Mathews County 250 Committee "Revolution of Ideas" LOVEworks Project

The Virginia Commission for the Arts partnered with the Virginia 250 Commission to provide one-time programmatic support for arts activities that explore the themes of revolution of ideas, capture stories that commemorate the Revolutionary War, and demonstrate the impact of revolutionary ideas on our world today.

The Bay School Community Arts Center is partnering with the Mathews County 250 Committee and commissioning two public art installations to be installed at accessible, public locations of cultural or community significance within Mathews County. 

The two locations chosen are Callis Wharf and Williams Wharf.

At Callis Wharf, Oyster Seed Holdings, Inc (OSH) operates an oyster hatchery, which produces seed oysters for use on commercial oyster farms up and down the east coast. The oyster aquaculture industry, supported by the OSH hatchery, represents the modern evolution of Mathews County's vast fishing and farming heritage. Callis Wharf, once known as a significant landing dock for wild capture fisheries, now hosts a hatchery producing hundreds of millions of oysters per year, as well as a waterside oyster eatery, known as The Hatchery, with a mission to educate people about, and build community around, shellfish aquaculture. The LOVEworks sign to be selected for Callis Wharf will embody both the history and the future of this site and the shellfish aquaculture industry in Mathews County.

Artists interested in submitting design concepts for the Callis Wharf location can download the prospectus here. The deadline for design proposals is January 25, 2025.

The LOVEworks sign to be selected and installed at Williams Wharf will honor and commemorate the rich Revolutionary War history of Mathews County and inspire young people to remember the past and appreciate a legacy that belongs to them and future generations.

Artists interested in submitting design concepts for the Williams Wharf location can download the prospectus here. The deadline for design proposals is January 25, 2025.

Upon completion of the selected commissioned work, the finished installations will be submitted for inclusion on the statewide LOVEworks map to represent Mathews County.  Learn more about Virginia's LOVEworks project.

Read more about this project as covered by WHRO.