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artist of the month

June Artist of the Month: Ryan Lytle

Whether it is pets, in nature, films and cartoons, mythology, I have always been drawn to animals. As a kid I had an extensive stuffed animal collection. These fascinations of animal archetypes, images and myths have resurfaced as visual vocabulary in my work.

My sculptures are primarily created through fiber processes. For me, there is a comfort that is embedded in the nostalgic material. Needle felting is done by compressing raw wool with a barbed needle into a form: Every area is stabbed hundreds of times with a single needle until the desired density is formed.  This medium allows me to sculpt works within a surreal space that is both disarming and inviting. 

My figures are animal based, however the pieces are about people. The animals are anthropomorphized to reflect the way we as humans interact with each other and ourselves as we navigate the world.

To view Ryan's collection CLICK HERE

   

April Artist of the Month: Karyn Gallion

Karyn Gallion is an artist, maker, storyteller, and mischief instigator whose work lives at the 
crossroads of contemporary folk art and storybook surrealism. She builds character‑driven 
sculptures from reclaimed wood, salvaged hardware, and the odd treasures she rescues from 
yard sales, workshops, and appliance guts — objects with an interesting past and a promising future. Her background in dance, theater, commercial art, product design, and UX gives her work its signature mix of playfulness, narrative spark, and material intelligence. In her studio — part workshop, part creative playground — curiosity runs the show. It’s a space where “what if,” “why not,” and “how might I” are daily prompts, and where collaboration with other makers feels less like work and more like a shared adventure. Whether she’s assembling a wall creature or crafting a tiny zine, Gallion invites viewers to lean in, look closer, and discover the delightful strangeness hiding in everyday things. Storytelling is 
the through‑line in everything she makes — not as a grand gesture, but as a quiet invitation to wonder.

To view Karyn's collection CLICK HERE

To see Karyn's video in the Gallery CLICK HERE

March Artist of the Month: Bob Carlson

The work of Bob Carlson is featured throughout the month of March. Specifically, his mural work done for Walmarts across the country. His mural originals are all available from the exhibit.

"I am honored that the Walmart Community Mural Program has used my Culpeper mural to represent the state of Virginia in their map of murals across our nation.

Each mural is inspired by and celebrates the local community.  It is created in collaboration with store managers, ensuring it reflects the area's unique diversity and cultural identity. Every piece is an original, one-of-a-kind artwork that honors, and hopefully uplifts, the spirit of the neighborhood it represents. They have over 1,600 artists in their program and have produced over 2,500 murals." Bob Carlson

To view a video of Bob talking about his murals CLICK HERE

The Bay School | 279 Main Street | PO Box 1524 | Mathews, VA  23109

804-725-1278 | makeart@bayschoolarts.org

The Bay School is supported, in part, by Mathews County, the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

                    

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