Love everything about Idyllwild Arts Academy! Supportive faculty, beautiful campus, and great all around arts departments!

ive been going for 13 years for the arty summer camp. It is truly an amazing camp, they build such a positive community and oppertunities to flourish your art. i would reccomend it to anyone thinking of going read more

Extremely expensive. So disappointed with this summer camp. Two weeks for my 13 year old and all they do is play on their phones. She calls me and her roommates are all on their phones watching movies or playing games. We thought it was a tech free arts experience - they list no WiFi but that is not true. There are so many good tech free camps. I would never choose this again. Astrocamp has a strict no tech policy - that is where we will send our kids. read more

Extremely expensive tuition but the worst education you could get.the dance program is absolutely a joke.

Ellen the chair of the dance department lacks communication and diplomacy skills. I really don't understand why someone who clearly doesn't like children would choose a career working with children. She had a negative interaction with almost every student and parent in our ballet class. Is it more likely that she has a serious attitude and anger management problem or that every single student and parent in the class were the problem? Will not be going back to any program that she is in charge of. Kids don't deserve this sort of treatment from an adult who has zero control of her own emotions. Get it together. read more

Major communication problems between departments and personnel within the same departments, with no ensuing accountability. Not recommended. read more

I just finished my first summer course at Idyllwild Arts as part of the Hot Clay series; Pottery Boot Camp. In short, my skills improved more in one week than in a year of community college classes. Totally worth the price. The course was taught exactly as described in the literature. We spent the week learning how to throw different things on the wheel. There was a minor part where we worked on hand building aspects, like handles, and then learned about other ways to alter thrown pieces. The instructors, David Delgado & Sam Lopez, are a perfect teaching pair. They are both relaxed but enthusiastic and they live and breathe pottery. Sam's style is tight & controlled and David's is incredibly loose & free (while being an imaculate wheel thrower, he alters his thrown forms greatly). We had 24 hour access to the studio; dreamy! The instructors stayed in the studio with us most of the time and were happy and enthusiastic to answer questions at ANY time (I asked for instruction after 10 pm one night!). The location was gorgeous. The campus is in parts rustic camp buildings, with some newer buildings (that I never went into, but they look amazing on the outside). The dining hall is combined with the high school aged campers, which took a little bit to get used to but was fine a few days in. The only issue I had with mealtimes was when there was cake for dessert. They put a big sheet cake out for campers to serve themselves and the children would decend upon it, cutting enormous portions for themselves. Adult attendees never got a piece of cake. I think they can figure out a different way to offer dessert. There were also some flow issues - it wasn't clear how to approach the drinks or the salad bar (the placement on the bar defied the logic of the flow), and at the height of the crowd they were a tangled mess of people trying to get a drink/put dressing on their salad. I was a little anxious to share a room with another adult attendee but it was fine! She wasn't in the same course as me, and it was interesting to hear about the details of her course. What a great immersive experience! Thanks! read more

My daughter arrived at Idyllwild Arts Camp in Summer 2022. Upon arrival, she was tested for Covid-19 and tested negative and was admitted to camp (as per stated policy, any camper who tested positive on arrival would NOT be allowed to attend). On the same day, however, our daughter witnessed another camper announcing to the entire orientation group that he indeed tested positive on arrival but was still permitted to attend. My daughter went to the nursing office to inform them of this violation, but they refused to do anything about it. Instead, my daughter was punished by being isolated in her room without permission to have dinner. She was told that she was not allowed to leave and was being watched on security cameras for speaking up to adults. My daughter called me, and my husband and I decided to pick her up immediately and terminate her stay at the camp for her safety. My daughter has been severely traumatized. This experience caused her anxiety, disrupted her sleep, and instilled fear of being away from home. I'd like to point out that after talking to the person on duty for the emergency phone line, they stopped picking up the phone and there was no way to contact the camp whatsoever. Our whole family sincerely hopes that Idyllwild Arts Camp will be held accountable for these actions for the safety of the children in their care. We want the community to be aware that children are not safe in this environment, and their mental and physical health is far from being a priority at Idyllwild Arts Camp. read more

My son is now a senior at Idyllwild Arts Academy (IAA), and I can hardly believe how fast the time has flown by, and now it makes me sad to think that this will be his last semester at this amazing school. It has been three years of watching him grow into a responsible, compassionate and talented young man. I have no doubt that he is well-prepared to embark upon the college years. I could not have asked for anything more from IAA. At the time, we made the switch to IAA from his public school after his 9th grade year so that he could focus on his passion, which is jazz saxophone, but it turned out to be so much more. IAA has provided him with countless valuable opportunities that only come with the dual-curriculum that is offered at IAA. Juggling this dual curriculum is no easy feat for the student, but it is one that college admissions officers look fondly upon. In doing so, my son has learned a lot about time management and prioritization. The diverse student population of being surrounded by students from 34 other countries has also broadened his views about the world. That alone has made him a very well-rounded, socially engaged student. To be immersed into the arts curriculum alongside the usual academic classes, has opened my son's eyes to all that is possible as he thinks about his future and what he wants to be doing, as well as contributing to society. The teachers, the staff, and the administration have become like family. The quality of instruction and attention have been top notch. Along with attending IAA, he also supplemented his school experience by attending two years worth of the Idyllwild Arts Summer Program in 2019 and 2021. For both summers, the Jazz Intensive programming brought in well-respected and talented, award winning artists, teachers and performers. The wealth of information, teachings and guidance from these professionals bestowed upon the students was invaluable. The positive reinforcement and encouragement from them as well as the fellow students, served to motivate my son to do more and to do better, always. I loved all of these experiences for my son, and would repeat them in a heartbeat! read more

Idyllwild is a truly remarkable place. Our son has been attend the summer film camp since he was 10 years, and every summer without fail we are blown away when we arrive to pick him up at the end of the session. We're blown away by the quality and sophistication of the films the students produce. We're blown away by the growth we see in our son, growth we've seen each and every year, growth as a thinker and creator and also as a person. We're blown away by the joy and care that radiates from the staff. The people who work there clearly love the work they do, love the art they make, and love sharing their skill and their acumen with their students. It's just a remarkable place whose natural beauty is matched by the natural internal beauty of every you will meet there. If you're lucky enough to get a spot when you apply, GO! You won't regret it. Gilles read more

Its not worth the money. For the money we expected a lot more. The room resembles prison. 5 beds total with 2 bunk beds in about 100 sq feet. I could not believe my son was expected to spend two weeks in a room that small with 4 other kids. My son said that the instructors were ok but not great. The food was terrible. He skipped a lot of meals and my son is not a picky eater. There's little to do after classes are done. We tried Wildwood music camp a few years ago. For one tenth the cost it's the same thing for one week. The students are probably not at the same level but my son is an all state musician and he got as much out of Idyllwild as he did at wildwood. $300 vs $3300 for two weeks of Idyllwild. I would suggest parents do some research or visit the site before committing so much money. read more

I love this camp! My daughter attended the Song and Dance Triple Threat summer session and we couldn't have been happier with the program. At home she was enrolled in an Arts High School. What Idyllwild Arts did with those kids in a couple of weeks her school hadn't done in years! She had a blast, loved the friends she made, enjoyed dorm living and didn't want to come home! The campus is breathtaking. Many acres of pine trees and trails, state of the art facilities, clean air, starry nights and the best fresh spring water you've ever tasted. The program was wonderful and Idyllwild is such a sweet town. The mountain town is so charming with cabins, pine trees and the majestic Taquitz Rock. The program was so amazing that we enrolled our daughter into the Idyllwild Arts Academy for her Junior and Senior years. As a result she was admitted into the highest rated Arts College in the UK. We are so proud and I know it all started with the Idyllwild Arts Summer Camp. If I sound like an advertiser I promise I am not. Just a proud parent! read more

My daughter has attended the Summer program/Shakespeare's World for the past two years and she LOVES it. In fact, she can't wait to go back this summer. There is nothing like dropping off your child and knowing that they are in trustworthy and capable hands. My husband and I are always very impressed by the final performance. These kids, led by their fearless leader, Ms. Johanna, really do put their heart and soul into the performance. My daughter's only complaint: the two weeks fly by too fast. The online registration is a breeze. The check in process at the camp is streamlined and efficient. The staff is only a phone call away -- ready to ease your parental anxiety. I highly recommend this camp and look forward to dropping off my eager child again this summer. read more

Academically, the humanities department is great. The math department struggles from having few faculty members. All humanities teachers have taught at the college level and two hold Phd's. They have expanded the department to have a large emphasis on writing which is good for English language practice and for SAT writing. The overall problem with math are the faculty; one teacher is in charge of about four of the six or seven classes. Too few faculty. I would like to point out that a rigorous schedule does not equal rigorous academics. The languages department is by far the best but the students do not take the education seriously and make it a detriment. As for the students, it's very liberal- at least among Americans. The faculty, especially Pam Jordan, glorify the school too much. The pictures are not an accurate representation. The "state of the art classrooms", except for the Westin Room (which ironically is P. Jordan's board meeting room) are on temporary foundation. read more

Signed up for pottery Boot Camp at Idyllwild Arts, 2017. Class was advertised as hand building and wheel. Before I signed up, I Confirmed with Diane Dennis, Summer coordinator that the class was a mixture of hand building and wheel. Diane specifically stated that I would get a lot of instruction in hand building. First day of class I found out that the teacher is only teaching the wheel. Teacher told me that the administration changed the wording in his class description for marketing purposes. He wasn't aware of this until the brochure was printed. Don't you just love marketing. Good teacher but I can't physically work the wheel due to joint and back problems. They are refusing to give me a refund. Very upset. i'm not done with them yet. I intend to get my refund. #baitandswitch #idylwildartssummerprogram #frustrated #idylwildarts #idylwildfoundation read more

My son went to summer camp there-close to 30% of the children in his group left or were sent home in the first 24hrs of program. There is no transition, intake plan, or staff that is prepped to handle adversity in a safe way. Dangerously our 12 year old child was one of the children sent home with an out of control staff calling us to pick him up immediately! This was after we had just driven 8 hrs to drop him off. They had no consideration to the drive we'd have to face late at night (arriving there close to midnight) and in alternate roads since the main had been closed due to earthquake damage. This was one of the worst experiences of my life. They had the audacity of not returning our tuition, but that is the least considering the emotional trauma on my child. I had warned them a lot at registration that he'd need hand holding the first few days since it was his first sleep away camp, they assured me they'd prep the info to the staff, but zero communication was done. If your child is unique in any way this is not the camp for your family. read more

I will give you five stars for all your great contact and following up of emails, but I have had some bad experiences just driving around this town. After interactions with some of the locals, we will be declining enrolling our kids here and following through with the inquiry. You've had great customer service, but this unfortunately a creepy town. The whole driving around and scoping this whole area out, gave us the answers we need about our decision. There's too much of a Twin Peaks vibe, and not sure what people are hiding. Thanks for your considerate emails, though. read more

My daughter was looking forward to attending the summer dance intensive in the summer of 2021. The pandemic restrictions were easing up and she was set to spend her two-week session in the dorm. The staff/ faculty did not take into account that kids had been isolated for a good year and a half and needed some assistance in assimilating back into a social situation - they were not warm and welcoming. On top of that, dance girls can be exclusive, and the girls that had been attending Idyllwild as boarding students (called "ambassadors") were not welcoming to the new students. The majority of faculty were no better. A smile would have gone a long way or even a good morning or hello! The kids in class were cold. My daughter experienced PTSD on day one - felt judged and on the outs. She panicked and I had to pick her up, close to midnight, on day one! A long drive for me coming and going, but most of all, the three days after picking her up all she did was sleep and throw up. I contacted the administration and was told I could not get my tuition back at all. Nothing. The school took no responsibility for what had happened. Her roommate left two days later. What does that tell you? When I wrote directly to the president of the school she just said I should have purchased insurance. Nice. Not. read more

My son and friends atttended the band sessions during summer - specifically the 7-9 grade Symphonic Band. Outstanding learning lesson! The kids have a great time and get proficient on their instruments. The instructors are great - keeping the kids motivated and involved. My son was later selected for All California and All Southern California bands. I believe it was largely based on the additional education that he recieved at Idyllwild. They meet other good music students and develop relationships that carry on for years. The rooms are basic, but that is all they need as they get out to meet people and do things together. Highly recommended! read more

Warning: We left after 24 hours due to irresponsible and reprehensible behavior by the administration at this camp. To start with let me say, we were very excited for this camp and traveled a long way to attend. My child is an artist and was going to be 3rd generation to attend Idyllwild School of the Arts. We were SHOCKED at what we experienced. In preparation for camp I had many phone calls and emails with the camp discussing and confirming in advance that my kid's (very real) anxiety would be provided for and addressed while at camp. They assured me repeatedly that they had everything in hand and specifics were detailed. Instead, it turned out they were clearly just placating what they perceived as an overly-involved "helicopter parent". Once they got their money and I was gone they did NONE of the things they agreed to. Instead, she was locked in a dorm and drug searched for hours, kept up with lights on until 1am, sent outside in the middle of the night with sirens, and unable to get in contact with her parents for over 10 hours (regardless of promises to the contrary), medications handed out in once instance to another student and once at a table in front of everyone at the dining hall -and MANY other things which I won't detail here for the sake of brevity and privacy. Finally, the art teacher scraped away her painting after 3 hours of work saying she wasn't doing it right (and then denied doing it). I pulled my kid out after less than 2 days. I was not returned medications nor offered a refund or apology. Rather they attacked me for taking her off campus without notifying anyone when their office was closed with no forwarding contact information posted! She became very ill as soon as we left and is now on a medical leave from school six months later. I received a hilarious email recently stating that our $50 from the store fund would be credited back. (Thanks). They kept the $$$$$ from the tuition. Now I am receiving notices of how the wonderful camp is looking forward to this summer. Sign up now! (Lol). Thanks for reminding me to write my review. It's very sad to see this at a place where I had so many fond memories. I really thought my kid would be ok here. I was wrong. Send your kids at your own risk. read more

Wow awesome camp and the staff are so nice especially the administrative assistant in bowman, She is so helpful and kind! I took the class of fashion design. My teacher Cat was very nice and taught me awesome crafts and we did wonderful activities and her son Chez and daughter Catalina were fun to learn from. read more

I have been a patron faithfully and my family have been donors for decades. I have always loved going to see the different shows the students put on especially the plays. They have always been amazing like an off brodway production until this year. I feel like I can see better productions down the street at the free public high school who are in need of our donations more. At both of this years productions I tried talking with the theater chair (I will leave his name out of this) at the very least to meet him. But he walked away like I was not even there, not even sure he heard my name as I stood there with my hand out to shake his and meet him. He was also dressed as if he were going to help the homeless not as if he were thankful that people took time out of their weekend to drive possibly hours to support them. Our calls to the Dean of Arts Theater Department (I will also leave her name out of this) have all gone unreturned as well as the Head of the school (leaving his name out as well) I feel some changes need to be made throughout the entire school, new blood is needed. It has gotten stagnet and people are to comfortable in the positions they have. I am truly heartbroke to see such an amazing prominent school take a turn for the worse. I pray that they make the changes needed to bring themselves back! read more

Love this shop and staff. Not only great finds but sponsors fun events. Best part - when these other snobby shop owners refused us the use of their bathroom, we were able to use Idyllwild Arts. We will always shop here and absolutely will not enter these other shops that refused us during our need. read more

Summer camp program - very little structure. My 15 year old daughter is introverted and shy - very artistic. I sent her to camp to enrich her artistically, but also for her to gain confidence socially. Basically, after the afternoon class (around 4pm), the kids just "click" up and can do what they want. If your child doesn't already know someone there, and struggles in that way - good luck! She said the counselors did not care what they were doing as long as they stay "in-bounds" and were back by 10pm. There are some activities in the evenings, but they are only suggested. There was no initial orientation, no ice breakers, no structured alternative activities in the evenings - nothing. As a result, she sat in her room a lot. I could have done that at home and saved the $3000. Part of it is my daughter's "fault," but not all of it. For $3000 - I expected much more. read more