With COVID-19 numbers quickly rising in our community, Governor Inslee has wisely made the call to temporarily close many industries, museums included. I have made a decision to get a jumpstart on the closure—BIMA will be closed starting today, November 16th, for a minimum of four weeks.

While we believe art is essential, the heath of our guests, staff, and community are paramount. And although I have total confidence that the protocols that we put in place keep our guests and staff safe at the museum—we’ve gone above and beyond state and CDC recommendations—we all have a higher calling to follow. We need to take extraordinary care of each other, those we know and those we don't. This closure is one way we can do that.

I’m extremely proud of the nimbleness, strength, and resilience our Museum has shown the past eight months. The same combination of positivity and grit, creativity and patience that kept (and expanded!) our programming alive online will continue throughout this second temporary closure. Stay tuned online and continue to enjoy the virtual programswe’ve been creating this last year.

We’ve loved seeing you back in the museum the last two-and-a-half months. Your visits have reminded us of what we’ve known all along—that our community truly values the restorative value of engaging with art. If you’d like to help power us to our next reopening, please consider ordering a Tuesday night takeout dinner from the Bistro, do a little holiday shopping at our online store, become a member if you're not already, renew or gift a membership, or simply make a donation.

With appreciation for everything you do to make BIMA tick,

Sheila Hughes
Executive Director