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The Nightmare on Maple

The Nightmare on Maple

Featuring the Haunted Fear Garden & Zombie Dancers! Come one, come all to The Nightmare on Maple! On October 24-26, the Boundary Bay Brewery beer garden will be transformed into eerie scenes filled with ghosts, ghouls, and surprises at every turn. This Halloween...

WECU Education First Grant

WECU Education First Grant

We are delighted to announce that BAAY has been awarded a 2024-2025 Education First Grant from WECU! The Education First program is an expression of WECU's commitment to making a meaningful difference in our community, a commitment they fulfill in part by supporting...

BAAY Summer Bash on June 30th

BAAY Summer Bash on June 30th

Kick off the summer with your friends from BAAY! The Summer Bash is an all-ages event that will include food and drinks, BAAY merch for sale, yard games, activities, and a program starting at 4PM featuring live music, speeches, and special performances. Date: Sunday,...

BAAY Hiring Music Director for Pippi

Overview The mission of Bellingham Arts Academy for Youth is to enrich the lives of children through exploration of the arts. Through our educational programs we help children develop confidence, character, creativity, and community. All BAAY staff, board, and...

Kaleb Van Rijswijck is BAAY’s Artistic Director

Kaleb Van Rijswijck is BAAY’s Artistic Director

BAAY is thrilled to announce our new Artistic Director, Kaleb Van Rijswijck! In his new role, Kaleb will oversee the development and delivery of BAAY programs. They will coordinate our onsite classes and productions, oversee and support program staff, help care for...

BAAY Hiring Costuming Staff

BAAY is seeking part-time costuming instructors/costumers to support its fall productions, The Snow Queen and The Addams Family. These positions involve teaching weekly after-school costuming classes with students ages 9-12 and 13-17. With the guidance of the...

Juliette Machado is BAAY’s Executive Director

Juliette Machado is BAAY’s Executive Director

Hello BAAY community, As you may know, our organization is in a period of transition and growth on many levels. BAAY’s Artistic Director Olivia Theilemann is phasing out of this role to focus more fully on her job as a teacher at Blaine High School. When she shared...

BAAY Seeking Artistic Director

The mission of Bellingham Arts Academy for Youth is to enrich the lives of children through the exploration of the arts. Through our educational programs we help children develop confidence, character, creativity, and community. The Artistic Director (AD) is...

Artistic Director Olivia Theilemann Takes a Bow

Artistic Director Olivia Theilemann Takes a Bow

Sounds of song and dance ring through the halls of Bellingham Arts Academy for Youth as excitement builds for BAAY’s upcoming State Street Theatre Company production of Cabaret. The show will open on Friday, August 18 at Mount Baker Theatre’s Walton Theatre. Director...

BAAY’s State Street Theatre Company presents: Cabaret

BAAY’s State Street Theatre Company presents: Cabaret

What good is sittingAlone in your room?Come hear the music playLife is a cabaret, old chumCome to the cabaret! You are invited to Cabaret!   About: In a Berlin nightclub, as the 1920’s draw to a close, a garish Master of Ceremonies welcomes the audience and...

BAAY’s Building is For Sale

BAAY’s Building is For Sale

Dear beloved community, Last month, we received word from our landlords that the building will be put up for sale. We first processed with BAAY's Board of Directors and then with staff. Some of you may have noticed that the building was listed publicly on Monday....

BAAY at Home Resources

BAAY at Home Resources

Three years ago in March 2020, the world seemed to shut down overnight. BAAY shows were postponed, but students isolated at home needed to create and connect together more than ever. BAAY stepped in with “BAAY At Home” – virtual gatherings and classes that carried on...

Dana Crediford Receives Ken Gass Community Building Award!

Dana Crediford Receives Ken Gass Community Building Award!

Dana Crediford, BAAY’s beloved Costuming Director and Costume Shop Manager, has been recognized for her work at BAAY and as an all-around outstanding community member! She is a recipient of the Ken Gass Community Building Awards, which are awarded annually by the...

Seeking BAAY EduArts Instructors

Seeking BAAY EduArts Instructors

Join the BAAY EduArts enrichment team! Bellingham Arts Academy for Youth (BAAY) is looking for instructors to teach Theatre, Dance, or Music classes for grades K-2 and 3-5. Classes are typically held after school from 2:30-3:30 PM M/T/W/F, and 12:45-2:00 PM on...

BAAY’s Haunted Fear Garden 2022

BAAY’s Haunted Fear Garden 2022

Come one, come all to the 7th annual Nightmare on Railroad! On October 28-29 and 31, the Boundary Bay Brewery beer garden will be transformed into spooky scenes filled with ghosts, ghouls, and surprises at every turn.   Each night from 6:00-9:00 PM, this...

Save The Date for Summer 2022 Camps!

Save The Date for Summer 2022 Camps!

Specific arts classes and shows will be announced soon, but get these dates on the calendar - we can't wait to create with you this summer! Summer Programs include: Home BAAYse Camps in July - weeklong day camps will run July 5 - 29, a week at a time, with a variety...

BAAY Seeking Choreographer for Spring Musical

Bellingham Arts Academy for Youth (BAAY) is looking for a choreographer to work with students ages 13-17 on our production of The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical. This is a high-energy contemporary musical that is based on a beloved Young Adult book series....

BAAY hosts Food and Art Drive for Farmworkers

BAAY hosts Food and Art Drive for Farmworkers

BAAY and Bellingham Repertory Dance are partnering in support of the WASHMASKS Heart of Washington Winter 2021 Drive. Together, we will provide culturally responsive food, household items, and art supplies to several farming communities across our state. We're...

Our donors provided $37,539 in scholarships last year!

Our donors provided $37,539 in scholarships last year!

Look what you did! On this Giving Tuesday, we are giving thanks for our generous donors who allowed us to provide $37,539 in financial aid to students last year. Maybe your idea of fun isn't reading a tax return, but our most recent annual Form 990 filed with the IRS...

How Education First Saved Underwater Llamas

"If not for the Education First funding Bellingham Arts Academy for Youth received via a grant from Whatcom Educational Credit Union in 2019, The Story of the Stolen Underwater Llamas may never have seen the light of day.   To better understand how nine Birchwood...

BAAY’s Haunted House event at Boundary Bay returns!

BAAY’s Haunted House event at Boundary Bay returns!

Come one, come all to the 6th annual Nightmare on Railroad in the Boundary Bay Brewery's Haunted Fear Garden! On October 29-31, the brewery warehouse and beer garden will be transformed into spooky scenes filled with ghosts, ghouls, and surprises at every turn. Each...

Camp LarraBAAY Performances

Bellingham Arts Academy for Youth presents (abridged performances of) "Fiddler on the Roof" and "Seussical the Musical" at Larrabee State Park! These productions were put on hold in spring of 2020 and the student casts were reunited this summer during BAAY's...

Positions open on BAAY’s Board of Directors

Founded in 2006, Bellingham Arts Academy for Youth is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts education organization that offers quality instruction in theater, choir, dance, music, and visual arts to youth ages 5-17. BAAY's Board of Directors are a group of individuals with a...

Welcome to our new leadership team!

Hello BAAY community! We are deeply grateful for you, and wanted to take a moment to share where Bellingham Arts Academy for Youth has been this past year, and where we are headed. As the early months of the pandemic unfolded, it became clear that BAAY would have to...

Seeking Bilingual Assistants for After-School Arts Classes

Join the BAAY EduArts enrichment team this winter! Bellingham Arts Academy for Youth (BAAY) is looking for teaching assistants to help in a Dance or Theatre class for grades 3-5. These Zoom classes will be held on Wednesdays from 2:30-3:30 PM from February 10 - March...

Online Arts Classes for Kids and Teens – Winter 2021

Online Arts Classes for Kids and Teens – Winter 2021

Introducing Bellingham Arts Academy for Youth winter online classes for kids and teens! BAAY’s team is committed to meeting the emotional and creative needs of young people by fostering connection, play, and relationship building. Classes start in January and students...

BAAY at Home

BAAY at Home

Read at CascadiaWeekly.com.  Thoughts from executive director Ian Bivins on new online programming and the community-building power of the arts.

Register now – new BAAY At Home classes start Monday!

We are proud to offer new BAAY at Home online courses to keep our young artists growing and learning during this time! Visit baay.org to peruse the latest offerings. If you miss a class, no problem. Late registrations are possible and the...

Important Update for BAAY Families

Dear Families, I hope everyone is staying healthy and sane in this unprecedented time and finding ways to maintain balance. We miss you and can’t wait to see you again in person! Thank you for your patience while BAAY has circled the proverbial wagons, looking at how...

BAAY’s Response to School Closures

Dear BAAY Families, By now you've probably heard that Bellingham Public Schools will be closed from March 16th to April 24th, or longer. We at BAAY know that this was an incredibly challenging decision for the district staff to navigate with many, many implications....

COVID-19 Response

Hello Families, We wanted to take the time to update you about BAAY’s response to the evolving COVID-19 situation in our state. Safety is our top priority and we are monitoring developments and recommendations on a daily basis by checking in with the Whatcom County...