The Bay School

The Bay School Community Arts Center was founded in 1997 by Wendy Wells.  Wendy, a lifelong artist and educator, was passionate about her vision to have a community arts center in Mathews that could serve as a creative meeting place. Through the efforts of Wendy and committed local artists and townspeople, her dream became a reality and continues to thrive in our small rural town on the Middle Peninsula in eastern Virginia.

Originally named Mathews County School of Country Arts, The Bay School became a 501c3 non-profit organization in 2000 and moved to its present location on Main Street in Mathews Courthouse in 2001.

We conduct over 100 classes in the fine arts and crafts in three classrooms, one of which is a pottery studio.  On occasion, off-site classes are held at local artist studios, and our backyard contains a stage that often is used to present our students' theatrical and musical explorations for the community.

Over 30 talented local artists teach our classes in a variety of media for both adults and children.  We encourage you to explore our online class catalog to discover your next creative adventure!