Bower Center for the Arts is a hub for artistic and creative activities. Whether you are interested in viewing artwork in the gallery, attending events and concerts, or just taking a class that helps you explore your creative side, we have a little bit of everything for everyone.

Photo credit: John Wilcher

Camp season is upon us...
See what the Bower has to offer!

Each summer, Bower Center for the Arts offers an array of arts-based camps for the youth in our community led by Bower teachers and artists. This year, we have 5 different morning camps based on artistic/creative themes. Camps are each a week long and run Monday-Friday from 8:30 am-1 pm. Each week-long camp is $175.

New this year, thanks to a grant from Centra and the Al Stroobants Foundation, we are offering a new afternoon opportunity, Art Explorers. These community-oriented camps include walking field trips and collaborative projects with partners such as Bedford Urban Gardens, Noteworthy, and Bedford Get Together. Each week features a different community partner and unique collaborative project. Each session runs Monday through Friday from 1-4pm, and the cost is $75.

Campers can sign up for just the morning, just the afternoon, or both for a full day of Bower fun!

Limited scholarships are available. If you are interested in "sending a kid to camp" and wish to sponsor a child's camp experience, please reach out to Executive Director, Susan Martin at s.martin@bowercenter.org.

Are you interested in helping out with camp this year? We are looking for instructors for this summer's camp season. Instructors need to be 18 or older, and teaching/arts instruction experience is a plus. This is a paid position. Contact Lauren at l.hood@bowercenter.org if you are interested.

Sign me up to be an instructor!

Now on Exhibit

For the next two weeks, artwork featured by artists from all three middle schools in the Bedford County Public School District will be on display in both the Braaten and Terrace Galleries. Everyone is invited to join the artists and their families on Thursday, April 10 for the reception and awards presentation at 5:00 pm.

Admission to our galleries is always free. Gallery hours are Tuesday-Saturday from 11-3.

Up Next in the Gallery

Call for Artists

Are you a fiber artist?

This may be the exhibition for you!

Final entry deadline is April 29.

Classes Starting in April

Bower Center for the Arts offers a full array of classes for your inner artist! Whether you are looking to learn to work with clay, mosaics, drawing or needle-felting, we're sure to have something here to spark your creativity!

Some upcoming classes with spots still open this month:

Felted Wool Forest Painting with Belle Thomas: One-Day workshop April 15
Mosaic Plant Pot with Dotti Stone: Starts April 22
Still Life Drawing Basics with Judy Almond: Starts April 22
Spring has Sprung: K-5 Clay with Olivia Fletcher: Starts April 26
Functional Pottery for Young Potters with Olivia Fletcher: Starts April 26
Mosaic Basics with Dotti Stone: Starts May 1.
An array of Open Studios for both clay and mosaics with instructors, Thomas and Dotti.

For a full menu of availabe courses this year, visit: https://members.bowercenter.org/classes

Bower Center for the Arts Outdoor Learning Center and Community Gathering Place Update

An update on our newest endeavor, the Outdoor Learning Center & Community Gathering Place—a welcoming space designed to foster creativity, connection, and hands-on learning in nature.

Building materials have been delivered, and slabs for foundations are started.

The space will host heARTworks programming, summer camps, youth and adult classes, special events, and serve as a gathering place for the community. When not in use by programming, visitors can enjoy complimentary creative activities from our Free Little Art Library, have a coffee meeting, or simply relax in this inviting outdoor area that we hope will be a hub for artistic exploration and connection.

Construction is anticipated to be completed by early May, with a ribbon-cutting event to follow. Community members interested in volunteering for future building dates can contact Des at Des@forestsplintersthreads.com

Stay tuned for updates as we bring this vision to life!