The Seattle Times leaked a story yesterday about the Bellevue Arts Museum and its financial situation.
Bellevue Arts Museum, which had been closed for two years before reopening told the City of Bellevue Monday it is in need of $2 Million to support their cash flow and continue the growth of their museum in Downtown Bellevue.
In May the Chief Financial Officer for the Bellevue Arts Museum was suspected of embezzling $300,000 during her two years on the job.
If you want to help become a member, a donor, or a corporate sponsor. Or just simply go to the museum and check out their exhibits! It is $7 for adults, and $5 for children and seniors.
The Bellevue Arts Museum is located across the street from Bellevue Square in the heart of Downtown Bellevue. It is placed for success, yet many people I have spoken with have never attended an exhibit at the museum.
With Downtown Bellevue growing at the pace it is, the Museum has an opportunity to grow its enthusiasts (customers) and become the staple for the arts sector in Bellevue. To do this it must offer something unique and interesting to residents and visitors. Currently there is a lack of buzz, a lack of interest. My belief is if they can change this, the revenue problem will solve itself.
What would lure you into the Bellevue Arts Museum? What would you like to see more of?
they need to have it rotate shows and host thing people actually want to see, I can walk there, but I don’t care about Crafts…
BAM is going to have to secure Exhibitions that draw foot traffic. I can’t remember a single exhibition that BAM has had that has piqued my interest. They need to start going after the more popular national Exhibitions.
As much as I hate to suggest this, BAM should be relocated to the emerging cultural district in the Ashwood area. It’s present location competes with the rampant consumerism of Bellevue Square. It certainly is a beautiful building, but getting increasingly awkward between Lincoln Square and future Lincoln Square megaprojects. Maybe future building improvements could be made to scale with the soaring architecture around it? Or how about a skybridge to the downtown park with a sculpture garden?
I like that sculpture garden idea! I love the SAM sculpture park, and Bellevue could have a mini one…unless we don’t want to copy Seattle. Artwork in and around the park would be nice.
Many of the “Great Streets Project” initiatives are neat like the sculpture park in Seattle, but throughout the city instead of in one concentrated place.
I don’t buy this ashwood “cultural district” stuff. This has been “emerging” forever and all that is really over there is the library, soso restaurants, and some upcoming gigantic condos. (PACE will be *near* ashwood, but not actually in it)
Anyway, to get back on topic, BAM is in a great spot just totally lacking content. Fashion week has probably drawn more interest in the last few days than BAM will get all year. They really need to find something to attract visitors, if they can’t get a good exhibition then take a page from SAM and do cultural shows or indie movies. Anything would be better than crafts.
BAM is just a bad idea. It continues to have financial problems and a complete lack of interest by the larger public. It would make a lot more sense to revamp this as a technology museum – maybe one that shows how the Eastside software industry has changed the NW. Certainly not some quilts.
BAM is not a bad idea. But it certainly does have the equation wrong. The building is not conducive to exhibitions that it needs to draw people in. There are obvious internal management and administration issues. If Bellevue wants a vibrant arts community, then artists are going to have to show leadership in developing BAM into a more substantive institution.
A Technology museum would fine but certainly would not take the place of an Art Museum. Bellevue doesnt have to limit itself to one type of museum.