Colorado 2023: Sketch tapestry
The retreat was a wonderful escape to the mountains! You can read about it in my June 1, 2023 blog post HERE.
Dates: May 21-26, 2023
Location: CSU Mountain Campus, 50 miles west of Fort Collins, Colorado
This retreat is full, but I’m happy to add you to the waiting list. People do have to cancel sometimes! Just fill out the registration form to be added to the waiting list and I’ll email you to verify.
The Workshop
In this workshop we’re going to focus on simplicity, experiencing what is around us, and weaving something to remember our time by. Sketch tapestry is a favorite practice of mine. I started the practice during an artist residency at Petrified Forest National Park in 2016 and have found that weaving small tapestries inspired by something I saw or experienced is a powerful way to engage with tapestry weaving and also to help me actually experience what is around me instead of gliding right through life on autopilot. I call these reflexive tapestries “sketch tapestry” because the practice is intended to be fairly quick and responsive.
Colorado State University’s Mountain Campus is the perfect place to slow down, watch the scenery and wildlife, and engage with other tapestry weavers as we make our own sketch tapestries.
In our time together, we will explore where to get design inspiration and then how to simplify that information as we design small tapestries. We will all use different ways to mark and weave our ideas. Some of us might use sketches, others photographs or memory to create our designs. 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 have done at multiple artist residencies and weave smallish tapestries on a simple loom which is very quickly re-warped. 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.
During the workshop we'll talk about where inspiration comes from and how to take something interesting we see or experience with our senses and turn it into a design that can be executed in tapestry weaving. This will include discussions about tapestry technique, design concepts such as color and form use, and how to blend technique and design concepts in the gridded medium of tapestry. There will be a strong focus on how to simplify the image, feeling, or experience that is our inspiration in a small sketch tapestry. I’ll encourage participants to work quickly, not to get too stuck on decisions, and to weave multiple small tapestries during the week (2-4 might be a realistic goal).
EXPERIENCE LEVEL REQUIRED
Because this retreat is so individual in terms of learning about design, it is open to all levels of experience except people who have never done any tapestry weaving at all (see point below). It will be an excellent retreat experience for advanced-beginner, intermediate, and advanced tapestry weavers.
This retreat is 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 recommend taking one of these online classes: Introduction to Tapestry Weaving or Weaving Tapestry on Little Looms. You need to be able to warp a loom independently, understand what meet and separate is and be able to weave a few basic shapes to be ready for the reterat.
THE SETTING
Colorado 2023 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 one of the galleries 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.
CSU Mountain Campus is at 9,000 feet elevation. This is pretty high if you’re coming from sea level. The best thing you can do to prepare for this altitude 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 a day or two in one of those cities before coming to the high-elevation campus can make a big difference.
Tapestry camp! If you love beautiful remote places, this setting is for you. Getting there is an adventure and being there is another one. It is a comfortable if rustic place full of good people and plenty of time to weave, wander, and watch the mountains and wildlife. A map of the campus can be found HERE.
PRICING
The rates below include housing for 5 nights with 3 meals a day.
Private room: $1775
Shared room (shared with another student, cost per student): $1575
Initial deposit of $300 due upon registration to hold your spot. Full payment is due April 15th via check or PayPal (credit card).
Companion attendance: I have a few spots for non-workshop companions. They may attend all meals. Hiking, fishing (with valid CO fishing license), and bird-watching are just a few things that could keep your companion busy during the retreat and they may join us on group hikes and for meals. You’ll be charged the private room fee for yourself and an additional $750 for your companion to cover their room and meals which is what the campus charges me.
CANCELLATION TERMS
Your $300 deposit is non-refundable. You can get a refund for the rest of your fees paid until May 1st. After that nothing is refundable unless I can fill your spot. If I am able to fill your spot, you will get a refund minus your deposit.
COVID precautions: You’re required to check a box on the registration form indicating you understand precautions for COVID-19. I expect everyone who comes to my retreats to vaccinated. No one wants their vacation ruined and some of us have health concerns that would make contracting this virus potentially serious. Please make sure your vaccinations and boosters are up to date and I’ll request everyone take a Covid test 24-48 hours before the retreat. This particular setting is a good one to be in as a group, but I still request consideration and caution. If you do test positive before the retreat, please contact me so we can discuss financial options and I can try to fill your spot. There are people with serious medical reasons why they can’t get the vaccine (autoimmune issues, etc), and if that is you, please reach out to me!
WHAT TO BRING
FOR THE MOUNTAIN CAMPUS:
Outdoor appropriate clothing for high altitude in the Rockies in May (it can be quite chilly at night though will likely be sunny and warm during the middle of the day).
I have found umbrellas at the campus quite useful for walking to dinner if we get a rainy week.
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. The trails around the mountain campus are remote and you should be an experienced hiker or go with someone who is. There are beautiful walks right in the valley that are flat and safe for anyone.
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.
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.
FOR THE WORKSHOP (DETAILED MATERIALS LIST WILL BE SENT A MONTH OR SO AFTER REGISTRATION):
A loom appropriate for tapestry weaving. Anything you are comfortable with is fine but quickly-warped looms are a good idea.
Your standard tapestry tools
Yarn: If you have a favorite tapestry yarn, please bring your own supply of that yarn. I will be providing a selection of Harrisville Highland and Harrisville hand-dyed singles. You are welcome to use this yarn if you don't yet have your own stash (or even if you do)!
Warp that works with your loom and the sett you like weaving at.
If you're a note-taker, a notebook and pen. You will be given handouts.
If you are someone one who likes to work with music, please bring headphones for your device.
A task light is useful if you can bring one (please also bring an extension cord if your light doesn't run on batteries).
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 and a deck. You can reserve a room privately or share with a friend or significant other.
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. Shared rooms will be the larger rooms on the ends of the cabin building (see schematic below).
The campus is located in a beautiful high-altitude valley. The accommodations are warm and dry but they are not luxurious. These are campus-level housing units. with extra long twin beds, private bath with shower, wool blankets, standard linens. The electric heaters work well and you’ll probably use them in May.
The food is served in a cafeteria which is about 1/8 mile walk from our cabins and classroom. The road is dirt but fairly flat. If you are not accustomed to some walking, you may find this a challenge at 9,000 feet and in that case and this setting might not be for you. For people who are used to doing a little walking, the distance is minimal.
A few further notes about the campus: This is a university campus and subject to the rules of the Colorado State education system. They do allow alcohol for conference attendees over 21 years of age but they do not allow smoking of any kind anywhere on campus.
Image below is of the cabins we will use.
GETTING THERE
I will send everyone a map with driving directions from Fort Collins to the campus after registration. It takes two hours to get from Fort Collins to the mountain campus. There is no public transportation of any kind. You will need a car or to share a ride with someone.
The campus is at the end of Pingree Park road. This is a very 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. Please leave at least three hours to drive from DIA to the mountain campus. People who take the mountain driving slower may need as much as three and a half. I’ll send driving directions. You can’t necessarily trust your phone map program once you get in the canyon. For your return flight, you should know that DIA sometimes has really long security lines and you need to be at the airport at least two 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 by sharing email addresses.
There is a shuttle from Denver International Airport to Fort Collins on Groome Transportation: https://groometransportation.com/ This service can take you to a hotel in Fort Collins via a transfer from the big bus to smaller shuttles that drop people off around town wherever you want to go.
A rideshare from Fort Collins to the Mountain Campus is possible if you want to team up with someone who has a car and is willing to help you get from Fort Collins to the campus. I will not be shuttling anyone (I don’t have room in my car with all the workshop equipment!), so I can’t guarantee that can happen, but it has worked quite well in past years.
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. There is none. This retreat is a great opportunity to unplug for a few days.
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.
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!
GALLERIES
The images below are from past retreats at CSU Mountain Campus so you can get a feeling for the environment. The classroom pictured is not the one we will be using. Our classroom will be much larger and has two lovely decks attached and a break-out room. We’ll be very comfortable!
Click on the photos for the full view. Hover for caption in enlarged view. Use arrows right and left to scroll.
Please contact me with any questions! If you’re ready to register, fill out the form below. I’ll send you a PayPal invoice for the $300 deposit within 24 hours of receiving your registration if there are spots left in the retreat.