Whatcom Art Guild is excited to announce the soft opening of the Whatcom Art Center on November 1st, 2024! It is located at 1105 11th Street, in Fairhaven, right next door to the Whatcom Art Market, at 1103 11th St Bellingham, WA.
CALL TO ARTISTS – The Directors of the Wedgwood Art festival are excited to invite you to join us at the Bellingham Bazaar – the art market coinciding with the 2nd Annual Bellingham Exit Music Festival.
Location: Bellingham National Bank Building – 103 E Holly Street Bellingham, 98225
- Downtown Bellingham, centrally located near music venues
Dates: Friday, October 11 from 2 – 9pm (load-in 10am – 1pm) & Saturday, October 12 from 12 – 8pm (load-out 8pm – 10pm)
– These times coincide with the highest traffic for the music festival
Fee: $85 for one 6′ x 8′ space – once you’ve been accepted, we will send the link for payment.
How to Apply: This call is invitation only. No jurying or application fees. No commission fees on sales. Complete this form to apply. Once you’ve been accepted, we will send a link for payment. Spaces are limited and available on first come / first serve basis. After spaces are sold out we will maintain a waitlist. Approximate booth space is 6′ x 8′ for $85. One artist per space, unless otherwise approved. Contact us at wafestival@gmail.com
Allied Arts Reuse Thrift Store, summer 2024
Allied Arts was featured on Redfin’s summer things to do article for new residents of Bellingham, WA. Check out the blog article here!
There’s lots of great suggestions on there, so you should definitely check it out. Thanks Redfin!
Mindport Exhibits, located at 210 West Holly St., Bellingham, Washington
BELLINGHAM, Wash. – June 4, 2024 – Mindport Exhibits, a downtown Bellingham fixture since it opened in 1995, has announced its intent to close permanently in fall 2024.
Founded almost three decades ago by friends Kevin Jones, Robin Burnett and Joe Edwards as an experimental project, the interactive museum has been a destination for locals and tourists alike, offering a unique space for exploration and learning at the intersection of art and science. One-of-a-kind, interactive exhibits, hand-built by staff, have provided numerous opportunities for discovery and education to visitors from Whatcom County and around the world.
“The founders were driven by their own experiences in biology, physics, electronics, art and all the ways people — especially children — interact and learn through wonder,” said Tallie Jones, Kevin Jones’s daughter and executive director of Mindport Exhibits.
Mindport has always been about learning and exploring together. In addition to the museum offerings, Mindport staff operated a low-to-no-cost tutoring program, curated art installations featuring local and regional artists and brought travelling exhibits to venues around Whatcom County.
“It’s been wonderful to do something for which there wasn’t a blueprint and hopefully encourage the unique, creative, inquiring spirit that exists in everyone,” said Kevin Jones.
A museum visitor is encouraged to explore and play at Mindport
The decision to close Mindport stems from several factors, including the retirement of founding director Kevin Jones in 2019, and the end of funding from a donor who has financially supported the museum for decades. Those factors present a natural stopping point for the privately owned business.
“Financial support from a dedicated and generous donor was key to making so many wonderful things possible at Mindport,” Tallie Jones said. “That support allowed what started as an experiment to grow and become an active part of the community for many years.”
Alternatives to closing were explored. One option was to change Mindport’s business model to a nonprofit. But to be successful and sustainable, according to legal and nonprofit consultants, the museum would need to create and sustain a nonprofit model capable of continually raising the substantial amount of money needed to support exhibits, programs and other operations.
With more than 120 arts, culture and humanities nonprofits already in the Bellingham area, according to Cause IQ, Mindport is choosing to close instead of competing for limited funds with its museum friends and other vital organizations, Tallie Jones said.
“We are so grateful to have played a part in weaving the rich cultural life in Bellingham and appreciate all of the people who engage in and support local arts,” she said.
Founder Kevin Jones with daughter and current executive director, Tallie Jones
The exact closing date of Mindport will be announced soon; however, the business has committed to remaining open into the fall.
Efforts are underway to ensure a smooth transition for the museum’s two full-time and six part-time staff members, who have been integral to the institution’s success. Staff have been provided with a timeline they can depend on, and supplemental pay and paid transition time have been offered to those working during the closure period.
Jones remains hopeful that staff members will be able to continue their work — interacting with museum visitors, curating exhibits and fulfilling positive and rewarding community projects — through the summer and fall.
A visitor explores the Aerotrack exhibit at Mindport
The building at 210 W. Holly St., a prime location in the Arts District, should not be vacant long. Conversations with a potential new owner are underway, and an announcement is expected soon.
Tallie Jones is working to find new homes for Mindport’s custom-made interactive exhibits, so they can continue to inspire people of all ages.
“The exhibits are best suited for an environment where they can be enjoyed by many and maintained by experienced exhibit professionals,” she said.
Everyone who has been involved with Mindport — including co-founders, the donor, current and past staff, visitors and community members — should be incredibly proud of the legacy they have built over the decades, Kevin Jones said.
“We have been part of many people’s memories, and they of ours,” he said. “We are grateful to have been a presence in downtown Bellingham for almost 30 years, and we’re going to miss being here.”
Updates on closing events, exhibit transitions and future developments can be found on https://www.mindport.org/news/. For inquiries, contact Tallie Jones at 360-647-5614.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF MINDPORT EXHIBITS
From Inspire Washington:
Cultural Futures is our FREE funding, policy, and advocacy workshop for cultural businesses and supporters! This spring, we invite you to join your local partners for Cultural Futures! Cultural Futures is Inspire Washington’s annual post-State Legislative Session tour when we visit communities to share what happened during the 2024 Legislative Session. It’s our job to alert you to new funding and policy opportunities.
Why is this work important? The 2025 Legislative Session is ramping up to be a BIG one! We anticipate many new objectives for each of our sectors—science, heritage, and the arts. Without new advocates and active engagement across the state, these large funding requests will be very challenging to secure. If you have thought about getting involved in the past but haven’t yet participated, now is the time! With Inspire Washington, cultural advocacy is easy, fun, collaborative, and inspiring!
On the agenda:
In Person Events:
Virtual Events, via Zoom:
For more of the latest news from Inspire Washington, visit their website!