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The Arts Commission advises the City Council regarding the arts in Bellevue. The commission meets regularly, makes studies, analyses and reports requested by the council and may perform any of the following functions:
- Inform the council in matters of arts
- Serve as a clearinghouse for concerns and ideas about arts
- Enlarge the art consciousness of Bellevue
- Encourage multi-age working, sharing, learning and teaching in the arts
- Encourage and recognize local artists
- Explore financing for acquisitions related to the arts
- Establish a long-range plan for the development and operation of a cultural center
- Make recommendations as requested by the council
- Review the suitability of artworks intended as gifts to the city
Meetings
The Arts Commission meets at 4:30 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month at City Hall in Conference Room 1E-113, unless otherwise noted. Meeting dates, times and topics are available on the agendas via Legistar. The meetings are open to the public.
The online sign-up form for oral communications will open at noon on the day of the meeting and close at 4 p.m. Speakers can also sign up in person prior to the meeting's start.
Upcoming Meeting
Upcoming Events - Calendar
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Public Meeting Records
Find previous meeting minutes, agendas, packets and other public meeting records on Legistar or Arts Commission Public Meeting Archive page.
Members
Arts commissioners are appointed by the mayor and City Council to no more than two consecutive terms of four years. Terms expire on May 31 of the final year of the term. Commissioners appointed to fill partial terms of less than two years are eligible to serve an additional two full terms.
Councilmember John Stokes is council liaison to the Arts Commission.
- Chair, Lydia Aldredge (second term expires 05/31/2027): The rapid growth and maturing of the City of Bellevue in the last 15 years sparked Lydia’s interest in serving on the Arts Commission. Her hopes are for a community centered future with strong urban planning, excellent architecture enhanced and enriched with public art that communicates the City of Bellevue’s history, demographics, and future hopes and dreams. Lydia’s community work includes service as a member of the Seattle Landmarks Board, chair of the King County Boundary Review Board, and as president of the Allied Arts Foundation. She is a licensed architect with an independent architectural practice. She has spent 30 years creating large scale public art installations featuring large scale sculpture, mosaics, and poetry inscriptions. In the last 10 years, she has rediscovered an interest in wood and linocut reduction block printmaking. This interest has led to artist workshops and residencies in North Carolina and Kerry County Ireland, with gallery shows in both locations.
- Vice-Chair, Vacant (second term expires 05/31/2028)
- Member, Bhavna Bhargava (first term expires 05/31/2025): Bhavna Bhargava is a UX designer with a focus on accessibility design. Previously, she has worked on design projects for Microsoft and Google. Bhavna has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, a Masters of Business Management degree, and is certified by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Accessible Systems and Technology. She founded The UX Exchange Forum during Covid-19 to engage with the local UX design community. She has lived in Kuwait, India, New Zealand, and Australia. She now calls Bellevue home, along with her husband Vishal and kids Saeesha and Rivaan. She loves to travel and create oil paintings.
- Member, Qiong Chen (first term expires 05/31/2028): Qiong Chen joined the Arts Commission to broaden her understanding of diverse cultures beyond the Chinese community and to contribute positively to our shared community. With a background in Ikebana, she is a certified instructor and serves on the boards of both Ikebana International and the Lake Washington Ikenobo Chapter, promoting cultural art. Her commitment to community service includes years on the International School PTSA board, where she served in roles such as VP of Community, Grant Chair, Reflections Chair and President. She also dedicated five years to the board of Little Masters Club, including a two-year term as president. As a co-founder and board member of the HUST Alumni Association of Seattle, she served as president for two years and currently hold the title of honorable president. Additionally, she serves on the advisory boards of multiple non-profit organizations, offering guidance to help them achieve their missions.
- Member, Erika Enomoto (first term expires 05/31/2026): Erika Enomoto (she/her) lives in Northeast Bellevue with her husband, children, two Shiba Inu pups, and dozens of happy houseplants. She is a Technical Program Manager at Microsoft, where she is dedicated to driving digital and cultural transformation. As a Bellevue Arts Commissioner, she is passionate about promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in the arts and culture sector. Erika earned a MA in Art History from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and a MS in Information Management from the University of Washington Information School. She enjoys traveling with her family, shopping for records, and practicing Sōgetsu Ikebana (Japanese floral arranging) for mindfulness.
- Member, Joydeep Hazra (first term expires 05/31/2026): As a former member of the Bellevue Arts Museum board, Joydeep Hazra felt that joining a public Art Commission would allow him to connect with and serve a diverse range of local community artists, as often they do not have the opportunity to present their art in private museums. Bellevue offers a wide range of public spaces that can benefit from public art, which also brings mental health benefits for the entire City. He has also served on the Bellevue Youth Board for six years and is serving on the ARCH housing board to make affordable housing easier for our community. His education in Engineering and Business Finance, with a long international background in leading cross-cultural teams, helps him connect to a diverse city population. As a graduate of the Bellevue Essentials program, he has the benefit of understanding how to encourage public-private partnerships.
- Member, Richard Nederlander (first term expires 05/31/2027): Richard Nederlander is serving on the Bellevue Arts Commission in order to provide a voice for young adults in Bellevue seeking financial support to jumpstart their artistic and musical careers. There are many financial hurdles that face them, and the issue is especially acute for those just starting their careers. His goal is to advocate for these individuals so that they have a chance at success. Originally from New York City, he received a BA in both Music and Astrophysics from Columbia University in 2018, and a PhD in Electrical Engineering from Vanderbilt University in 2023. He is very fond of the performing arts, but particularly Broadway. His favorite musicals are Hamilton and Wicked.
Authority
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Policies and Forms
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Ordinance, City Code and Bylaws
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