Greenstone Art Camp Is Not Ending. It Is Evolving.
- Ian Francis Lah
- Apr 14
- 3 min read
For more than two decades, Greenstone Art Camp has been a meaningful part of youth arts programming in Ely, serving more than 1,000 young people along the way.
As our community continues adapting to the transition to a four-day school week, Northern Lakes Arts Association believes it is important to respond with intention, creativity, and care.
That is why, this fall, Greenstone Art Camp will enter a new chapter through a new Friday visual arts pilot, designed to better support local youth and families during the school year.
Greenstone Art Camp is not ending. It is evolving.
Why We Are Making This Change
As our community adjusts to a four-day school week, we have been asking a simple but important question:
Where can NLAA make the greatest impact for local youth right now?
For years, Greenstone Art Camp has been a valued summer tradition. At the same time, Ely’s youth programming landscape has grown and changed.
We believe thoughtful nonprofit leadership means more than simply repeating what has always been done. It means listening to the community, adapting when needs shift, and being willing to test new ideas in service of young people and families.
This pilot is our way of responding to a community transition with intention.
A New Friday Pilot This Fall
This October, Greenstone Art Camp will be offered as a one-month visual arts pilot, with a shorter format designed to fit the rhythm of the school year and the opportunities created by Friday programming.
Pilot Details
Fridays in October
10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
$100 tuition
Limited to 20 students
Registration opens in July or August
This new format allows us to test whether Greenstone can serve families in a more accessible and sustainable way during the school year, while still holding onto the heart of what has always made the program special.
If the pilot proves successful and meets a clear community need, we plan to offer a second session in the spring.
If it does not, we will either return to the original Greenstone Art Camp model or continue exploring other ways to best serve Ely youth through visual arts programming.
What This Means for Summer
This change does not mean NLAA is stepping away from youth programming in the summer.
Far from it.
This summer, Northern Lakes Arts Association will continue offering meaningful creative opportunities for young people, including:
Stars of the North Youth Theater Camps
Select youth visual art workshops with Jane Dandron-Holtz, recipient of NLAA’s 2026 Creative Spirit of the North Award
Additional youth opportunities to be announced
Our commitment to young artists remains strong.
What is changing is not our investment in youth.
What is changing is how we are choosing to structure that investment so it best serves families today.
Why This Matters
At NLAA, we believe the arts should grow with the community they serve.
Ely is a place where people care deeply about young people, creativity, and opportunity. That means we have a responsibility to keep evaluating what is working, what is changing, and where our programs can be most impactful.
This pilot reflects that commitment.
It honors Greenstone’s legacy while making room for innovation. It gives us a chance to test a format that may better support families during the school year. And it allows us to make future decisions based on what the community truly needs, not simply on habit.
A Community That Creates Together
One of the things that makes Ely special is the number of organizations investing in young people.
We are proud to be part of a community where families can find opportunities for creativity, movement, learning, and connection in many forms throughout the year.
Families may also wish to explore youth opportunities through:
Northern Lakes Arts Association Youth Programming, including Stars of the North Youth Theater Camps and select visual art opportunities
Ely Folk School, ( Check out their Creative Kids Open House on May 29)
At NLAA, we believe strong communities are built when young people have many ways to grow, create, and belong.
Looking Ahead
We are proud of Greenstone Art Camp’s history.
And we are just as committed to making sure its future continues to serve Ely’s young people with intention, creativity, and care.
Thank you for trusting Northern Lakes Arts Association to keep listening, evolving, and investing in the creative lives of youth in our community.
More details and registration information will be shared later this summer.
Comments