Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp: Residential Summer Arts Camp in Michigan
Twin Lake, Michigan, United StatesBlue Lake4.4(222)
- Latest published dates
- Jun 23 – Jul 6, 2026
- Duration
- 2 weeks
- Ages
- 12–18
$938
Course price for 1 week
Central Camp for Teens (Orchestra)
We'll let you know when this camp adds new dates.
Founded in 1966, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp is a premier summer arts school nestled on a 1,600-acre campus within Michigan's scenic Manistee National Forest. It offers a secluded, natural setting ideal for focused artistic study and creative growth, continuing the spirit of the historic Arens Art Colony. The camp serves thousands of elementary, junior high, and high school students each summer with diverse programs in music, art, dance, drama, and creative writing. Its core mission is to inspire young artists to achieve their best potential in an inclusive, non-competitive environment that encourages creativity, recognizes the individual, and motivates students to pursue their art with new enthusiasm.
Language
English
Program type
Art Camps
Accommodation
Cabin
About
About the Course
The instructional approach is intensive and structured, offering five hours of daily discipline-specific training. Students are accepted at all proficiency levels and grouped by ability through placement videos or evaluations. Learning focuses on practical mastery through rehearsals, sectionals, technique classes, private lessons (for some majors), and studio work. The curriculum emphasizes creativity, personal expression, and artistic growth within both large ensembles and small group settings.
What’s Included
The base tuition includes full room and board (three cafeteria-style meals daily), all instructional classes and rehearsals, admission to all camp events and performances, uniform laundering, and basic health services. Optional add-ons include a Minor class for Central Camp students, transportation to/from local depots, early arrival/late departure/stay-between-sessions fees, and store accounts for incidentals. A non-refundable deposit is required with application.
Accommodation
Campers stay in rustic, single-room cabins grouped by grade and gender-inclusive housing preference (boys', girls', gender-inclusive, or all-gender cabins). Central Camp cabins house about 10 campers with shared community restroom facilities, while Camp Bernstein cabins have single-user bathrooms. Cabins are supervised 24/7 by college-aged cabin counselors and unit directors. The campus is a closed, secure environment with controlled access to ensure safety and minimize outside distractions.
Meal Plan
A full meal plan is provided with three well-balanced, cafeteria-style meals daily. Each meal offers hot entrees, vegetarian options, fresh vegetables, proteins, fruits, and breads. The camp accommodates common food allergies (like nuts) and offers limited gluten-free and dairy-free menu supplements. For severe restrictions, families may supplement with personal food, subject to camp guidelines.
Activities & Excursions
A structured daily schedule balances intensive arts instruction with supervised recreation and enrichment. Free time activities include sports (basketball, volleyball, soccer, swimming), club running, and visits to the camp store. Evenings feature concerts, recitals, masterclasses, talent shows, campfires, and cabin skits. Activities aim to foster community, provide cultural exposure, and offer fun, engaging downtime.
Facilities
The 1,600-acre forested campus features rustic buildings, dedicated studios, classrooms, rehearsal spaces, and the historic William Stewart Memorial Music Shell. Facilities include dance studios, art studios, a ceramics studio, a musical instrument museum, and the broadcast studios of Blue Lake Public Radio. Recreational amenities include sports fields, pools, trails, and Central Park. The campus is self-contained, with students walking to all facilities.
Camp Experience
Education is delivered by a highly qualified faculty from universities and professional ensembles, most holding advanced degrees. The atmosphere is intentionally supportive, inclusive, and focused on personal and artistic growth without judgment. The long-standing philosophy, inspired by the Arens Art Colony, emphasizes concentrated effort in a natural setting. The camp's 60-year legacy and countless student successes attest to its impactful, motivating experience.
Language Camp prices
Central Camp for Teens (Choir)
20 Lessons · 14–18 yrs · B2–C22026 price
Blue Lake's Central Camp is the premier intensive arts program for teenagers (grades 7-12) seeking serious artistic growth in a dedicated, collegiate-like environment. Designed for students ready for focused study, it offers a wide range of majors—from music and dance to visual arts, theater, and creative writing—within a structured daily schedule that balances five hours of specialized instruction with community life, evening events, and recreation in a beautiful natural setting. The program's core mission is to challenge young artists, foster independence, and inspire them to pursue their craft with renewed enthusiasm and professionalism.
The instructional approach in Central Camp is intensive and discipline-specific. Students receive approximately five hours of daily training in their chosen major, which includes a combination of large ensemble rehearsals, small group sectionals or technique classes, and, for some majors like piano and harp, daily private lessons. Placement is based on pre-submitted audition videos or evaluations, ensuring students are grouped with peers of similar ability to work on challenging, curated repertoire or projects under the guidance of a faculty of professional artists and educators. Learning emphasizes hands-on practice, creativity, and personal expression. In arts majors, students explore diverse media and techniques in dedicated studios; musicians delve into standard and contemporary repertoire; theater students train in voice, movement, and specialized acting styles; and writers engage in workshop-style classes. The environment is supportive yet demanding, aiming for significant artistic progress over the 12-day session, culminating in final performances, exhibitions, or readings that showcase their accomplishments.
This intensive program is designed to provide serious teenage artists with professional-level training, creative challenges, and a transformative immersive experience in their chosen discipline, all within a supportive and inspiring community.
Daily Schedule
Breakfast
07:00–08:00
Classes
08:30–12:30
Lunch
12:30–13:30
Dinner
18:30–19:30
Evening activities
20:00–22:00
Lights out
22:30
Included items
Optional Extras
Recommended for most families
Smooth arrival and fewer surprises.
Transfer from / to Muskegon, one-way
Central Camp minors fee for ten class sessions
Reviews
Reviews
Based on 222 Google reviews
Photos
School
Blue Lake
Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp strives to maintain an atmosphere where students who want to learn may do so in an environment which encourages creativity and recognizes the importance of the individual. Students are accepted at whatever their proficiency level may be and are encouraged to grow. Faculty and staff strive to motivate campers and share with them the joy of achievement in the fine arts. Enthusiasm is contagious at Blue Lake as campers discover, learn, experience, and succeed. Our Camp draws its inspiration from the Arens Art Colony that was located in Door County, Wisconsin, and founded in 1922 by Ludolph Arens. The spirit of the Arens Art Colony continues to flourish at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. The fundamental mission to motivate students to pursue their art with new enthusiasm continues to drive those who have worked to make Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp what it is today. Our mission to inspire young artists to achieve their best has not wavered since our first day of camp in 1966. Blue Lake's faculty members come from universities, colleges, professional ensembles, and private and public schools from around the country. They serve as motivators and role-models for the campers by teaching artistry, discipline, and appreciation of formal study. Their goal is to motivate through engaging instruction, sending them home with an incentive to pursue their art with new enthusiasm. Most Blue Lake faculty members have completed their Masters and Doctorate degrees and have extensive teaching and performance experience.