New Mexico 2020 Alumni Retreat

Dates: January 23- 27, 2020
Location: Mabel Dodge Luhan House, Taos, New Mexico

This retreat was for alumni first due to the high demand for the Taos venue. It did fill from my list of people who have been to one of my retreats before. It is now open for registration to the waiting list for people who have not been to one of my retreats in the past.

Please fill out the registration form to be put on the waiting list. You do not have to pay a deposit to be on this list and frequently people do have to cancel.

Welcome!

Mabel Dodge Luhan House was a gathering place for artists of all kinds 100 years ago. It continues to be such a gathering place today.
The house and conference center is now a historic landmark. It opens its doors to small conferences for most of the year and in January 2020, I will be hosting my second annual Taos tapestry retreat there.

This year’s Taos retreat will be for alumni of my prior retreats. Those of you who return over and over again to my workshops are getting first dibs on this special retreat at Mabel Dodge Luhan House. We’ll focus on the things you want to learn as we spend a marvelous five days together in one of the most beautiful places anywhere. (I’m from New Mexico so I’m a little biased.)

The Masterclass

For this retreat we are going to focus on the skills you most want to learn. I’ve had many students over the years request a retreat where we work on the design and technical skills that each individual wants to address. So this year I’m jumping fully into that idea. We’ll have some group sessions each morning where we discuss design and technique problems guided by the questions you send me ahead of time and by what comes up in our meetings together. But most of the time will be devoted to the project you most want to work on. That does put some of the initial preparation on you! You’ll need to come to the retreat either with some of your past work to talk about and develop, or with new design ideas you want some help fleshing out. From there you can either focus on developing designs or you can work on sampling for your next tapestry with guidance from me.

I’ll have a sign-up for private sessions which are entirely optional. If you’d like to spend about 30 minutes one afternoon chatting with me privately about your ideas and where your tapestry practice is going or maybe about where you feel stuck, I will have sign-up times available at the retreat.

Because some people feel a little frightened by the thought of having the program rest on their shoulders, our morning talks will center around the following thoughts:

The structure of tapestry weaving can often interfere with the ephemeral designs that live in our imaginations. Learning to design successfully for tapestry includes understanding the technical limitations of the medium and the ways to get around them. What really is weave-able in tapestry? And how do I get from that little jewel of a design in my head to a fully realized work?

For some of us, discouragement is common. We might tell ourselves, “I love weaving tapestry, but I don’t have any design ideas and I can’t find even one glimmer of a design. How do I begin?”  The secret is to start. Having a toolbox of idea generators to assist you is essential. We’ll talk about how to develop that list for yourself.

Bring the seeds of an idea with you, and we’ll work on how to modify designs for success in tapestry. You will find new ideas while we work together and you'll go home with a firmer direction for your weaving.

Skill level: This masterclass is for people who know basic tapestry techniques and are ready to work on their design skills and use of color. This is not a workshop for beginners. You may choose to spend much or all of your workshop time working on design. Or you might explore ways to realize your ideas in the actual weaving, learning to mix colors for various effects and experimenting with what is actually achievable in this wonderful medium. If you are an alumni of one of my past retreats, you are ready for this one.

And of course we are going to have a great time!

THE SETTING

D.H. Lawrence, Georgia O’Keeffe, Martha Graham, and Ansel Adams are just a few of the artists who stayed here at Mabel’s invitation. You too can enjoy the hospitality of Mabel Dodge Luhan, learn her story, and weave some tapestry in the process. Now a historic landmark and a not-for-profit organization, Mabel Dodge Luhan House hosts small conferences throughout the year. Enjoy the beautiful adobe architecture, open courtyards, and wonderful food. Kiva fireplaces warm your toes in the lounge and some of the rooms have their own fireplaces that you can use should you choose one of those accommodations.

We’ll enjoy dinner on our first and last nights along with breakfast and lunch for the entire retreat.

Mabel Dodge Luhan House (MDL) is a retreat-style facility with no televisions, alarm clocks, or telephones. There is wifi only in the main lounge area. You will have a key to this area (for 24 hour access) which includes sitting areas, fireplaces, and internet access on your own device. Please embrace this retreat as a time to get off your devices and into the experience of weaving in a beautiful setting. There is cell service and MDL House is within walking distance of downtown Taos.

For more information about the house, please see MDL’s website here: http://mabeldodgeluhan.com/

You may bring a spouse with you if they are able to entertain themselves while you’re at the workshop. See additional rates under Pricing below. They are welcome at all meals.

WHAT IS PROVIDED

• Workshop instruction with the full group each morning plus open studio with my assistance each afternoon. Private sessions with Rebecca available as part of the workshop. 

• Reference handouts and exercises for anyone who struggles with a more open-ended approach to design.

• Dinner after arrival on Thursday night and on our last night on Sunday. Friday and Saturday night dinners will be on your own. There are restaurants within walking distance in downtown Taos.

• Breakfast and lunch Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and breakfast on Monday. The food at MDL is excellent. They can accommodate special diets but please note your needs on the registration form.

• Traditional adobe architecture with roaring fires (at least in the lounge but maybe in your room if you make one), views of Taos Mountain across Taos Pueblo land, immersion in a classic bit of New Mexico.

WHAT TO BRING

For the workshop (detailed materials list will be sent after registration):

• Looms: You must bring your own loom. It can be any loom you can get to Taos and that works for tapestry.

• Tools: Please bring all your own weaving tools.

• Yarn: Please bring the warp and weft yarn you need for what you think you’ll work on. I won’t be bringing yarn to this retreat, so bring what you need!

• Design materials. If you love colored pencils or paint or tracing paper, please bring some. I will have some limited supplies because you don’t always know WHAT you’ll want or what new design technique might be the one for you. But please do bring the sorts of materials you like to play with while designing. That includes an idea notebook!

• Headphones for your music.

• Task light: There is good overhead light, but you’ll find it probably isn’t enough.

For Taos:

• casual dress, clothing for winter in Taos (15-50 degrees)

• walking shoes if you’re exploring the town of Taos or going hiking on the gorge or along the Rio Grande

ACCOMMODATIONS

Mabel Dodge Luhan House is an old historic house and every room in the historic part of the house is different. You will get to choose the room you’d like, though if another participant gets your favorite first, you’ll need to give me a second choice. Go to the Mabel Dodge Luhan website page about rooms here: http://mabeldodgeluhan.com/accommodations/rooms/. Notice that the retreat rates (under pricing below) are divided into Historic House and Juniper House. Juniper House is the building where our classes will be.

Many rooms have two beds. Some are double/queen plus a twin, some are two twins. Please make sure if you are sharing a room with someone you don’t want to share a bed with that you request rooms with more than one bed. If you want to share a room with someone you don’t know, please let me know this on the registration form. I will match you up if at all possible. It isn’t always possible to find someone a roommate, so keep in mind that you may end up with a private room and will be billed for that.

Please note that the entrance to the Solarium is a ladder. MDL staff can help you bring a suitcase up there, but you can’t even classify it as stairs. For the adventurous, it is an amazing room. Mabel’s room is gorgeous (!), but it is also right over the lounge, so if you’re an early-to-bed sort of person, it might be noisy for you. It is up a stairway that is narrow but has railings. Tony’s room has the best bathroom in the whole place but it is not quite directly connected to the room (same stairway). It also has a huge porch. The rest of the rooms are a little more removed from the main house and are all very quiet.

After registration, I’ll send you a preference sheet for housing where you’ll note your first and second choices for rooms. I’ll assign rooms based on registration order.

You will be able to reserve rooms before or after the retreat at MDLs regular rates. If you’d like to do this after registration, please contact me and I’ll tell you who to call. They cannot guarantee that you’ll get the same room due to other conferences surrounding ours.

PRICING

Price is based on the housing you choose. There are four options. For details on the rooms, visit Mabel Dodge Luhan’s website here: http://mabeldodgeluhan.com/accommodations/rooms/ Please note that the housing rates on the site are not the ones for us as we have additional fees for the conference and food. Those are the rates if you are extending your stay.

Prices below are all inclusive. This includes your housing, taxes, the included meals, the workshop fee, all handouts and workshop extras.

Historic House Rates

Private room: $1550
Shared room: $1325

Juniper House Rates

Private room: $1425
Shared room: $1275

Companions: You may bring a significant other to this retreat. Your room will be billed at the private room rate and a fee of $350 which covers the double occupancy and extra meals that MDL charges me. For example, if the student in the workshop wants to stay in the Historic house, you’d register for a private room for you and your companion but make sure to choose one with the appropriate bed arrangement for you. The total amount paid would be the private room fee of $1550 plus $350 = $1900. Companions are welcome at all meals and are free the rest of the time to enjoy Taos.

Deposit: Your initial non-refundable deposit is $300 due upon registration. I will send you a PayPal invoice for that deposit within 24 hours of your registration. The remainder of the fee is due December 1st via PayPal, credit card, or check.

I will contact you if I don’t receive your full payment by 12/1/19. If I don’t hear from you by 12/4/19, your spot will go to the first person on the waiting list.

CANCELLATION TERMS

Your $300 deposit is non-refundable. You can get a refund for the rest of your fees paid until December 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.

RETREAT SCHEDULE

Thursday

Arrival: check-in is after 3 pm
Dinner is provided, time to be announced at check-in
7:30-8:30 pm: Juniper House workshop room, welcome and plans for the retreat

Friday and Saturday                     

Breakfast in the Historic House on your own time
9-12 am  Workshop (all participants)
12-1 pm Lunch at MDL
1-5 pm Open studio or your own explorations around Taos
1-3 pm Private sessions available with Rebecca (optional) in the yoga studio
Dinner on your own.

Sunday

Breakfast in the Historic House
9-12 am Workshop (all participants)
12-1 pm Lunch at MDL
1-5 Open Studio with Rebecca or your own explorations out and about
1-3 pm Private sessions available with Rebecca in the yoga studio
Dinner with the group at MDL

Monday                 

Breakfast
8:30-10 am Juniper House: Workshop review, all participants.
Clean up your space in the studio if you haven’t already.
Check-out by 10:30 am

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

Taos, NM is 7,000 feet elevation. This is an elevation that most people who are hydrated deal with just fine, but if you have had problems with higher altitudes in the past, please consider that when signing up for this retreat.

ADA accessibility: Mabel Dodge Luhan house is a national historic site. The grounds are not very ADA accessible, though they do have rooms that have better spaces for people with mobility challenges (please ask). There are stones over many of the paths, the steps are not even, and there are funky steps in many places throughout the grounds. There is some possibility of light snow in January and that can make surfaces slippery. Please think about this if you are mobility challenged.

Weather in Taos in January: I lived just south and west of Taos for many years. The winters are fairly mild, but there is a possibility of some light snow. Heavy snow is highly unusual. Snow makes things slippery, but it also makes the historic buildings beautiful. If you have a spouse who is a skier, Taos Ski Valley is a very popular destination and being many thousands of feet higher than the town, they get significant snow.

GETTING TO TAOS

Driving: The quickest route from Albuquerque is up the canyon. This is a gorgeous drive and I highly recommend it. Just know that the road is winding in places though there are often passing lanes. Exercise caution and consider coming up the first time during daylight. There are three winerys in or near that canyon, so bring a designated driver and stop for wine and chocolate perhaps at Vivac on the way up.

Flying: Albuquerque is the nearest major airport to Taos. The drive from the airport to Taos is two and a half hours through Santa Fe and Espanola. The High Road to Taos is wonderful if you have extra time and the weather is good.

Shuttle: The Taos Ski Valley runs a shuttle from the Albuquerque International Airport to the ski valley north of Taos. You can find out more about the shuttle here: https://www.skitaos.com/discover-taos/getting-here. I believe they take you right to MDL. Several people utilized this shuttle last year and found it easy to navigate. There are some good restaurants within walking distance of Mabel Dodge Luhan house, but they aren’t right next door. Plan to walk a quarter to a half mile to downtown restaurants and longer if you go farther afield.

ARRIVAL AT MDL

Your GPS is probably telling you correctly. The house is at the end of a very narrow lane. Remember, these roads were created centuries ago before we had SUVs. Just drive slowly and watch for oncoming traffic. You’ll see a large adobe wall with the Mabel Dodge Luhan sign on it to your left. Turn in there and you’ll find the parking lot.

IMAGE GALLERY

I have stayed at Mabel Dodge a couple times, always in the winter. I lived for three years west of Taos in El Rito and three years just south of Taos in Velarde. The weather in January can be stunning. It will be chilly, so bring winter clothes. But count on seeing the sun and blue skies with daytime temperatures well above freezing. If we’re lucky we’ll get a dusting of snow as these photos show. Taos does see snow, but usually only an inch or two. It is beautiful and peaceful, and it almost always melts by 10 am.

In the gallery below, click on the thumbnail for a larger image, hover for caption, arrow to move.