Appel Farm Arts and Music Center
Appel Farm Arts and Music Center, located near Elmer, New Jersey, United States, is a multifaceted nonprofit regional arts center founded by musicians and art educators Albert and Clare Rostan Appel. It is primarily known for its summer camp which began in 1960.
Appel Farm's mission and programs are built on the philosophy of its founders: to provide people of all ages, cultures, and economic backgrounds with a supportive, cooperative environment in which to explore the arts. This mission is rooted in the belief that the arts are an exciting and essential part of the learning process, and that artistic talent is innate and waiting to be developed in every person.
The Arts and Music Center traces its beginnings to 1959 when musicians and arts educators Clare, a German-born refugee and her husband, New Jersey farmer Albert Appel, decided to turn their 176-acre (0.71 km2) former farm into a day camp, merging their love for their children and their friends with their interest in music. The first group of campers arrived in the summer of 1960.
Over the years, as participation grew, a series of small wooden cabins were constructed in an area around the Appel home. Albert, a violinist, invited guest artists to perform and to instruct the children. Gradually, these activities expanded and full-time professional staff as well as seasonal instructors were hired and the camp became a residential program. The original camp bunks were converted chicken coops, and art instruction was held in a barn.
Appel Farm was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in 1978 and, in 1987, Mark Packer, then Camp Director, became Appel Farm's Executive Director. Albert Appel officially became Director Emeritus but still actively participates in the organization's operations. An annual arts and music festival was introduced in 1989. While Clare Appel died in 1990, the legacy she and her husband founded continued to grow and diversify. Outreach programs have evolved and continue to flourish. Arts instructional classes and workshops are held on- and off-site. Annually, Appel Farm's programs serve a combined audience of approximately 56,000 people, including school children. It receives funding from a variety of public and private sources, including the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, Giving Opportunities to Others (GOTO), and individuals, among others. The landscape of the former farm has evolved as well with improved structures and facilities to accommodate the growth in programming.
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