The Pacific Northwest Arts and Crafts Association, Bellevue Arts Museum’s sponsor, was founded in 1947 with two goals in mind: to promote the artists and crafts people of the region, and to establish a cultural and educational center serving Bellevue and East King County.

The first event sponsored by the Pacific Northwest Arts and Crafts Association was an outdoor Art Fair presented in Bellevue Square, a regional shopping center, in July 1947. The annual Fair has been held in the same location ever since, and today the Bellevue Arts Museum ArtsFair is the largest and most prominent art event in the Northwest, attracting more than 350,000 visitors each year.

Bellevue Arts Museum was established as an arts museum in 1975. Over the years, the Museum has consistently presented high quality exhibitions that have had a broad regional and/or national impact and has developed a strong reputation as an important showcase for contemporary art.

Deciding to tap back into the museum’s roots as a community art fair, the Board of Trustees hired national craft and design expert Michael Monroe, who had served as curator and then director of the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery of American Craft and Director of the American Craft Council, in 2004 to head the renewed vision of "illuminating and enriching the human spirit through art, craft and design." Since then the Museum has presented 35 world-class exhibitions celebrating high -caliber international and local artists, as well as over 250 free or low-cost educational programs attracting over 200,000 visitors.

In 2008, Bellevue Arts Museum will continue its focus on craft and design by both Northwest and internationally renowned artists while expanding its programming and outreach. The Museum is excited to showcase 10 new exhibitions, the majority of which celebrate Northwest artists, launch a new Free First Friday Lecture Series and host its 62nd annual ArtsFair and Kidsfair.