Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp is a nonprofit residential summer arts program founded in 1966, set on a 1,600-acre campus in Michigan's Manistee National Forest in Twin Lake, MI. Students in grades 5–12 choose a primary arts discipline and spend 12 days in intensive instruction, ensemble work, and performance.
Disciplines:
- Instrumental: Band, Orchestra, Jazz Band, Piano, Harp
- Vocal: Choir
- Performing arts: Theater, Dance
- Visual: Visual Art
- Literary: Creative Writing
Central Camp students choose a major and may add an optional minor for $99 in the published 2027 tuition schedule. Camp Bernstein minors are required under the FAQ.
Camp structure:
| 2027 session | Dates | Central Camp | Camp Bernstein |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | June 23–July 4 | Grades 9–12 | Grades 7–8 |
| 2 | July 7–18 | Grades 9–12 | Grades 7–8 |
| 3 | July 21–August 1 | Grades 7–9 | Grades 5–7 |
| 4 | August 4–15 | Grades 7–9 | Grades 5–7 |
Each option is a separate 12-day session; the overall June–August availability is not one continuous attendance period. Bernstein is limited to Band and Orchestra.
International Exchange Program:
Since 1970, Blue Lake's International Exchange Program has hosted visiting European ensembles and sent student ambassadors on cultural exchange tours across Europe.
2027 tuition and application check, November 4, 2026:
The tuition page labels 2027 prices of $1,975–$2,075 depending on major, with Camp Bernstein $2,050. The $295 non-refundable deposit is applied to the total fee; the balance is due 30 days before the selected session. Uniforms, optional extras, incidentals and travel can add costs. Enrollment is first-come, first-served and requires confirmation; a scholarship does not reserve a place.
Scholarship dates and limitations:
The scholarship page offers tuition assistance, but combines an undated seasonal closed/reopening notice and Coming Soon labels with yearless dates. It says March 28 for Fritz Stansell and second-round auditions, March 1 for general advanced auditions, and February 28 for discipline-specific preferred auditions. These conflicting or yearless labels are not treated as confirmed 2027 application cutoffs. Merit, financial-need and honors descriptions say no deadline, but that does not establish current availability while seasonal notices remain.
Fritz Stansell is described as basic tuition excluding the deposit and additional expenses. The FAQ separately describes need-based awards of approximately 40%–90% and says that category does not offer full scholarships; this should not erase the separate Fritz Stansell description or imply full-cost funding. The FAQ still refers to Application 2026 despite its 2027 session sidebar. Exact 2027 scholarship openings, cutoff years and current application availability remain unverified. The summer-camp pages reviewed do not explicitly establish geographic admission rules, and the separate International Exchange program is not used as a substitute.