In response to summer visitor patterns, Bainbridge Island Museum of Art (BIMA) will experiment with extended evening hours this summer. Beginning June 30, 2023 to coincide with the opening of the Museum’s first ever juried exhibition, BIMA Spotlight, the museum will stay open until 8:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The effort builds upon BIMA’s success with extended hours on First Fridays and will continue through September 2nd. 

Not only will the galleries be open later, but the BIMA Bistro will be open and serve beer, wine, and snacks while the Museum Store will be open for shopping. This effort was inspired by recent shifts in visitor trends, with day-trippers coming to visit Bainbridge Island later in the day than in previous years. 

BIMA hopes that these extended evening hours will serve their local audience as much as tourists. “I’m excited to give this a try,” said Korum Bischoff, BIMA’s Director of Communications & Visitor Experience. “While I’m happy to give our tourists the ability to interact with the art and culture of our region, I’m even more excited to give our local and West Sound audiences different hours in which to visit. It can be hard to escape to the museum during your work day, and, let’s be honest, parking isn’t ideal during the day on summer weekends in Winslow.”