Financial problems close the Bellevue Art Museum

BELLEVUE — The Bellevue Art Museum, which moved into a new $23 million building in 2001, has been closed indefinitely because of financial hard times.

Attendance was greater than usual before the doors were locked at the end of business Tuesday. The $6 admission fee was waived, all remaining stock of the museum store was on sale and BAM T-shirts were free to anyone who made a voluntary donation.

The closure was announced last week amid questions over the museum’s mission and disagreement over exhibits in addition to the lack of funds.

Worsening red ink resulted in the resignation of the director, curator and three board members in a matter of weeks. Trustees and other backers plan to work on a new business plan and seek greater community support.

The Henry Art Gallery at the University of Washington in Seattle has offered to honor BAM memberships during the closure.

Arts activists in the suburbs east of Seattle said they feared the impact on arts donations, risk-taking and the range of options.

"Unfortunately, it gives the perception that Eastside arts are in trouble, which isn’t true in Redmond," said Melna Skillingstead, of the Redmond Arts Commission.

The museum, one of the largest Eastside arts organizations, has been a gathering place for the artists and arts supporters, a meeting place for community groups and a site for jazz performances sponsored by the Bellevue business community.

According to a study commissioned by the Eastside Arts Coalition, Eastside arts patrons and groups generated $40 million in business in 1999-2000 with 743,000 admissions to events and 2,059 jobs directly related to cultural organizations.

"We all feed into each other," said Quinn Elliot, executive director of the Kirkland Arts Center. "The health of my organization is directly linked to the health of all organizations in the community. We need a critical mass. We are a self-perpetuating circle."