● About
Why Camp Bennie?
Most camps teach kids how to follow the rules—at Bennie, we invite them to break them. Our days are built around small classes with working artists, cozy cabins that feel like home, and plenty of space to experiment, make a mess, and try again. It’s this mix of guidance and freedom that makes Camp Bennie different—and why campers leave buzzing with ideas, friendships, and the guts to keep creating.
● Our Mission & Philosophy
Our Principles
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Creativity Over Perfection
We celebrate bold ideas, happy accidents, and the magic that happens when things don’t go as planned.
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Making Made Accessible
We believe the arts should be available to every child, with financial aid and support making camp more inclusive.
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Artists at the Helm
Campers learn directly from practicing artists who model curiosity, discipline, and a lifelong creative practice.
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Process Over Product
We emphasize exploration and making over polished results, helping campers see value in the work itself.
Our Various Packages
Tactile, creative exploration through painting, papermaking, and all things hand-crafted and messy. Days are spent blending pigments, sculpting in paper mâché, and bringing bold ideas to life in vivid color.
A space for kids to explore rhythm, melody, and instruments—where music-making takes center stage. They’ll try out different instruments, write their own tunes, and join in group jams that fill camp with sound.
Where imagination comes alive through theater, character play, storytelling, and performance. Campers rehearse scenes, create costumes, and collaborate on productions that bring their ideas to the spotlight.
● Our Story
Meet Bennie
Bennie grew up spending summers on the road with her artist parents—painting by the lake, playing music barefoot, and putting on backyard plays by the bonfire. Those early experiences of freedom, creativity, and joy became the heartbeat of the camp she would go on to create.
Today, that vision lives on each summer, when a close-knit crew of working artists and educators gather in the woods to inspire and mentor a new generation. Together, they guide kids through hands-on discovery, bold ideas, and the kind of creativity that only happens when you’re outside, unplugged, and surrounded by people who believe in your spark.