Join artists from across Southwest Minnesota for 1 1/2 days of networking and arts inspiration on May 1 & 2, 2026. Workshop sessions have been created to appeal to artists of all disciplines; register for one or both days. The workshops will be held at Danebod Folk School in Tyler, MN for a “get-away" learning atmosphere.
SW MN Arts Council 2026 Artist Retreat
**Registration is closed! We have reached our 60 person limit!**
**Registration is limited to the first 60 people**
**Registration is closed! We have reached our 60 person limit!**
**Registration is limited to the first 60 people**
Danebod Folk School |
May 1, 2026 12:00 pm – May 2, 2026 04:30pm |
Friday afternoon/evening, May 1 and all-day Saturday, May 2. You may choose to attend just Friday, or just Saturday… or join us for the entire event along with overnight lodging at the historic Danebod Folk School. Overnight accommodations will be available, but not required. A pdf of the schedule will be available soon.
Prices for SMAC Region Residents:
•1 day of workshops (2 meals) $25
•2 days or workshops (4 meals) $50
Prices for attendees outside of SMAC region:
• 1 day of workshops (2 meals) $40
•2 days of workshops (4 meals) $75
Overnight lodging
• Private dorm style room/shared bathrooms & accessed by stairs $45
**Please note, many of the remaining rooms have bunk beds instead of single queen or single beds.
You will still have the room to yourself, so you can choose where you sleep (top/bottom bunk).**
• Lodging Suites with twin bed/personal bathroom & no stairs $75 SOLD OUT
**Registration is closed! We have reached our 60 person limit!**
**Registration is limited to the first 60 people**
*During registration you only have to specifically register for classes that have a limited size;
for the others, as long as your registered for the retreat, just plan to show up for your class of choice on the day of!
2026 SMAC Artist Retreat: SCHEDULE
*Some classes will be held in locations that require stairs: Lodge Basement *
(there is a grassy slope you may be able to use if you can’t use stairs, but we cannot guarantee the weather if the slope will be slippery)
Friday, May 1:
12 – 1:00 PM Check in/Room assignments/Light Lunch
Location: Dining Hall
1 – 2:45 PM SESSION #1 (Choose 1)
• Drawing with Peter McNally (SOLD OUT – This class is limited to 10 students)
Class description: Class covers fundamental techniques of shading, perspective and composition to create realistic textures. It covers tools like graphite pencils, and erasers, for still life and portraiture focusing on contour lines, shape, form and perspective. We will cover shading methods with blending, cotton bud, tissue paper and pencil blender and cross hatch. Demonstration of technique and practice Independently and guided with instructor.
Location: Lodge Basement
• Ceramic Glazing with Angie Guptil (SOLD OUT-This class is limited to 20 students)
Class description: Beginner-friendly workshop on commercial glaze application by layering using a variety of techniques. Glaze a tumbler or a bowl of your very own.
Location: Dining Hall (ramp available)
• “Creature Creations” with Kelly Henkels
Class description: Bring your inner child and imagination because we will be creating weird, quirky, cute creatures. I will have a wide variety of art/craft supplies, along with a lot of random everyday objects. You will be able to create multiple creatures. I will also have magnets available if you want to add them to your fridge.
Location: Lecture Hall (with materials left in upper section for continued work) (ramp available in back of building)
2:45 – 3:00 PM Snack/Break
3:00 pm Start SESSION #2 (Choose 1)
• Printmaking with Anne Wedler (limited to 20 students, requires pre-registration)
Class Description: The class will be an introduction to hand carving block prints and stamps. We will be using traditional printmaking materials to design, carve and print using block prints and/or stamps but without a press, using rollers instead.
Prints will be applied to paper or fabric. Participants can also bring their own paper or fabric, but they don’t have to because they will be keeping the blocks/ stamps to take home and can work on this at home as well.
Location: Lodge Basement
• Watercolor on Masa Paper (Session 1) with Kerry Kolke Bonk
(This session SOLD OUT – this class is limited to 12 students.)
Class description: In this class you will learn how the Japanese rice paper ‘Masa’ is used to create a fractured or batik look to your watercolor painting. Have fun crumpling, creating and painting with Kerry Kolke Bonk.
Location: Back Dining Hall (ramp available)
• Traditional Bead Embroidery with Carol “Feather Woman” McNally (SOLD OUT – This class is limited to 10 students)
*Extended Class: 3-6 pm
Class Description: This class will cover bead embroidery or medallions. This class encourages the preservation of tradition while allowing for contemporary expression and personal creativity. Session provides insight into the cultural significance of beadwork, including its history, the stories behind patterns, and the role of color.
Location: Lecture Hall (ramp available in back of building)
• “Functional Decorative Art with Mod Podge ” with Nicole Brenny (limited to 20 students, requires pre-registration)
Class Description: Learn how to use Mod Podge and the art supplies you already have lying around to create unique, functional works of art. From custom book covers to handmade board games and bespoke decorative boxes, this versatile medium opens the door to endless creative possibilities.
In this class, we will focus on decorating small boxes (provided), transforming them into personalized and practical pieces. Participants are also welcome to bring their own item to embellish such as a journal, picture frame, or glass jar. We will explore different types of Mod Podge and discuss various techniques for application and creation.
Location: Gym (ramp available)
5:00 PM Break or continued classes
6 – 7 PM Supper provided from Hatfield Roadhouse
7 – 9 PM
Prairie Voices & Visuals ~ Open to the Public ~
Rural artist voices are important. Artists are creative thinkers and problem-solvers, who are essential to movements for change. Art can be the conduit needed to sustain and heal a community; it can be the challenge needed to see things in a new light and a call to action.
This evening is meant for artists to share their work to address current lived experiences through various creative mediums. Whether you are a visual artist, poet, musician, dancer or actor – you will have a space to share your work. Visual artists can have a booth/table and literal or performing artists can have time on stage at the Danebod gymnasium.
Saturday, May 2:
8 – 9:00 AM Registration for Saturday-only Attendees/Breakfast
9:00 AM Welcome
Location: Dining Hall
9:15 AM Start SESSION #3 Workshops: (Choose 1)
• Collage Button Making with Alex Rosborough Davis (limited to 20 students, requires pre-registration)
Class Description: Collages and Pinback buttons have long histories associated with grassroots cultural and political movements. Collage enthusiasts, button fanatics, and newcomers are welcome to participate in this 1.5-hour workshop where will make buttons using found materials, images, and text. We will have many collage materials available, but you are welcome to bring anything else you’d like to put on a button.
Location: Lodge Basement
• Watercolor on Masa Paper (Session 2) with Kerry Kolke Bonk (SOLD OUT – This class is limited to 12 students)
Class description: In this class you will learn how the Japanese rice paper ‘Masa’ is used to create a fractured or batik look to your watercolor painting. Have fun crumpling, creating and painting with Kerry Kolke Bonk.
Location: Back Dining Hall (ramp available)
• It’s All in the Details: A Community Creative Writing Workshop with Judy Wilson
*Extended Class: 9:15 am to 12:30 pm
Class Description: Step into a world where stories take shape one vivid detail at a time. It’s All in the Details is a lively, hands‑on creative writing workshop designed for all. Together, we’ll uncover how the smallest choices in language can bring characters to life, illuminate a setting, and make a scene feel as real as the chair beneath you. Through a series of engaging, accessible writing exercises—most focused-on prose, with a playful dip into the art of haiku—you’ll learn how details act like brushstrokes in a painting. At first, things may look sketchy, loose, or unfinished…but with each added detail, the picture sharpens, deepens, and resonates.
Participants will:
- Build characters that breathe and move.
- Shape scenes that feel textured, grounded, and alive.
- Practice techniques for sensory richness and emotional nuance.
- Experiment with short-form poetry (yes, even a haiku!) to sharpen the power of precise language.
- Leave with new writing, new tools, and new confidence.
Whether you’re seeking inspiration, hoping to refresh your craft, or simply wanting to spend creative time in good company, this workshop will spark your imagination and help you see the world—and your writing—in a more vivid light.
Join us, and discover how much beauty, meaning, and magic can emerge when you pay attention to the details.
Location: Lecture Hall (ramp available in back of building)
10:45 – 11:00 Break/Network with other attendees or Continued Class
11:00 – 12:30 pm SESSION #4 Workshops: (Choose 1)
• “Crochet: How Does a Rectangle Turn into a Hat?” with Kaia Nowatzke (limited to 15 students, requires pre-registration)
*Extended Class: 11 am – 3 pm (with break for lunch)
Class Description: In this class you will be learning basic crochet stitches that when put together will create a piece worthy of hat hair!
Stitches you will learn:
- Slip Knot
- Chain
- Rib Stitch
- Single Crochet
- Half double & Double (depending on skill level)
- Hat construction: Bottom up/Working in the Round vs. Swatch, Seam and Cinch
Location: Lodge Basement
• Imperfect Art: A Focus on Letting Go of Perfection with Patrick Lynch (SOLD OUT – this class is limited to 15 students.)
Class description: In this class, you’ll be exploring a technique and the process of applying acrylic paint to a large, heavily textured canvas with a 3” brush — and maybe we’ll get a little messy using our fingers.
You’ll learn to let go of perfection and embrace IMPERFECTION, and find some freedom in the art of painting on a larger scale. The focus will be on creating art using a new method, rather than on producing a final piece.
Whether you’re experienced or have never touched a brush, this session is for you.
Location: Dining Hall (ramp available)
• It’s All in the Details: A Community Creative Writing Workshop with Judy Wilson – CONTINUED
Location: Lecture Hall (ramp available in back of building)
• Intro to Wheel Thrown Pottery with Angie Guptil (limited to 20 students, requires pre-registration)
*Extended Class: 11 am – 3 pm (with break for lunch)
Class Description: Learn how to throw on a potters wheel. Participants, taking turns on 3 wheels, will learn how to throw a basic form on the wheel.
Location: Gym (ramp available)
12:30 LUNCH
Location: Dining Hall
1:30 – 3:00 pm SESSION #5 Workshops: (Choose 1)
• “Crochet: How Does a Rectangle Turn into a Hat?” with Kaia Nowatzke – CONTINUED
Location: Lodge Basement |
• “Wild Art” with Alicia Bayer
Class description: Learn how to make a wide range of inks out of foraged plants (especially invasive ones). Learn to change the colors of those inks with an addition of alkaline.Make paintbrushes out of feathers. Be natural!
Location: Dining Hall (ramp available)
• “Creative Tangles & Doodle Magic” with Krystl Louwagie
Class Description: Attendees will learn techniques on repetitive doodling, making abstract finished pieces that look intricate and complex but are actually simple to learn! Participants can create their own pieces or choose to fill in doodles on pre-made coloring pages. The instructor will guide participants through a few exercises, but students can also spend the time experimenting on their own with class techniques from books and handouts.
Location: Lecture Hall (ramp available in back of building)
• Intro to Wheel Thrown Pottery with Angie Guptil – CONTINUED
Location: Gym (ramp available)
• Pastels with Deb Connolly
*Class just added!*
(limited to 12 students, requires pre-registration)
Class description: In this class the students will create a painting using both pastel sticks and watercolor paints in one finished art piece. We will sketch our images onto pastel paper using NuPastel sticks which are hard pastels, following this we will be paint applied with watercolor paints (with old oil painting brushes) laying down the mid and dark values and when that dries applying more pastel pigment – either with the NuPastel again and/or soft pastels.
Location: TDB
3:00 – 3:30 SNACK & More Networking
Location: Dining Hall
3:30 PM SESSION #6:
Group Session: Show & Tell (bring a personal artwork to share – or a piece from sessions during this retreat) Location: Dining Hall (ramp available) |
4:30 PM Workshop concludes
This activity is funded, in part, by an appropriation from the Minnesota State Legislature with money from its arts and cultural heritage fund that was created by vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008. Funding provided by the McKnight Foundation. Minnesota thrives when its artists thrive. The McKnight Foundation supports working artists to create and contribute to vibrant communities.
© 2024 Southwest Minnesota Arts Council. All Rights Reserved.
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