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Art & Wellness Retreat 2026

Adults

Join us on May 3 (Sun), for our third annual Art & Wellness Retreat! Presented by The Contemporary Austin's The Art School at Laguna Gloria, and in partnership with Practice Yoga Austin, spend a day immersed in art, yoga, nature, and mindfulness.

Begin the morning with coffee and a sound ceremony on the scenic grounds of Laguna Gloria, followed by your choice of a yoga or meditation class. Over lunch, enjoy a panel moderated by The Contemporary Austin's Curator of Public Programs, Emmy Laursen, exploring the intersection of art and wellness with experts from Austin's yoga, mindfulness, and therapy communities.

In the afternoon, take part in an art class of your choice, including weaving, ceramics, drawing, collage, and watercolor. The day concludes with a collective reflection circle, leaving you with a renewed sense of balance, presence, and creative energy.

New this year!

  • Variety of yoga classes for all levels
  • Expert panel exploring the intersection of art and wellness
  • Sliding scale—pay what feels good, starting at $195

    • REGISTER NOW

    Pick an Art Class

    Pick from an array of artmaking classes to fuel your creativity.



    Mindful Weaving with Chris Bain Slow down and settle into the meditative rhythm of weaving. Participants will use a small loom to engage in rhythmic, intentional pattern-making that supports relaxation and present-moment awareness.

    Mixed Media Visual Journaling with Becca Borrelli In this session, students will explore mixed media as a tool for expressive visual journaling. The goal is to develop a personal approach with a variety of art media, express an emotion, narrate a story, and regulate the nervous system.

    Intuitive Collage with Carolyn Brooks Lead with intuition and ease into your creative process with playful awareness. In this workshop, participants will work with textured papers to create intuitive collages, allowing shapes, colors, and feelings to guide the experience.

    Grounded in Clay with Hillary Cumberworth Learn the calming practice of handbuilding with clay as you create a ceramic wall altar. This process invites slowness and intention, resulting in a piece designed to hold meaningful objects, nature finds, candles, or incense.

    Watercolor for Relaxation with Katherine Brupbacher Find your flow with watercolor washes and transparent layers. In this session, students will practice relaxing watercolor techniques, and create their own abstract piece. 

    Artmaking

    Pick a Yoga Class


    Choose a yoga class that best suits your practice.


  • Mindfulness with Sam Pullen
  • Functional Movement (All Levels) with Jenn Wooten
  • All Levels Vinyasa with Iva Drtina-Hall
  • Yin + Restore with Audrey Moore

    • Yoga

    Panel


    Explore the intersection of art and wellness with an expert panel discussion moderated by The Contemporary Austin's Curator of Public Programming, Emmy Laursen. Learn about our guest panelists below!



    Sheila Singh Prior to becoming a therapist and Somatic Experiencing practitioner, Sheila taught yoga and meditation in the Austin community for over 15 years, deepening her belief in the innate connection between body, mind, and spirit. Her work as a therapist is grounded in a nervous-system–informed, body-based approach to mental health and wellbeing.

    Deanna Miesch Deanna Miesch is an artist, art therapist, and gallerist. She founded her private practice, Art Therapy Austin in 2003, and opened the gallery, LYDIA in 2021. Her therapy practice focuses on helping adults process traumatic memories and experiences.

    Shawn Kent Shawn is a licensed practicing counselor, a licensed massage therapist, and a certified yoga instructor. He runs Mindfulness Based Yoga Therapy groups for adolescents in juvenile detention, incarcerated adults, and under-served youth in public schools.

    Emmy Laursen As the Curator of Public Programs at The Contemporary Austin, Emmy develops programming that engages audiences more deeply with the museum’s exhibitions through performances, artist talks, and more. She recently received her Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and runs a private therapy practice, Facing East Therapy.

    Panel

    Lunch


    Optional lunch add-on to nourish your day ($20). Spread & Co. will be catering lunch for this year's event, with an assortment of sandwiches, salad, and treats!



    The Mortadella Sandwich (top seller) pistachio mortadella, house-made pecan pistachio pesto, local ricotta, arugula with balsamic, topped with fresh parmesan

    The Veggie Sandwich* hummus, sprouts, avocado, cheese, pickled cucumbers, radish, tomatoes

    *vegan option available


    The Caesar Salad* romaine, sourdough croutons, topped with fresh mimolette cheese

    *GF option available