2008 Bellevue Arts Museum ArtsFair - This Weekend

This weekend will play host to the 2008 Bellevue Arts Museum ArtsFair on the grounds of Bellevue Square and expanding into surrounding properties.

This year will include 320 artist booths, of which 107 are new! 40 of the 320 artists expected to turn out have participated in the Fair for 10 or more years.

The ArtsFair has many activities to entertain, including Arts in Action demonstrations at Lincoln Square, live on-stage entertainment, Chalk It Up! on NE 6th, a high school Arts Expo at Bellevue Place, and more.

The Bellevue Arts Museum will have complimentary admission to the museum on all 3 days of the Fair 7/25 – 7/27.

Last year an estimated 350,000 people attended the Fair. There will be free shuttle buses running frequently on Saturday and Sunday, from 10am - 9pm. You can pick up a shuttle from 3 Park & Ride locations: South Bellevue, South Kirland, and Houghton Park and Rides.

Also note the following roads will be closed: 100th Ave NE, 102nd Ave NE, 106th Ave NE, NE 6th St, and NE 10th St.

The Fair promises to bring the following art: ceramics, drawing/pastels, fiber, furniture, glass, jewelry, metal, mixed media, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, wearables, and wood.

Come enjoy the largest and most prestigious 24th annual arts festival in the Pacific Northwest!

Washingon Mutual Office for Sale

The Washington Mutual office at 106th and NE 8th is for sale. The land, according to a recent Puget Sound Business Journal article has the land valued at $12 million.

Washington Mutual would be willing to swap for another, smaller property. According to a spokesperson for Washington Mutual, the bank is looking occupy smaller locations as a corporate business strategy.

This seems like a no-brainer that Kemper Development Co. would be interested in purchasing this piece of property, which is on the same block as their Bellevue Place property. Who knows what they would end up placing there if acquired, as it has already been planned around for the Hyatt remodel.

Ask Lea: All About Art

Lea,
You've talked a lot about food and dining in Downtown Bellevue, but there has got to be more to do than just eat. I heard that Bellevue has a pretty good arts fair every summer; can you tell me anything about it?

- Enough with the Eating

Dear Enough with the Eating,

Downtown Bellevue does have a wonderful arts and crafts fair every summer. It is put on by the Bellevue Arts Museum (B.A.M.) and is sponsored this year by Microsoft. The BAM ArtsFair runs Friday, July 25 - Sunday, July 27, and you'll be sure to notice from all of the traffic congestion it creates! If you're close enough to walk, then I suggest it. This year the ArtsFair will not only utilize the outdoor space and parking lots surrounding Bellevue Square, but will also feature unique art expos and displays throughout the Bellevue Collection, one being a "High School Arts Expo."

An extention of the BAM ArtsFair is the 6th Street Fair, which will feature more than 120 artists from wood and glass artists to musicians. This is certainly an event to bring the whole family to. The 6th Street Fair will have lots of food and hand-on crafts for kids, and the BAM ArtsFair always includes an area especially for kids to explore creative art mediums.

If you appreciate art, and haven't been already, I encourage you to visit the Bellevue Arts Museum itself. It was established in 1975 and now lives on Bellevue Way in a beautiful building designed by Steven Holl, a renowned architect. A great way to check out the gallery is on the first Friday of every month. They offer free admission to the public from 10am - 9pm. The museum's focus is on contemporary art, and the interior of the building itself is something to go see.

If you and your kids are feeling crafty this weekend, BAM is holding a free art workshop on felt flowers from 1pm - 3pm, inspired by one of the current exhibits they have on display. If you are an art patron yourself, there is also adult fun on Wednesday, July 23. BAM and The Westin Bellevue are holding a Patron Party, featuring a silent and live auction, dinner, and a talented display of art. Tickets may be purchased online through BAM.

Also, as we reported previously, The Bellevue Sculpture Exhibition: Sculpted Green is running now through October 5th in the Downtown Park and City Hall. 38 environmentally-inspired sculptures are on display, created by artists from Washington, across the US, and Canada.

So enough with the eating (except for maybe at the Street Fair), Downtown Bellevue is all about art this month!

- Lea

Let me know what you'd love to see at the Bellevue Arts Museum! Click through to leave a comment or write me at lea@downtownbellevue.com!

Senator Obama's wife visits Bellevue Westin

Michelle Obama visited Downtown Bellevue today, as she was helping raise money for her husband Barack Obama's presidential campaign. She gave a speech rallying for her husband to a group of 150 Barack supports at the Bellevue Westin.

Michelle was in town for a fundraiser for Governer Christine Gregoire's re-election campaign.

Read more here

RAG Celebrates 1 Year Anniversary In Style!

RAG Mens Style will celebrate their 1 year of being in the fashion business on Friday, August 1st at Bellevue Place on the east lawn. If it is anything like last year's party, it promises to be classy, yet on the wild side of fun!

The event will run from 7-10pm and will have plenty of entertainment, food, and drinks for all. The night will be highlighted with a Fashion show at 8:45pm. 100 guests will receive a gift bag from RAG.

You can purchase tickets at RAG Mens Style in Bellevue Place for a discounted rate of $25 before the event, or $35 the day of.

RAG has been notorious for putting on several events throughout the year and will put their best foot forward for their anniversary party! The three local owners, Apryl, Serenity, and Gabe, turned their dream of opening a high-fashion men's boutique into a reality. Join them in raising a glass to their success on August 1st at the celebration!

Related story: RAG Now Open in Bellevue Place

Paccar is buying land. Is it to move?

Downtown Bellevue-headquartered Paccar has recently acquired more land within the Downtown Bellevue core. In April, the strip mall which houses Chipotle and Jamba Juice was purchased by Paccar for $11.9 million, at 10503 N.E. 4th St.

This brings Paccar’s total holdings to 7.44 acres of land in Downtown Bellevue, according to an article in the Puget Sound Business Journal. In addition to the purchase in April, Paccar made a large purchase in January for a parcel of land at 10575 NE 4th St. for $2.89 million. Currently a small office building stands at this property.

According to sources, Paccar states they are purchasing the land for long-term investment reasons and not to build a new office tower on.

Currently Paccar occupies their 14-story building in Downtown Bellevue, which was built in 1970. As of late, the building has begun to show its age with new condominiums and office towers spurting up around it.

I’d suggest that they bulldoze the current building to make way for a new tower on one of their many properties that they hold. A new building would help improve people’s current perception, that they are a very traditional (old and set in their ways) and aging company.

Paccar was one of the first companies to make a strong impact on the Downtown Bellevue area when their building was built almost 40 years ago. They continue to contribute to the community in many ways, but it is time to upgrade. They "call home" the ugliest building in Bellevue, and there is no way around that.

It’s time to move.

Long Lines at Bellevue Square for iPhone 3G

Anticipating long lines throughout the day, Apple and AT&T stores opened over an hour early, at 8am Friday morning, for the launch of the highly anticipated Apple iPhone 3G.

Both stores upon opening had lengthy lines which led outside of the mall. To secure places in line, some customers arrived very early in the morning. One report had a customer arriving as early 11pm Thursday night.

The AT&T store had a limited number of phones on hand, not even enough to supply the line outside of their store when they opened. The Apple store had what seemed like an unlimited supply of phones, allowing for a line throughout the entire day. Lines consistently stretched into employee entrances outside the normal "lines" of the mall as we know it. The line was an average of five hours long for any customer who was brave enough to jump in it. Apple extended their hours until 11pm last night, and as of this (Saturday) morning they already have a line of 100 people outside of their store before their opening.

Last year, Apple had customers activate their iPhones at home, cutting down on the time customers spent in the store, which is what has created longer wait times this year. Some might think customers are crazy for waiting so long in line for a phone, but undeniably, Apple's iPhone over the last year has changed the cellphone industry and continues to transform it with the Apple iPhone 3G.