Dear BAM Family,
It is with a heavy heart that I share the difficult news that Bellevue Arts Museum (BAM) will be closing its doors to the public, effective today, Wednesday, September 4, 2024. This marks the end of an era for a beloved cultural, educational, and community institution that has been a cornerstone of our city since 1975.
Like many museums across the country, we have faced significant financial challenges in recent years. The ongoing impacts of the pandemic have led to declines in attendance, fundraising, and retail sales. Despite our best efforts to navigate these obstacles, we have reached a point where the museum can no longer sustain its operations.
As BAM enters this new reality, we hold onto hope that this is not the end, but rather the beginning of a new chapter. The museum has filed for Receivership, a decision that our leadership believes is the best way to protect our community assets and potentially restructure the institution. While Receivership is uncharted territory for BAM, it also presents an opportunity for much-needed reinvention and new partnerships. A small transitional staff will remain to support this reorganization, manage private events, and oversee the Arts Fair 2025.
Ceasing exhibitions, BAM programming and visiting hours has been an incredibly difficult decision. We have explored many avenues to keep our doors open, reaching out to government, corporate, and community stakeholders, but have consistently come up short. There is understandable hesitancy to invest in an institution with preexisting financial issues. This has been a source of great frustration, knowing how much potential we have, to serve the public and contribute to Bellevue’s cultural identity. This closure is not just a loss for BAM, but for the entire Bellevue community. We recognize the disappointment and sadness this news will bring, and we share in those emotions.
I want to express our deepest gratitude to all of you. Your support has been instrumental in supporting our exhibitions, programs, and the very essence of Bellevue Arts Museum. Your commitment to the arts has helped us succeed, and we are truly thankful for your support throughout the years.
Please see our press release for more details.
Warm regards,
Replies
This is shocking news. How could this even have happened?
Aside from that ... when museums host art festivals, in general their focus isn't on the festival, managing the museum comes first, and few of them have a paid organizer for their event which can lead to the dissolution is the event. In recent years the very fine Milwaukee Art Museum cancelled their event because of the financial burden. It did return in 2024 after a financial retooling.
Years ago, the Las Olas Art Festival organized by the Fort Lauderdale Art Museum, a top national art festival moved from its popular location on Los Olas Blvd. because of a lack of museum volunteers (socially connected docents). It was moved to a parking lot. That lack of support by the museum led to the eventual dissolution of the festival.
good luck in Bellevue!!