Eastern Shore Art Center

The Eastern Shore Art Center is a community art center and exhibition space on Oak Street in downtown Fairhope, a few blocks from the shops and restaurants along Fairhope Avenue and Section Street and a short walk from the bluff overlooking Mobile Bay. It serves as a gathering place for working artists, students and visitors, combining free public galleries with a busy schedule of classes in the visual arts. The center fits naturally into a town known for its galleries, bookstores and long tradition of supporting artists and craftspeople, and its galleries and classrooms draw residents from across Baldwin County.

The organization grew out of the Eastern Shore Art Association, formed in 1952 by a group of local artists and supporters who believed that art should be part of everyday community life on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay. The association’s facility was first dedicated in 1965. It stands on the former site of Pinewood Pottery Studio, a local pottery operation, which ties the center to Fairhope’s long history as a haven for craftspeople and creative residents.

Today the building holds five exhibit galleries, which host a rotating series of shows through the year. Exhibitions feature local, regional and national artists working in painting, ceramics, photography, sculpture and other media, and member shows give area artists a place to present new work. Because the calendar changes regularly, the galleries reward repeat visits from residents as well as first time travelers passing through Baldwin County. Several exhibitions are presented each year, so the walls of each gallery turn over regularly and different media, styles and artists take their turn in the spotlight.

Alongside the galleries are four teaching studios, and instruction is a large part of what the center does. Classes are organized by quarter for both adults and children and cover a wide range of skill levels, from first time painters to experienced artists refining a technique. Summer art camps keep children busy during school breaks, and casual programs such as Paint and Sip evenings and the MessMakers Society offer lower pressure ways to make art. The center also welcomes school field trips and group tours. In total the center schedules hundreds of classes over the course of a year, and its studios allow students to work in a range of media with guidance from instructors in a hands on studio setting.

The center reaches well beyond its own walls. Its Community Outreach Program brings art activities to residents across the area, and it participates in Fairhope’s monthly Art Walk, an evening event that draws crowds to downtown galleries and shops. The center also organizes the annual Outdoor Art Show, a long running festival in downtown Fairhope that reached its 54th year in 2026. Together these events connect the center with residents and visitors well beyond its regular class rosters and gallery audiences.

Gallery admission is free and open to the public. The Eastern Shore Art Center is open Tuesday through Friday from 10am to 4pm and Saturday from 10am to 6pm, and it is closed on Sundays and Mondays. Class schedules, registration details and current exhibition dates are posted on the center’s website, and staff can be reached by phone during gallery hours. Downtown Fairhope is walkable, so many visitors combine a stop at the center with time in nearby shops, cafes and the bayfront park.