VISITOR CENTER ARTIST CAMP
Crafting conversations between the arts and the environment
Welcome to camp! Visitor Center Artist Camp is an annual residency session for independent art mediums, and immersive workshops in wild-clay harvesting and processing for pottery.
We sit on 100 acres of land, nestled between rural townships, abandoned mines, and the vast wilderness of the Ottawa National Forest, near the town of Ewen in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
We hold one camp residency session each summer, hosting individuals from around the country for two weeks of camping, living cooperatively, and exploring our materials and our environment through art.
Our professional artist-staff members are here to provide guidance and to support. We all live and work communally, sharing daily chores to keep camp running, and we collaborate with the local community. We build with locally-harvested lumber, and use local, natural, and reclaimed materials whenever possible.
From the nature lover or the casual craftsperson to the advanced artist looking to step out of their normal routine, the VCAC is a unique opportunity to connect deeply with materials, process, community, and environment.
2024 CAMP SeSSION
SATURDAY July 2oth - Saturday August 3rd
cHOOSe your Residency Focus:
Immerse yourself in your work and your materials. Harvest the local clay right from the ground at camp, hand-process and mix your own clay bodies, and fire your work on site using a variety of techniques including pit/low-fire wood, electric, and gas kilns.
Propose a project that can be supported by our wilderness setting, environmental focus, and adventurous attitude. Create land art, installations, photographs, fiber art, music, poetry, video, or paintings; any project of your choice, inspired by the gorgeous landscape.
APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN FOR 2024!
Adults of all creative backgrounds, experience levels, and fields of practice are encouraged to apply.
We provide a supportive, inclusive atmosphere in which we cultivate a culture of respect for our fellow humans, ourselves, and our environment.
Space is limited! We have space for only 12 total participants. Submissions will be reviewed in the order received.
Questions? Contact Amy at visitor.center.artists@gmail.com
vcac is a project of Art Shape Mammoth
We are a 501(c)3 non-profit creative community, performing activities that promote arts education, environmental sustainability, and social justice.
Learn more about Art Shape Mammoth
Art Shape Mammoth hosted Finnish artist Mari Mathlin in the US as a resident at the Visitor Center Artist Camp. Video by Giraffe-a-scope