Events

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.

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.

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.

Get ready for a fun and flavorful evening as seven winemakers from across the Kitsap Peninsula bring their best bottles to The Sip in Poulsbo!

$30 at the door includes:

·10 tasting tickets – choose your own tasting adventure from 14 wines poured by 7 different winemakers

·Sparkling, whites, rosés, and reds – something for every palate

·All bottles available for purchase – take your favorites home

·Grab a snack or dinner from The Sip food menu

You’ll get to meet and taste wines from local favorites including:
🍇 Eagle Harbor Wine Co.

🍇 Eleven Winery

🍇 Hard Hat Winery

🍇 Perennial Vintner

🍇 Rolling Bay Winery

🍇 Spruce Hill Winer

🍇 Telve di Sopra Vineyard

...and more being added soon!

Whether you’re a casual sipper or a wine enthusiast, this event is all about discovering new local wines, meeting the people who make them, and finding your new favorite wine bottles to take home.

Each month little ones between ages 3-5 will explore different STEM concepts through hands-on activities with the help of their caregiver. This month, we'll be mixing up love potions!

Painter and musician Neil Andersson will show landscapes and abstract works at Jeffrey Moose Gallery for the months of February and March. Receptions will be held on First Fridays, February 6th and March 6th from 6 to 8 PM. Mr. Andersson, now living in California, will attend the March event. A FaceBook livestream tour of the exhibition will broadcast from roughly 5:20- 5:45 previous to the March reception.

Mr. Andersson works in a lush, impressionist style with oil on canvas and has painted landscapes of France and the Pacific Northwest for many years. In 2017, he moved to Lompoc, California where he has been painting local scenes at a feverish pitch, working plein-air as well as in the studio. There he has focused on his fine art as never before, joining a number of painting groups including the American Impressionist Society, Oil Painters of America and Southern California Artists Painting for the Environment. In 2021 he was juried into a show at Wildling Museum of Art and Nature, Solvang CA.

Mr. Andersson is also the founder and former guitarist for the internationally known Gypsy Jazz group Pearl Django, a frequent marquée act at Jazz clubs in Seattle. He also recorded and performed with Tacoma's Fabulous Wailers in the early 60's Garage Rock scene.Two new recordings, duets with Craig Sharmat, were released in the last four years.

The duality of his talents and his Native American background are the details which brought Mr. Andersson to the attention of Jeffrey Moose. Andersson’s Native roots come through Montana where his mother was a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.

Mr. Andersson's talents as a painter reflect a life-long pursuit. He holds an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where he studied French paintings from the 1700's to the 20th Century. Mr. Andersson is represented in the Seattle area by Jeffrey Moose, another alum of the Chicago school.

As the years have passed, Mr Andersson’s style has matured into more subtle use of color, complex uses of color compliments and confident, deft mark making, combining to produce works with a gentle touch and brilliant overall harmony. Indeed, he has arrived, as the French would say.

Please refer questions to Jeffrey Moose, 360 598 4479 or jmoose@jeffreymoosegallery.com.

Sharpen your skills and learn to identify trees even in their winter dormancy with a walk led by Kaslin Daniels, Director of Horticulture & Design. Tree identification can be difficult when deciduous trees lose their leaves in winter, but there are still plenty of clues to help you. During this wintry walk, we’ll explore features such as tree bark, twigs, buds, and silhouettes.

WHERE

Meet in the Arrival Garden

WHEN

Feb 6, 11 – Noon

COST

$15 Members
$37 Non-members, includes the price of admission

Drop by Battle Point Observatory for an all-ages short Planetarium Show! Learn what's up in the night sky and get a peek inside the Observatory. Shows offered at 12:30 pm and again at 2:30 pm.

Open to the community, $10/adult and $5/child tickets (plus tax) available at the door until show is full. $5 ticket discount for BPAA Members, we appreciate your support!

Check the Observatory Events calendar for more details. Planetarium is wheelchair accessible with advance notice.

Join us for the Bainbridge History Museum’s Annual Meeting with guest speaker Jonathan Evison.

Jonathan Evison (born September 27, 1968) is an American writer known for his novels All About Lulu, West of Here, The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving, This Is Your Life, Harriet Chance!, Lawn Boy, Legends of the North Cascades, and Small World.

Come learn about all that has been happening at the Museum.

Please join us for an afternoon of Artists’ Books and stories by Mare Blocker. Mare will discuss her latest artwork, Let the Water Hold You, followed by a screening of Storytime With Mare—a short film of autobiographical stories that have shaped Mare’s creative journey, produced by Trial and Error Productions.

$10 members/ $12 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.

http://mareblocker.blogspot.com/?view=timeslide

Experience a wide spectrum of romantic storytelling as you enjoy chocolate and wine. Enjoy live readings from published local romance authors Brent Archer, Eve Kasey, Morgan Lockhart, KL Parsons, Emily Rath, Penny Reid, Jo Segura, and Eliana West. This special evening will showcase the genre's impressive range from spellbinding romantasy to spicy contemporary encounters. Authors and local booksellers Away with Words and Wicked Words will have books available to browse and purchase.

Whether you're a devoted romance reader or romance-curious, treat yourself to an evening of bookish indulgence, games, and special surprises, emceed by romance authors Serena Bell and Julie Farley. This 21+ event offers the perfect Valentine's season experience, whether you're coming solo, with friends, or with a partner.

Doors open at 6:30 pm for wine, chocolate, and book shopping!

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.

$20 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.

No RSVP needed!

It’s a fast-paced, team-based puzzle race with prizes, drinks, and guaranteed fun.

How to play:
- Teams of up to four compete to finish a new puzzle, the fastest
- Top two winning teams score a gift card from The Sip, 10% off their tab for the night and the glory
- Keep the puzzle when you’re done!

Got a group of 5? Sure – but that’ll cost you 10 extra minutes on your finish time.

Flying solo? Grab a Solo Ticket and we’ll connect you with an open team (if they’re game).

Join us for  'Flour & Fleur', a fun and creative workshop. Presented by A Little Wicked Cakery and Tiny Blooms Cottage, this hands-on event invites guests to decorate a coffee shop–inspired cake and design a petite floral bouquet to take home.

No experience needed. Light snacks and refreshments included.

Date: Saturday, February 14 | 12:00–3:00 PM

Cost: $75

Please register using QR code here
Spaces are limited—Grab your friends and reserve your spot today! Enjoy a sweet Galentine’s celebration at Joyland Farm.

February's Science Topic - Binary Stars and Artificial Intelligence

"Is AI coming for your binaries?"
Speakers: Rania Alafogianni (She/Her), Bart Devogel (He/Any), Akhila Thamaravelil Abhimanue Achary (She/Her) from KU Leuven

Binary stars are famously hard to distinguish from single stars using normal telescopes. One of the most conventional methods is to manually look at how their light behaves and which colors it emits. While manual methods are extremely reliable, detecting binaries this way is very time consuming. Using machine learning, we have built a digital “brain” that looks at this light behavior and tries to classify star systems. We will show how this system works and how we applied it to realistic systems to gain insights on stellar bodies.

Akhila, Bart and Rania are three astronomy masters/graduate students from KU Leuven. Rania has had a long held interest in binary stars, Bart likes applying modern computational methods to astronomical issues, and Akhila has strong background theoretical physics and is interested in Astrobiology and Exoplanets.

After the talk, stick around for a planetarium show and, if the weather holds, a Star Party.

Advance registration required (optional Zoom registration also available).  Sign up today!

Battle Point Observatory Cosmic Conversations

February Topic: "Aurora"

The Aurora have been in the news recently. What are they? What causes them? Why are they Northern lights? Where do the colors come from? Why do they shimmer? Come find out and discuss!

Cosmic Conservations at Battle Point Observatory are a friendly small group discussion, with all experience levels welcome. Topics are pre-selected by the group and become the basis for the evening's conversation. These are non-mathematical discussions, designed to “ignite a passion for science through the lens of astronomy!"

We offer a hybrid in person and optional Zoom format for this conversation.  In person will be a small group (up to 15 people) at Battle Point Observatory, and a second option to attend via Zoom. Ages 16+.  Advance registration, see info at: https://bpastro.org/cosmic-conversations

Visit our Events calendar for more astronomy-themed public events!

No RSVP needed!

Bainbridge Island Vineyards has deep roots in both island agriculture and Washington wine history. The land on Day Road has been farmed since 1928, originally by Japanese American farmer Akio Suyematsu, making it the oldest continuously farmed property in Kitsap County, aside from the years of World War II incarceration.

In 1977, Gerard and Jo Ann Bentryn founded Bainbridge Island Vineyards, inspired by cool-climate wine regions in Europe and beyond. They released their first estate wine in 1982, becoming the 84th bonded winery in Washington State and helping establish the Puget Sound as a viable wine-growing region.

After the Bentryns’ retirement, longtime winemaker and steward Betsey Wittick took the helm in 2013. Today, Bainbridge Vineyards remains organically certified and deeply connected to the land, producing wines that reflect the history, resilience, and community spirit of Bainbridge Island.

Learn more from Vintner Betsey Wittick at our February History Huddle!

Come and join us for snacks and libations. This program is FREE for members with a suggested $5 donation per person for non-members. Space is limited so RSVP today!

BIMA’s annual Black History Month Soirée is a celebration of Black culture, creativity, and community. The museum comes alive with live music, performances, art-making, and a marketplace spotlighting Black-owned businesses, all centered around connection and shared experience.

Our 2026 Soirée features a curated pop-up market hosted by Seattle’s Black Love Market, where you’ll find art, goods, and food by Black makers and entrepreneurs. Hands-on art activities invite visitors of all ages to explore themes of identity, history, and vision through creative expression. Live music and performances rooted in Black traditions invite guests to engage, reflect, and celebrate.

Whether you’re here to dance, connect with community, support small businesses, or simply spend time with friends and family—you’re welcome.

All are welcome.