FIVE YEARS RUNNING. Now, this is the kind of summer camp I'm talkin' about! The Midwest Artist Academy is accepting applications now for its 2025 week-long camp. (Photo via Facebook)

Is it starting to feel like summer will never grace us with her sweet kiss again? Not to fear! The warmer weather will be here before you know it and with it, the fifth season of the Midwest Artist Academy will be well under way.

Founded in 2020 by local (and hey, let’s just say it, beloved) author and UW-Eau Claire English professor B.J. Hollars, the week-long, arts-focused camp serves as an opportunity for high school-aged students to engage, learn, and – most importantly – create! With the choice of five artistic focuses (art, dance, music, theater, and writing), students are offered an immersive look at creativity and collaboration. Throughout the week, the focuses blend together with the end goal of a final showcase performance on the UW-Eau Claire campus.

After four successful years of MAA, the upcoming session is sure to give its attendees a once-in-a-lifetime look at how investing time and thought into shared art can make all the difference. Midwest Artist Academy Director Arthur Grothe is excited at what the next year has to offer. “This program provides young artists the chance to develop their talents and learn to communicate across artistic disciplines,” he said.

“The local community is flooded with artist talent but we can only maintain our reputation as an arts-centered city if we nurture the next generation.”

B.J. HOLLARS

MIDWEST ARTIST ACADEMY FOUNDER

Grothe, who is also a theater professor at UW-Eau Claire, is proud of the special experience the academy offers: “This program provides an avenue for young artists to develop their talents and learn to communicate across artistic disciplines. It is exciting to bring these talented young artists together and provide them a place to be weird, creative, and expressive.”

While the camp is only one week, it offers a lasting impact on its attendees, leaving them with not only a higher artistic understanding, but genuine connections that will last a lifetime. Art instructor and longtime Eau Claire educator Kathy Rulien-Bareis has seen firsthand how imperative the student camaraderie has been. “It is important to find ways to bring creative people together to learn from each other and build community,” Rulien-Bareis says, “it allows us all a chance to further our learning opportunities.”

Students who attend can expect a hands-on week with morning workshops, visiting artists, talent shows, roundtable discussion, campus walks, and – of course – pop ice. They will also spend the week with incredibly talented instructors, college assistants, and community staff members.

Hollars, a self-declared lifelong summer camp expert, started the academy as a way to blend the rich local arts scene with the next generation of great creators. “The local community is flooded with artistic talent,” Hollars says, “but we can only maintain our reputation as an arts-centered city if we nurture the next generation.”

The 2025 Midwest Artist Academy will run July 13-20 and applications are now open! To apply or get more information on scholarships, community impact, and all other general inquiries, please visit www.midwestartistacademy.org.

Keep up with Midwest Artist Academy on Facebook and learn more at midwestartistacademy.org • Inquiries and questions can be sent via email at info@midwestartistacademy.org