By this time next year, Sequim Museum & Arts supporters hope to be celebrating the opening of a new building in Sequim.

The walls of what looks like a big red barn have been going up over the last several months at 544 N. Sequim Avenue and museum Executive Director Judy Stipe said she is hoping to open its doors next year.

“We hope to be open to the public by December 2018,” Stipe said.

“After many years of waiting for this to get built, the Board of Trustees, all our members and I are very excited to see the ‘red barn’ rising on land that was once the Wilder dairy farm.”

Stipe said once the new building is completed the museum will sell its current exhibit center at 175 W. Cedar St. The museum’s administration center is already located where the new building is going up on North Sequim Avenue and Stipe said having both buildings on one property will be more convenient.

“This will make my job easier by having both buildings on one property,” she said.

“The collection of artifacts will be close by to set up displays.”

She said the art display area will be the same size and the museum will continue to welcome visiting artists.

Stipe said the all volunteer staff love their work recording and sharing the history of the Sequim Prairie, Dungeness and the surrounding area.

She said Jerry Brownfield is serving as the project manager after Louie Rychlik, a longtime Sequim businessman and important member of the museum died in 2016. Stipe said Rychlik began the project with her.

“It makes me very proud to see what has been accomplished in the last three and-a-half years with the unbelievable team that we put together,” Stipe said.

“Jerry is doing an excellent job of keeping everyone on track.”

The infamous Manis Mastodon display will be the main focus of the Sequim Museum, Stipe said, because of the many visitors and scientists who come to the museum to see the tusk and bones.

Sequim Museum & Arts is closed for the holidays and will open Jan. 17, 2018 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and during the First Friday Art Walk from 5-8 p.m.

Sequim Museum & Arts Board of Trustees, members and the Executive Director Judy Stipe are excited to have both the museum’s administration center and exhibit center in one place off North Sequim Avenue coming December of 2018. Sequim Gazette photo by Erin Hawkins