This year, we are trying out a new tiered pricing structure for Arts Camp. This pricing structure will allow families flexibility to select the level of payment that best fits their needs. Simply choose the registration level that best suits your family. 

You can choose one of three pricing options that’s right for your family. Simply choose $100, $120 or $140. All payments are confidential and all youth will receive the same great Arts Camp experience. 

To participate, please complete this registration form before September 16: https://24wi4hartscamp.4honline.com

We value and encourage participation in the arts and it is difficult to put a price on youth programming. As we prioritize keeping this event affordable for families by offering three pricing options, $120 closely represents direct costs for arts camp programming and yet doesn’t truly account for continued program growth. Thank you for paying what you can to make future 4-H youth programming possible for all Wisconsin youth. Adult chaperone registration fees are $60. 

All fee options are possible because of support from the Wisconsin 4-H Foundation which funds 4-H programming across the state. Make a gift today to further support youth programming for all! 

In addition to campers, we are seeking Arts Camp counselors and track leaders in grades 9-12.  If you love the arts and want to develop your leadership skills, apply now to be an Arts Camp counselor!  Planning weekend will be September 7-8, 2024 at Upham Woods.

Youth Leadership team fees will be $100. 

What we expect from our Arts Camp Youth Staff

• Affirm, encourage, and interact with campers with a welcoming, kindhearted, and friendly. personality; Realize the high priority of engaging and interacting with campers.
• Take initiative to solve problems.
• Campers come first; sustain a mentality of selflessness and servant leadership throughout the weekend.
• Minimal use of cell phone.
• Be a role model; take appropriate action in each situation knowing eyes are on you.
• Be an outstanding representative of Wisconsin and 4-H.
• Plan with other arts camp staff members by e-mail, by phone, and to participate in on-site sessions.

Additional scholarship assistance is available for families. We believe that every 4-Her who wants to come to Arts Camp should be able to! Check with your county educator because many county leader’s associations offer financial support for youth who want to attend state experiences. To apply for a state scholarship, complete this form before September 16.

Are you a middle schooler looking for an opportunity to explore the arts through 4-H? If so, you don’t want to miss Wisconsin 4-H Arts Camp! This state-level experience offers one place for youth grades 6-8 to learn about topics like music, drama, visual arts, photography, communications, and more!

You’ll rotate through the different arts tracks each day, participate in various group activities throughout, and close with a ceremony for parents and families, celebrating the results of your Arts Camp experiences. You’ll also meet new friends, participate in camp games, and enjoy the great natural setting of Upham Woods, a 300-acre environmental education center on the Wisconsin River near Wisconsin Dells.

4-H Arts Camp is sponsored by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Division of Extension, and is funded through registrations and a grant from the Wisconsin 4-H Foundation. The program is planned and led by a talented group of 4-H high school youth, assisted by Extension specialists, 4-H staff, and key adult volunteers. You’ll learn lots of creative ideas to take home to share with your family, friends, and community.  

If you haven’t been a part of the Arts Camp experience, come and see what you’ve been missing! Space is limited. Call your county 4-H PYD Staff for more information about camper, counselor, and/or chaperone opportunities now!

Some of the tracks we have offered in past years:

Communication

Communication is an important part of everyday life. In this track, you will learn different ways of communicating. For example, the most common forms of communication are non-verbal, facial expressions, and hand gestures. Campers will play different games like the adverb game and gibberish game, which help with body gestures and facial expressions.

Drama

The drama track is a “high-energy, super-duper, fabulous, intense, accepting, trusting, and FUN” group of counselors. They teach the campers to be comfortable with their expressions. “For a lot, it’s like finding a family,” said their director, Rita.

Campers in this track play various games: learning improv, self-control and composure. They learn to trust a partner, when they are mirroring each other. The campers have to anticipate their partner’s moves. As a group, they create a human sculpture, and then fill the negative shape in with others in the group.

“Basically, it’s pass or fail for the whole group. We rely on each other,” said Isaac, from Waushara County.

Music

“Music has been a part of my life since before I was born,” said Amanda from Sheboygan County.

The counselors for this track love it, because music has such an impact on their own lives. Here, campers learn four basic parts of music: dance, rhythms, singing and instruments. The campers are taught a song and learn to sing it. Then they are taught either a line dance or an Irish jig. They get to see and hear some examples of various instruments from around the world. They also learn how to pick out the beats in rhythms.

“It’s a lot of fun. We get to jump around,” said Seth from Adams County.

Photography

Photography gives participants the opportunity to “Take the Arts Apart” by trying different aspects of what goes into a photo. The campers are divided into three sections. In one section groups look at color negatives and draw the photos, as they would see them in print. The second section works on composition and leading lines of a photo. The last section works on trick photograph with a Polaroid camera. The purpose of this activity is to test the limits of the illusions possible in photography.

Visual Arts

Visual Arts track can be compared to photography but this creative track is more hands-on. The campers create clay sculptures and collages. Campers also participate in an expression activity drawing out their feelings in a portrait of themselves. As a final project the campers will construct a 3-D creature consisting of cardboard boxes. Once the creature is constructed the group as a whole will decide what kind of facial expression to give their creature.