Door County’s unique combination of natural beauty and stimulating array of the arts provides the perfect setting to experience educational opportunities in and out of the classroom.  Schools, galleries, nature centers, museums, the performing and visual arts present a limitless selection of workshops, lectures, and classes for every age and skill level. From creating a one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry to carving a walking stick or writing poetry, Door County’s environment inspires boundless creativity and educational fulfillment.

Birch Creek Music Performance Center

Birch Creek, located in the heart of Wisconsin’s beautiful Door County peninsula, is a young musician’s dream. Founded in 1976, this unique summer music school and concert venue provides talented students (typically ages 14 to 19) advanced training as well as the opportunity to perform publicly alongside some of the top music professionals in the country. Birch Creek offers 4 two-week summer sessions: Symphony, Percussion & Steel Pan, and Jazz (2 sessions). With a 2-to-1 student-faculty ratio, students receive intensive mentoring throughout their stay on Birch Creek’s campus with a faculty whose performance credentials range from the Lyric Opera and the Milwaukee Symphony to performing and recording with Tony Bennett, the Count Basie Orchestra, Maynard Ferguson, and Frank Sinatra, Jr. At night, from late June through mid-August, students and the pros take the stage in Birch Creek's 500-seat concert barn before paying audiences. Because of the mentoring and performing activities, residency during the session is required. Auditions are also required.
For information, call (920) 868-3763, or visit www.birchcreek.org.




The Clearing

The Clearing is a "folk school" for adults in northern Door County, Wisconsin. We are celebrating our 75th Anniversary in 2010 and our founder, Jens Jensen's, 150th birthday.  Jen Jensen was a renowned landscape architect and conservationist and established The Clearing in 1935. We offer classes year-round in the arts, humanities and natural sciences, including bird watching, drawing, fine woodworking, fused glass, geology, hiking, jewelry making, literature, music, painting, paper arts, philosophy, photography, poetry, quilting, rustic furniture, stained glass, theology, weaving, wood carving, wood turning, writing and many more.

The Clearing experience is a unique combination of learning and relaxation within its historic stone and log buildings. 128 acres of forest, meadow and shoreline provide a quiet, peaceful refuge. Classes range from one-day workshops to week-long resident classes during which meals are eaten family-style in The Clearing’s historic Lodge.  Resident students also enjoy easy camaraderie as they gather around the council ring campfire after supper to watch the sun set over the waters of Green Bay. 

The Clearing is listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places. The property is open for hiking on weekends from May through October and daily from November through April. The Visitor Center and Bookstore, featuring the works of local artists, is open from 8 to 4, Monday through Friday year-round, and from noon to 4 on weekends from May through October.



Peninsula School of Art

The natural beauty of Door County has nurtured the creativity of artists and inspired their work for over a century. In the heart of Door County, in Fish Creek, is the Peninsula School of Art. Our roots go back to the 1930s, when the faculty of the Art Institute of Chicago brought their students to our peninsula to paint and teach. A student from this era was Madeline (Tripp) Tourtelot, a photographer and filmmaker, who officially established the Peninsula School of Art in 1965.

Throughout the year, our School offers 1-, 3- and 5-day workshops in all traditional and contemporary media. Peninsula School of Art faculty is nationally-recognized for their work both as professional artists and art educators. Our curriculum caters to students of all ages and skill levels. Housed in three buildings, and surrounded by gardens and ten acres of woods, Peninsula School of Art accommodates 1,500 students annually.

In addition to our calendar of classes, we offer lectures for art appreciators, family-friendly events as well as exhibits in our Guenzel Gallery that educate and inspire.
For artists and art appreciators, community residents and visitors from across the country, Peninsula School of Art is a memorable destination in Door County. We welcome you to share our love of art and the beautiful setting of our school with you. Please visit our website for class listings as well as upcoming events. Peninsula School of Art and Guenzel Gallery is open year round, Monday-Saturday, 9am-5pm.



Third Avenue Playhouse

A key component of our mission at Third Avenue Playhouse is to inspire cultural awareness through classes and workshops.  Our writer’s workshop, Tuesday’s at TAP, meets on the third Tuesday of each month at 6:30 PM.  Our curriculum includes classes in short and long fiction, poetry and playwriting.

Our children’s theater arts project, For Kids By Kids, encompasses stage productions and a performing arts curriculum.  Through participation in our annual summer theater camp, children from ages 8 – 14 have an opportunity to study the craft of theater, including auditions, voice, blocking, lighting, sound and set design. The four week camp culminates with a full stage production.

For more information about our workshops and For Kids By Kids program, call 920-743-1760.



The Miller Art Museum

The Museum provides educational offerings for children and adults 6 weeks in winter and summer.  The mission of the ART reach program is to offer short term introductory classes in several media to give students the opportunity to discover and try out a new medium.  Classes are held Thursday, Friday or Saturday, usually one session from 2-5 hrs with a maximum of 10 students, maximizing individual attention.  Classes have included watercolor, drawing, basketry, jewelry, collage, and more.  Tuition is very reasonable allowing many students to participate.  Each session is inspired by the unique offerings of the instructors.  Potential students can be placed on the mailing list to receive class schedules by calling the office or e-mailing the Director.  All classes are held in the small classroom of the administrative offices across the street from the Museum in the Annex at 360 Nebraska Street.