Despite budget cuts, Denali Arts Council’s Upper Susitna Fine Arts Camp returns for third year in a row

For the last three years, the Denali Arts Council has hosted the Upper Susitna Fine Arts Camp — a week-long program providing kids in the Upper Valley with hands-on experience in various art mediums. In the past, funding from AmeriCorps played a significant role in covering the costs of instructors.

However, when federal cuts resulted in AmeriCorps placing the majority of its staff on administrative leave in mid-April, the Denali Arts Council lost that funding, and it became clear the camp would have to look a little different.

Denali Arts Council Executive Director Michelle Crow said a reduced budget for their summer programs is disappointing, but it’s all about moving forward and working with what you have.

To cut costs, the Denali Arts Council asked guardians to pack lunches for their children because the camp could not provide lunch for every camper. Additionally, DAC hired one instructor for each art class instead of three as they had in previous years. According to Crow, one of the tougher cuts to the programming was cutting scholarships that helped families afford the camp.

“Unfortunately, we had to compensate for that by having fewer scholarships available for our low income students. We were still able to offer scholarships to all of our students in need. It just wasn’t as much as the families are accustomed to,” she said.

Even if this year looks a little different, Crow said the Denali Arts Council is committed to providing quality Summer programming for the community.

“So we might have our disappointments, and we’re kind of pulling back in different areas. But as long as the kids come, have a great experience, then everybody’s happy,” she said.