Buck's Rock
Encyclopedia
Buck's Rock Performing and Creative Arts Camp is an educational summer camp
located in New Milford, Connecticut
. The camp was established in 1942 by Dr. Ernst Bulova and his wife Ilse, Austria
n educators who had studied under Maria Montessori
.
in the early 20th century. Dr. Bulova ran an educational radio program in Berlin
, but following the Nazis' rise to power he and his wife were forced to flee to England
, where Dr. Bulova became co-director of the Beltane School in Wimbledon
.
With the help of relatives who owned the Bulova Watch Company, Dr. and Mrs. Bulova emigrated to the United States
in 1940 to find a refuge for British children during World War II
. The site chosen was hilly farmland in the Merryall region of New Milford, but since crossing the Atlantic had become too treacherous, the plan was abandoned and Ernst and Ilse convinced their relatives to sell the land to them. Thus began Buck’s Rock Work Camp, where the Bulovas put into practice some of their Montessori-based principles on how children learn and grow.
The earliest campers came from two of Manhattan’s progressive schools, The Dalton School
and The Walden School
. In addition to learning about New Milford’s small-town governance, the children worked on neighboring farms to alleviate the wartime manpower shortage. Once the war ended, the camp really took off and a unique program of creative and artistic endeavors evolved.
In 2001, coinciding with a memorial ceremony following Dr. Bulova's death, a group of alumni spanning the camp's 50-year history founded a non-profit organization called Friends of Buck's Rock (FOBR), to promote the educational ideals and philosophy of the camp's founders. In addition to sponsoring alumni events, FOBR has served as a fund-raising organization, partnering with Buck's Rock's current directors to make it possible for financially-disadvantaged teenagers to attend camp on full or partial scholarships.
that sits behind the Actors Studio building, the land on which the camp sits was part of the Buck’s Rock district of New Milford, John Buck having been one of its first settlers. In addition, the road that runs through the camp is called Buck’s Rock Road.
Campers at Buck's Rock range from age 9 to 17. If a camper is 15½ or older by December 1 or entering 10th grade the following year, they may apply to become a Counselor-in-Training
(CIT) in an area of their choice. A CIT spends half their day working in their shop area, and half the day as a camper. Many CITs go on to become Junior Counselors and full staff in later years; Buck's Rock staff is made up of 50% returning staff each summer.
As dictated by the Montessori system, there is no specific schedule for when campers may participate in shop activities. However, a basic daily schedule does exist, denoting mealtimes, special activities, and bed time. This schedule is marked by the ringing of the gong, an old railroad locomotive wheel that can be heard throughout the entire camp.
Every evening there are activities for campers and staff to participate in, including movies, performances, recitals, and exhibits of camper work. Buck's Rock puts on more than two dozen performances each summer.
The culminating event of each summer is a Festival Day during which relatives, friends, and other guests visit the camp to view the artistic work and attend the various performances that the campers have created.
Buck's Rock offers more than 40 shop areas (listed below), performance settings, and other activities in which campers can choose to participate. In addition to more typical camp activities such as athletics and swimming, Buck's Rock has full facilities offering expert instruction in the manual arts and crafts as well as in the performing arts. Each area at Buck's Rock is staffed by professional artists, performers, and teachers.
Shops:
Animal Farm,
Batik,
Book Arts,
Ceramics,
Clown,
Computers,
Costume,
Culinary,
Dance,
Digital Imaging,
Fleen,
Glassblowing,
Lampworking,
Leather,
Lighting and Sound Design,
Metals/Jewelry,
Mushed (Music Shed),
Painting/Drawing,
P.A.S.S. (Printmaking and Silkscreen Studio),
Publications,
Radio,
Set Design,
Sculpture,
Sewing,
Sports,
Studio 59,
Theatre,
Video,
Weaving,
Wood
The camp has hosted a number of prominent folk performances, including ones by Simon & Garfunkel and Pete Seeger
. Canadian teen sensation Pamela LaJoie performed as a camper in 2008. Lectures and workshops given by prominent artists have been a staple of the camp since its inception, with visits ranging from Leni Riefenstahl
to Maury Yeston
. In more recent times, the camp has hosted alumni parent Kevin Bacon
's band The Bacon Brothers
. The camp has also hosted Canadian staff band Hunter Valentine
.
Summer camp
Summer camp is a supervised program for children or teenagers conducted during the summer months in some countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer camp are known as campers....
located in New Milford, Connecticut
New Milford, Connecticut
New Milford is a town in southern Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States north of Danbury, on the Housatonic River. It is the largest town in the state in terms of land area at nearly . The population was 28,671 according to the Census Bureau's 2006 estimates...
. The camp was established in 1942 by Dr. Ernst Bulova and his wife Ilse, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n educators who had studied under Maria Montessori
Maria Montessori
Maria Montessori was an Italian physician and educator, a noted humanitarian and devout Catholic best known for the philosophy of education which bears her name...
.
Early history
Ernst (1902–2001) and Ilse Bulova were Austrian educators living in GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in the early 20th century. Dr. Bulova ran an educational radio program in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, but following the Nazis' rise to power he and his wife were forced to flee to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, where Dr. Bulova became co-director of the Beltane School in Wimbledon
Wimbledon, London
Wimbledon is a district in the south west area of London, England, located south of Wandsworth, and east of Kingston upon Thames. It is situated within Greater London. It is home to the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and New Wimbledon Theatre, and contains Wimbledon Common, one of the largest areas...
.
With the help of relatives who owned the Bulova Watch Company, Dr. and Mrs. Bulova emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1940 to find a refuge for British children during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The site chosen was hilly farmland in the Merryall region of New Milford, but since crossing the Atlantic had become too treacherous, the plan was abandoned and Ernst and Ilse convinced their relatives to sell the land to them. Thus began Buck’s Rock Work Camp, where the Bulovas put into practice some of their Montessori-based principles on how children learn and grow.
The earliest campers came from two of Manhattan’s progressive schools, The Dalton School
The Dalton School
The Dalton School, originally called the Children's University School, is a private university-preparatory school on New York City's Upper East Side and a member of both the New York Interschooland the Ivy Preparatory School League...
and The Walden School
Walden School (New York City)
__notoc__Walden School was a private day school in Manhattan, New York City that operated from 1914 until 1988, when it merged with the New Lincoln School; the merged school closed in 1991. Walden was known as an innovator in progressive education. The Walden School was founded in 1914 by Margaret...
. In addition to learning about New Milford’s small-town governance, the children worked on neighboring farms to alleviate the wartime manpower shortage. Once the war ended, the camp really took off and a unique program of creative and artistic endeavors evolved.
Later history
Naming
While many campers believe that the camp was named for a large boulderBoulder
In geology, a boulder is a rock with grain size of usually no less than 256 mm diameter. While a boulder may be small enough to move or roll manually, others are extremely massive....
that sits behind the Actors Studio building, the land on which the camp sits was part of the Buck’s Rock district of New Milford, John Buck having been one of its first settlers. In addition, the road that runs through the camp is called Buck’s Rock Road.
Camp life
Counselor-in-Training
This article is about the program at a summer camp, i.e., church, Scouting, or other organization.Counselor-in-Training can be both a person’s designation and a program, intended to prepare the individual for the leadership and responsibility of being a counselor...
(CIT) in an area of their choice. A CIT spends half their day working in their shop area, and half the day as a camper. Many CITs go on to become Junior Counselors and full staff in later years; Buck's Rock staff is made up of 50% returning staff each summer.
As dictated by the Montessori system, there is no specific schedule for when campers may participate in shop activities. However, a basic daily schedule does exist, denoting mealtimes, special activities, and bed time. This schedule is marked by the ringing of the gong, an old railroad locomotive wheel that can be heard throughout the entire camp.
Every evening there are activities for campers and staff to participate in, including movies, performances, recitals, and exhibits of camper work. Buck's Rock puts on more than two dozen performances each summer.
The culminating event of each summer is a Festival Day during which relatives, friends, and other guests visit the camp to view the artistic work and attend the various performances that the campers have created.
Shops and activities
Shops:
Animal Farm,
Batik,
Book Arts,
Ceramics,
Clown,
Computers,
Costume,
Culinary,
Dance,
Digital Imaging,
Fleen,
Glassblowing,
Lampworking,
Leather,
Lighting and Sound Design,
Metals/Jewelry,
Mushed (Music Shed),
Painting/Drawing,
P.A.S.S. (Printmaking and Silkscreen Studio),
Publications,
Radio,
Set Design,
Sculpture,
Sewing,
Sports,
Studio 59,
Theatre,
Video,
Weaving,
Wood
Notable staff
- Henry SapoznikHenry SapoznikHenry "Hank" Sapoznik העניק סאַפאַזשניק is an award winning author, record and radio producer and performer of traditional Yiddish and American music. With MacArthur Fellow David Isay, he produced the 10-week radio series the on the history of Jewish broadcasting for NPR’s All Things Considered...
, Klezmer music authority, four time Grammy nominated performer/producer - Jason ZimblerJason ZimblerJason Zimbler is an American actor, theatre director, and software designer.-Personal life:Born in New York City, Zimbler graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1998, and has both an undergraduate degree in Business Administration and a graduate degree in Theatre Directing...
, former child actor (Clarissa Explains It AllClarissa Explains It AllClarissa Explains It All is an American teen sitcom that aired on Nickelodeon. Created by Mitchell Kriegman, it aired for five seasons for a total of 65 episodes from March 23, 1991, to December 3, 1994, and then went into reruns....
) - Happy TraumHappy TraumHappy Traum is an American folk musician who started playing music in the Fifties. Happy is most famously known as one half of Happy and Artie Traum, a duo he began with his brother...
, folk musician of 1960–2000, session guitarist for Bob Dylan. - Roy Book BinderRoy Book BinderRoy Book Binder is an American blues guitarist. A student and friend of the Rev. Gary Davis, he is equally at home with blues and ragtime, he is known to shift from open tunings to slide arrangements to original compositions, with both traditional and self-styled licks...
, blues guitarist - Rebecca DrysdaleRebecca DrysdaleRebecca Drysdale is an American comedian who was a member of the Second City Chicago E.T.C. cast. She won the 2005 Breakout Performer Award at the 2005 United States Comedy Arts Festival. She performed as part of the multi-arts group performance Synesthesia. She was also a writer for The Big Gay...
, comedian - Paz de la HuertaPaz de la HuertaMaría de la Paz Elizabeth Sofía Adriana de la Huerta , better known by her professional name Paz de la Huerta, is an American actress and model...
, actress
The camp has hosted a number of prominent folk performances, including ones by Simon & Garfunkel and Pete Seeger
Pete Seeger
Peter "Pete" Seeger is an American folk singer and was an iconic figure in the mid-twentieth century American folk music revival. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, he also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of The Weavers, most notably their recording of Lead...
. Canadian teen sensation Pamela LaJoie performed as a camper in 2008. Lectures and workshops given by prominent artists have been a staple of the camp since its inception, with visits ranging from Leni Riefenstahl
Leni Riefenstahl
Helene Bertha Amalie "Leni" Riefenstahl was a German film director, actress and dancer widely noted for her aesthetics and innovations as a filmmaker. Her most famous film was Triumph des Willens , a propaganda film made at the 1934 Nuremberg congress of the Nazi Party...
to Maury Yeston
Maury Yeston
Maury Yeston is an American composer, lyricist, educator and musicologist.He is known for writing the music and lyrics to Broadway musicals, including Nine in 1982, and Titanic in 1997, both of which won Tony Awards for best musical and best score. He also won a Drama Desk Award for Nine...
. In more recent times, the camp has hosted alumni parent Kevin Bacon
Kevin Bacon
Kevin Norwood Bacon is an American film and theater actor whose notable roles include Animal House, Diner, Footloose, Flatliners, Wild Things, A Few Good Men, JFK, Apollo 13, Mystic River, The Woodsman, Trapped, Friday the 13th, Hollow Man, Tremors, Death Sentence, Frost/Nixon, Crazy, Stupid, Love....
's band The Bacon Brothers
The Bacon Brothers
The Bacon Brothers is the American musical duo of Michael Bacon and Kevin Bacon. Although they have played music together since they were boys, the brothers have only been a working band since 1995....
. The camp has also hosted Canadian staff band Hunter Valentine
Hunter Valentine
Hunter Valentine is an alternative rock band formed in 2004 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Hunter Valentine is a girl band with a moderate fan base in southern Ontario.-History:...
.