Our 2017 Summer Camp Season is now closed. Thank you everyone for making it a success. For kids and adult classes starting in September, please visit our "Classes & Workshops" tab on the menu bar. To be notified by email about upcoming classes and workshops, join our mailing list now at the bottom of any of our website pages.
Carlsbad Art Farm camps for grades 2-8 combine an inspiriting natural environment with a deep commitment to teaching students creative processes in a nurturing atmosphere. There are a variety of ways for students to engage in our program through art classes, animal encounters, and explorations of our protected woodland habitat. Art Farm works with professional artist instructors who bring fresh ideas to the program, visiting wildlife conservation educators and animal ambassadors, and camp counselors who safely guide campers on investigations of our terrain and creek.
Over the years, Art Farm has honed our summer camp offering by paying close attention to how students respond to various art making processes, what the flow of each day should be to maintain interest over the span of the camp week, and what seems to excite young people most about being at Art Farm. With this information we have designed an award-winning program that offers youth an urban haven that connects the creative spirit with observation of animal life and inspires rich engagement with our beautiful habitat.
Art Farm Summer Camp Enrollment is Now Open!
Online registration for our 13th Annual Summer Camp Season is now open. Camps sell out so early registration is recommended. Students entering Grades 2-8 in Fall 2017 are eligible to attend.
Our rates this season are $519 per session, about a 5% increase over the previous three seasons. Art Farm is a privately owned and operated arts facility that depends 100 percent on tuitions to operate. We receive no outside funding. We work hard to keep our rates as low as possible while maintaining the high quality of our award-winning summer camps. This includes a commitment to retaining our excellent team of professional artist instructors and support staff, investing in high-end art materials and equipment, animal maintenance, and many, many other costs that make this unique camp possible.
Summer Camp Fast Facts
- Students starting grades 2-8 in fall 2017 may attend. Our program is not designed for younger students.
- Camp Sessions are Monday through Friday (5 days) including the week of July 4.
- Monday-Thursday hours are 9:30 AM to 3 PM. On Fridays only camp is extended one hour to 4 PM for the Student Pizza Party and our Family and Friends Student Art Show.
- Camp gate opens at 9:10 AM daily and is closed at 3:45 PM daily. Art Farm is not open to the public unless camps, classes, or workshops are in session. When we are not in session, the gate is closed and locked. For appointments, contact us at director@CarlsbadArtFarm.com
- We do not offer early drop-off or late pick-up.
- Students bring their own lunch, water bottle, and a morning snack. We supply an afternoon snack. If a student has an allergy or diet restriction, parents need to pack two snacks. We supply water.
- Students bring their own sunscreen and bug spray as needed. We don’t have a lot of bugs.
- Camp dress code requires that students wear clothing appropriate to our woodland/hobby farm environment. Shorts should be mid-thigh or longer. For safety, sturdy shoes and socks are required at all times. Sandals and flip-flops are not allowed.
- All art materials are included with tuition.
- Camp starts promptly every morning. Please make every attempt to arrive on time.
Class Structure and Student Placement
Carlsbad Art Farm is a large woodland habitat that can accommodate up to fifty students per session. Students are placed in one of three tent-based outdoor classrooms by grade. Each classroom site is secluded from the others and has its own staff and curriculum. This system allows us to work with students according to their age. Our oldest students have the most secluded site by design because we understand they want separation from the younger students.
From session-to-session, we work to accommodate requests from parents for students coming with friends to be placed in the same group as their friends. Most of the time we can accommodate requests but not if there is a significant grade-level gap. For example, we cannot place a Grade 2 student in a class with Grade 4 and up students.
Class size varies slightly from session-to-session depending on our enrollment and age spread of students, but generally there are 18 students or fewer per class. Each class has a lead instructor, assistant instructor and a teaching assistant. This assures that every student has lots of one-on-one instruction.
A Typical Art Farm Camp Day
Each camp session is a journey from the opening camp bell on Monday to the closing Family and Friends Art Show on Fridays. During the week we will introduce students to a variety of art techniques in drawing, painting and printmaking with a press that focus on learning to observe closely and skill building, and how artists use these tools to create original work.
Students generally have two art classes in the morning and one in the afternoon. The classes incorporate the woodland and creek environment, farm animals as living models, story telling, animal exhibits on loan from the San Diego Natural History Museum, and more. The outdoor class setting, access to animals, and one-on-one attention from instructors keep these classes engaging for girls and boys.
Between structured classes students go on walks to our creek (and walks in the creek) with counselors, visit animals in barns and corrals, enjoy free time exploring the terrain, and generally just enjoy being here. Most don’t want to leave at the end of each day.
A highlight of each week for our two oldest groups is getting ready for the Art Farm Boat Pageant and Creek Races. Students make small boats during the week, win prizes for designs, and then get to race their boats. Our youngest students work at making fairy houses during the week for installation in the fairy village. What a magical surprise it is for them when the woodland fairies leave them tokens of appreciation on Friday morning!
Is Art Farm a Good Fit for Your Child
Most likely the answer is yes. On rare occasions we will get a student for whom Art Farm is not the right fit, but generally kids love being here. If a kid really, really hates art classes then it’s probably not the right camp for that child. For kids that love art it’s a no brainer. For kids who are on the fence about art or feel like they are not good at art - but love animals and the outdoors – it’s likely they will love the Art Farm camp experience. Our art instructors are here to guide them and we know these kids will come away with a new confidence in their artwork.
Enrollment, Waitlist, and Cancellation Refunds
All enrollments are online. We continue enrolling throughout the summer on a space available basis. To determine if space is available for any given session, click on your desired session and it will tell you how many spaces remain available for that session. If it says “0” then there are no more spaces available for that session.
If a session is full you may request placement on a waitlist by emailing us at director@CarlsbadArtFarm.com. We do not take waitlist requests by phone. In the email subject head write “Waitlist Request”. In the message, provide us with the session number you’re interested in and contact information.
Partial cancellation refunds for the 2017 Summer Camp season will be given through May 31, 2017. We do not offer refunds after that date. There is a $100 non-refundable deposit per tuition. Refund requests must be submitted and received by email no later than the May 31 deadline. We do not take refund requests by phone. To request a cancellation refund, email us at director@CarlsbadArtFarm.com. In the subject head type "Camp Cancellation Request". In the message, provide the name used for your credit card payment, the session you need cancelled, and the first and last name of the enrolled students. We will notify you within 24-hours of receiving your request. If you don't hear from us in that time it's because we didn't receive your email.
Where is Carlsbad Art Farm
Art Farm is located in an undeveloped coastal valley. The Art Farm address is 5855 Sunny Creek Road, Carlsbad, CA, 92010. The Art Farm property is not open to the public and is inaccessible when camps, classes, and workshops are not in session. When we are not in session visits are by appointment only. For inquiries email us at director@CarsbadArtFarm.com
The road in to Art Farm is a half-mile down an unpaved road, with the nearest intersection being where College Blvd dead-ends on Sunny Creek Road. Centrally located near the Village of Carlsbad, Art Farm is minutes away from Palomar Airport Road and the I-5 Freeway. We draw students from the surrounding communities of Carlsbad, Rancho Santa Fe, Encinitas, La Costa, Solana Beach, La Jolla, Carmel Valley, Cardiff, Del Mar, San Marcos, Vista, and Oceanside.
Because of our location near coastal resort towns, we also draw out-of-state and international students on summer vacation. In past seasons we have welcomed visiting students from Russia, China, Britain, Spain, France, Mexico, and Argentina.