CREATIVE COMPLEX CREATIVE COMPLEX

It’s been more than two years since the unthinkable happened when a fire broke out at Camp and destroyed the iconic buildings that housed arts & crafts, woodshop, the cooking zone and Camp store. At the time, we, and our community, were overwhelmed by sadness for what was lost.

“After having years of fun and excitement, building and cutting, designing and coloring, we were devastated by the news of the fire,” said camper mom Amarilis. “In that moment we felt helpless and scared, and a bit confused. We didn’t know what it would mean for the future. We had so many memories, at the paint and glittered tables in arts & crafts, smelling the wood in woodshop, picking out what we wanted to buy each visit from the Camp store.”

Then out of the sadness, something extraordinary happened. Messages of love and support began pouring in with donations from far and wide. Long-standing Camp friends Travelers and the Travelers Championship stepped forward, pledging an astounding $1 million match that inspired more than 4,500 donations from generous friends. Newman’s Own Foundation also stepped forward pledging an additional incredible $1 million to support the rebuild. With all the gifts came encouragement to dream big and rebuild in a way that would best meet the current, future and varied needs of the children with serious illness the Camp serves. Over the course of 2022, that’s exactly what Hole in the Wall did, turning a snow-covered field into a beautiful 11,000 square foot space where camper dreams will come to life.

From new parent and sensory spaces to the reimagining of program areas, every space holds special meaning and was carefully outfitted for the programming that will take place here. The entire building has been designed with inclusivity, accessibility and participant autonomy at its core so that everyone who enters feels that it was built just for them. Even the building heating and cooling has been designed with the future in mind, and will be fully supplied by geothermal energy that is the equivalent of taking 77 tons of CO2 out of the atmosphere.

“Although it was sad to hear of the fire, the silver lining is that it has brought us all together,” Amarilis shared. “We may not have been prepared in the moment, but sometimes life forces change upon us and although change is sometimes hard, it is needed. We have been so excited thinking of all the ways Camp may look different.”

None of these amazing spaces would have been possible without the incredible support of so many Camp friends like you, and we are so grateful to each and every donor, supporter and cheerleader who helped make this beautiful new space possible.

The centerpiece of the new Creative Complex is a Camp-inspired mosaic comprised of more than 4,000 pieces representing the donors whose gifts allowed for the construction of the new space. Created by professional mosaic artist and former summer staff and Hospital Outreach specialist, Mia Schon, the art captures the spirit of Hole in the Wall with symbols pulled from the lore and history of Camp along with hidden elements tucked away for campers to find.

“Mosaics are very symbolic, depicting how though things you love may break, you can put them back together to make something different, new and beautiful. I feel that symbolism fits really well with what happened here and what is to come in the future.” Mia explains.

Mia, who first started creating mosaics as a Hospital Outreach specialist in Boston, aimed to capture a very specific Camp moment in her piece - the evening when the stars are coming out and everyone reflects on the magic of Camp. It incorporates the five unit colors, whimsical handmade ceramics by Susan Gerr, and elements like stars, s’mores, sunflowers and more.