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The Western Gallery
The Western Gallery is the art museum of Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA. It provides free access to a wide range of contemporary art. This serves primarily the North Puget Sound communities, Western Washington, Bellingham, Seattle, and Vancouver, B.C.
With a point of reference to the national art scene, the Western Gallery creates an environment for learning. It is a center for interdisciplinary discussion of critical issues through:
- Historical, contemporary, and experimental art exhibitions
- Interpretive programs
- Publications
- A renowned collection of publicly sited contemporary sculpture.
Western Gallery exhibitions concentrate on national and international art. Three smaller galleries in the Performing Arts Center display a collection of Northwest paintings. Being an academic art museum, the Western Gallery emphasizes education and public programming. The museum offers guided tours to organized groups, and more than 40 events per year. Events range from artist talks to symposia and performance festivals.
Engaging a diverse community, exhibition related discussions have included industrial designers, cybersecurity experts, lawyers, journalists, WWU faculty in the sciences and humanities, international artists and other luminaries. The museum also hosts contemporary dance performances, jazz, chamber music, and alternative music concerts.
Western Gallery keeps a variety of artworks in its permanent collections. The gallery oversees Western’s outdoor sculpture collection. The outdoor sculpture collection was selected twice for the top ten most important university campus collections in the country.
