THE APPEL FARM ARTS AND MUSIC CENTER

TRANSFORMATIVE ARTS & LEARNING

In 1960, guided by a sense of curiosity and grounded in humor and hard work, Albert and Clare Appel transitioned their 176-acre farm and its 20,000 chickens into a thriving summer community focused on the raw talent and emergent curiosity of humans aged 7 to 17: Appel Farm Arts Camp was born.

Over the past decades, Appel Farm has delivered transformative arts and learning experiences as the arts education leader in South Jersey. Programs on our campus at Appel Farm, in the schools, and in the community are raising the bar of arts education for our children and families in our community.

Appel Farm is the arts education leader in South Jersey. Our programs on our campus at Appel Farm, in the schools, and in the community are raising the bar of arts education for our children and families in our community.

Arts at Home

There’s art in the making this summer… Art in the Making: Connect and Create with Appel Farm! In a time when learning must take place physically distanced, Appel Farm is committed to connecting young artists with our talented group of professional artists and educators in a virtual art-making space. We are committed to creating a safe, brave space founded in social-emotional learning as young artists develop their creativity and love of learning. Art in the Making classes place an emphasis on a community of creators, coming together to understand themselves, one another, and their world through the process of art-making.

Appel Farm is offering virtual lessons with Appel Farm Teaching Artists this Summer! Private & Small Group Lessons offer one-on-one instruction in music, theatre, dance, visual arts, photography, and more! Or, get some friends together for small group lessons!

Arts at Appel Farm

After School Programs! STEAM Labs, after school enrichment for grades 4 – 8, is a robust program with STEAM classes and clubs from cooking to photography, music, robotics and more! 14 weeks of classes in the Spring and Fall, choose one club a day, or one each day of the week!

Change the energy of Monday afternoons! Arts Lab immerses students, grades K – 3, in after-school arts enrichment for 10 weekly classes in the Spring and Fall. Arts Lab helps kids develop their artistic skills and to express themselves, it also offers a creative, enriching and affordable alternative to traditional school aftercare. Start looking forward to Monday afternoons!

The joy of camp for the whole family! Family Arts Camp offers the joy of camp for the whole family! For more than 50 years, Appel Farm Arts Camp has transformed the lives of thousands of young people, helping children develop artistic talents, gain self-confidence, and make friendships that last a lifetime. Now we are offering our families a chance to experience the magic of Appel Farm summer…together.

Girls Out Loud! Our Mother Daughter Art Retreat is designed for Mothers, Grandmothers, Sisters, and Daughters of all ages! Laugh, listen, and create as you participate in movement, writing and visual arts workshops that explore the concept of dreams. Moms: hear about your daughter’s hopes and dreams for the future. Daughters: discover that mom is not only “mom” but a woman just like you, with her own dreams and aspirations. Come join us at Appel Farm Arts and Music Center for a weekend packed with intentional opportunities for connection.

Crafty Campout welcomes Girl Scout Daisies, Brownies, Juniors, and Cadettes for a fun-filled weekend of creative activities that encourage critical thinking and skill building. Also open to all girls K – 8 grade and their chaperones, the girls spend the weekend earning Badges designed specifically for Girl Scouts, and great for all the girls! We look forward to working with you to build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place!

Shining a light on the creative students in South Jersey! We are thrilled to partner with schools to shine a light on their students as the Region 2 partner for New Jersey Poetry Out Loud, the affiliate for South Jersey South Art Region of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, and the host of the Salem & Gloucester County Teen Arts Festival. Each of these programs culminates in loads of arts and learning, adjudication, performances, award ceremonies, and a celebration of the creative students in South Jersey, all here at our campus!

Arts in Schools

We view the arts as basic to education and our Arts in Schools programs are making this vision a reality. Appel Farm offers a wide range of art workshops, residencies, and field trips, through Creative Connections. We work with schools on unique and collaborative Curricular Partnerships to create transformative arts and learning experiences for their schools. Appel Farm also offers customized Professional Learning, working with teachers, teaching artists, and school administrators to craft the professional learning experiences that will meet their goals.

Appel Farm is proud to be the southern regional partner for the Artists In Education Residency Grant Program, a co-sponsored program of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts that places highly qualified, practicing, professional artists in long-term residencies in schools. We also bring year-long artist residencies to five schools as part of Bridgeton Public Schools’ 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program.

Arts in Community

Appel Farm connects with partner organizations that provide social services and healthcare to a diverse range of people to reach children and families who otherwise may not have access to the arts. We believe that everyone has the ability to learn and to express themselves through the arts. The arts have amazing, transformative power for youth, adults, families, and communities regardless of abilities or prior experience. Our Arts in Community program demonstrates how participation in the visual and performing arts can enhance creative expression, improve wellness, strengthen family ties, promote positive change and empower individuals to become their best selves.

Strengthening families. Building Futures. Families to College cultivates family bonds and improves academic and employment success in Cumberland County through a comprehensive whole-family mentoring program.

Wellness through the arts. Appel Farm’s HeArt and Health programs have helped people at nursing homes, hospitals, veteran’s homes, daycare facilities for special needs adults, community centers, psychiatric facilities, churches, and transitional housing sites.

Appel Farm Arts Camp

Summers at Appel Farm Arts Camp have sparked the imaginations of thousands of young people for more than 50 years! Campers learn new artistic skills, interact with artists from around the world, gain social skills and grow as individuals and members of a community in a beautiful part of rural southern New Jersey. Our campers, girls and boys ages 7-17 years old, come together for an unforgettable overnight camp experience! Safety, Community, Personal Growth, and Fun have always guided our program and continue to ensure that every child experiences a summer that will last a lifetime.

Creativity CoLaboratory Charter School

Helping kids be their best selves! Creativity CoLaboratory Charter School, the tuition-free choice for middle school students in the 5-8th grade, provides personalized hands-on, creative and fun learning that helps prepare youth with 21st-century skills. The Creativity CoLaboratory offers a STEAM Curriculum that puts arts in the mix: Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Math. The arts teach communication and expression. Arts integration at school makes learning even more accessible, fun and effective for every type of kid.