BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – A beloved museum in Bellingham has announced it will be opening a dynamic addition to its galleries.
The SPARK Museum of Electrical Invention is under construction as they prepare to open a new rotating gallery at the end of spring this year.
Though the space is small, Director of Programs Abby Whatley points out that it lends itself as the perfect size for the museum’s small team of staff to regularly swap out what is on display.
When the gallery opens, the museum plans to initially use it to highlight a staple part of Bellingham’s history. The grand opening exhibit will honor the legacy of Mindport Exhibits and local artist and tinkerer Kevin Jones.
“We’re going to tell the story and history of Mindport,” said Whatley. “They’ve been such a huge part of this community for so long.”
The new rotating space was in part funded by Mindport, as well as grants from State of Washington Tourism and the Eleanor and Henry Jansen Foundation.
The SPARK Museum is one of the top indoor tourist destinations in Bellingham and Whatcom County. Although the museum has a lot to offer, Whatley shared that nothing changes a lot at the moment, so opening a rotating gallery gives people a great reason to come back. Furthermore, the museum is mainly funded by admissions so an increase in attendance brought on by the new space would speed up rotation of exhibits in the gallery.
After the Mindport interactive devices have finished their time in the rotating gallery, they will be moved into the museum’s future Wonderlab space. Wonderlab is an undertaking that is still in progress but opens periodically for kids to hang out and get some energy out.
As for future exhibitions in the rotating gallery, the museum is not yet sure what will follow Mindport, though they have a massive collection in the SPARK Museum basement can literally be unearthed in the new space.
“There’s a lot of stuff in the basement that has never been on display for the whole history of the museum,” said director of operations Charlie Bryan. “This is an opportunity to get a lot of those stories and items on display.”
The museum’s hope is that the exhibits will be refreshed every 18 to 24 months, giving enough time for both locals and tourists to check out what is on display.
