BIMA launches new artist residency, will begin in 2027

Published 1:30 am Monday, July 20, 2026

The Bainbridge Island Museum of Art has announced the launch of its new artist initiative, “Daisy Lane: A Print & Book Artist Residency.” This studio arts program will be centered on a large, newly renovated, light-filled space located minutes from the museum. Nestled into a forested landscape, Daisy Lane is envisioned as a year-round multi-use studio serving contemporary artists, with a particular focus on printmaking and artists’ books, a news release says.

The central program at Daisy Lane will be a year-round artist residency for artists working in book arts, letterpress, screenprinting, risograph, and other related art forms. The space will also be an active location for youth engagement, BIMA’s “Open Book Tours” program, workshops, art events, and lectures, per the release.

Studio construction and outfitting are expected by early fall, and the program’s inaugural season of artists will start in 2027. Residents will be selected through an application process starting Oct. 1. Artists will be selected for a two- to four-week residency based on their conceptual creativity, technical knowledge, and familiarity with at least one of the media at Daisy Lane. Traditional and new technologies are encouraged. The specific equipment provided will be announced on the Daisy Lane webpage (biartmuseum.org/daisy-lane/) in mid-September. Studio access is from 8 a.m. – 10 p.m. daily. Resident artists will be housed in a nearby one-bedroom apartment and will have access to BIMA’s events, archives, bistro, and vibrant artistic community, the release says.

The museum acquired the renowned letterpress, printmaking, and book design studio of Paper Hammer and Marquand Books (Tieton, WA). The initial array of equipment includes a Vandercook 219AB flatbed press, a motorized Chandler & Price platen press, a Challenge paper guillotine, a polymer platemaker, and a wide-ranging collection of wood and metal type, per the release. These tools, as well as a screenprinting setup and risograph machine, will be installed inside the Granero Building, a once-dilapidated 1978 municipal storage facility that was transformed by Coates Design Architects into a model of adaptive reuse. The space, located a short hike from the Bainbridge Island ferry dock, features views and an open, modern architectural style featuring reclaimed wood, large windows, and concrete.

The dream of a museum-based artist-in-residence program took shape in late 2020 after first hearing from artists about the challenging landscape caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, including the loss of jobs, studio space, and their physical and online marketplaces. BIMA founder Cynthia Sears encouraged the organization’s pursuit of long-term strategies to help artists at different phases of their journey, the release states.

The resulting commitment first established BIMA’s annual BRAVA Awards—with four $15,000 awards—followed by the pursuit of an artist-in-residence program. With Daisy Lane, BIMA joins a handful of other museums throughout the United States that offer embedded artist residency programs.

“The establishment of Daisy Lane Print & Book Arts Residency is a game-changing extension of the legacy of the Cynthia Sears Artists’ Books Collection at BIMA,” said Erin Zona, curator of the Cynthia Sears Artists’ Books Collection. “The growing collection has long celebrated completed artists’ books. The residency extends that commitment by supporting artists during the most vulnerable and uncertain stages of the creative process — when new ideas are taking shape!”

Interested artists can sign up here (https://forms.gle/AaKwEvCRz5gvE9ab6) to stay up-to-date with the progress and learn about the application process later this summer. Applications for 2027 resident artists will open on Oct. 1, 2026, and close Oct. 31. Visit biartmuseum.org/daisy-lane/ for more information.