Bay School of Creative Arts

It’s fantastic to see Sue shine in her solo exhibition Despite Appearances - an amazing show that opens this Friday 6pm at the Phoenix Gallery in Bowraville. It’s full of inspiration, fun and wonder and it would be great to see you there!!

LIMITED PLACES AVAILABLE for term 3 in our popular after school art classes for kids 9+ and teens in our studio at Sawtell Gallery.

Two teachers means we can accomodate a diverse age range, skill level and interests. We create drawings, paintings, mixed media and sculptures. We have had a few places open up so get in fast. $220 per term with per session payments available. All materials are included.

Email [email protected] for enquires or DM us to secure a spot.

Our Coastal Guardians program is back these autumn holidays with 3 epic new workshops!
We’ll create kinetic art, glowing sculptures, and a new take on everyday objects made from ocean plastics - while learning the skills to design a better future.

Make art. Make it move. Make a difference.

This is a unique chance to create, inspire, connect, and contribute to the environment in new and exciting ways and to protect our beautiful coastlines while we are at it! 🌿💙

🗓 Dates & Times:
Wednesday 16th,
Wednesday 23rd
Thursday 24th April
9:30 AM - 2:30 PM daily

What’s in store?

In this 3-day creative blast, you’ll:
• Build wind-powered kinetic artworks from found materials
• Turn trash into treasure with wearable art and upcycled product design
• Use sensors and LEDs to make super cool sculptures glow, blink, and react
• Explore the power of interactive art to tell powerful environmental stories

Why join us?
• Get hands-on with art, sculpture, design, and creative tech
• Make art that means something
• Learn skills for a future in design, art, and sustainability

Free for young people aged 12-24, thanks to support from the Department of Regional NSW Youth and Sawtell Gallery.
Priority given to young people experiencing socio-economic disadvantage and those living with disability.
All materials and lunch included!

📩 Spots are limited!
DM or email us ([email protected]) to apply. Let’s create something amazing together this autumn.

Yes we’re pretty slack on the socials front. We’ve too busy running classes and programs. So here’s one…. Our Tuesday after school class has been full to the brim this term with some pretty incredible artworks created along the way. For enquires about our kids and adult classes email us at [email protected]

Make art and make a difference these holidays.

Starts this coming week!

🗓Dates & Times:
Sessions are 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM on:
• Wednesday 15th, Thursday 16th January
• Wednesday 22nd, Thursday 23rd, Friday 24th January
• Wednesday 29th, Thursday 30th January

🎨 What’s in store with Coastal Guardians?

Over 7 workshops, we’ll merge art, design, science, and technology to tackle issues like plastic pollution while creating powerful and meaningful artworks. Here’s what we’ll do:

• Turn our plastic problem into inspiring art.

• Explore design thinking to solve environmental challenges.

• Collect ocean plastics with a scientist and renowned marine debris expert and repurpose them into art.

• Experiment with mixed media and sculpture techniques focussing on a process of waste to wonder.

• Learn how to use digital tools to create visuals that make an impact.

• Work together on bold installations that tell a story and bring about change.

• Make a plan to showcase your art to the community in a way that inspires action .

This is a unique chance to create, inspire, connect, and contribute to the environment in new and exciting ways and to protect our beautiful coastlines while we are at it! 🌿💙

Free - for young people 12 to 24 thanks to support from Department of Regional NSW Youth and Sawtell Gallery. All materials and lunch, are included. It is an amazing opportunity with everyone welcome to apply, priority will be given to those experiencing socio-economic disadvantage and young people living with a disability.

📩 Spots are limited so get in now! Email ([email protected]) or DM us to apply.

Let’s make meaningful art and a real difference this summer. 🌿

We’ve been MIA on socials lately. Super busy with classes and programs across the week. We are running after school art classes for kids and teens 9+ . Two teachers means we can accomodate for a diverse age range, skill level and interest. We do drawing, painting, mixed media and sculpture. $25 per session including all materials. We take creative kids vouchers. Email [email protected] for enquires or to secure a spot.

We have a fantastic program lined up for the upcoming Autumn holidays!!

Once again we are fortunate to to have funding to offer workshops to those who will benefit from it the most - young people 12-24 looking to explore and get all they can out of making art. It is an amazing opportunity with everyone welcome to apply, priority will be given to those experiencing socio-economic disadvantage and young people living with a disability.
Places are strictly limited so get in now. Email or DM us to apply.

It’s free, with no strings attached. All materials, lunch and some transport subsidies will be provided. This is made possible by Sawtell Art Gallery and Department of Regional NSW Youth. Here’s a summary of the program:

Over 5 sessions we will be merging art techniques, from traditional to digital, helping to broaden your artistic skill set. We explore concept development, design, art work creation and making - in response to immersive stimulus and contemporary exhibitions like the current Sea Monsters exhibition at YAM.

We foster creativity and enhance problem solving skills through art making , focusing on both divergent and convergent thinking.

We look at utilising accessible and cost effective materials to eliminate financial barriers and make art creation a reality for everyone. This includes half day sessions on drawing, painting, mixed media and sculpture.

We also delve into future creative career guidance looking at various art related career paths and how these can be interwoven with school studies.

Sessions are 9:30 to 2:30 on Thursday 18th and Friday 19th April week one of the holidays, and Tuesday 23rd, Wednesday 24th, and Friday 26th April in week two of the holidays.

We are super excited to have received funding to offer holiday workshops to those who will benefit from it the most - young people 12-24 looking to explore and get all they can out of making art. It is an amazing opportunity with everyone welcome to apply, priority will be given to those experiencing socio-economic disadvantage and young people living with a disability.
Places are strictly limited so get in now. Email or DM us to apply

Over 10 sessions we will be facilitating a comprehensive and enriching fun based experience developing new ideas while combining technical skill development, cross-cultural art appreciation, creative problem solving leading to artistic and personal growth, collaboration, and culminating in a meaningful display of work.

All materials, lunch and some transport subsidies will also be provided. Here's a summary of the program.

Day 1-2: Idea generation and development. Be guided through building unique and
original ideas through creative thinking and collaboration establishing a context for creative projects. Then learn how to work with constraints and further develop ideas through techniques such as storyboarding, concept sketching and planning.
Day 3-4: Creating work. Learn how to create an authentic and original artwork from the deep depths of your imagination and see this realised using both traditional and digital techniques. Provide and incorporate feedback to refine the look and feel of your work.
Artist talks and mentoring mini-workshops will be incorporated.
Day 5-6: Explore options to expand and further develop your work, looking into possible approaches using drawing , painting, sculpture and mixed media . Exploration of cross-cultural art forms
Day 7-8: Create artwork with tuition, guidance and feedback in a stress free low pressure environment. Work in a collaborative environment to develop works. Learn how to create a solid bridge between art and mental wellness
Day 9-10: Resolving and further refining some chosen works, developing display options, installing, and arranging a gallery space for a low key and low pressure collaborative exhibition.

The response to Off the Radar, on display at Sawtell Gallery at the moment, has been amazing. For those who haven't been able to make it during work or school hours the exhibition will be open this Thursday from 6:00 to 7:30 PM for a special after-hours viewing. It's a great opportunity to bring along family and friends to soak up some inspiration.