Bay School Community Arts Center upcoming events

The Pumpkin Patch Pop-Up Market (September 10, 2026)

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Check out our Pumpkin Patch Pop-Up Market, a fun fall tradition in the Art Speaks Gallery. Shop a varied selection of 2d and 3d artwork celebrating pumpkin themes.

Exhibition dates are September 10 - November 2.

Strange Things Exhibition (October 03, 2026)

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Join us in the Art Speaks Gallery for the opening reception for Strange Things, featuring artwork depicting the strange and bizarre with uncanny themes and blurred realities.

Exhibition dates are October 3 - November 2

Strange Things Exhibition (October 03, 2026)

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 20:00:00 GMT

Join us in the Art Speaks Gallery for the opening reception for Strange Things, featuring artwork depicting the strange and bizarre with uncanny themes and blurred realities.

Exhibition dates are October 3 - November 2.

November Artist of the Month Jody Ball (November 02, 2026)

Mon, 02 Nov 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Learn about each Artist of the Month here!

Holiday Shows Open House (November 07, 2026)

Sat, 07 Nov 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Join us in the Art Speaks Gallery for an open house to launch three special holiday exhibitions:

Deck the Walls, featuring medium sized art for holiday gift giving, all under $200

Holiday Pop-Up Market, with specially chosen artisan vendors set up through the holiday season with regularly replenished artwork, perfect for gifts for everyone on your list

Christmas Tree Pop-Up, showcasing Christmas tree art in a variety of 2d and 3d media - take one home to make your home more festive this season!

All three exhibitions are up through the end of 2026, with specials and sales starting the day after Christmas.

Holiday Shows (November 07, 2026)

Sat, 07 Nov 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Join us in the Art Speaks Gallery for three special holiday exhibitions:

Deck the Walls, featuring medium sized art for holiday gift giving, all under $200

Holiday Pop-Up Market, with specially chosen artisan vendors set up through the holiday season with regularly replenished artwork, perfect for gifts for everyone on your list

Christmas Tree Pop-Up, showcasing Christmas tree art in a variety of 2d and 3d media - take one home to make your home more festive this season!

All three exhibitions are up through the end of 2026, with specials and sales starting the day after Christmas.

Made in Mathews Art Contest Reception (November 13, 2026)

Fri, 13 Nov 2026 22:00:00 GMT

Made in Mathews Open Studio Tour Student Art Contest is back! Join us for the reception and awards on November 13.

RSVPs welcome but not required.

Christmas Craft-Tea (November 15, 2026)

Sun, 15 Nov 2026 18:00:00 GMT

Celebrate the holiday season at our Christmas Craft TEA! This festive event perfectly blends a traditional tea service with an upscale holiday shopping and crafting experience.

Begin by shopping the holiday show Deck the Walls, featuring stunning artwork, all priced from $50-$200, then explore the Holiday Pop-Up Market filled with unique artisan gifts from at least 12 local vendors. EACH vendor will have a separate raffle item. As you browse, you will get to sip on an exclusive, custom-made holiday blend tea crafted just for this event by the experts at Carytown Teas, Richmond, VA.

The holiday cheer continues with our festive hands-on crafting stations, where everyone will be making their own custom Christmas cards, handmade Christmas ornaments, and festive holiday gift tags to take home. Throughout the afternoon, enjoy a Traditional Tea Service, featuring the delicious Bay School Holiday Blend hot tea from Carytown Teas and festive finger foods. To top off the festivities, you will have plenty of chances to win incredible gift baskets and vendor items through our exciting raffle drawings.

Sponsored by Jeannine Johnson. Thank you for your support!

December Artist of the Month (December 01, 2026)

Tue, 01 Dec 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Learn about each Artist of the Month here!

Empty Bowls (December 13, 2026)

Sun, 13 Dec 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Empty Bowls Fundraiser for Hands Across Mathews

The Bay School and Hands Across Mathews will host our annual Empty Bowls Fundraiser on Sunday, December 13 from 11:00 AM-1:30 PM.

An incredible assortment of handmade soups, breads, and cookies will be served during the event. For a $20 donation, individuals will receive a hand-crafted bowl to be treasured or given as a gift and a simple lunch of soup, bread, and cookies. Community potters and members of the Clay by the Bay Ceramics Guild are creating the bowls from which to choose, and volunteers are cooking crock pots of soup of many different varieties, homemade breads, and too many cookies to count!

Every year since its inception in 2014, The Empty Bowls Fundraiser has raised more funds for Hands Across Mathews. Come out and make this year's event an even bigger success!

This year we are partnering with The Hatchery to offer a new opportunity to participate - Paint-Your-Own Empty Bowl! Click here to learn more and sign up.

Thanks to the support of Martin, Ingles, & Hensley, LTD, who have sponsored the event to underwrite all Bay School expenses, all proceeds will go directly to Hands Across Mathews. The mission of Hands Across Mathews is to help local families who have suffered some crisis that puts them in need of the basic amenities of food, clothing, shelter, prescription medications, or fuel. When all other avenues of support have been exhausted, Hands Across Mathews helps them get back on their feet. The organization combines the efforts of 35 churches in the area to provide non-denominational charitable aid to families, which have been evaluated and approved by the Mathews County Social Services Department. More than 100 families are currently being served each week. For more information about Hands Across Mathews, please visit their website.