After more than 20 years in downtown Bellevue, Bellevue Arts Museum is beginning a new chapter.
The organization recently announced that it has finalized the sale of its longtime home at 510 Bellevue Way NE to fellow Bellevue nonprofit KidsQuest Children’s Museum, a move that will allow both organizations to expand their missions in new ways.
While Bellevue Arts Museum will no longer operate out of its longtime downtown building, the nonprofit says it will continue its work by bringing art exhibitions, programs, and events to locations throughout Bellevue.
For many Bellevue residents, BAM has long been an important part of the city’s arts community. Now, museum leaders say the move will help them connect with even more people beyond the walls of a single building.
“This decision is about longevity, relevance, and reach,” said Cassandra Johnston, BAM’s head of finance and operations, who will step into the role of CEO as part of the transition. “By stepping out from behind a single set of walls, BAM can show up in more neighborhoods, partner with more artists, and serve more members of our community.”
The organization will continue to lead the Bellevue Arts Fair, one of the Pacific Northwest’s most celebrated juried art festivals, now entering its eighth decade. The 2026 fair will proceed as planned, and BAM says it also intends to expand its existing programs, including curated installations, educational workshops, and new artist-driven experiences across the city.
The move marks a new direction for BAM, shifting away from a traditional museum space and bringing art directly into the community through schools, parks, libraries, and local businesses.
Meanwhile, KidsQuest Children’s Museum is preparing for a major expansion of its own.
The family-focused museum, which has served the Puget Sound region since 2005 and currently operates at 1116 108th Ave NE, plans to move into its newly acquired Bellevue Way building in 2029.
Until then, KidsQuest will remain in its current location while launching a $60 million capital campaign to renovate the building, bring it up to code, and develop new interactive exhibits focused on the intersection of art and science.
“KidsQuest has outgrown our current home, again,” said Putter Bert, president and CEO of KidsQuest Children’s Museum. “We’re thrilled to answer the community’s call to not only double our space, but to double our impact.”
Bert said the organization envisions the expanded museum as a welcoming gathering place for families across Bellevue and beyond—“Bellevue’s living room,” where children and adults can learn, play, and explore together.
For BAM, leaders say the transition is ultimately about increasing accessibility and ensuring the arts remain visible and integrated into Bellevue’s growing cultural landscape.
“Bellevue has a rich cultural life, and BAM is choosing to invest back—by being more accessible, more flexible, and more present across our community,” Johnston said.
Current BAM program participants will receive direct updates on upcoming exhibitions and events as the organization shifts to its new distributed operating model in the coming months.
