November 2008

Dear Friend of Blue Lake:

With the conclusion of our 43rd Season, we are pleased to report that Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp experienced record enrollment during the past year, providing cultural enrichment to more than 5,100 children and youth during our eight week principal season. Each student receives five hours of daily instruction in their chosen major of music, art, dance, and theater. Students can also choose from 26 minors, providing them the opportunity to explore other arts disciplines unavailable to them in their home school environment. Understanding how the arts inter-relate is at the core of arts education and given strong emphasis at Blue Lake.

Blue Lake is fortunate to have a highly qualified and dedicated faculty, most with advanced degrees. They come from respected high schools, colleges and universities throughout the nation and believe strongly in our mission - to provide concentrated instruction in the arts to gifted young people from diverse backgrounds in a beautiful natural setting. Attending Blue Lake is a life changing experience for many of our campers, stimulating their creativity and improving self-confidence.

In its 40th year, the Blue Lake International Exchange Program has had an incalculable impact on its participants, ranging in age from 13 to 18. Based upon the ideal of creating International Understanding through the Arts, our students have served as goodwill ambassadors in hundreds of communities throughout Europe. In 2008, six Blue Lake performing groups gave more than 50 performances in France, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, Hungary, Austria, and Luxembourg.  In the spirit of cultural exchange, our program arranged tours throughout the Midwest for one Japanese and seven European touring ensembles.

WBLV-FM and WBLU-FM, our National Public Radio stations, provide an important lifeline to members of the West Michigan fine arts community.  With a format that features classical music, jazz and arts programming, and a series of live broadcasts from the Metropolitan Opera and the Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra to the Blue Lake Jazz Festival, Blue Lake Public Radio is an important cultural asset to our listeners and the students at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. If you are outside of our broadcast range, you can log on 24 hours a day via the internet at http://bluelake.ncats.net/

Other programs sponsored by Blue Lake include Suzuki Family Camp, Arts Programs for Adults, the Chamber Music for Fun program, a workshop in the Stewart Piano Method, and the Leonard Falcone Tuba and Euphonium Festival and Competition.

Yes, it was a very busy year, and with the support of people like you, Blue Lake awarded more than $2 million in scholarships to deserving students during 2008. For many, attending Blue Lake simply wouldn't be possible without this assistance, and your financial support continues to be critical to meeting this need.

Plans for the 2009 Season include construction of new housing to meet the demands of a growing enrollment and a special showcase of our faculty at the University of Michigan on July 28th. Entitled Experience Blue Lake, the event will raise funds for the camp's scholarship endowment and serve as a gathering point for Blue Lake alumni, more than 50% of whom come from within a 50 mile radius of Ann Arbor. Experience Blue Lake will conclude with a combined performance of Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana" in Hill Auditorium by the Blue Lake International Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Blue Lake International Choir. One hundred alumni from past international choirs have been invited to complete the 180 voice chorus, to be conducted by Blue Lake's Director of Choral Activities, Dr. Mark Webb. Complete information on Experience Blue Lake will be sent to you in May, and we hope you will make plans to join us. For more information, log on to www.bluelake.org

As you consider your year-end tax planning, we encourage you to make good use of the income tax charitable deduction. Your 2008 year-end gift can significantly reduce your income taxes, while providing meaningful support for Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. To illustrate how this works, we have created a new brochure outlining 2008 year-end gift ideas. If you have questions or would like to structure a specialized gift, annuity, or scholarship endowment, please contact the Blue Lake Development Office at 800-221-3796 or via email at bluelakefinearts@aol.com.

Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp is recognized by the IRS as a tax-exempt organization and, as outlined in the enclosed brochure, gifts are fully tax deductible. Also, please remember that a contribution to Blue Lake Public Radio brings the additional advantage of a tax benefit from the State of Michigan.

Thank you for your generous support and best wishes to you and your family from Blue Lake for the holiday season.

Sincerely,

Fritz Stansell President	Bill McFarlin Vice President Development & Public Relations