Nancy & Frederick DeMatteis Arts Academy
Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center, 76 Main St, Westhampton Beach, NY 11978
About
Nancy & Frederick DeMatteis Arts Academy is part of the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center and offers School Day Bus-in performances, after school classes, summer camps, and full-length productions. Over 600 students take part in the after school classes, summer camps, or both in one year. The academy runs as a year-round arts program that produces its own full-length productions for all ages and is connected to a World Cinema series at the Center.
• Schedule: Offers year-round performing arts options including School Day Bus-in performances, after school classes, summer camps, and full-length productions
Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center began offering youth-centered performances when it first opened its doors, and this work has grown into one of the premier performing arts education providers in the region. The Center describes its Arts Education Program as the region’s finest year-round program and notes that it provides a wide variety of year-round performing arts opportunities. The Center states that its programming is committed to being diverse, affordable, and socially conscious and socially responsible for audiences of all genders, races, sexualities, abilities, religions, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
The building that houses the Center opened as Prudential’s Westhampton Theatre in June 1933, was purchased by Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center Inc in May 1997, and underwent renovation starting in November 1997 before reopening to the public on July 4, 1998. The board made its last loan payment on the building in June 2005. During the renovation, the period marquee was completely refurbished, and sconces, chandeliers, and lobby wood details were saved and restored.
The community contributed more than half the cost of the renovation project through residents and business owners, with nearly 70 people providing tens of thousands of dollars to support the theater purchase. The Center also received support from elected officials including State Senator Kenneth P. LaValle, former U.S. Congressman Michael Forbes, New York Assemblyman Fred Thiele, Jr., former Suffolk County Legislator George Guldi, and Suffolk County Legislator Jay Schneiderman. Nationally recognized theater consultant Robert Lorelli, whose projects include New York’s Carnegie Hall, developed the design and engineering requirements for the theater’s sound, lighting, and rigging systems and related equipment.
Last updated February 10, 2026.
• Schedule: Offers year-round performing arts options including School Day Bus-in performances, after school classes, summer camps, and full-length productions
Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center began offering youth-centered performances when it first opened its doors, and this work has grown into one of the premier performing arts education providers in the region. The Center describes its Arts Education Program as the region’s finest year-round program and notes that it provides a wide variety of year-round performing arts opportunities. The Center states that its programming is committed to being diverse, affordable, and socially conscious and socially responsible for audiences of all genders, races, sexualities, abilities, religions, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
The building that houses the Center opened as Prudential’s Westhampton Theatre in June 1933, was purchased by Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center Inc in May 1997, and underwent renovation starting in November 1997 before reopening to the public on July 4, 1998. The board made its last loan payment on the building in June 2005. During the renovation, the period marquee was completely refurbished, and sconces, chandeliers, and lobby wood details were saved and restored.
The community contributed more than half the cost of the renovation project through residents and business owners, with nearly 70 people providing tens of thousands of dollars to support the theater purchase. The Center also received support from elected officials including State Senator Kenneth P. LaValle, former U.S. Congressman Michael Forbes, New York Assemblyman Fred Thiele, Jr., former Suffolk County Legislator George Guldi, and Suffolk County Legislator Jay Schneiderman. Nationally recognized theater consultant Robert Lorelli, whose projects include New York’s Carnegie Hall, developed the design and engineering requirements for the theater’s sound, lighting, and rigging systems and related equipment.
Last updated February 10, 2026.
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