CreArte, Retreat for the Arts, Costa Rica

•The Vision•Art Workshops •The Place•Dates and Prices •Gallery •About Us •Contact•Register

Come join us in the tropics and reconnect with your passion for making art!

CreArte, Retreat for the Arts, offers workshops in painting and creativity in a noncompetitive and inspiring environment.
The Arts Our programs are developed to explore both technical skills and the creative process. Our focus is on renewing and awakening the creative process while at the same time developing skills and techniques. Workshops explore a variety of mediums, including painting, drawing, and watercolor. Our goal is to help you find your inspiration to create and to encourage a deeper awareness of your own artistic process. We welcome artists of all levels, from the beginner to advanced! In addition to this is the experience of collaboration - working together with others for inspiration and education. Collaboration does not only imply working on the same project together. It also signifies an interrelationship between artists in the form of inspiration and desire to teach one another. This is what we facilitate at CreArte.
Instructors - Workshops are taught by Costa Rican and foreign artists and educators who are dedicated to the vision of the creative arts as a means to a deeper understanding of the self and the world. Patricia Erickson	Patrick Fanning, guest artist January 18th -February 1st
	Each session offers the opportunity to work with three artists, the founders, plus additional guest artists. Many of our guest artists are from Costa Rica, giving you a chance to work with locals and feel connected to the location. We also invite experienced artists from abroad to share their vision and expertise, such as Patrick Fanning, and watercolorist, Lucia Madriz, multi-media artist
Ecology Costa Rica is home to a host of delicately balanced rainforests, cloud forests, marine preserves and wildlife. In addition to the arts, CreArte arranges educational tours and lectures on conservation and awareness of the environment. Our wish is to provide people with the opportunity to become familiar with Costa Rican environmental issues and to learn about the local flora and fauna. During your retreat you will have the opportunity to visit one of the local National Parks and will be accompanied by trained guides and naturalists. The tours, transportation, and guides are all arranged by CreArte and are included in your package.
Recreation With the beach, jungle and rivers at your fingertips, there are endless possibilities for outdoor adventures and fun. Surfing is a local favorite activity. Our locations in Zancudo, Samara and Dominical facilitate easy travel to various extraordinary places such as waterfalls, National Parks, and archeological sites. We can also arrange for a variety of activities such a horseback riding, kayaking, snorkeling, fishing, and scuba diving, as well as longer excursions such as river rafting and canopy tours. (Please note - recreational activities are arranged at an extra cost). Apart from the outdoor activities, you may prefer to chat with the locals, go salsa dancing or just relax!
Spanish You will be in Costa Rica, where Spanish is the spoken language. This offers a wonderful opportunity to practice your language skills. We offer a special package which includes 5 days of full immersion Spanish through Intercultura, renowned Spanish Institute and Cultural Center. If you are interested in extending your classes in Spanish, we would be happy to arrange it for you. Please see dates and prices for more details on the Language/Arts package. The experience of traveling to another place, leaving your routine behind, and immersing yourself in a new, stimulating environment is an important ingredient for creativity!
CreArte runs 10 day workshops during January and February. (See dates and prices for more information) Workshops take place in 3 beautiful locations along the pacific coast of Costa Rica - in the tranquil village of Samara, our 2004 and 2005 destination, the lush rain forest town of Dominical and the private tropical beach town of Zancudo. Cost this year includes lodging in a luxury hotel with 2 pools (double occupancy, single available with supplement). 2 meals a day included. Instruction in the arts incorporates training in technique and materials, with a focus on the creative process. Our groups are small, ranging from 5-15 people, in order to foster a sense of community and collaboration. All day and half day tours exploring the flora and fauna of Costa Rica with trained local guides and naturalists are included. Recreational activities such as surfing, horseback riding, snorkeling, kayaking, scuba diving and more! Spanish immersion classes available. Instruction is in English.