BAY VILLAGE, Ohio — Changes are coming to a historic community staple in Bay Village. BAYarts is adding more space, more entertainment and more opportunities for all abilities.
The organization, which was founded in 1948 as Baycrafters and rebranded in 2016 as BAYarts, is situated in Cleveland Metroparks’ Huntington Reservation. The campus includes several century-old buildings, but the organization touts a modern approach to make the arts accessible to everyone.
“In the last 20 years, we have renovated every inch of this campus – not only the buildings, but the gardens and the grounds,” said BAYarts executive director Nancy Heaton about her tenure in the role.
The entire campus has a story. The land was donated to Cleveland Metroparks by John Huntington, an industrialist and founder of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The estate’s former caretaker house now contains the BAYarts offices, gift shop, and classroom space.
The Fuller House, originally built on a high bluff on Bay Village’s eastern end, garnered international attention when it traveled to its current location on a floating barge in Lake Erie.
“Now today it’s 130 years old. It is the center of town,” said Heaton.
The former Huntington Playhouse sits on the site of John Huntington’s carriage house. The theater went dark in 2015 before BAYarts took over the building’s lease. It will be part of a key part of the organization’s growth.
“The sky’s the limit. We always say we’re never short of ideas, we were just short of space,” Heaton said.
In 2020, BAYarts began the first phase of renovations on the theater, upgrading the former lobby into a gallery with a wood-burning fireplace and patio access. Work is currently underway on the rest of the building, with plans to turn the auditorium and original stage into a flexible space for performances, classes, and events.
“We’ll be able to not only do theater and concerts, movies, but we can also do weddings and corporate events and so much more,” said BAYarts director of operations Beth Milli.
Next year will also bring changes outdoors.
“We had this unused space that is in a beautiful setting that we could use to appeal to people of all abilities,” Milli explained.
BAYarts is fundraising to transform a green space into a unique outdoor classroom and sensory garden for people with special sensory needs.
“More than just building the ramps and making sure the buildings were in compliance, we wanted to do more programming-wise,” Milli said.
Milli and Heaton said the renovations are part of the organization’s tradition of making the arts accessible to as many people as possible.
“We’ve watched our audience grow,” Heaton said. “Every single day somebody new discovers what we do. And the exciting thing is now we’re noticing a new generation discovering us.”
BAYarts plans to open the former playhouse entertainment space by Spring 2024. The organization is in the middle of a capital campaign to fundraise $1.3 million for current and future projects and operating expenses. You can find more information by clicking here.
