Bellevue, WA—The Bellevue Arts Museum Arts Fair is getting a new look this summer, and just in time for its 75th anniversary. To safely connect artists and community members this year, the Museum is reimagining its signature summer program as a virtual event and marketplace, which will be held July 21 – August 4, 2021.

The BAM Arts Fair will feature works from 132 exhibitors. Selected artists include 85 of the exhibitors who were juried into the 2020 Arts Fair—which was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic—and 47 juried exhibitors from past fairs. Museum staff are partnering with The Garrigan Lyman Group, a strategic digital agency in Seattle, to develop a custom BAM Arts Fair e-commerce platform. The platform includes opportunities for visitors to engage directly with artists via video conferencing; commission custom orders; filter products by medium, artist, item type, and other criteria; and enjoy exclusive programming featuring artist interviews and kids’ activities.

In addition to the virtual programing, BAM will be hosting its second year of Kids Fair To Go outside the Museum. From July 23 – 25 between 11am and 4pm, BAM’s education team will be giving out 2,000 free craft kits for kids and families (while supplies last!) in place of the Museum’s usual Kids Fair festivities.

The decision to host this year’s fair virtually follows several months of research by Museum staff. Given the current state of the pandemic and many unknowns regarding safety, event organizers determined that a virtual Arts Fair was the best option for 2021.

In future years, the BAM Arts Fair will resume as a hybrid event, with both in-person and digital marketplaces.

ABOUT BAM ARTS FAIR

The first BAM Arts Fair was held in 1947, attracting 30,000 people to the then small town of Bellevue. Both the city and the fair have grown over the years. Notable artists including Dale Chihuly, Chuck Close, and Patti Warashina have all participated over the years as well as many up-and-coming craftspeople and artists. Bellevue Arts Museum is proud of this unique legacy and looks forward to hosting BAM Arts Fair for many years to come.

ABOUT BELLEVUE ARTS MUSEUM

Bellevue Arts Museum provides a public forum for the community to contemplate, appreciate, and discuss visual culture. We work with audiences, artists, makers, and designers to understand our shared experience of the world. bellevuearts.org.

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