BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, WA.- Bainbridge Island Museum of Art (BIMA-pronounced BEE MA) opened to the public on Friday, June 14th and welcomed 2,500 visitors during the first weekend. Family Weekend was held June 22nd & 23rd, in partnership with the Kids Discovery Museum. More than 1,000 people enjoyed hands-on art activities, artist demonstrations, the Caring Clowns International, musical entertainment, a theatre performance, a scavenger hunt, and more. Since our opening date we have welcomed more than 13,000 visitors. With a Founding Membership given to donors at $100 and up and with the museum visitors purchasing new memberships, we now have more than 800 members.

The largest and most diverse exhibition enjoyed by visitors is First Light: Regional Group Exhibition. The art museum’s Executive Director and Curator, Greg Robinson, invited six regional curators to help him plan the exhibit: Max Grover (Port Townsend), Norie Sato (Seattle), Cynthia Sears (Bainbridge Island), Jake Seniuk (Port Angeles), Janice Shaw (Bainbridge Island), and Barbara Earl Thomas (Seattle).

The exhibition showcases works by over 50 artists, including: Lanny Bergner (Anacortes, wire mesh sculpture); Marita Dingus (Seattle, mixed media sculpture); Lisa Gilley (Port Townsend, painting); Anne Hirondelle (Port Townsend, ceramics); David Kroll (Seattle, painting), Jane Martin (Bainbridge Island, jewelry); Heather Dew Oaksen (Seattle, video); Julie Speidel (Vashon Island, bronze sculpture); Steve Wilson (Seabeck, documentary photography). In the future, the art museum will highlight artist retrospectives, large group shows, and special collections on loan from around the Puget Sound region.

Bainbridge Island Museum of Art is a collecting museum with a focus on artists and collections from the Kitsap and Olympic Peninsulas, as well as the broader Puget Sound region. Located near the Seattle/Bainbridge Island ferry terminal at the corner of Highway 305 and the main street of downtown Bainbridge, Winslow Way, the new art museum is a welcoming landmark and a prominent community resource for quality arts education and lifelong learning. Admission to the art museum is free thanks to sponsors and members.

Exhibitions will rotate with the seasons and will total 12-16 shows per year. Education is a core value and is a primary function of the art museum, promoting art education for people of all ages, interests, abilities, and skill levels. Gallery tours, artist talks, panel discussions, films, print and digital publications, and hands-on art activities will be featured. In the 95-seat auditorium we will host artist lectures, films, classical films, poetry and theatrical readings, musical performances, and community meetings. Our classroom is currently utilized for hands-on art workshops, demonstrations, retreats, and more.