Connecting people with art makes her day!
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Who are your top 3 favorite artists?:
Visual: Franz Marc. Music: The Fixx. Dance: Nureyev. -
What is your go-to morning drink?:
Bigelow's Vanilla Chai or a Throwback Mountain Dew -
Do you have any hidden talents?:
I used to bellydance.

Bonnie Christoffersen
Curatorial Associate

Amy Goldthwaite
Curatorial Associate

Nancy Rignel
Curatorial Associate

Gerardo Aguayo
Exhibition Installation Crew
Education

Kristin Tollefson
Director of Education & DEI Advancement

Kristin Tollefson
Director of Education & DEI Advancement
Kristin is an artist and educator who grew up in the Puget Sound and Mountain West. She earned an MFA in Metalsmithing from Cranbrook Academy of Art and a BA in Art History and Sociology/Anthropology from Carleton College and certifications from the Teaching Artist Training (TAT) Lab and Seattle’s Emerging Public Artist Roster (EPAR).
Kristin’s path has consistently woven between making art and sharing her excitement about it with people, and she brings over 30 years of experience to my work at BIMA. She has a firm conviction that beauty can be found in the most unlikely places.
She has received honors from Delta Kappa Gamma, the Island Treasure Award, and numerous residencies from Iceland to Chile. Her public art commissions can be found in parks, libraries and schools around the Pacific Northwest and her studio sculpture and jewelry have been exhibited internationally. She has received recognition for her work from the American-Scandinavian Foundation, the Fulbright Commission, Americans for the Arts, and her work has been published in Fiber Arts Design Book and Metalsmith Magazine.
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What is your go-to evening drink?:
Vodka with kombucha and bitters and a twist. -
What is your most treasured possession?:
An original self portrait print of Kathe Kollwitz, given to me when I was the age she was in the print. -
What is your favorite podcast?:
Too many to choose from. I love Tavi Gevinson's Rookie, which no longer plays. And Song Exploder, The Guilty Feminist, KEXP Song of the Day...

Emma Cantrell
School & Youth Programs Manager

Emma Cantrell
School & Youth Programs Manager
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Who are your top 3 favorite artists?:
Kara Walker, Alice Neel, Mierle Ukeles. -
What is the most unusual job you've ever had?:
I was a server at a very fancy country club - I wore a tuxedo jacket and bowtie for dinner service! -
What is the most played song in your iTunes or Spotify library?:
"What We Have (to Change)" by Lucius.

Anika Tabachnick
Creative Aging Program Associate

Anika Tabachnick
Creative Aging Program Associate
Anika Tabachnick is a recent graduate of the newly founded BA Curating Course at Goldsmiths, University of London. Their passion for museum education and community programming was initially ignited when they volunteered at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History as a teen, going on to become an intern and leadership team member. In London, Anika worked as an educator and researcher at The Serpentine Galleries, Goldsmiths Center for Contemporary Art, and London Gallery West, collaborating and co-creating with K-12 students and fellow educators. Anika is especially passionate about community-centered collaborative research processes and their potential for creating meaningful programming and impactful visual art.
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What's the best advice you've ever received?:
To not be afraid of looking silly. -
What is your go-to karaoke song?:
"Do You Know The Way to San Jose?" by Dionne Warwick. -
What is your most treasured possession?:
A small wooden whale carved by my grandfather.
Development

Peter Raffa
Development Director

Peter Raffa
Development Director
Peter Raffa is the Director of Development at BIMA since 2017, and an integral member of the leadership team responsible for building a culture of philanthropy around the museum. In addition to raising money through grants and sponsorships, he enjoys cultivating and stewarding donors to support our exhibitions, events, and programs in support of our mission.
Peter is fluent in American Sign Language and has more than 35 years of fundraising experience with various nonprofits in Seattle and throughout the East Coast. He and his wife Christie moved to Bainbridge with their daughter Taylor in 1994.
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If you could meet anyone in history, who would it be, and why?:
Andrew Carnegie to have a great conversation about philanthropy. -
What is the most unusual job you've ever had?:
Making fudge on the Jersey Shore. -
What's your go-to comfort food?:
Dumplings.

Jessica Miller
Senior Development Manager

Jessica Miller
Senior Development Manager
Jessica joined Bainbridge Island Museum of Art in 2019 as the Senior Development & Special Events Manager. She is responsible for coordinating the BIMA Bash! Party, Auction, and Gala. Previously she managed multiple galas for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) in Seattle, which raised over $6 million. In the last 15 years, she organized fundraising events for numerous non-profits, including a sea turtle hospital, a foundation dedicated to finding a cure for blindness, and an association that advocates for natural products.
In 2010, Jessica and her family moved to Bainbridge Island and opened the farm-to-table Local Harvest Restaurant. As a board member for the Bainbridge Island Downtown Association, she spent many hours at the Museum before it was open to the public. She is thrilled to join the team at BIMA and to contribute to the success of the organization. When she’s not meeting with volunteers, procuring auction items, or securing sponsors, Jessica is with her family attending Sounders games, watching her son play lacrosse, riding either her bike or motorcycle, or canoeing in Puget Sound.

Tricia Pearson O'Neill
Donor Relations & Membership Manager

Tricia Pearson O'Neill
Donor Relations & Membership Manager
Tricia comes from a history background, but her love of the arts has always been a part of her life. Originally from Portland, Oregon, she earned a Master’s degree in history at the University of Texas and then moved to Seattle to pursue a career in non-profit work. She’s dedicated her career to supporting missions she’s passionate about, including education and the arts.
After earning a certificate in museology at UW, she interned at BIMA and fell in love with the museum. Since then, she’s worked in membership at BIMA and MOHAI (Museum of History and Industry) in Seattle. On the development team at BIMA she works on gift and finance processing, reporting and projects, and connecting the community of BIMA supporters and donors. She is delighted to be part of the BIMA staff and contribute to the Puget Sound arts and culture scene. In her free time, she loves the Seahawks, Sounders, and Mariners, attending theater and arts events, and exploring the beautiful Northwest.
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Who are your top 3 favorite artists? :
Gustave Caillbotte, John Singer Sargent, Alison (Bremner) Marks.. -
What is your go-to karaoke song? :
"You Give Love a Bad" Name by Bon Jovi -
Do you volunteer anywhere?:
Seattle Repertory Theater
Communications

Korum Bischoff
Director of Communications & Visitor Experience

Korum Bischoff
Director of Communications & Visitor Experience
Two decades in the nonprofit world—where budgets are tight and flexibility is key—have given Korum the opportunity to gain a wide range of skills in marketing, branding, public relations, management and event production. His experience as a graphic designer helps bring a strong visual aesthetic to everything he does.
He started his career in arts non-profits at One Reel, working as graphic designer for Bumbershoot, Teatro ZinZanni, and Summer Nights at the Pier. Over time, Korum built up his marketing chops and became Marketing Manager for Teatro ZinZanni where, when not working on the legendary show, he was part of a small team that developed new after-hours projects for the circus tent and developed its education programs. After nearly twelve years, he left the project to become Director of Communications & Events for Bloedel Reserve before finding his way to BIMA which he feels is where he was always meant to be.
Fun to know:
Outside of the 9-5, Korum plays drums for Grammy-nominated family music band Recess Monkey. He has also played with or alongside David Byrne, Jon Hendricks, The Dead Science, Grady Tate, his brother Jherek and many others. For his work as a musician, community organizer, and educator, Korum was the first recipient of the Amy Award for Emerging Artists.
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What is your most treasured possession?:
My stuffed artichoke doll. -
What's the best advice you've ever received?:
If someone asks if you know how to do something, always reply with "that's my specialty" and then go make it your specialty. -
What is your go-to karaoke song?:
"Love Shack" by the B-52s or "Paul Revere" by Beastie Boys (I do all three voices).

Shawn Baker Gibson
Senior Marketing Manager

Shawn Baker Gibson
Senior Marketing Manager
Shawn received her MFA in Arts Leadership from Seattle U and a BA in Theatre Arts with a concentration in Acting from WWU. In fall 2016, following graduation from her masters program, Shawn found her way to BIMA attracted by the museum’s mission and her desire to work with a small team of passionate art folks. She has worked with a variety of cultural organizations in the Puget Sound area, including Cultural Access WA, Culture PAC, Pottery Northwest, TeenTix, Intiman, and ACT. Additionally, she founded a theatre company that focused on the development of new works through collaborative creation which closed it’s doors in 2016. When she’s not spreading the word about BIMA, you can usually find her with her nose in a book or out on a bike adventure with her husband.
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What is the most unusual job you've ever had?:
Working the prize counter and laser tag at a local arcade. -
What was your best Halloween costume?:
My home-sewn owl costume—I love it so much, I reuse it every year! -
What is your go-to evening drink?:
Super hoppy IPA.

Hunter Stroud
Digital Programs Associate

Hunter Stroud
Digital Programs Associate

Micaela Green
Marketing Special Projects

Micaela Green
Marketing Special Projects
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Who are your top 3 favorite artists? :
Kehinde Wiley, Georgia O'Keefe, Henry O. Tanner. -
If you could meet anyone in history, who would it be, and why?:
I would love to have a conversation with my great-grandfather. He was a Tuskeegee Airman and I never got to ask him about his experiences during the war. -
What is your go-to evening drink? :
A glass of Syrah.
Visitor Services

Quincy Blackmon
Front Desk Associate

Quincy Blackmon
Front Desk Associate
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What is your go-to evening drink?:
Jack & Coke or a Porto Wine. -
What is your favorite podcast?:
"2 Bears, 1 Cave" with Tom Segura & Bert Kreischer. -
What is the most played song in your iTunes or Spotify library?:
"But It's Better if You Do" by Panic! At the Disco.

Sara Carlson
Front Desk Associate

Sara Carlson
Front Desk Associate
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What's your go-to comfort food?:
Roasted butternut squash and chocolate cupcakes. -
What would you like to learn more about?:
Oil painting and drawing. -
Do you volunteer anywhere?:
Bloedel Reserve.

Aidan Douglas Terry
Front Desk & Gallery Maintenance Associate

Aidan Douglas Terry
Front Desk & Gallery Maintenance Associate
Aidan, like most navy kids, was born one place but grew up in other places. Born in San Diego, CA, and he grew up for the most part in the Kitsap County, WA. A job opportunity for his mother brought his family to Sicily, Italy, as he calls it, “The Volcanic Pizza Shaped Soccer Ball off the Boot of the Mainland.” (Don’t ask him for directions or they’ll be as long winded as that nickname.) The endless visits to ancient ruins, other countries, and all the museums in between beat a love of the arts and history into him.
After returning from across the world and going into high school he needed some art credits and delved into stained glass, setting him on the inevitable path to a degree in the arts.
Aidan attended Washington State University in Pullman and earned his BFA in Photography & Oil Painting with a Minor in Art History. He took classes in as many mediums as he could fit in his schedule and always asked questions. Towards the end of his time at WSU, he interned with the campus Museum of Art (now the WSU Jordan Schnitzer Art Museum) and found a new and unexpected love of the arts. He is incredibly excited to be part of the team at BIMA and be in the Museum environment again.
“If you want someone to love art, nature, and architecture, don’t just show them tourist pictures, take them somewhere, and show them the real thing!”
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Where have you always wanted to visit?:
Stonehenge. Family booked a tour when we visited London, but accidentally booked the trip the week after we were to leave the United Kingdom. -
What is your most treasured possession?:
My friendships. -
What's your favorite indulgence or luxury?:
A pizza worth more than $30

Cree Roberts
Gallery Maintenance Associate

Cree Roberts
Gallery Maintenance Associate
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What is the most unusual job you've ever had?:
Trapped cats, had them neutered and returned them to the streets. -
What is your favorite book?:
"Farming of Bones" by Edwidge Danticat -
What is something everyone should do at least once in their lives?:
Move away from home.
Cultural Programs & Rentals

Jesse Ziebart
Cultural Programs Manager

Jesse Ziebart
Cultural Programs Manager
Jesse Ziebart joined the BIMA family as Cultural Programs Manager in 2018 and is thrilled to return to her hometown of Bainbridge Island after many years away. She is passionate about the performing arts and studied jazz composition and vocal performance at the American School of Modern Music in France, acting at the Lee Strasberg Actor’s Workshop, and is a long-time student of dance.
Jesse has produced events for The Ruins and Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, and spent the last six years in the world of television production, traveling the country shooting reality television shows for Nat Geo Wild, Bravo, NBC, HGTV, Discovery, and The Food Network among others. She is especially proud of her work on the producing team of Emmy-nominated 2016 season of “Top Chef,” and of her work on the documentary “White Board” (2020) that covered the conflict in Standing Rock, North Dakota. She finds it essential to continually learn from others, to hear their stories and to share them and is grateful to be able to work with so many incredible artists, musicians, writers, filmmakers and performers who share their stories at BIMA.
Jesse is fluent in French, so if you speak even “un petit peu” please find her and tell her “bonjour”. She is an avid poetry reader and currently obsessed with Rosario Castellanos who wrote:
“Solitude seeks fulfillment in my tears
and awaits me in the depths of every mirror
and closes the windows carefully
so the sky will not come in.”
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If you could meet anyone in history, who would it be, and why?:
Martin Luther King, Jr. I would ask him how to advocate for peace and equality this day in age - and I would listen more intently than I've ever listened in my life. -
Do you have any hidden talents?:
I'm a darn good singer. -
What's your favorite indulgence or luxury?:
My favorite indulgence is eating whatever I want, but I think having extra time for one's self is the ultimate luxury.
Finance

Andrea Sanchez-Williams
Finance Director

Andrea Sanchez-Williams
Finance Director
Andrea handles all facets of BIMA’s financial activities, including financial analysis, accounting operations and reporting, tax filing, investment monitoring, and external audits. Additional duties include payroll management, HR & benefits administration, IT support, and other operational support.
Andrea is passionate about supporting her colleagues and serving her community. She can be found roaming the island with her daughter and spouse, enjoying the weather and trees that brought them to the PNW.
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What is your most treasured possession?:
Cedar blanket chest my dad made for me as a wedding gift. -
Do you have any hidden talents?:
I can knit with my eyes closed. -
What is your go-to morning drink?:
English Breakfast tea with milk & honey.

Sade'Monique McInnis
Finance Associate

Sade'Monique McInnis
Finance Associate
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What's your go-to comfort food?:
Puerto Rican Food is my go to comfort food. I am half Puerto Rican, so the food just warms me up and makes me feel right at home! -
If you could meet anyone in history, who would it be, and why?:
My Great Grandfather. My father called him dad, because he was the man who took care of him. He means everything to him, and I would have loved to know him and gotten to hear all the stories that my dad tells me straight from him. -
Where have you always wanted to visit?:
I have always wanted to visit New Orleans during Mardi Gras.
Museum Store

Calder Bischoff
Museum Store Sales Associate

Calder Bischoff
Museum Store Sales Associate
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If you could meet anyone in history, who would it be, and why?:
I would meet my grandpa, Jack Olsen. I never met him, but I think we would have so much to talk about. -
What is the most played song in your iTunes or Spotify library?:
"Crosseyed and painless" by Talking Heads -
What was your best Halloween costume?:
I was Paul McCartney when i was 8 years old. Pretty serious if you ask me.

Quincy Blackmon
Museum Store Sales Associate

Quincy Blackmon
Museum Store Sales Associate
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What is your go-to evening drink?:
Jack & Coke or a Porto Wine. -
What is your favorite podcast?:
"2 Bears, 1 Cave" with Tom Segura & Bert Kreischer. -
What is the most played song in your iTunes or Spotify library?:
"But It's Better if You Do" by Panic! At the Disco.

Kate Henderson
Museum Store Sales Associate

Kate Henderson
Museum Store Sales Associate
Kate is an enthusiastic fan of art, theater, and literature. She holds two diplomas in the history of art from University College Dublin and the University of Cambridge. Museums are her favorite and she couldn’t be more thrilled to be a member of the BIMA team.
She was a tour guide at Universal Studios Hollywood, a page at Paramount Studios, and loves volunteering and acting in community theater. If she isn’t looking at art, reading a book, or listening to music, you will find her playing board and card games of all sorts.
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Who is your personal hero, and why?:
Peggy Guggenheim or Isabella Stewart Gardner. Women who collected art and surrounded themselves with fun interesting people! -
What was your best Halloween costume?:
I love dressing up! My 80's middle school picture day costume has won me prizes! -
Do you volunteer anywhere?:
Yes, I volunteer with literacy programs, and edit a newsletter for the VC Reading Association.

Laurie Rose
Museum Store Sales Associate

Laurie Rose
Museum Store Sales Associate
Like many artists, Laurie started out very young, a glorious finger-painter on the kitchen floor. She quickly advanced to re-drawing pictures from coloring books, moving on to painting signs and murals for school plays. Later, with a BA degree in Fine Art from Humboldt State University in hand, she began her twenty-plus-year career as a graphic designer. Along the way she got married and raised two children. When her family moved to Bainbridge island 12 years ago, she decided to leave the hectic world of graphic design and follow her dream of being a fine artist. However, she found she missed the work environment. So, when an ad for a retail sales position at BIMA popped up on her computer screen, she jumped at the opportunity, and became part of the team that helped launch the museum. She loves being part of the BIMA family. In her free time she still freelances now and then as a designer, but she now focuses on drawing, painting, and collage. It is the simple, everyday things that attract her as subject matter… Simple things that we sometimes forget to appreciate.
“I really love working with everyone here at BIMA… there is never a dull moment!”
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What is the most unusual job you've ever had?:
Giving away Low Flush toilets. -
Who are your top 3 favorite artists?:
Georgia O'Keeffe, Rembrandt, Andrew Wyeth. -
If you could meet anyone in history, who would it be, and why?:
Mother Theresa—she is the best example of unconditional love and forgiveness.
BIMA Bistro

Stephanie Knutson
Bistro Restaurant Lead

Stephanie Knutson
Bistro Restaurant Lead
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What's the best advice you've ever received?:
Find the joy in everyday. This truly can be as simple as cutting into a red onion and recognizing the beauty in the layers. -
What's your go-to comfort food?:
Cheese. -
Who are your top 3 favorite artists?:
Rodin, Betsy Walton, and Basquiat. This list is subject to change at any moment.

Asia Wolfe
Bistro Staff
Facilities

Scott Farwell
Facilities & Operations Manager

Scott Farwell
Facilities & Operations Manager
Scott spent years as a contractor in Maryland before choosing to stay at home with his two kids. Scott used his skills to build playgrounds, organize school events, plan fundraisers, and be a member of the PTO. With the kids in college, Scott turned back to his work in construction management and joined a property management company. The relationships made with local parents and contractors in those years made for a perfect match when the museum was newly finished and needed a Facility Manager to finish punch list items with contractors and oversee new ongoing operations with compliance needs. Working with all departments at the museum along with the art installation and lighting crew, Scott has been part of the woven family that makes BIMA the little museum that could.
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Do you volunteer anywhere?:
Bainbridge Performing Arts. -
What is your go-to morning drink?:
4 shot Americano. -
What is your go-to karaoke song?:
"My Way" by Frank Sinatra.