The Bellevue Arts Museum, known as the BAM, explores arts, crafts and design. Exhibits often feature glasswork, woodwork, sculpture, clay, textiles and installations created by contemporary artists and designers. At any time, the museum could have exhibits featuring cutting edge designs, sculpture, clay, glass art, furniture, jewelry, clothing or shoes or textiles.
The museum hosts classes and lectures and has a free first Friday every month. Children and teenagers can participate through a variety of age-appropriate classes and the Teen Arts Council, which helps design programs for teens. The museum is also available for rent as a venue for events.
The museum is connected to the Pacific Northwest Arts and Crafts Association, which has organized the Bellevue artsfair at Bellevue Square every summer for more than 60 years.
The museum originally opened in 2000 as the Bellevue Art Museum. The building was designed by architect Steven Holl and features an exterior of glass and textured concrete and an outdoor space called "Court of Light."
In 2003, the museum closed because of a lack of funds. After a fundraising effort and a shift in focus from fine art to design and craft, the museum reopened in 2005, along with a change of name to the Bellevue Arts Museum to reflect the new mission.
2010 was the first year of the BAM Biennial, a juried exhibition series, connected to a $5,000 prize. More than 30 Pacific Northwest artists participated in the show. The Biennial is scheduled for every other year. The next one is scheduled for 2012.
Sahara Fine Art is located inside the Habits outlet store in the Bellevue Galleria. It sells art reproductions for your home. Most is contemporary, framed and ready for hanging.
Palace Rug Gallery is a warehouse and showroom featuring imported rugs. The company specializes in stocking and selling Persian, Oriental and contemporary imported rugs to clients in the Pacific Northwest. For more information about the company, a photo gallery of stock and pricing guide, see the Palace Rug Gallery website.
Fireworks Gallery is a lot like the classic flea markets; an eclectic mix of items thrown together at random from different parts of the world that have been picked up along the way. Here you'll find assorted jewelry, hand bags, candles, lights, pottery, Halloween costumes and masks, sunglasses and scarves and even a smattering of greeting cards.
New Dimensions is a full-service frame store and a retailer of large mirrors and works of art. One part of the store features an enormous selection of frame types; a second is devoted to art; a third to mirrors. New Dimensions also makes custom mirrors and repairs frames.
The store's clients range from individual households to large commercial clients and contractors.
Palace Rug Gallery is a warehouse and showroom featuring imported rugs. The company specializes in stocking and selling Persian, Oriental and contemporary imported rugs to clients in the Pacific Northwest. For more information about the company, a photo gallery of stock and pricing guide, see the Palace Rug Gallery website.
The East Shore Gallery, founded in 1967, is a local art gallery offered by the East Shore Unitarian Church. The gallery is open to the public, and features rotating exhibitions that showcase work by emerging and established artists. Work featured includes paintings, fiber art, ceramics, sculpture, jewelry and more. It often hosts themed shows and special events. The gallery is entirely volunteer-run.
The Hallway Gallery shows and sells works by painters and sculptors from around the region and the world. The Gallery is owned by husband and wife Amy Spassov and Erik Hall; both are artists whose work is on display in the space. All art in the bright, airy gallery is for sale, and there is no cost to view the work.
The Rosalie Whyel Museum of Doll Art offers a unique collection of dolls from the past and present and from cultures around the world. Located in downtown Bellevue, the museum is open to the public and private groups seven days a week, and has on display dolls from hundreds of years ago on up to modern creations like G.I. Joe.
Palace Rug Gallery is a warehouse and showroom featuring imported rugs. The company specializes in stocking and selling Persian, Oriental and contemporary imported rugs to clients in the Pacific Northwest. For more information about the company, a photo gallery of stock and pricing guide, see the Palace Rug Gallery website.
Located in Bellevue Place, this small-scale art gallery/event space believes that art should be playful and whimsical. Established in 1985, the gallery has continued to grow and support local artists, many of whom have continued to contribute to the gallery from the beginning. Situated between fine dining and shopping outlets, Nordstrom's gallery is the perfect place to find artwork from contemporary artists such as Bob Allan, John Asaro, Jane Aukshunas, Holly Ballard Martz and Charlie Barr, among others.