Bay School News

Art-to-Go with Lisa Leavell May 20 2020, 1 Comment

Sharing art with our community is what we are all about.  This is what inspired us to create our take-home art kits with Art-to-Go.

Each week while schools are closed and through the summer, we will put out new art kits. They will cover different materials, methods, and age groups. We will work up to having quick lessons in some of our kits. Some will have a video link for demonstrations. 

Photos, materials lists, and instructions will be made available for families who have lots of supplies at home and don't need to pick up the kits.  Use this link, https://www.bayschool-arts.com/  , to go to our website and then scroll down to find instructions for kits we have already distributed.  This list will be updated as we add more kits.

Have fun, be creative, and show us what you made! You can post pictures of your completed crafts on the Bay School Facebook page or email them to makeart@bayschool-arts.com. We will share them here!

We need some help to make this happen. We are paying our teaching artists to create the kits and our staff to keep them flowing to you. You can help out by donating here. Every little bit helps, and you have our thanks!!!

Lisa Leavell is one of our teaching artists that is creating some of these kits.  We asked Lisa a few questions about this program.

 

How different is art-to-go from teaching classes?  Art to go is a whole different animal for a variety of reasons. I am limited to the projects where I can gather all the supplies from the classroom and have to rely on the student having necessary supplies like glue, tape, markers etc that we are unable to send home in each kit. Writing directions in a manner in which the kids can understand the steps and directions to a project can also be very time consuming, something I do not have to consider when doing a class face to face with students. It has also been really different not being able to see the creative process as I can when I am teaching them on site. I am always amazed at the uniqueness of each individuals project given the same assignment they all put their creative flair into it and make it their own and that is a very rewarding part of teaching. 

How do you see this changing the way you teach in the future?  Honestly it truly is making me appreciate the time I have with them in class. You don't necessarily connect and bond with every student but the possibility is there and for me connection with the students is a huge part of teaching. My desire is not only to provide a time and space for them to be creative but to also get them thinking a bit deeper about the world around them and how they relate to it. I love the opportunity to have a positive and encouraging voice in their lives. 

Do you have any creative advice for those in quarantine?  My advice would be to expand your creativity and have a "use what you have" mindset. If we look around our homes, our yards and our neighborhoods we can find all sort of materials that we could use creatively. The more we use our creativity the more it continues to grow and unfold. I talk to people all the time that tell me "I don't have a creative bone in my body." To these folks I always say, "take one step and begin to do something creative and you will find an untapped well of creativity inside of you." We all have it. It doesn't all look the same, but it's there. The one thing that I have enjoyed thinking about while putting together these kits is families sitting around a table being creative together, we all need to pull away from the news, our phones and our work and take time to decompress and creativity is a powerful tool for that. 

My advice during this unprecedented time in our lives would be to encourage your kids in a journaling process and to begin one yourself. Even very young kids can start a picture journal about their feelings, about what they are grateful for, what might be making them sad, or happy, or afraid. It is a great time to get kids talking and sharing.  

                     

 


Outreach Programs 2016-2017 October 12 2016, 0 Comments

With the 2016-17 school year in full swing, the Bay School Outreach Programs have hit their stride. We've adjusted the scheduling of some classes and added an additional Outreach Instructor in order to best serve our community. 

The Bay School proudly welcomes Steph Brown back to our Outreach Program team! Steph has worked with the Bay School for years, offering classes to adults in a variety of media in addition to running our Free Weeks of Art throughout the summer. Steph will be taking over our YMCA Program, half of the programming at The  Active Lifestyles Center and half at The Mathews Riverside Convalescent Center. Creativity and compassion flow freely when Steph is teaching and she makes a wonderful addition to the team!

Virginia Coyle is continuing with her programs at Mathews Riverside Convalescent Center, The Puller Center, The Active Lifestyles Center, Kingston Parish and Head Start.

       

In addition to her duties as Outreach Coordinator, Saraya Cheney, has taken on the role of Gallery Coordinator for The Art Speaks Gallery at The Bay School. She will continue to teach many of our ongoing Outreach Programs (Laurel Shelter in Gloucester, Brambles Day Support, THMS Special Education, LJES Special Education, Coastal Christian Homeschool Co-Op, SAIL Program at THMS, Teen Open Studio, OpenArts After School) in addition to developing some of our newest programs this year.

We truly do our best to meet the creative needs of all members within our community. If you feel that there are additional ways that we can provide support within Mathews or Gloucester, please do not hesitate to let us know. We love hearing how we can support and enrich the lives of those in our area.

For additional information on our Outreach Programs, questions or suggestions, call or email Saraya Cheney, Outreach Coordinator: scheney@bayschool-arts.com.


Wildly Creative Week at The Bay School July 14 2016, 0 Comments

This week the Bay School has come alive with the amazing creativity of kids and teens from our local communities. Our Free Weeks of Art are in full swing and the attendees have been diving right in, exploring the world of myth & legend! Mermaids, dragons, Medusa masks and loads of Pandora’s Boxes line the shelves of the classrooms, adding splashes of color and touches of whimsy to the atmosphere. All of the work created in our Free Week of Art is eligible to be displayed in our Kids Art Show coming up in August, from the 12th-20th. Any kids or teens who wish to have their work in the gallery during that time can either leave their work at The Bay School or bring their work in from August 4th-6th.  Along with works from the Free Weeks of Art, we are encouraging those who currently attend, or who have attended, any of our Outreach Programs to participate, as well any children who have taken a class at the Bay School in the last year. The show is one of The Bay School’s proudest moments as we celebrate the imaginations of our community’s budding artists.

                                 

Joining in on the creativity this week is the Virginia Cooperative Extension Mathews 4-H Program. Gallery and Outreach Coordinator, Saraya Cheney, has been joined by 30 Cloverbud Campers who are all incredibly excited to create works of art based on the theme of “water”. The campers have enjoyed learning about watercolors, making sea creature windsocks, exploring the deep with submarine silhouettes and creating ocean themed sculptures from clay. 

Though these past few weeks have been packed with activity within The Bay School walls, plenty of art has been taking place in other locations around Mathews and Gloucester. Many of our Outreach Programs are still inspiring members of the community with Bay School Teaching Artists visiting the Mathews Active Lifestyles Center, Riverside Convalescent Center in Mathews, The Mathews Boys and Girls Club, The Brambles Day Support Center and The Laurel Shelter. Each of these programs provide an artistic respite from the summer heat and a way to connect with the creativity within so many members of the local community.


Outreach Programs - OpenArts After School November 12 2015, 0 Comments

The Bay School not only provides a place for art enthusiasts to learn new techniques, but it also goes out into the Mathews/Gloucester communities to teach art enrichment programs to those who may not otherwise have the opportunity to explore the arts. The second week each month, we’ll give you a peek into the many educational programs that are powered by grants and other generous donors.     

Every Wednesday, from 3-5pm, the Bay School joins forces with the Mathews Family YMCA to teach the OpenArts After School Program. This special arts session introduces students to a different artist/technique each month and provides a much needed, “art break” for the students that attend. Led by Saraya Cheney, Bay School Outreach Coordinator, and Virginia Coyle, Bay School Teaching Artist, the students are welcome to explore, make messes and create something beautiful.  In past months, the student artists have explored the works of Vincent Van Gogh, George Rodrigue and most recently Roy Lichtenstein. This program has been generously funded by the Richard and Caroline T. Gwathmey Memorial Trust, making it open, and free, to the general public.  Elementary, middle, and home school students here in Mathews are welcome to join the YMCA campers in this art adventure!

 

 

  For more information about this or any of our other outreach programs, please contact us directly via phone or email – 804-725-1278 scheney@bayschool-arts.com.


Welcome, Autumn! October 15 2014, 0 Comments

Wow, September was a busy month here at the Bay School!  With Market Days, the Amazing Raise, and the Fine Art Auction all happening within fewer than 30 days, we were really kept on our toes.  I am welcoming the slower pace of October. There's still lots going on at the Bay School, though, to keep your creative fires burning!

Are you finding inspiration in the peace and beauty of the changing season?  Or the mystique of darker evenings and cooler temperatures?  Fall makes me very aware of color and texture as I see the leaves turn and crisp up, and I want to snuggle into cozy knit and felted winter wear.  Of course yesterday's 80+ degree temperature didn't require even a light scarf, much less my favorite holiday sweater.

Last week in the handbuilding clay class we pressed the texture and pattern of leaves into the pieces we made, and carved around the leaf shapes to create enduring testaments to nature.  It will be fun to glaze them with glossy fall colors.  The adventure inspired me to paint leftover leaves with fabric paint in glittering oranges, golds, and reds, and print them onto a black fabric - that's one of those things I used to do with the kids I taught, but hadn't done for myself in years.  It was a wonderfully contemplative process seeing the veins come to life in vibrant color.  Teen Open Studio always inspires my own creativity as I act like a kid at art.

We have lots of other creative opportunities coming up for kids and adults!  Check out our class schedules - this weekend are exciting fall-inspired kids' classes in making Magical Masks and Spooky Trees.  Next Saturday are adult classes in Kumihimo bracelets and rug hooking.  Come get crafty!


Thank you for your support! September 19 2014, 0 Comments

A very huge THANK YOU from all of us at the Bay School to all of you who supported us and donated during The Amazing Raise! We were blessed with 122 donors from 13 states, D.C., and even London, U.K., for a total of $5680. Overall The Amazing Raise raised $1,741,376.92 from 20,421 donors for greater Richmond area non-profits. We were part of something huge! Thank you, community!

These generous donations will help us be able to continue our mission to bring art to the greater Mathews community through our gallery, specialized art classes for children and adults, our new teen open studio program, outreach programs to other community service areas, and our annual free week of art for children.


Market Days is almost upon us! September 02 2014, 0 Comments

Make sure to join us for the always exciting Mathews Market Days this coming Friday and Saturday!

There will be tons of fun to be had throughout the historic downtown area with funny parades and contests and the Art & Craft Show. 

We'll have our own mini-festival here at the Bay School, with several local artists on hand to show off their art!  Artists on site will include Katie Adkins (painting), Libby Boyer (glass jewelry), Carolyn Carpin (jewelry), Brenda Finley (pottery), Kevin Forsythe (stained glass), Kinn Kreckman (fiber smocking), Debbie LaFrance (painting), Brenda Mahoney (pottery), Cynthia Ray (painting and mixed media), and Jennifer Schroeder (jewelry).

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There will be hands-on art activities for the kids to unleash their creativity outside, including sand painting, mask decorating, bracelet braiding, and making artist trading cards.  There will be a special area for Teen Open Studio, which moves to Friday afternoons starting this week.  Teen artists can make artist trading cards and paint mini masterpieces on canvas.

            

And no Market Days would be complete without our fabulous photo opportunities!  Come check out who you can be this time.

Many thanks to Gallery Manager Suzanne Wheeler, who has put all of this together and will help you bring out your own artistic best all weekend!