June 9-13 On-Campus Program

Students will explore digital illustration, mixed media, and 2D Animation. Traditional tools encourage students to be inventive and to make original imaginative character illustrations in a digital setting. The class moves between traditional media approaches to realize the movement created using computers and software programs, such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and After Effects. The animation reels from this camp program can be viewed on our Youtube channel here.

Here is the 2024 2D Animation/Illustration lesson plan.

View the 2023 camp reel here.

View student art from the 2022 camp program here. 

Student testimonials from the 2023 Camp:

• "I thought it was very fun and I learned how to animate better."
• "Super awesome! The people and the environment was great! I learned a lot of new material concerning animation, specifically limited animation."
• "It was extremely inclusive and I had so much fun. I definitely learned a lot that I’m going to use in my future classes."
• "It was fun to the fact I will go again in the future."
• "Learned a lot and met a lot of amazing people."

Student testimonials from the 2022 Camp:

• "It was very great. I learned a lot."
• "Pretty good camp!"
• "Very fun and a great learning experience."
• "It was very enjoyable, and I learned a lot that I'm excited to implement into my future animations."
• "Incredibly enlightening, I've learned a lot about animation and surprisingly, about myself."

 

Some of our 2D Animation/Illustration students working on their characters.

July 13-25 On-Campus Program

 

Students in this program get to choose two animation related areas for their camp focus. Students will focus on one area during the mornings and one area during the afternoons. The four options are:

• 2D Animation (primarily using Toon Boom software)
• 3D Animation (primarily using Maya software)
• Concept Art for Games & Animation (primarily using Blender, the Adobe Suite, and hand drawing). See curriculum plan here.
• Stop Motion Animation

Students can select their preferences on the camp application. Most students receive their top two choices. Campers will also have the opportunity to change their selections on the first day of the camp. 

 

Here are the lesson plans from LYNX Camp 2023 to learn more.

 

In 2024, the animation camp classes were taught by current CU Denver Visual Arts Department faculty members Brett Rutland and Charles Valsechi. Recent CU Denver 3D Animation Program graduates Avery Buffington and Andy Yankovich also taught be teaching at the camp. Additionally, there were four current CU Denver Visual Arts students serving as camp teaching assistants. Camp students learned so much from this talented crew! 

 

Our animation camp program is great for high school students of all ability levels. Most importantly, we want students who are eager to learn animation and improve their skills. Our camp instructors are great at bringing high school students who are newer to animation along at an appropriate pace, while also being able to challenge students with more advanced animation skills. In 10 years of running the camp, we've never had a student attend the camp who said the camp was too easy or basic for them. This camp really prepares students well to enter college animation programs.

During the evenings of the camp, we bring in animation guest artists to share their experiences as professional animators. Past guest artists have included Jeff Gibson (Disney), Richard Marrujo (Pixar), Jessica Smith (Bron Studios), and Michael Launder (Nickelodeon). All of these guest artists are alumni of our CU Denver animation program!

Here are the 2023 camp animation reels!

• Stop Motion Animation
• 2D Animation (morning class)
• 2D Animation (afternoon class)
• 3D Animation
• Character Creation

View camp animation reels from previous years on our Youtube channel here!

Student testimonials from 2023 Camp:

• "Overall it was a fun experience, I got to learn new stuff and actually have a chance to work on my skills."
• "It was amazing, meeting many friendly people with the same interests and hobbies as me. It also improved my skill so much in such little time "
• "It was a very fun experience participating in this program it was really fun learning everything that goes into creating characters and bringing them to life and I think that walking out of here I am a better artist than the artist that walked in and this experience expanded my creativity and it was overall really fun"
• "Amazing! Able to improve on my knowledge from last year in a supportive environment with skilled teachers/TAs who clearly cared :)"
• "My LYNX camp experience was awesome! I really enjoyed all of the different things we worked on in our classes and I definitely had an amazing time. There are so many different things I’ve learned and will be utilizing in my art and animation journey, and I’ll definitely be coming back next year!"

Student testimonials from 2022 Camp:

• "It was fun, and I enjoyed learning new software and making close friends."
• "I loved meow wolf, and I loved the animation guest speakers. It was so helpful to see someone's career in the field I am interested in."
• "It was amazing! The classes were rewarding, I got to make cool stuff, the staff were fun, and the teachers had amazing amounts of patience with me staying a little late in my classes to get some last bits of work done on my projects!"
• "I had a great time and I'm super thankful I got to experience camp"
• "Amazing. Everything went swimmingly and immersing myself in the arts and learning new techniques all day was the best experience I've had all summer."

Animation LYNX Camper working on their Stop Motion animation project. We are happy to announce Stop Motion will be one of our elective options for the 2024 camps.

June 9-13 On-Campus Program

Explore the world of mixing, mastering, and recording sound in our industry standard recording studios. Students will also learn to produce music using Ableton Live from CU Denver faculty member Lorne Bregitzer, one of the only certified Ableton Live trainers in Colorado.

Check out the 2024 Audio Production Ableton Live Syllabus.

Student testimonials from the 2023 Camp:

• "Absolutely fantastic! Campers are awesome, Jesse and Lorne are the best! I’ll be back next year."
• "Once in a lifetime experience that I would definitely do again"
• "The community was the most positive aspect for me, it was very nice to hang out with like minded peers!!"
• "I really enjoyed the mix between teaching us how to mix, master, and produce and just letting us go in the studio and do those things."
• "Having full access to ableton and being able to create with anyone."

Student testimonials from the 2022 Camp:

 

• "It was good. I was worried that I would have too little experience compared to other students, but I ended up being pretty equal to everyone (most people had little to no experience with Ableton), which made me more comfortable."
• "Very enlightening into about how sound is created and how sound is used."
• "Lorne is very knowledgeable about audio development and Ableton. Additionally, Lorne is very receptive to questions (which I tend to have many of) and seems to genuinely want to help students get some clarity."
• "The most positive aspect, in my opinion, was learning the many ways to manipulate music and get the most out the Ableton platform. I also found the many demonstrations on how to construct music from scratch really helpful."
• "It was a really enjoyable camp that taught me how to become a better producer and the peers where always fun and great to be around."

 

Instructor Lorne Bregitzer teaching our Audio Production/Ableton Live campers about how to use music recording software.

June 9-13 On-Campus Program

Students explore the dynamics of character development and design through a study of the imagery of leading cartoonists who have been at the forefront of depicting some of the most memorable characters in comic books and animation. An exploration into how comic book characters are created with focus on storytelling, creative design work, and design thinking will be the focus of this fun and creative workshop.

2024 Camp Instructor: CU Denver Illustration faculty member Lynn Mandziuk taught camp for the 2023 summer and you can learn more about Lynn here.

Here is the Comic Book Character Design lesson plan for this summer.

Student testimonials from 2023 Camp:

• "Really fun, a good mix of teaching techniques and letting us do our own thing. It was fun to meet everyone too."
• "My LYNX camp experience was very refreshing as I was able to learn new things such as digital art and meet new people who are into art like me."
• "This was one of the best choices I have made. The classmates are all nice, no one had issues and the teachers were easygoing as well so they were fun to work around."
• "I liked the team building activities we do every morning. My favorite one was the Beautiful Monster collaborative drawing we did. I got to joke around and laugh with people, as well as make some goofy characters."
• "I liked my instructor and TAs because they were very helpful in ways that were easy to understand."

Student testimonials from 2022 Camp:

• "I would describe it as a wonderful as well as educational experience."
• "I loved it, I learned so much and I hope I can come back next year"
• "Amazing, one of the best camps I’ve been to."
• "The community and people in the class were really supportive and the lessons were interesting"
• "A fun place to learn and be with fellow art people"

Comic Book Character Design campers working on their creations.

July 13-25 On-Campus Program

Students will create their own films and experience every step of film production from brainstorming and scriptwriting all the way through filming and screening. Along the way they will learn about lighting, sound, location scouting, editing, graphics, and color correction. Students will work in teams and learn from experienced faculty and filmmakers. All filmmaking equipment is provided for the students. 

 

 

Here is the 2024 Filmmaking Lesson Plan!

• View 2023 student films here!
• View student films from past camps (2016-2022) on our Youtube channel here!

Student testimonials from 2023 Camp:

• "It was amazing! I have personally never been to a summer camp before and wanted that experience. I came here knowing one person and will be leaving with 10+ new friends and potential future collaborators. I am so happy this camp exists"
• "I had a lot of fun. I met some great friends that had similar interests as me and I got to learn filmmaking and create a film. I also loved meeting film guest artists that were incredible inspiring and cool to learn from"
• "I loved LYNX camp so much. It was so fun and I was able to not only learn and get hands on experience, but also make great friends. I’m really proud of the work I did, and I’m so appreciative of the teachers and TAs that taught me so much about filmmaking. They helped me out so much."
• "I loved every minute of lynx camp, the people here are fantastic, I was given the opportunity to network not just with my peers, but with industry professionals as well."
• "It was so much fun ! I enjoyed every second of being a Lynx camper. The guest artists, leaders, instructors and TAs are always joyful and ready to help us create our best art!"

Student testimonials from 2022 Camp:

• "it was very fun and I learned a lot!"
• "all TA's are really nice and helped a lot. Andrew and Cynthia were great leaders"
• "it was fun and a good learning experience, it prepared me for what film school may be like in the future"
• "It was a really fun introduction to filmmaking. I feel like I strived as being a video editor has been one of my passions."
• "It was an amazing educational experience that taught me more about film and helped me grow my passion."
• "It was super fun and I had a fun time with each part. Our end product was good and I learned some good skills."
  

Two of our 2023 LYNX Campers working together to learn how to use some of our filmmaking equipment.

June 15-27 On-Campus Program

The Music Industry Program was started in 2014 and has become one of the best contemporary music summer camps in the U.S. It offers high school students a window into the modern music industry and provides them with the  skills and knowledge to take the next step towards their music goals. The camp is also a preview of the CU Denver Music & Entertainment Industry Studies (MEIS) Department college programs. Students explore many aspects of the industry including contemporary performance, songwriting, music business, music production, and recording arts.

All camp students get to choose two music elective classes in the morning and two music ensemble/emphasis classes in the afternoon. The classes are designed to be fun, interactive, and informative. There are no tests or grades at LYNX Camp! We support students learning and improving at their own speed. Here is a list of elective and ensemble course options that are usually offered at the camp: Music Industry Elective and Ensemble Descriptions

Here is a sample schedule of the Music Industry Program:

9am-9:30am Opening Daily Meeting 

9:40am-10:30am Elective 1

10:40am-11:30am Elective 2

11:30am-12:30pm Lunch

12:30pm-2:10pm Ensemble 1

2:20pm-4:00pm Ensemble 2

4:00pm-4:50pm (students must chose one of the four options below)

• Free Time at Residence Hall (only applicable to Residential campers)

• Practice Time

• Private Lessons (students must opt into this for Summer 2024, see below)

• Commuter students can leave at 4pm if they do not wish to do any of the above options.

Beginning with the 2024 LYNX Camps, campers will have more options with their camp schedule. At the end of the day, students will be able to choose between extra practice time, private instrument lessons, jam sessions, or extra free time at the residence hall. Private instrument lessons will no longer be automatically included for all campers. Campers who elect to receive private/applied lessons will be required to pay an additional fee of $50 per private lesson. Campers may take up to two private lessons during camp and private lessons will be 50 minutes long. If there are any questions about this, please email lynxcamp@ucdenver.edu.

The Music Industry Program classes are taught by CU Denver faculty members, alumni, and professional musicians! Here are some instructors who often work at the camp:

• Owen Kortz - Former CU Denver faculty member and professional singer/songwriter. Camp co-founder.
• Peter Stoltzman - Former CU Denver faculty member and professional jazz pianist. Camp co-founder.
• Leslie Soich - CU Denver contemporary voice performance faculty member and professional vocalist.
• Bill Kopper - CU Denver guitar performance faculty member and professional guitarist.
• Sean McGowan - Music & Entertainment Industry Studies Department Chair and contemporary guitarist.
• Carmen Sandim - CU Denver Piano Performance Area Coordinator and professional Latin Jazz pianist.
• Dan Hodges - CU Denver Music Business faculty member.
• Aaron Daniels - CU Denver music alum and professional music producer.
• Katie Yeager - CU Denver music alum and professional singer/songwriter.
• Aaron Marfizo - CU Denver music alum and professional musician.
• Lukas Vesely - Professional musician in the San Francisco Bay Area. Often tours with his brother's band Secondhand Serenade.
• Finn O'Sullivan - CU Denver Singer/Songwriter alum and professional musician.
• Owen Trujillo - Professional musician from the Denver group 2MX2.
• Jessica Waggoner - CU Denver Recording Arts faculty member and professional audio engineer.
  

The Music Industry Camp first started in 2014. Many of our camp alumni who have gone on to find success in the music industry. Here are a few standout camp alumni:

• Phoenixx Jonez - Performs as the artist N3PTUNE. N3PTUNE was named the Top Colorado Artist of 2022 by indie 102.3 listeners.
• Cate Downey - L.A. based singer/songwriter. Signed to Artist Management Group (APG). Her song "Wish It Was You" with Audien went to #1 on the Billboard Dance Chart. website
• Hannah Jadagu - National touring artists signed to Sub Pop Records. Played SXSW in 2022. website
• Finn O'Sullivan - Denver based singer/songwriter. Currently a CU Denver student. Won the John Lennon Songwriting Contest in 2020. website
• Sophie Gray - Denver based singer/songwriter. Was a finalist for KTCL's 2022 and 2023 Hometown for the Holidays competitions website
• Mia Asano - Boston based electric violinist. Mia has become social media sensation with over a million followers on TicToc and over 800,000 followers on Instagram. Went on first national tour and European tour in 2023. website
• Katelynn Eckles - Katelynn earned a B.S. in Recording Arts and Music Business and a M.S. in Recording Arts from CU Denver. She is currently the Business Operations Manager at Levitt Pavilion and is a Recording Arts faculty member at CU Denver. Read about Katelynn here.
• Abigail Osborn - Nashville based singer/songwriter. Abigail songs have recently been on some of Spotify's top playlists and was a SXSW artist in 2023.
• Emma Rose - Professional folk/bluegrass musician. Recently touring nationally as a member of Big Richard Band. More about Emma and a 303 Magazine article about her project Sound of Honey.
  

Music Industry Program Videos: 

• LYNX Camp Promo Video 2023
  
• Music Industry Program Promo Video 2018
  
• Music Industry Program Promo Video 2016
  

Required Materials: if you play an instrument or have equipment (guitar, trumpet, string instrument, etc.) you will need to bring this to camp. We have amps but some students choose to bring their own.

Auditioning for MEIS During the Camp: Students who attend the camp during the summer prior to their senior year of high school will have the opportunity to audition for our college program at the camp. This saves time when applying to CU Denver's MEIS Department college programs during their senior year. Students don't have to sign up ahead of time. We'll make an announcement about how to audition at the camp.

Student testimonials from the 2023 Camp:

• "I loved it it was so wonderful and I met so many amazing people and I had the time of my life playing music and being in this great environment I’ll definitely be coming back next year!"
• "It was amazing! It was my first time away from my parents for longer than a few days and I had so much fun! I made a lot of new friends with campers and the leaders as well! And I made many new connections!"
• "It was great, i made a lot of friends that i got super close with, and the performances were a lot of fun."
• "It was an overall good experience that helped me grow as a musician."
• "The mix of seasoned professionals teaching the electives and college students teaching the ensembles gave a nice contrast of experience and learning."
• "I loved every single one of them they were super helpful and supportive they were understanding and patient and the sweetest people ever although Aaron Marfizo played a big part in it he helped me feel better about my playing he was super helpful and he inspired me to go home and play my keyboard that I haven’t touched in a long time he was understanding and supportive and overall a really nice guy."

Student testimonials from the 2022 Camp:

• "It was one of the greatest experiences for me in a while and i met a ton of cool people but this camp helped me elevate my musical ability far beyond from when i came in and helped me meet some people that I could actually jam with efficiently which was super cool"
• "Literally the best time of my entire life. Like being surrounded by so many people with so much talent and passion for music and compassion for other people was truly a breath of fresh air."
• "It was cool connecting with other people who are passionate about music and the instructors were all inspiring and knowledgeable."
• "The Instructors were very knowledgeable and their passion to help us learn was very evident in their teaching. It felt like they truly wanted to see us succeed."
• "As a perfectionist, there are times when I regret or overthink about my mistakes. The instructors definitely helped me to gain more confidence and help me learn how to adjust and learn from my mistakes for the better."
• "It was honestly a blast! I got to experience everything and I loved every moment."

 

 

One of our Music Industry students working on their Percussion/Drum fundamentals.

June 9-13 On-Campus Program

Required Materials: DSLR Camera or Mirrorless Camera

Here is a helpful document about cameras if you need to purchase or rent a camera for LYNX Camp.

 

Check out the 2024 Photography Camp Syllabus.

Student testimonials from 2023 Camp:

• "A fun learning experience without the stress of school."
• "It was a really great experience met a lot of nice and amazing people and learned a lot."
• "Really great with a wonderful welcoming community"
• "We explored a lot of different kinds of photography and had a lot of opportunities to take creative photos"
• Meeting new amazing people and having fun taking pictures my favorite part was probably doing portrait photography

Student testimonials from 2022 Camp:

• "They taught the class very well & introduced a lot of styles in an interesting and inclusive way."
• "It was very great i learned a lot"
• "Fun and educational"
• "amazing!!! super fun and engaging"
• I had the opportunity to learn a lot about photography, editing, and using cameras and I really liked taking portraits."

Our Photography Camp students working on their still life photographs.

July 13-25 On-Campus Program

We are happy to announce that we will be offering the Visual Immersive Art camp for the 2024 LYNX Camp Session!

Do you think Meow Wolf is amazing and do you want to learn about creating this type of immersive art? If so, this camp is for you! 

Here is the Visual Immersive Art lesson plan for the 2024 camp session.

Students will explore how to create an immersive interactive space using exciting tools that bring together multiple aspects of the studio arts—including painting and drawing, stop motion animation, 3D laser cutting and vacuum forming, working with mold-making, paper, textiles, and video projection. The class focuses on how to transform the basics of art making by hand into an exciting visual and experiential space, both within the interiors of Auraria Campus and the exteriors of exciting Downtown Denver.

Here is the reel from the 2023 Visual Immersive Art camp. Our campers had the special opportunity to have their work displayed on the Daniels & Fisher Clocktower on 16th Street Mall in Denver.

To learn more about what our campers did, here is the 2023 camp lesson plan.

Student testimonials from the 2023 camp:

• "Very good, a strong community with lots of opportunities to make friends especially in residential"
• "Very fun! tried lots of new mediums that i will use again."
• "Great, I made a bunch of friends and they really tried to make an effort to include everyone. I would totally come back next year if I wasn’t graduating."
• "Our instructors were very kind and helpful. They were patient and taught us different medias to use and more."
• "My TA Josie was very nice and encouraging during the process and encouraged us to get out our comfort and create art were not used to."

Our Visual Immersive Art campers had the special opportunity to explore Meow Wolf Convergence Station in Denver. The campers met with artists featured in Convergence Station and used this as inspiration for their work. A special thank you to Meow Wolf Convergence Station for being one of our LYNX Camp sponsors.