We are pretty super fortunate to have so many wonderful museums and galleries in our area. I use to not make time for visiting museums but the older I get the more I realize how inspiring they are to the rest of my life. They give me energy to carry on daily life in a renewed way. I see things through the eyes of artists from other places and other times and take that with me into my every day life. I love it! Picasso said, “Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” And he was so right!

So I’m starting this club as a way of tracking the museums I go to and a way of inviting you to come along.

I have several favorites right here in my own back yard. I’m going to start with the Bainbridge Island Art Museum because… how fabulous is an art museum on an island!? And get this - its FREE! No lie!

If you live over there it’s easy peasy, if you live in Seattle or down by me it’s a little bit of a drive or a ferry ride. I almost always take the ferry. https://www.wsdot.com/ferries/schedule/scheduledetailbyroute.aspx?route=sea-bi 35 minutes from downtown Seattle straight to Bainbridge Island and only a quarter mile up the hill to the museum. You could easily walk onto the ferry, then walk to lunch and shop in the cutest, stinking, little town of Winslow and save the cost of taking the car. https://bainbridgedowntown.org

We’ll talk all about the ferry on another post but I’ll geek out for a minute and say this: Seattle is the #1 most used ferry system in the world and the 3rd largest, carrying 22 million people a year using 23 vessels. No lie!

Ok, back to the museum. Did I mention it is FREE?!

It’s sooooo amazing, how is that possible?! Generous donors of course and voluntary memberships. The backstory is epic. After taking advantage of all the free art and lectures since it opened in 2013, I decided to become a member recently and hopefully contribute to the keeping it free and amazing. FYI, there is a 10% discount at the bistro and gift store (which carries my book, Art Baby) so it’s still a deal!

I’m not going to go on and on about all they have to offer because you can just look up everything they have to offer on their website for yourself. https://www.biartmuseum.org but I will share what I think is the best kept secret for 1000 miles. The Sherry Grover Gallery is an Artist’s Book Gallery within the BIAM - I don’t think there’s another one like it in the world.

BIAM defines an Artist’s Book as a three-dimensional art object - usually one-of-a-kind or in limited edition - which reveals or tells its story over time using a combination of content and form and involves the agency of participation of the viewer.

Artist Books combine various art forms and media, including drawing, painting, printmaking, collage, gluing and binding, sculpture, photography, textiles, creative writing and storytelling.

I attend as many “Book Tours” as possible. A Book Tour is where a visiting artist or docent speak on and show several pieces or books. Sometimes the who started this whole thing is there and she shares some of her favorites from the over 1,600 books in the museum collection.

You can go for a Book Tour or come on days when docents are available to take books out and show you individually. It’s magic.

Welcome to the Museum of the Month Club