40 West Arts Summer Camp Returns for a Second Year!

40 West Arts is thrilled to announce the return of its Arts Summer Camp for a second year. This incredible program gives children in local neighborhoods the opportunity to attend a week-long summer camp, totally free of charge.

40 West Arts and its partner organizations the Lakewood-West Colfax Business Improvement District and West Colfax Community Association have always instilled service to community at the core of their missions. When the opportunity for increased youth programming arose through a major grant program at the City of Lakewood, the district already had an initiative in mind. The 40 West Arts summer camp launched in 2023, and will continue in 2024 with the support of incredible partners and passionate individuals. In addition to substantial financial backing from the City of Lakewood through the Youth Grant program, the multi-session, week-long summer camp is also supported by Rocky Mountain of College Art + Design (RMCAD), Casa Bonita, the Lakewood-West Colfax Business Improvement District and the West Colfax Community Association. The camp is completely free-of-charge to participants including all instruction, materials, off-site field trips, and even snacks and meals. A number of creative partners are also on board, and will teach hands-on instruction in various artistic mediums including fine art and digital art.

Arts education in the United States is declining. Americans for the Arts, a nationwide organization devoted to promoting the arts explains in a recent analysis that “66% of public school teachers say that subjects such as art, science, and social studies get crowded out by extra attention being paid to math or language arts”. Additionally, Black and Latino/a/x students have less than half of the access to arts education than their White peers. Americans for the Arts also notes that 72% of business leaders say that creativity is the number one skill they are seeking when hiring. Students who are involved in the arts are 4 times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement and 3 times more likely to win an award for school attendance. Statistics like these amplify how important arts summer camps can be for students to help offset education declines, particularly in socioeconomically and culturally diverse neighborhoods like those surrounding 40 West Arts, where a majority of the students who attend camp come from.

Students will tour a ceramics studio and test out pottery wheels through Glazed Ceramics, and put on a small play through theater partner Athena Project. Other creative organizations include 40 West Gallery, NEXT Gallery, and Rocky Mountain Wildlife Alliance. Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design will not only lead digital and hands-on based arts programming, but also offer their 100+ year old campus as a gathering space for the camp, in addition to showcasing their technology through a walking tour. RMCAD President Brent Fitch states, “Witnessing the joy and excitement of these young artists as they explore their creativity and shared passion has been nothing short of inspiring. These summer programs are near and dear to the heart of the college, as RMCAD started more than 60 years ago with founder Philip J. Steele hosting children’s art classes for the local community”.

As an incredible capstone to a week of learning about the arts, students will walk from 40 West Arts’ HUB Building to Casa Bonita (both are located in the same shopping center, Lamar Station Plaza), Lakewood’s most iconic Mexican restaurant, where they will be treated to free lunch, with ample time to explore and enjoy Casa Bonita’s many immersive creative experiences. 40 West Arts Executive Director Liz Black says “the addition of Casa Bonita to the summer camp program is truly incredible. They have shown such a passion for community projects and helping local organizations like the arts district since their re-opening. The kids are going to be thrilled and Casa Bonita is so much more than a Mexican restaurant, it’s a whole creative experience which means that it fits in perfectly with our other camp offerings. We could not be more grateful to have our many partners on board.”

40 West Arts alongside its partner organizations will offer multiple week-long summer camp sessions in July of 2024. All slots are currently filled to capacity but individuals can learn more at www.40westarts.org/summer-camp.

Thank you to our sponsors.

And see images from our 2023 camp here.