Bearnstow on Parker Pond, a Summer Camp in Maine for the Creative Arts and Sciences

A unique summer retreat dedicated to the preservation and appreciation of
our natural environment. Weeklong workshops are offered for youth and adults
that explore the natural world through the lens of creative arts and sciences.

Bearnstow lies on sixty-five acres of pristine woodland, bordering the serene Parker Pond in Mount Vernon, Maine. Twelve rustic buildings, most nearly a century old, are nestled along the 2,400 feet of rocky shoreline. Participants are housed in rustic cabins, complete with electricity, full bathrooms, and charming screened porches where they can enjoy the soft breezes from the lake and listen to the loons call.

The property is protected in perpetuity by a conservation easement held by the Kennebec Land Trust. Its oldest structure, the Lodge, was the only building on the lake on the 1880 geological survey. Bearnstow is located at Spruce Point Camps, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Bearnstow has had a rich history of arts-related activities linked to a practice of environmental responsibility. Throughout our history the resonance of place in all activities has been central to our mission. Our unspoiled environment provides an alternative freedom for aesthetic expression away from the demands of daily life. Our attention to the care of place, land, and spirit is central to our daily practice.

Our summer programs emphasize the connection between environment and learning. The immediacy of our natural surroundings affects the breadth and depth of the learning that takes place, for both teacher and student. For a snapshot of a dancer's summer experience at Bearnstow, read Stories From Camp by Susan Douglas Roberts.

In recent years Bearnstow has offered numerous workshops in movement studies taught by a world-class faculty. Plans for summer 2012 include an expanded menu of offerings, including workshops in movement and performance studies, and biology and earth sciences.

In summer 2012 a two-week Day Camp for children will be offered in July. Children participate in a daily program focused on creative arts and physical activities, including classes in dance, art, swimming, and horsemanship. This year, Family Camp, usually held concurrently with children’s Day Camp, has been replaced by two separate weeks in August: the Alumni and Friends of Beanstow Retreat and A Naturalists’ Week at Bearnstow.

On Wednesday evenings Bearnstow’s faculty offers free classes to community members of all ages at the Mount Vernon Community Center at 7:30 p.m., beginning Wednesday, July 3. Please see the workshop descriptions for the instructors and class content.