Fine Arts Camp

A Week of Creativity!

Embark on a journey of self-discovery with friends! Professionally-trained instructors guide campers in art exploration, storytelling, dance, music, and theatre. Fine Arts Camp focuses on educating young girls and developing their communication, critical, and analytical thinking skills. At the end of the week, campers present their work in a Performing Arts Forum on the Saint Mary’s College stage. 

Participants will explore four fine arts disciplines: music, dance, theater, and studio art over five days. Daily classes in these disciplines are combined with a performance class where each camper specializes in a specific art form. At the end of the week, families are invited to attend a performance of what the campers have been creating

We are excited to offer both residential and day camp options this coming summer! Whether experienced or not, campers are welcome to enroll in Saint Mary’s Fine Arts Camps. The only requirement is the desire to learn and have fun!

2023 Camp Information

Fine Arts Overnight Camp

For girls entering grades 5-9 as of September 2023

Dates: July 9-14

Cost: $749
Scholarships available

Registration Closed.

Fine Arts Day Camp

For girls entering grades 4-8 as of September 2023

Dates: July 10-14 (7:30 a.m. - 8 a.m. drop-off | 4:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. pick-up EST)

Cost: $395
Scholarships available

Registration Closed.

Pick your concentration — Experience them all!

At Fine Arts Camp, campers explore four fine arts disciplines: art, music, dance, and theatre. Campers will have an opportunity to choose which of these disciplines they would like to focus on during camp. Based on their choices, campers attend a daily performance class where they work alongside our professionally trained instructors to create a piece of art within that discipline. At the end of camp, each camper will have the opportunity to present their art to family and friends in our Performing Arts Forum!

Take a look at our 2023 class descriptions!

ART

Dream Weavers

Performance Class: We will build off the basic techniques we learn in the exploration class and amplify the project. Available to use will be hula-hoops for large scale projects, tree limbs for life size mobiles and wire hangers to create three dimensional weaving sculptures. We’ll also dive into small weaving accent projects using plastic straws, pompous, and tassels! 

Exploration Class: We’ll work on basic weaving techniques. Mixing nature, wire, and yarn to create simple and colorful wall art. If time allows we’ll add in pompoms and tassels. 

Swirls and Curls

Performance Class: Campers will use their own marbled paper to make rolled beads and create custom jewelry and wearable art to take home!

Exploration Class: Campers will explore marbling paper and create swirling designs of color. Campers can use their personalized papers as bases for their own drawings, letters, or even stickers!

MUSIC

Music is Everywhere!

Performance Class: Campers will sing a medley of songs from the hit Disney movie, Beauty and the Beast! Specific song selections may include Belle, How Does a Moment Last Forever, Be Our Guest, Evermore, and Beauty and the Beast! We will work together to choreograph, rehearse, and stage this group of songs. We will also enjoy sharing some of our drumming circle work and original sound explorations from the day classes.

Exploration Class: Through games, singing together, and other musical activities, campers will learn the fundamental building blocks of music - beat, rhythm, melody, harmony, and movement. We will also create original pieces through found percussion instruments, bucket drumming, and body percussion. Our explorations will be done in whole group, small group, individual, and pair settings!

DANCE

Camp Spirit!

Performance Class: Team spirit is when a group of people really feel invested in reaching a goal together and are there to support each other. At Fine Arts Camp, we encourage working together to create all forms of art.  This year in dance performance class, we will show our Fine Arts Camp team spirit by writing original camp cheers and chants and making fun dances to accompany them. Shake those poms, kick up those legs, and cheer for Fine Arts Camp! 

Exploration Class: A dance marathon is a great way to fundraise for a cause you’re passionate about! It’s a fun event that allows your organization to raise money while having a great time dancing.  In our dance exploration class, on day one campers will plan a mock dance marathon geared toward raising funds to support arts in the schools, and on day two they’ll dance their hearts out! Campers will learn how to plan a dance marathon by forming committees, developing a theme complete with designs for t-shirts and posters, and choreographing dances to inspire participation and boost morale during the “event!”

THEATRE

Whodunit? Youdunit!

Performance Class: In the dark of the night someone steals something extremely valuable right out from under the noses of a quirky cast of characters. Luckily, the best detectives in the world are on the case! Or maybe they are not the best detectives. Or maybe the treasured items were being returned to their rightful owners. Or maybe there is some magic at play. The possibilities are endless and it’s all up to you! This summer, the theatre performance class will be crafting a heist story of epic proportions. Individually and in small groups, campers will develop a character entirely of their own making - from an elaborate backstory, to an alibi for when the crime was committed, to whether or not they are in on the heist. They will write, rehearse, and perform small skits over the course of the week that will carefully reveal the true story – hopefully with a few suspenseful twists and turns. Each part will be fine-tuned by the entire class so that they can be woven together to create a cohesive story for our final performance in front of our family and friends. I can’t wait to find out whodunit!

Exploration Class: All campers will explore the process of building a character through creative prompts, improv games, and collaborative projects. We will use costume props, famous quotes, and fairy tale storylines to spark our inspiration before moving on to our own creative whims. In our theatre classes everyone is expected to participate in simultaneous voice and movement work, partner and group improv, and eventually short group skits. We ease campers into performing by starting with low-pressure, whole group activities and then allowing them to choose whether they take on more or less in the subsequent activities, building confidence, a support structure, and trust as we work.

Storytelling

Folds and Flips!

Performance Class: Have you ever wanted to be an animator?  Campers who chose storytelling as their performance class will start off drawing up storyboards for a idea of their choice and then transfer their story to paper as they make flip books to bring their stories to life with analog animation.  Campers will get to show their “silent shorts” to parents and fellow campers on Friday. 

Exploration Class: How many words does it take to tell a story?  In every day classes, campers will experiment with different ways to tell a story and then learn some different folding techniques to create accordion style books of their short stories.  Campers my choose to illustrate and decorate their books to help their stories come to life!

Questions?

We know how important choosing a summer camp is for you and because of this, we are here to answer any questions that you have!

Call: (574) 284-4778