Bellevue Arts Museum
The Bellevue Arts Museum traces its roots back to street fair art in 1947. After several temporary locations, it moved to the third floor of Bellevue Square, a large shopping center in the center of downtown Bellevue, Washington in 1983. In 2001 the museum finally moved into its own building.
Bellevue Arts Museum | |
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General information | |
Architectural style | Modern |
Address | 510 Bellevue Way NE |
Town or city | Bellevue, Washington |
Country | United States |
Coordinates | 47.616°N 122.201°W |
Opened | January 13, 2001 |
Technical details | |
Material | Red-stained concrete, hand-sanded aluminum panels and glass |
Floor count | 3 |
Design and construction | |
Architect | Steven Holl |
Architecture firm | Steven Holl Architects |
Website | |
bellevuearts | |
References | |
[1][2] |
Located just across the street from Bellevue Square, the distinctive new building was designed by noted architect Steven Holl. It is seen by many residents of Bellevue as playing a role in the transformation of the downtown from series of suburban strip malls to a sophisticated city with a variety of cultural attractions.
The museum subsequently ran into financial difficulties and was forced to close to the public in 2003.[2] After a lengthy fund raising campaign, extensive interior remodeling, a slight change in name and a new focus on crafts and design, the museum re-opened on June 18, 2005 with an exhibition of teapots.
In contrast to conventional art museums, Bellevue Arts Museum has no permanent collection. Rather, it emphasizes education and hands-on involvement through an extensive selection of classes and workshops.
References
- Bellevue Art Museum, Arcspace, February 23, 2001
- John Pastier (January 23, 2006), Bellevue Art Museum, HistoryLink