2024 is almost over. Take a moment to make a lasting difference in a young artist’s life. Inspire their journey. Make your gift today.

Make Your Gift

Jan. 15 is the Priority Application Deadline for Interlochen Arts Camp and Arts Academy. Programs fill quickly—submit your app today!

Apply Today

10 reasons why arts camp is the best camp

Arts + camp = the best summer of your life.

Smiling cellist

There are a lot of camps in the United States. Each year, more camps open for business, and they’re getting more and more specialized. Love science? Try robotics camp. Animals? Go to horseback riding camp. Stage magic? Yup, there’s a camp for that, too.

In a crowded camp landscape, it’s hard to decide where you want to spend your summer. But if you’re a dancer, musician, filmmaker, painter, writer, actor, or artist of any kind, arts camp may be the place for you. Here are just a few reasons why arts camp is the best camp:

Discover Interlochen Arts Camp

  1. You can make friends from around the world. When a camp offers world-class educational experiences, it attracts young artists from around the world. The result? A diverse global community where cross-cultural friendships are formed and worldviews are expanded. And although you may not speak the same language as your cabin-mates, you already have at least one thing in common: Your love of the arts.
  2. You’ll develop independence and individuality. Like traditional sleep-away camps, arts camp is residential, which means you’ll be away from your parents and have the opportunity to make your own choices and your own schedule. But at arts camp, you’ll also have the time and space to find your own voice as an artist—and find yourself in the process.
  3. You’ll have access to amazing teachers. At home, your lessons are limited by the instructors in your school system or geographic area. Arts camps unite passionate artists and educators from across the U.S., and in many cases the globe, in one creative community. You won’t just learn from one amazing instructor: You’ll work with several each day, gaining unique ideas and unique perspectives from each one.
  4. You’ll have access to amazing facilities and resources. There’s always that one camera you wish your school had, that one color of paint you’ve run out of, that one score you wish your local music store had in stock. At arts camp, all the resources you need are right at your fingertips. You’ll make art in facilities specifically designed for making art and stocked with everything a young artist needs to be successful.
  5. You can share your art with others. Most school ensembles, drama clubs, or dance classes perform only once or twice per year. But at arts camps, you might perform once or twice per week. You’ll get a glimpse into the rigors of the professional art world as you rehearse for performances that are only days—not months—away.
  6. You can collaborate with your friends. Whether you’re staging a play for your end-of-session performance or enjoying an informal jam session with your cabin-mates, opportunities for creative collaboration abound at arts camps. Surrounded by hundreds of passionate and gifted peers, you can’t help but create together.
  7. You can explore one art—or three. As much as you love your art, there’s only so many hours per day you can hold a paint brush, a plié, or a piccolo. At many arts camps, you can take a break from your primary artform and watch other arts students perform or exhibit their work. 
  8. You can explore a new area. Whether the camp you choose is in the city or the country, it’s likely a place you’ve never been before. Some camps offer idyllic retreats with pine forests and pristine lakes. Others offer immersive experiences in the big city. Whatever you choose, you’ll find plenty of inspiration for your summer of art-making.
  9. You can try and fail in a safe space. Arts camps are all about exploration. Your instructors are asking you to try new things, and they know that you might fail the first time. You’ll have a supportive community of instructors and peers to cheer on your successes and encourage you when things don’t go your way.
  10. You can enjoy all the fun of art and camp. Sure, it’s arts camp, so there will be plenty of time for your art. But there will also be plenty of time for classic camp activities, like s’mores, swimming, games, sports, crafts, field trips, and more! By the end of the summer, you won’t just have improved your craft: You’ll have had the best summer of your life.

Discover for yourself why arts camp is the best camp. Start your Interlochen Arts Camp application today.