Creative Arts FAQs

Camp Newfound is located in the beautiful Lakes Region of southwest Maine, right on Long Lake. It's about three hours north of Boston, and a one-hour drive from Portland. About one hour to the east is the beautiful coast of Maine and about one hour to the west is the White Mountains National Forest.

View driving directions here.

The closest airport is Portland International Jetport (PWM), about a one-hour drive from Camp. You can also fly in and out of Manchester Airport (MHT) in New Hampshire and Boston's Logan Airport (BOS) – both of which are about three hours away. We do offer to pick up and drop off Creative Arts campers at the Portland airport for a small fee.

Each year’s session includes new and familiar teachers and offerings. They are posted on the website for you to peruse. It's always worth reading through them all to find what best floats your canoe!  Classes run 2.5 hours each day, for five days. You can view a complete listing of the current classes here.

Each student chooses two courses (or one full-day course) with the idea of really delving into those particular creative media. You can develop a familiar skill and/or try something completely new or outside your comfort zone in a safe, supportive setting. Teachers welcome all levels of experience, unless the class description indicates otherwise.

Past courses have included singing, song writing, photography, musical and improv theater, tap dance, mime and movement, painting, ceramics, various approaches to writing, jewelry making, sculpture, mobiles, and more.

The cabins are simple. All have lighting and electricity, typically one plug. There is no wifi in cabins. Most cabins have a tin roof; those by the lake have large, airy, screen windows (closable for rain), while others are a little more house-like. Fans and space heaters are available.

Cabin Assignments

Cabins are assigned on a first-come basis, but they’re all charming in their own ways. Cabins are nestled near the lake at Newfound or among the pines at Owatonna and may be shared with a spouse, a group of two or three friends, or reserved as singles. 

On your registration form, you have the option of requesting a cabin with a bathroom for an additional fee. Cabins with bathrooms have either full or half-baths, and the same fee is charged for both. If you’re sharing a bathroom with another person, the fee will be split between you. The camper cabins right along the lakeside have no bathrooms, and are a short walk from bathrooms with sinks, toilets, and hot-water shower stalls.

Evening activities are offered each night after dinner and, at times, during dinner. They might include a presentation by a teacher, a talk by an artist in residence, a community singing circle, or a discussion about the arts. It might be a special performance, or some other spontaneous jubilance! Campfires pop up on the beach with s'mores and music jamming. Some folks might be found in the dining hall working on a jigsaw puzzle or playing a board game. Wednesday evening is always dedicated to our Testimony Meeting.

We're not being coy—we believe everyone is a creative reflection of the Great Creator. Our teaching artists help you discover, embrace and express your innate creativity in a supportive, non-judgmental environment. This expanding recognition of your capacities not only helps you paint something you never imagined you could, write that eloquent story, or sing in harmony with another, but it transforms the way you see yourself — and the world!

Our days at Creative Arts center around the classes, with ample time for enjoying the amenities and camaraderie of Camp. Each class is 2.5 hours each day, for five days. Other options built in on any given day might include a short mini-workshop, dedicated journal time, a talking & listening circle, a song swap or even a poetry share.

One less-structured day with no classes in the middle of the session, (chosen for the best weather), provides students special time for deeper reflection and connection. Swimming, hiking, and sightseeing around summertime Maine are also options. 

Meals

Regularly scheduled days begin with a yummy buffet breakfast, followed by Morning Meeting which includes readings and opportunities for sharing spiritual insights, inspiration and gratitude. After the day’s announcements, the morning classes begin.

After lunch, it's your time to relax, journal, reflect, swim, read, kayak, work on your projects — whatever you want. Afternoon classes commence at 2:00 pm and run until 4:30 pm. Students have the option of totally free time or joining an optional activity before dinner. 

Engaging activity choices are always offered after and sometimes during the evening meal. 

Sample daily schedule:

• 6:30 - Dining room open for hot drinks and tidbits
• 7:15 - Hot breakfast
• 7:45 - Morning Meeting (Bible Lesson, gratitude, and announcements)
• 8:30–11:00 - Morning classes
• 11:00 - Free time
• 12:00 - Lunch
• 1:00–2:15 - Free time
• 2:30–5:00 - Afternoon classes
• 5:00–6:00 - Free time
• 6:00 - Dinner
• 7:00–9:00 - Evening activity

There is a day off in the middle of the week, typically Saturday, for sightseeing, enjoying camp amenities and friends, reflecting or working on your own projects.

Late summer in Maine typically offers warm, sunny days and cool nights, although anything is possible. It's a good idea to be prepared!

You will be sent a detailed packing list.

 Imagine three full, scrumptious meals a day — all prepared for you, with no dishes to clean up! Lots of fruit, creative salads, comfort and palate-expanding dishes, and scrumptious baked goods and desserts. Fruit and other snacks are always available for the munchies. Lobster/steak/portobello mushroom choices are all on the menu for our final evening banquet! Request vegetarian and vegan food when you register, and those options will be available at every meal.

Whether you're savoring a muffin at a long, friendly table in the dining hall or getting to know someone new over lasagna at a big round one on the sunny porch, the food and the companionship are nutritious and delicious!

Camp is comprised of two adjoining summer camps—Camp Newfound for girls and Camp Owatonna for boys. Owatonna is on a spacious hilltop with cabins nestled in the pines. Newfound is down the driveway from there on a peninsula into Long Lake. Both are used for housing and classes for Creative Arts. All meals and group events like Morning Meeting are at Newfound. We run a van between the camps for meals and classes and as requested.

Our instructors are high quality, respected professionals with teaching experience in their fields — artists, writers, photographers, musicians, theater and dance professionals, committed to recognizing students' unlimited, God-expressing potential. They encourage you to explore and embrace the "wide horizon's grander view" of yourself. Each teaching artist is a Christian Scientist.

Yes. Laptops are welcome in classes. And we have password-protected wifi internet connection in a few locations.

About cellphones–there is service at Camp (quality varies by carrier). That said, we try to keep Camp an unplugged, phone-free environment as much as possible. All ringers should be off at Camp, and if you need to receive or make a call, please move out of earshot of others. Be aware that where cabins are close together, there is no soundproofing between cabins.