Mason Community Arts Academy
Mason Community Arts Academy, 4260 Chain Bridge Rd, Suite A-3, Fairfax, VA 22030
About
Mason Community Arts Academy offers classes and programs in music, theater, visual art, dance, creative technology, and film and video. The program also offers private music lessons, summer programs including camps and workshops, and in-school and after-school programs.
• Ages: 3–18 years old
• Schedule: Office hours during the fall and spring run Monday–Thursday 10 a.m.–9 p.m., Friday 10 a.m.–8 p.m., and Saturday 10 a.m.–4 p.m., with adjusted hours in the summer.
Mason Community Arts Academy is the community arts education division of George Mason University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts and brings university-level arts instruction to the community. Programs are available for all ages and skill levels and include options focused on teacher education and enrichment. The Academy merged with Acting for Young People (AFYP), establishing AFYP as the Academy’s theater division. It serves over 3,800 participants annually and offers outreach programs in music and theater to under-resourced populations locally and abroad. The Academy seeks to enrich the lives of community members of all ages, skill levels, and socio-economic backgrounds by providing artistic instruction in an accessible and nurturing environment.
Mason Community Arts Academy was established in 2008 and changed its name from Potomac Arts Academy in 2018. It originated out of the Potomac Music Academy, which started in 2003 through a donation from the Don and Nancy de Laski Foundation. Mary Lechter is the founder and director of Acting for Young People and serves on the George Mason School of Theater faculty, and she continued to serve as AFYP director and then the Academy’s executive director. The Academy has extensive outreach programs in music and theater that reach under-resourced populations in the local area and abroad, and it builds community partnerships with schools, businesses, and other organizations to establish in-school and after-school programs. Special thanks are given to supporting organizations and individual community members who donate time, talent, and funds to Academy programs and vision. If attending a performance, parking is available in the Mason Pond Parking Deck, with fees applying.
Last updated July 16, 2026.
• Ages: 3–18 years old
• Schedule: Office hours during the fall and spring run Monday–Thursday 10 a.m.–9 p.m., Friday 10 a.m.–8 p.m., and Saturday 10 a.m.–4 p.m., with adjusted hours in the summer.
Mason Community Arts Academy is the community arts education division of George Mason University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts and brings university-level arts instruction to the community. Programs are available for all ages and skill levels and include options focused on teacher education and enrichment. The Academy merged with Acting for Young People (AFYP), establishing AFYP as the Academy’s theater division. It serves over 3,800 participants annually and offers outreach programs in music and theater to under-resourced populations locally and abroad. The Academy seeks to enrich the lives of community members of all ages, skill levels, and socio-economic backgrounds by providing artistic instruction in an accessible and nurturing environment.
Mason Community Arts Academy was established in 2008 and changed its name from Potomac Arts Academy in 2018. It originated out of the Potomac Music Academy, which started in 2003 through a donation from the Don and Nancy de Laski Foundation. Mary Lechter is the founder and director of Acting for Young People and serves on the George Mason School of Theater faculty, and she continued to serve as AFYP director and then the Academy’s executive director. The Academy has extensive outreach programs in music and theater that reach under-resourced populations in the local area and abroad, and it builds community partnerships with schools, businesses, and other organizations to establish in-school and after-school programs. Special thanks are given to supporting organizations and individual community members who donate time, talent, and funds to Academy programs and vision. If attending a performance, parking is available in the Mason Pond Parking Deck, with fees applying.
Last updated July 16, 2026.
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