Summer Arts Academy 2026

Our mission is to provide a creative and supportive environment for young adults to grow as artists, writers, dancers, actors, musicians and individuals.

Please see the listing of the academies being offered for this summer.

All academies take place at the Barbara Ingram School for the Arts located at 7 South Potomac Street, Hagerstown.

Doors open at 8:30 AM for daily drop-off (Monday-Thursday).  Academies begin at 9:00 AM and end at 4:00 PM.

Full Day Academies will need to pack lunch daily. Students can bring a water bottle to refill in the water stations throughout the school. Lunch will be 12:00 to 12:45 daily.

All academies are open to any students meeting grade and experience requirements.  Students will get chance to meet and work with our amazing staff each week as well as student interns that are currently attending BISFA!

Participants do not have to be WCPS Students/Residents to attend our summer academy programs.  Out of state/county, homeschool and private school students are welcome to attend.  

Grades are based on what grade the student will be enrolled in for upcoming school year 2026-2027. Please read the description and the experience requirement to see if your student is eligible to participate in each academy.  

Please reach out to Rachel at 240-347-4934 or at rachelt@barbaraingramfoundation.org if you have any questions or need additional information.  

WEEK #1 JUNE 22-25, 2026

Dance Academy – JUNE 22-25, 2026

(Class Size Limit 30) 

This program is designed to give students the opportunity to study a wide range of dance styles. The diverse styles of dance will include jazz, tap, modern, ballet, lyrical, improvisation and composition. On the first day of class, students will be evaluated and placed in the appropriate level of study. Students will perform a short showcase on the last day for family and friends.    A perfect Academy for incoming Freshman!

Tuition: $225.00 

Instructors: Andrea Masciocchi and Keleah Barr; BISFA Dance Department Faculty

Academy: 9 am – 4 pm  

Grades: Rising 6th-12th Grades 

Experience:  At least 2 years of Dance classes/lessons

Beginning Guitar Academy – JUNE 22-25, 2026

(Class Size Limit 15) 

This Academy is for beginning to intermediate guitar students wishing to gain or grow their guitar skills. Students will learn the fundamentals of guitar such as tuning, technique, chords and melodic playing in a variety of styles. 

Tuition: $125

Instructors:  Lauren Kourtz; BISFA Adjucnt Instrumental Department Faculty 

Time: 9 am – Noon 

Grades: Rising 4th-7th Grades 

Experience: 0-1 year of lessons

Photography Academy – JUNE 22-25, 2026

(Class Size Limit 15) 

This Academy is for all those interested in learning the history of photography and composition in photography. Students will learn basic photography operation, shutter speed, and F-stop. Students will participate in a variety of photo walks, taking photos and learning camera use.  They will also learn how to print film by working in the darkroom. Each student will finish the class with some prints of their best photos. A perfect Academy for incoming Freshman!

Tuition: $225 

Instructor: Monika Wertman, Owner of Wertman Photography

Academy 9 am – 4 pm 

Grades: Rising 7th-12th Grades 

Experience:  Interest in photography,  yearbook/photo experience would be great but is not necessary. 

WEEK #2 JULY 6-9, 2026

Dancing for the Camera – JULY 6-9, 2026 

(Class Size Limit 12)

During this 4-day dance intensive students will experience what it is like to dance on film. Dancing on film is a necessary tool used in the dance world.  Having this knowledge will help dancers in creating self tape reels, auditions footage and photos for major summer intensives, college auditions and portfolios.  During this academy, students will take classes (Ballet and Jazz), learn solo variations/combinations to be able to film later in the week. Students will also have photographs taken to use in their portfolios. At the end of the week students will have multiple solo reels and still shots for future use.  A perfect Academy for incoming Freshman!

Tuition: $225

Instructors:  Michaela Smallwood; BISFA Alumni Class of 2019, Theatre Dance Adjunct Faculty

Time: 9 am – 4 pm  

Grades: Rising 7th-12th Grades 

Experience:  At least 4 years of Dance.  This academy is designed for the more serious dance student who will be using films, reels and photos for upcoming auditions and their portfolios.

WEEK #3 JULY 13-16, 2026

Becoming an Actor Academy – JULY 13-16, 2026

(Class Size Limit 15) 

This will teach the many skills an actor uses to perform onstage with confidence and creativity. Students will learn these fundamentals through exercises, improvisation, and script study. A rehearsed program (live or recorded; safety guidelines pending) on the last day of the Academy will showcase the students’ achievements. A perfect Academy for incoming Freshman!

Tuition: $225

Instructor: Dale Stein 

Academy: 9 am – 4 pm  

Grades: Rising 5th-9th Grades

Experience:  No Experience needed!

Making a Rock Band – JULY 13-23, 2026

THIS IS A TWO-WEEK ACADEMY 

 (Class Size Limit 15) 

Come experience the thrill of playing music in a band. This 2-week academy will have students play together and get personal one on one mentorship and group coaching. Students will be learning to play and perform songs of different genres and decades. Students will also create music and write lyrics for an original song.
About a month before camp begins instructors will reach out to the students to get to know you, your musician character, and the songs you want to learn and perform. We will compile a list of the student’s songs they want to learn and decide together which songs will be included in our camp set list!  A perfect Academy for incoming Freshman!

Tuition: $450

Instructor: Michael Tyson; BISFA  Adjunct Staff

Academy: 9 am – 4 pm

Grades: Rising 6-12 Grades

Experience: Levels: instrumentalists—at least two years in school or private lessons preferred.  Vocalists—at least 1 year in choir or voice lessons preferred. Levels: instrumentalists—at least two years in school or private lessons preferred.  Vocalists—at least 1 year in choir or voice lessons preferred. Basic music reading skills preferred:  tempo, meter, note values

WEEK #4 JULY 20-23, 2026

 Guitar Academy – JULY 20-23, 2026

(Class Size Limit 15) 

This Academy is for  intermediate to advanced guitar students wishing to grow and inhance their guitar skills. Students will learn the fundamentals of guitar such as tuning, technique, chords and melodic playing in a variety of styles. 

Tuition: $125

Instructors:  Lauren Kourtz; BISFA Adjucnt Instrumental Department Faculty 

Time: 9 am – Noon 

Grades: Rising 6th-11th Grades 

Experience: 0-1 year of lessons

WEEK #5 JULY 27-30, 2026

Vocal Music Academy – JULY 27-30, 2026

(Class Size Limit 15) 

Photography Academy – JULY 27-30, 2026

(Class Size Limit 15) 

This Academy is for all those interested in learning the history of photography and composition in photography. Students will learn basic photography operation, shutter speed, and F-stop. Students will participate in a variety of photo walks, taking photos and learning camera use.  They will also learn how to print film by working in the darkroom. Each student will finish the class with some prints of their best photos. A perfect Academy for incoming Freshman!

Tuition: $225 

Instructor: Monika Wertman, Owner of Wertman Photography

Academy 9 am – 4 pm 

Grades: Rising 7th-12th Grades 

Experience:  Interest in photography,  yearbook/photo experience would be great but is not necessary.