Bellevue Arts Museum’s Board of Trustees recently announced the appointment of Kate Casprowiak Scher as Executive Director of Bellevue Arts Museum. Kate has been serving as the Interim Executive Director for the past four months until receiving an offer to take on the role permanently.
Casprowiak Scher’s background includes various academic positions where she earned tenure and served for 11 years, chaired the Art Department at Bellevue College for two years, and curated several exhibitions. She also managed a private art collection and founded an art appraisal business. Kate is known for her advocacy of diversity and inclusion in the arts.
“I am honored to accept the invitation to guide Bellevue Arts Museum during these challenging times. It is a privilege to contribute to an institution that stands as a cultural cornerstone in downtown Bellevue,” says Kate. “Like many arts and culture organizations, BAM has faced significant challenges in the past few years, seeing significant reduction in vital earned revenue streams. Despite these challenges, the BAM fam works tirelessly to ensure the Museum produces and will continue producing exhibitions and events that foster community on the Eastside. I am eager to develop new partnerships as well as honor those who have supported this organization for decades. I believe Bellevue Arts Museum has a critical role in shaping our community in the years to come and I am so very excited to be a part of that.”
Kate Casprowiak Scher began the role of Executive Director on Feb 12, 2024.
In January 2024, BAM shared the initiation of the museum’s IDEA program, which represents a pivotal stride towards instigating a substantive, fundamental, and enduring cultural transformation within the organization. They partnered with Paradigm, a widely acclaimed leader in inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility consulting.
Previous Executive Director, Benedict Heywood, resigned in March 2021 after allegations became public of disrespectful treatment toward Tariqa Waters, mostly BIPOC exhibition artists, and others affiliated with the specific exhibition. An open letter was written to the Board of Trustees, documenting the abuses. Since that time, E. Michael Whittington was hired as Executive Director in March 2022, who later had to step-down due to health reasons. Kate Casprowiak Scher was then appointed as Interim Executive Director, who is now assuming the position permanently.
The Bellevue Arts Museum recently put out a press release explaining that they are experiencing financial hardship. This has been attributed to revenue losses and drops in attendance, fundraising, and retail sales since the end of the pandemic. It is important of the community to play a role in closing the gap. BAM is hoping to raise $300,000.
Go woke. Go broke
Basically, I don’t think BAM has exhibitions that anyone wants to see. Too much New York, large city, Cosmopolitan, avant garde, “Woke” agenda, nothing I would appreciate. When I go to BAM I usually leave depressed. Our family has been involved with BAM since its inception, one of our now adult son’s was pictured in the Seattle Times at the ground breaking and my husband did many hard had tours. Don’t want to go into our entire history with BAM but it’s extensive, including my husband being the trustee of a $250,000 fund for education, me being a docent, president of 2 guilds, a participant in art classes, etc. BAM has never been able to succeed because they choose execs who cannot read the community.