Bainbridge Island Museum of Art

We wandered in here to kill some time and it ended up being time very well spent. I’d highly recommend making a stop in here to check out the free gallery made with pieces from local artists. The curator does an excellent job at picking pieces. I would definitely revisit this gem!

I came for a film screening after hours, so I didn’t get to see much of the museum. What I did see was very nice.
It’s super easy to get to, just a few blocks from the ferry terminal
Good, strong, free community Wi-​Fi available in the vicinity is a bonus.

I love this museum. I also love the restaurant inside the museum. I highly recommend visiting.

This art museum in the small town of Bainbridge is like Dr. Who’s Tardis; looks small on the outside, but will blow you away on the inside.
THE ROSES: Very appealing exterior that features great architecture that reflects its environment. Inside, you find a constantly changing, extremely well curated exhibits featuring area artists. The volunteer staff members are very polished and well-​informed. The free admission is a nice touch as well (unlike the nearby historical museum, they don’t shake you down for a donation).
THE THORNS: None whatsoever.
THE VERDICT: BIMA is a real gem! As art museums go, it punches waaaaaaay above its weight class, and is the match or better of any of the art museums in Seattle or Bellevue. If you like contemporary art, this place is a ‘must visit’!

One of the best museums I’ve ever visited and admission is FREE! There was a great variety of artwork on display that all required a bit of brainpower to appreciate but still didn’t require a guided tour. The building itself is pleasant to experience with its rooftop garden.
By far and above my favorite part of the museum was the collection of artwork by Steve Jensen. I found myself drawn to it over and over again. Was I ever excited when I went to the gift shop and found I could buy an original painting of his! With the 10% Unilocal check-​in offer the painting was very affordable. Definitely the highlight of my day in Bainbridge.

This place is pretty okay. Lots of local artists on display and a good place to take up a little bit of time in the afternoon. There were a lot of pieces that were literally just thousands of lines, Xs, and/​or Os. One of these pieces would have been more enough but there were 5+ of them throughout the building. Can’t complain too much: this place is free.

We strolled in 8 minutes before closing, well aware of the time. I just wanted to take a look at one thing in the gift shop that I saw through the window. Would take me 2 minutes. The lady working the counter was so unbelievably rude! When we walked in, she immediately goes «we are closing in 5 minutes, and I am closing the register in 4.» Well, um, okay. So I go to look at what I wanted to look at, and she starts to follow us around. Totally on my heels. Did she think I was about to steal something, or did she just want to rush me? I worked retail for 7 years. I’m not going to keep anyone late. I understand how annoying it can be if you think people are about to keep you late, but that’s not an excuse to be rude! Plus, she was obviously closing early anyway!
Meanwhile, my husband and my friend’s husband walk up to the door from outside, basically just to wait on us to finish up. The lady goes «oh, no no no no! Do you know those guys?! We are closing.» Geesh! Yes, lady, we know those guys. Trust me, they won’t be keeping you late! What the heck. A place of business should be more courteous… don’t make me feel like I’m imposing when I am not even in the store past your closing time!
After that, I wouldn’t have bought anything even if I would have had more time to look. They had some interesting looking merchandise, to be sure, but if you are thinking of going in, make sure it’s lonnnnng before closing time!

I enjoy going to Bainbridge Art Museum on a rainy weekend day. The displays are interesting and interactive and the staff and volunteers are welcoming.
It’s also ‘kid’ freindly, which makes it a great indoor activity for gkids and me!

We popped in for a coffee and had a look round the museum. We were greeted by Margret who was very informative and welcoming. The exhibits were well set out and the ac was much needed on a hot July day.

Worth every penny!
. Great facility and nice folks/​cafeteria etc, but if it’s art you’re looking for head back to Seattle.

It’s free! There’s a comprehensive collection of Rosalyn Gale Powell upstairs that is amazing, using different medium. Downstairs showcased artwork made with metal. Upcycling? They were extremely intricate with fine details. There’s a café to take a little break.

One of my new favorite art venues. Beautiful and concise, and wonderfully free. A sweet gem worth a ferry ride from Seattle. Take a break in the café and make sure you order the chocolate pudding with fresh whipped cream!

Magical!
That’s all I can say about this new museum on charming Bainbridge Island.
My artist aunt and chef uncle lived on Bainbridge long before the museum was built and I intend to nag them until they take the ferry for a visit.
It’s beautiful inside and out and the gift shop has lovely trinkets, books, cards and all the standard art museum fare.
We didn’t have a lot of time but very much enjoyed the time we spent.
I bought earrings for just 20 dollars and can’t wait to wear them.

This is a surprisingly great local museum and it’s free. The space is beautiful. It is not very big and doesn’t take long to go through. The exhibits were all very interesting and beautifully displayed. The staff was friendly and ready to help.

Front desk is very helpful. The exhibits change often so you can visit numerous times and always see something new. I make it a point to stop every time I am in the neughbrhood.
If you hit bainbridge schedule a stop here then go do a wine tasting makes for a lovely day ;)

The Bainbridge Island Museum of Art is a local gem. Practically one of the first buildings that you lay eyes on as you drive off the ferry, the modern building surely must attract many fresh tourists. Throw in the free admission, and there is little excuse to not visit (at least for a few minutes) and the museum does not disappoint.
The interior matches the exterior, with this angular, sparse modern aesthetic and has fantastic exhibition characteristics with great lighting (I’m sure plenty of natural light during the day) and plenty of «breathing room» for each of the pieces.
The major exhibits when we visited:
1) Children’s Books Illustrators 1: Points of Entry — featuring the works for 4 Washington state children’s illustrators
2) Rachel Feferman Retrospective: A Hole in The Heart — featuring dozens of pencil sketches of from the late Feferman of Port Townsend, WA.
3) Larry «Ulaaq» Ahvakana: Land/​Water — a number of carvings, prints and glass pieces from the Alaskan native who is known for his Inuit influenced art.
Additionally, the Sherry Grover gallery contained mostly mixed-​media works from a number of artists, like «Transcendental Phone» by Hidde Van Duym and «Ball of Lies #4» by Stephanie Nace.
The museum clearly is the result of clear dedication, with the meticulous interior and well-​groomed staff, all of which were very friendly and happy to answer any questions even ones just about the town.
One area with some room for improvement might be the curating. There were some nice overviews of the artists, but perhaps some more text for the pieces explaining the context of them within the artist’s or movement’s works.

The Bainbridge Island Museum of Art should not be overlooked when you visit Bainbridge Island because it contains local Northwest arts and exhibits which you can appreciate within 45 minutes.
We stumbled into this contemporary, two story museum because we had time to kill before catching our ferry back to Seattle. As we entered, the volunteers at the welcome booth were extremely inviting and gave us a brief synopsis of the museum and encouraged us to look at the works leisurely.
On the second floor, they host a small rotating exhibit which happen to be on the art of book covers. Fortunately, the artist happen to be showcasing his work and allowed me to ask questions on his skills and passion for this trade. The intricate covers gave me a new outlook on this process and hope this artistry continues and grows popularity.
The free admission and parking was a perk but please show your appreciation by leaving a contribution by the entrance. We definitely left with a flavor of the NW artworks and hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.

Free entry, free parking, a café, local and no crowds? Yes, that’s right. When we visited, they had mixed media exhibits consisting of paintings, photographs, collages, sculpture, paper card/​book exhibits and some other pieces as well.
The gift shop is on the first floor and has some unique finds, though trop cher pour mois mes copains. Tant pis!
We had already had lunch so didn’t eat at the café but they had some yummy looking dishes.
A nice way to spend an hour or so getting your cultural fix.

I think that this is a great small museum. Because it is small, and as one reviewer said «it feels more like a gallery than a museum» I love it more.
This is an intimate space, where you can walk through, enjoy several interesting exhibits, surprised by a interplay of the outside to the inside, the water feature glimpsed from a patio, the hanging wire art through an interior window, and you get to be in this beautiful space without a security person hovering, on your own, with art. I can have a seat and just feel the space. And, it’s a beautiful space, seriously lovely. It’s a small local museum, it has great arts and crafts, it shows local artists, as well as distant artists. I especially have enjoyed the handmade book section, so creative and glorious hand made books! I just wandered back and forth, trying to decide on my new career as a book artist. Then when I wandered through the Richard Jesse Watson’s exhibit, I changed careers and decided to build whimsical found objects.
It’s not the MOMA, but it’s not really trying to be that sort of museum. And, I think it’s doing a great job being what it is trying to be, which is accessible.
Remember, Bainbridge Island is about 20,000 people, I challenge you to find a nicer museum in any small community that even comes close to being as lovely.

This is a wonderful museum! Interesting exhibits, welcoming space. You’re crazy not to check it out!

Charming and whimsical, this museum is a very approachable place to play with the idea of «what is art». Book arts, sculpture, paintings, very nicely done. Can’t walk away without having a smile on your face.

What a treasure to have this spectacular art museum on the island! And free admission, too! I stopped in while visiting my sister who lives on the island and we were both impressed with the beautiful architecture of the building and the eclectic collection of artists’ work. Truly a joy to tour through. I’ll definitely be back again.

Very nice little museum, free entrance. Have to go to see local artists.

Bainbridge Island Art Museum (BIAM) is a wonderful addition to the Pacific Northwest art community. It’s a fun, inspiring collection of permanent and temporary NW artists using several media.
An incredicornerscomplishment for BI, this is definitely a day trip well worth repeating. From Seattle a ferry ride directly to the museum, then stroll through eclectic shops around the corner, and lunch at a gourmet café.
Did I mention it’s free?
With BIAM’s new temporary exhibits, I will return to see what’s next.

I feel kind of bad giving this such a bad review… but it’s really kind of sad. The art itself was not impressive — a little to craftsey and hokey. But really the problem was that I don’t think this can be considered a museum, it’s more like a gallery for specific artists. There was no context for the art, no history, or understanding of the story of each artist or each piece. There was no exhibit narrative. It was just pieces (some great, mostly not so much) placed in a couple rooms with a sign that says who it was from. Good thing it’s free because it wouldn’t even be worth the ferry ride to it: X

Bainbridge Island Museum of Art (BIMA) is the museum to go for interesting local art from Kitsap and Olympic Peninsulas, as well as the broader Puget Sound region. It’s close to the ferry terminal, so its very accessible if you hop on the ferry without your car.
I really enjoy the collection BIMA has to display. It’s great to see talent from the area. They do have workshops and seminars open to the public. During my visit, I popped into a workshop that featured an artist on how he creates his metal artwork and showed the tools involved.
Currently, there is no admission fee although donations are encouraged.