Colorado 2020
Building a new practice of creating: Drawing inspiration from your surroundings

Dates: June 15-19, 2020
Location: CSU Mountain Campus, 50 miles west of Fort Collins, Colorado.

This retreat has been cancelled due to COVID-19. It will be rescheduled with those who were registered getting the first openings.

The masterclass

The original idea for this workshop came from my artist residency at Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona in November of 2016. You can see more about that experience on my blog HERE. During that month, I wove a 2 x 2 inch tapestry each day inspired by my time outdoors in the park. I found that I was able to let go of all my mental blocks about design and just create simple designs based on things I had seen that day. I completed 27 little tapestries in the same number of days. I have since spent some time each year creating small tapestry diary pieces. My blog is full of them and most were inspired by either something I saw or a feeling I had about an event.

This method of designing has been so successful for me that I wanted to share it with other people in a retreat setting. The high mountains of Colorado is the perfect place to explore inspiration for tapestry weaving based in our environment, whether that is the built environment around us, sunsets, stars, creatures, our fellow participants, or the peaks surrounding the campus. I taught this retreat in 2017 and you can see reviews of it HERE. 2020 is the year to return to this simple way of designing and experiencing tapestry weaving. The world feels so complicated in the last few years and this small tapestry practice can be a powerful way to reconnect with yourself and your environment.

In our time together, we will explore where to get design inspiration and then how to simplify that information, whether it is sketches, photographs, or just our memories, to create small woven images. The intention is to simplify and let go of all the rules we know about tapestry weaving and create something that speaks directly to our experience on that day. It is my hope that this kind of letting go experience can be carried home with you and inform your creating in other spaces and times.

Some options for your weaving explorations are to do what I did at Petrified Forest and weave tiny things on a small loom which is very quickly re-warped (such as one of THESE). Another option might be to bring a bit larger loom like a Mirrix and put on a longer warp with the intention of weaving multiple small sketches. Or you might decide to gather inspiration and design one larger piece that you could start weaving at the retreat and finish at home.

We'll talk about where inspiration comes from and how to take something interesting we see or experience with other senses and turn it into a design that can be executed in tapestry weaving.

EXPERIENCE LEVEL REQUIRED

Because this retreat is so individual in terms of learning about design, it is open to all levels of experience with the exception of the point below. It will be an excellent retreat experience for advanced-beginner, intermediate, and advanced tapestry weavers.

This retreat is also open to people who feel that they are beginning tapestry weavers. But it is important that you have done at least some tapestry weaving before. If you've never warped a loom, this is not the place for you to learn the basics. You have time to learn some basic tapestry skills before the retreat begins and I might recommend one of two online classes: Weaving Tapestry on Little Looms or Warp and Weft: Learning the Structure of Tapestry. Contact me if you have any questions about experience level.

THE SETTING

Colorado 2020 will be held at CSU's Mountain Campus at the end of Pingree Park road. This is a gorgeous setting surrounded by the Mummy Range near the north side of Rocky Mountain National Park. I guarantee you're going to enjoy being in this beautiful place. See the photos in the gallery below for details.

We’ll work together every morning in the classroom and I’ll be available every afternoon to answer questions and continue assisting you with the techniques. You can spend as much time in the classroom as you’d like or you can take your loom outside and enjoy the sunshine as you weave or take a hike. I will offer one or two “guided” walks so we can talk about what we see “in the wild”. But I encourage you to bring your walking shoes and wander a little bit.

CSU Mountain Campus is at 9,000 feet elevation. The best thing you can do to prepare for this altitude, especially if you live at sea level, is to drink lots of water the two weeks before the retreat and if possible, to spend a day or two in Colorado before going up to campus. Denver and Fort Collins are both at about 5,000 feet and an overnight in one of those cities before coming to campus can make a big difference.

Tapestry camp! If you love beautiful remote places, this setting is for you.

RETREAT SCHEDULE

Monday, June 15, 2020

3-6 pm Arrive, check in at Hodgekiss Lodge, find your cabin
5:30 Meet at Hotchkiss for campus orientation and walk to dining hall together.
6:00 Dinner*
7 pm Meet in the Hodgekiss Lodge lounge to introduce ourselves and talk about our plans for the retreat
Evening relaxation on your own.

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday

Breakfast
9-12 am Workshop (all participants)
12-1 pm Lunch
1-5 pm Open Studio with Rebecca or time for discoveries!
6:00 pm Dinner
Evening relaxation as you desire; studio open for further weaving exploration. We will have a campfire one night for those interested.

Friday, June 19th

Breakfast
9-11 am Workshop review and wrap-up. Discussion of what we learned with show and tell. This is important. Please plan on attending.
10 am Group photo
Pack and disperse as needed.
12 pm Lunch
Check out by 1 pm

*note that meal times are subject to change depending on how the campus staff arranges groups. They can accommodate gluten free, dairy free, and vegan diets and are good about telling you exactly what is in any dish. PLEASE ask the servers about ingredients if you have food issues. We are asked to go to meals at our scheduled times as they can be juggling many groups at once.

PRICING

Retreat fee: $650
Housing and food are billed separately at the rates below (price is for the entire 5-day retreat):

Private room: $675

Shared room (2 people): $575

Due to coronavirus concerns, payments have been extended. Due dates are:

Deposit due April 24
Full amount due by May 4

Please see the note at the top of of this page for further details.

Spouse attendance: I have a few spots for spouses. If yours wants to come, you will both pay the shared room fee and they may attend all meals. Hiking, fishing (with valid CO fishing license), and bird-watching are just a few things that could keep your significant other busy during the retreat and they may join us on group hikes and for meals.

CANCELLATION TERMS

Please see the note at the top of this page for updated cancellation terms.

WHAT TO BRING

For the mountain campus;

Bring clothing appropriate for June at high altitude in Colorado. There will likely still be at least patches of snow above campus if you're hiking high, but the campus should be clear of snow. Though the front range around Denver, Boulder, and Fort Collins can be quite warm this time of year, CSU's Mountain Campus is significantly higher in elevation and you should be prepared for some chilly mornings and evenings. It should be pleasantly warm during the day. Rain is not very likely in Colorado in June, but you might want to pack a rain jacket just in case (you should definitely bring one if you're going hiking). You will want sturdy shoes for walking on uneven ground as well as any hikes you want to take. Mud, rocks, and water all happen here.
If you want to do some hiking, make sure your gear is appropriate. Don't forget your trekking poles if you use them for balance as I do.
a water bottle. High-altitude living demands a lot of water drinking.
You may find a small backpack or bag useful if you’re going to do some weaving outside the classroom or take walks with your loom. This is also helpful for going to the dining room with your water bottle and perhaps an umbrella or rain jacket.
The stars will be stunning. Don't forget to go outside at night to look at them. But you'll want a flashlight for getting around.
Each room has a private bathroom with a shower. All beds are twin sized.
We will be eating in the campus cafeteria.
There will be other groups on campus while we are there. We will be sharing that dining hall though our classroom will be just for us. A map of the campus can be seen HERE. In June, other groups on campus are usually college-aged students doing research projects. They can be fascinating to talk to, so ask what they're up to.
There will be coffee and tea provided in the workshop room and there is refrigeration if you want to bring any snacks. I will be bringing enough wine for the first evening to share. If you’d like to contribute any beverages or snacks, please bring them! We often have a late afternoon snack or after-dinner wine and cheese gathering in the studio or lounge (or any beverage of your choice as long as you bring it).

For the workshop (detailed materials list will be sent before the retreat):

portable tapestry loom. You can warp ahead of time if it makes you more comfortable or you can wait and see what inspiration brings and warp when you know what sett and size you want to use.
your familiar weaving tools
yarn (I will bring some weavers bazaar fine yarn, but please bring some of the yarn you usually weave with also so what you're doing is transferrable to your home studio)
I will have some warp available, but if you have a favorite warp, please bring some.
drawing/design supplies, idea notebook
(optional) camera if you like to use it for design (and computer/iPad if you use them for design)
If you are someone one who likes to work with music, please bring headphones for your device.

HOUSING

Housing is in multi-room cabins. Each room has a private bath and has two or three twin beds (with a top bunk that will remain unused except for storage!). There are no larger beds available. Each cabin has a lounge with a small refrigerator. You can reserve a room privately or share with a friend or significant other. If your significant other would like to come with you to the campus but does not want to participate in the retreat, please check the box indicating this on the registration form.

If you’d like to share a room with someone you don’t know prior to the retreat, I can probably arrange this but can’t guarantee that there will be a room-share partner available.

CSU Mountain Campus conference cabin layout.

GETTING THERE

It takes two hours to get from Fort Collins to the mountain campus. The campus is at the end of Pingree Park road. This is a wide, well-maintained 16-mile gravel road that branches off Highway 14 in the Poudre Canyon. The campus is 50 miles west of Fort Collins, CO. This is mountain driving, but this road is exceptionally good and quite wide. Any passenger car and a driver who is okay with moderate mountain driving will be just fine.

The nearest airport is Denver International Airport in Denver, CO which is approximately one hour south of Fort Collins. I recommend the E-470 toll road. It is worth the $6 (license plate toll, no stopping). Please leave at least three and a half hours to drive from DIA to the mountain campus. For your return flight, you should know that DIA sometimes has long security lines and you need to be at the airport 1.5 to 2 hours before your flight leaves.

RIDESHARE

I will not be providing transportation to the campus, but it is possible to arrange a shared rental car or carpool with other participants and I can facilitate that communication.

There is a shuttle from Denver International Airport to Fort Collins on Groome Transportation: https://groometransportation.com/fort-collins/. This shuttle is excellent but you will need a ride from Fort Collins to the Mountain Campus.

Frequently I can find people who can take people from Fort Collins to the campus so if you fly into DIA and want to take the shuttle to Fort Collins the day before (they’ll drop you off at a hotel), we can probably find you a rideshare from there to the mountain campus. This has worked very well in the past.

There is NO public transportation from Fort Collins to the Mountain Campus. You'll need to rent a car or find a carpool.

TECHNOLOGY, MEDICAL SERVICES, AND ADA ACCESS LIMITATIONS

There is no cell service at CSU Mountain Campus or anywhere nearby. Believe me. None.

There are several public phones that are available for your use and there is limited wifi access in the campus buildings. It should be enough to communicate with your loved ones that you are safe and enjoying yourselves mightily. The wifi is quite limited, so don't expect to be able to post to social media. You can send basic emails and that is about it! CSU instituted data limits for users in 2018 so you’ll be cut off after using a certain amount of data. It was enough for me so probably it’ll be enough for you if you’re not doing online work.

This retreat is a great opportunity to unplug for a few days.

Though at times the wifi appears to work very well, there is actually very little bandwidth. If you make that video call home, it means that no one else on campus can check their email or send a message. Please do not make video calls. There is a land-line that your loved one can call during office hours (7 am - 7 pm) and the call can be routed to your cabin or the lodge or you can bring a calling card to make long distance calls. Calls to 970 area codes are free.

CSU Mountain campus does not have paved trails or roads. You will not be able to drive between your cabin and the dining hall which is about 1/8 of a mile walk. The ground is rough in places though it is fairly level once you are on campus. Once you arrive your car will likely remain parked until you leave.

There is a nurse on campus at all times, but ambulances do not go to this place. If you have a medical emergency and the nurse and camp director determine you must leave, you will most likely get a ride in a helicopter. If you have a heart condition, please consult with your physician before coming to this altitude and make sure to take all your medication with you! Most people who are reasonably healthy have no significant difficulties with this altitude beyond an occasional headache. Just keep drinking water!