Events

BIMA displays the largest selection ever of artwork in the Permanent Art Collection (PAC). Art will be featured on a rotating basis, making this a great opportunity to review the PAC at the twelve-year mark, and to reflect on and inform our collecting priorities for the coming years.

Included are favorite works by Humaira Abid, Larry (Ulaaq) Ahvakana, Jenny Andersen, Gayle Bard, Barbara Helen Berger, William Ingham, Louise Kikuchi, Phillip Levine, Robert McCauley, Linda Okazaki, Paul Rucker, Ramona Solberg, and Preston Wadley, plus new acquisitions by Pat DeCaro, Eric Chamberlain, Charles Emerson, Dennis Evans & Nancy Mee, Barbara Lawrence, and William Turner.

Seattle native Mare Blocker shares 50 years of making artists’ books. Blocker proves that paper and ink are all you need to bring a world to life. Her retrospective focuses on four themes of her life: Fun & Games, Science & Nature, Myths & Legends, and Waterlife. Blocker’s, whimsy, honesty, and daring will entrance you from cover to cover.

Aisha Harrison (Olympia) presents work created over the past four years in clay, bronze, paper collage, and mixed media. Porous Body, Harrison’s first solo museum exhibition, speaks to their focus on life cycles – both human and in nature, while experiencing the world through a mixed-race, queer, mothering lens. It is a confluence of a spiritual ancestral space and the land they inhabit, relate to, grow, and decay with. Porous Body explores wonder and joy, grief, connection, and growth, and how to stay grounded in times of upheaval.

We’re pleased to welcome Old Friends, curated by Interim Executive Director Susan Jackson. This exhibition features longtime artists whose work reflects the history, relationships, and creative spirit that have shaped this organization over many years. Their connection to BAC runs deep, and this exhibition is a heartfelt way to honor that shared story.

Featuring work by Garth Edwards, Kathe Fraga, Debbie Fecher, Jeannie Grisham, Denise Harris, Solia Hermes, Max Grover, Linda Jarvis, Johnpaul Jones, Sandra Leese, Jane Martin, Claudia McKinstry, Shirley Moss, Debbie Peek, Roselyn Gale Powell, Ann Reynolds Pearl, Mary Randlett, Anna von Rosenstiel, Selene Santucci, Cameron Snow and Sally Robison, Bob Spangler, Kent van Slyke, and Ellen Wixted.

Opening reception at First Friday, December 5, 6–8pm.

Jazzy Holiday Concert with Ranger and the "Re-Arrangers"

Join Bainbridge Cinemas on Bainbridge Island, WA. Celebrate the holiday season with a cozy, festive concert in Theater 3—a sparkling night of Hot Club Swing, unique twists on joyful holiday classics, and the band’s signature Paris café vibe.

This Bainbridge Island holiday concert blends swing standards,Django Reinhardt‑inspired swing, festive family outings, or vibrant community events, this inaugural performance promises an evening of music, celebration, and connection.

Don’t miss this enjoy live music, premium seating, and the joyful energy of the season.

Festive attire is encouraged!

Live music from The Troublemakers, 6-8:30pm, a toe-tapping, crowd-loving band that’ll have you dancing into the New Year.

Dress to impress in your favorite party outfit
Watch the East Coast ball drop live on our TVs
Enjoy a complimentary sparkling wine or apple cider toast at 9pm
Party hats, noise makers, and ALL the New Year’s cheer

We’re closing up at 9:30pm, right after all the kisses, clinks, and confetti – so you can celebrate big and still be in bed before midnight.

No matter the season, there’s always something new just around the corner.

Welcome Wednesday Details:

Timed tickets should be reserved online in advance of your visit to avoid entry delays on busy days
Donations of any amount may be added to your ticket reservation to help support the mission and operations of Bloedel Reserve

Thank you to our monthly sponsor organizations!

The Bainbridge Island Youth Orchestra (BIYO) is offering a "Beginner Strings" class for elementary and middle school students to learn violin, viola or cello in a group setting. Students will learn beginning skills for their chosen instrument, note reading, rhythmic foundations, how to play together and they will have an opportunity to make new friends.

The program meets once a week on Thursdays in the Fellowship Hall at Bethany Lutheran Church and will have two performances.  The final performance will be at BIYO's Spring Concert at Bainbridge Performing Arts. No prior musical experience is necessary to join!

Families are responsible for providing their own instrument, however, BIYO has a limited number of instruments available to rent on a first come first served basis based on time of registration.

Grades 2-4:  Thursday 3:00pm-3:45pm

Grades 5+: Thursday 4:00pm-5:00pm

Term I: 9/18, 9/25, 10/2, 10/9, 10/16, 10/23, 11/6, 11/13, 11/20, 12/4, 1/8, 1/15, 1/22, 1/29, 2/5 (concert)
Term II:  2/26, 3/5, 3/12, 3/19, 3/26, 4/2, 4/16, 4/23, 4/30, 5/7, 5/14, 5/21, 5/28, 6/4, 6/7 (concert, 3pm BPA)

Tuition: $300/term
Instrument rental: $50/term

Tuition assistance is available

Inspired by history, artist Chris Demarest presents a visual interpretation of life in World War 2 for Japanese Americans at home and on the front lines.

Come celebrate the opening of our newest exhibit!

Join our wine making team for a 2.5 hour blending workshop. Learn how we evaluate wines and blend them to get the perfect flavor profile. You'll have the chance to blend your own bottle to take home. Small bites will be provided to sustain us!

Award-winning documentary UP FROM THE STREETS by local Filmmakers Michael Murphy and Cilista Eberle screens on Friday night, Jan 9 at 6:45 with the filmmakers present for audience talk-back. Saturday night The Real LADY A takes the stage for a live performance spanning Blues, Funk, R&B, Gospel and Soul. Back-to-Back nights celebrating the music and culture of The Big Easy.

This is the 36th annual Bainbridge Island New Year's tradition!

The Bainbridge Island Japanese American Community shares the making of mochi, a rice cake, to help bring in the new year.  The rice is steamed over a fire, pounded to a sticky dough using a stone bowl and wooden hammers.  Bring the whole family.

Learn about the Japanese American history on the island
Try origami - the art of paper folding
Participate in group dancing
Listen to and feel the beats of taiko drums by Seattle Kokon Taiko
Try out the ancient strategy game of GO

New this year:  Complimentary shuttles running between Island Church and Bethany Lutheran to Woodward from 10:30am-3:30 pm

Our official food vendors:  Sushiko and Grillipino

Artist Aisha Harrison, currently featured at BIMA, invites you to explore the rich evolution of her creative practice—from the early influences that shaped her path to the powerful ideas fueling her latest exhibition. Through her presentation, Aisha will reveal how the intertwined cycles of grief, growth, and joy are reflected in her work, bringing deeply personal and universal stories to life.

Following the talk, Aisha will sit down with Jenna d’Anna, BIMA’s Senior Manager of Museum Education & Community Engagement, for an insightful conversation. The event wraps up with a lively Q&A and a casual reception—offering a unique chance to connect with the artist, ask your questions, and gain a deeper understanding of the passion and process behind her work.

$10 members/$12 non-members

ARTIST BIO

Aisha is a studio and public artist working primarily in clay and bronze. They discovered clay at a community studio while pursuing a degree in Spanish at Grinnell College in Iowa. After graduating, Aisha taught third and fourth grades in Atlanta, Georgia, while exploring clay at Callenwolde Fine Arts Center and Penland School of Crafts. They later earned a BFA from Washington State University and an MFA from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Aisha uses the body as a site to explore lived experiences of racism, ancestral (human and non-human) connections, and, as a mixed-race Black person, the complex histories held within their body. Their work honors real bodies while incorporating physical forms of the intangible. The figures they create often intertwine with elements of the natural world, many of which are native to the Pacific Northwest, where Aisha’s family has lived for four generations. Their work balances the individual and the collective, reflecting unique identities alongside a larger community and nature’s relatives.

Currently, Aisha is working on a large-scale outdoor public art commission with the University of Washington Tacoma and the Washington State Arts Commission, as well as pieces for a solo exhibition at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art. Their studio work has been shown nationally at venues including Pottery Northwest, The Whatcom Museum, The Bascom, Crocker Art Museum, Northern Clay Center, Wa Na Wari, Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, Jordan Schnitzer Museum at WSU, and the Leonor R. Fuller Gallery at South Sound Community College. They have completed residencies at Watershed Center for Ceramic Arts, Women’s Studio Workshop, and Baltimore Clayworks, and have taught workshops and courses at many institutions, including Pottery Northwest, Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, Penland School of Crafts, The Evergreen State College, Baltimore Clayworks, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, and the Lux Center for the Arts.

Learn more about Aisha’s work.

Header image: Photo by Misael Martinez

OIL PAINTING - CLASS DESCRIPTION:

In this Oil Painting Palette Knife art class, artists will discover how to mix, layer, apply and blend pigment using a variety of palette knives for different purposes. Drying times will be shortened or extended through the use of additives such as Cold Wax and Gel Mediums to achieve the artist’s intent. We will work from landscape photographs of nature, and lesson demonstrations will be given oil.

SKILLS: A variety of palette knives, tools and techniques for creating texture, energetic brush marks, composition and color mixing.

JAN 13, Tuesday, 1:00-4:00, This class repeates once each month with a different painting skill.

LESSON COST:  $120 per student.  Please inquire about group rates.

PAYMENT:  Venmo  https://venmo.com/u/SHINEartacademy

MATERIALS LIST:

Canvas: 10x12, 12x 16, or 16 x 20

Palette Knives:

One set of assorted sizes.I prefer using a small short #1 for mixing, and a long narrow shape for skies. Several others are used for details and scraping. For long straight edges, I use a common 6” finish plaster putty knife.

Oil Paints:

Please bring whatever paints you have and are familiar with. The following is a suggested list: White, Transparent Red Oxide, Alizarin Crimson, Magenta, Viridian, Sap Green, Phthalo Blue, French Ultramarine, Cadmium Orange, Cadmium Yellow Hue, Hansa Yellow, and Yellow Ochre. Occasionally, I also use Portland Medium Gray, and Black. Winton by Windsor Newton is the brand I use.

Solvent: I use a 50/50 mix of refined Linseed oil and Gamsol odorless solvent. Gel medium.

Payment: Venmo  https://venmo.com/u/SHINEartacademy

Contact: David Repyak - teaching artist

Phone: 206-790-8577

Email: SHINEartacademy@gmail.com

Join us for an upbeat evening of line dancing lessons + open floor fun with the crew from One More Time Line Dancing.

$17 at the door includes:

1.5 hours of lessons & dancing
Your first drink on us (house wine, beer, cider, or NA)

Additional drinks & food available for purchase.

No partner needed, all levels welcome - just come ready to move and sip and pay when you arrive

Strolls for Well-Being is a complimentary, seasonal program at Bloedel Reserve that supports connection to nature through a series of 12 self-guided walks.

We invite anyone interested in finding new ways to nurture this connection to join the program. New participants receive a guidebook with instruction and inspiration for 12 distinct mindfulness-based walks through the Reserve. Each walk is built around themes such as awareness, joy, and gratitude, and the walks are designed around the distinct garden spaces.

Participants become part of a small group that meets three times during the program, for an orientation, mid-point check-in, and closing meeting. The meetings provide an opportunity to hear from others and share experiences. Everyone in the program receives a complimentary 6-month membership to Bloedel Reserve, which provides timed ticket entrance when booked in advance.

WHEN

Winter Strolls for Well-Being Program: January 14 – March 26, 2026

Register for one of the two orientation sessions below to join the winter program.

January 14, 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM at the Japanese Guest House
TICKETS
January 17, 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM at the Japanese Guest House

TICKETS

Kitsap ERACE, Living Arts Cultural Heritage Project, and other local organizations return to BIMA for our 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration. The program considers the ongoing relevance of Dr. King’s work and how it continues to inform the efforts of a new generation committed to equity and justice.

The event features poetry, music, dance, and presentations from local youth and community members, offering space for reflection, connection, and dialogue. Together, we’ll honor Dr. King’s legacy while recognizing the continued work of building a more just and inclusive society.

Header Image: Cory Bennett Anderson (Poulsbo), “Have a Dream” MLK Jr, 2020, 36″h x 24″w, Courtesy of the Artist

Join BI Metro Parks and our incredible partners, for the annual Martin Luther King Jr Day of Service.  From 10a-1p on Monday, January 19th volunteers come together to make this day of service a “day on, not a day off.” Let’s celebrate Dr. King’s legacy through action! Together, we can help create a healthy ecosystem through removing invasives and building upon the ongoing restoration work in Blakely Harbor Park.

Join Bloedel Reserve Creative Resident Alexa Luborsky in creating a communal Bloedel Reserve “Memory Book”. Alexa will be using the Armenian Houshamadyan and Jewish Yizker-bikher as examples. These books are moveable, fluid memorials that recollect a physical location of a homeland. Community projects, created by survivors, they were meant to invite collective memorialization of a lost town in the wake of their displacement.

This special interactive workshop will focus on the first portion of these books, which involve mid-maps and personal recollections of landscape. Participants will have the option to contribute to the Bloedel Reserve “Memory Book” via a drawn map and/or a written account of their experience of an area on the Reserve. We will explore connections that allow us move beyond just the physical space of the Reserve, and into a collective understanding of place as a location of potential for connection, community, and survival. After the conclusion of the workshop, the pages we created will be bound and everyone will receive a scan of this collectively created monument.

Come prepared for weather, as this workshop will take place both inside the Japanese Guest House and outside on the grounds.

WHERE

Meet at the Japanese Guest House

WHEN

January 22, 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Join the Bainbridge History Museum for a lively, interactive exploration of our community’s past. This special event invites visitors to discover hidden stories, surprising artifacts, and little-known facts about Bainbridge Island. Whether you're a longtime local or new to the island, come test your knowledge, learn something new, and see the museum in a whole new light! With speaker Lindsay Ogles, Director of Exhibits and Engagement.

Join award-winning artist Mare Blocker for a hands-on workshop focused on sculptural artist’s books, inspired by her piece Coral Reef from BIMA’s current exhibition Storytime with Mare. Participants will learn a variety of non-adhesive bookbinding techniques, including suture joining stitches, slot-and-tab construction, and simple pop-up devices.

Designed for all skill levels, the workshop encourages creativity and exploration. Throughout the day, Mare will provide personalized guidance as participants experiment with materials and techniques. By the end, each student will have completed a unique sculptural artist’s book to take home.

A complete materials kit—including collage and construction supplies, needles, and thread—is provided and included in the workshop fee. The workshop runs from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, with a one-hour lunch break. Bring your creativity and enthusiasm for a day of artistic discovery.

$200 members/$235 non-members

ARTIST BIO

Currently featured in a solo retrospective exhibition here at BIMA, Storytime with Mare, Seattle native Mare Blocker comes from a family of artists and makers. Her first job, at age five, was painting trees in the backgrounds of her grandfather’s landscape paintings, which they sold at the Seattle Center and Pike Place Market. She likes to say she grew up in the Seattle Center’s Fun Forest. She had a little bed under the platform of the Bubbleator where she napped in the afternoons while “working” in her grandparents’ shop.

She’s had many adventures—coaching a swim team, owning a biker bar in Arizona, and running a small rural library in a log cabin in the mountains of Idaho. Now, she’s back in Seattle, working in the studio she and her dad built. Mare has been making books since 1976 and founded The MKimberly Press in 1984. She has published 69 limited edition titles, over five hundred unique artist’s books, and numerous broadsides and prints. Her work is included in more than 100 museums, libraries, and public collections internationally, including the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the University of Washington Special Collections, the Library of Congress, and The Cynthia Sears Artists’ Book Collection at BIMA. Mare has received numerous publication awards, including commissions from the National Museum of Women in the Arts and the Center for Book Arts in NYC.

Learn more about Mare’s work.