Art Adventure

A Mixed Media Art Retreat

August 25-28, 2022

Treat yourself to an artful getaway –

four days of workshops led by talented instructors by across the country and across the street!
collage, assemblage, book arts, mixed media, and more
after-class social hours and a “swap table”
public Vendor Night featuring work by instructors and students
and, of course, the charming artful community of Mineral Point to explore!

All skill levels welcome.

Registration deadline for most classes August 15.

Art Adventure Instructors

This year we welcome nine talented instructors to Art Adventure.

Marianne Biagi

Marianne Biagi is an artist living in Morrison, Illinois. Her award-winning beadwork has been shown throughout the United States, and featured in magazines and other publications. Her beadwork was included in the book The Best of Beadwork 2000. She has been teaching beadwork and bead embroidery for over 25 years. Marianne is a creative maker and always seeking new techniques to express her ideas.…Read More

Marianne is a creative maker and always seeking new techniques to express her ideas. In addition to beadwork, she is a skillful artist, working with metals, fabrics, dyes and textiles.

Workshops

Serenity Stones

Printing Botanicals on Paper

Leighanna Light

Leighanna Light is a passionate art instructor, thingmaker, bookmaker, and figurative assemblage artist. Her background is in fine arts and photography, and she has been teaching art workshops for the past 18 years. Leighanna is represented by galleries and museums across the country and her work has been published in numerous books and magazines. “I love to create, to hunt for things to create with and to share my creativity with others. It’s what I live for, it’s my oxygen.” Leighanna grew up in a small town in upstate New York and has spent most of the past 20 years in New Mexico. She currently resides in Taos, NM, with her best friends Thomas, Ruby, and Lily.

Instructor Website

Workshops

Peetie’s Book: Metal Transfers and Canvas Surface Design

Vintage Metal Deck: Taking the Mystery Out of Working with Metal

Roann Mathais

Roann Mathias

Roann Mathias is an artist and educator who is experienced in a variety of media including abstract painting, photography, watercolor, and lettering. All of these varied interests can be seen in her art. Her work has been published in Somerset Studio Magazine, Letter Arts Review and Cloth Paper Scissors magazine. She taught calligraphy and mixed media workshops for several years throughout the U.S. and Canada. After receiving her MFA in 2015, she became an adjunct professor at Memphis College of Art and Southwest Tennessee Community College. Originally from New Orleans, the colorful architecture and plant life instilled in her a love of color and nature. Travels around the U.S. and Europe inspired her love of nature and the landscape. Influenced by her study of art history, she has drawn on abstract expressionism to create large gestural works.

Instructor Website

Workshops

Textures and Transfers

Little Black Book

Deborah Petronio

Deborah Petronio is an assemblage artist from Buffalo, New York. She describes herself as a lover of mermaids, gnomes, and old dollies. Her work exemplifies the juxtaposition of old and new, treasure and junk, and dark versus whimsy. She has been an instructor at art retreats and classes locally and nationally. Her pile of art supplies is legendary.…Read More

Instructor Website

Workshops

Family Reliquary

Lorraine Reynolds

“I seek out the cast off, the unwanted, the lost and forgotten. My subjects are steeped in nostalgia and speak to the past. I am interested in the places where sadness and longing linger. I am attracted to decaying landscapes and spaces where metaphor and myth dance together. I look for the place where dreams, memory, and trauma intersect.…Read More

Lorraine Reynolds is a mixed media artist who works in fiber, assemblage, collage, video, and installation. A storyteller by nature, she uses reclaimed materials to help further the narrative in her work. She holds an MFA in visual art from Vermont College of Fine Art. Lorraine has taught and exhibited her work regionally as well as nationally. When she is not working in her studio or teaching, she is employed in the fashion industry as a technical designer. She lives in Mineral Point with her husband, son, and two enormously affectionate German Shorthair Pointers. She has served on the board of Shake Rag Alley Center for the Arts since 2015.

Instructor Website

Workshops

Mending Hearts: Stitching Recycled Fibers Into Sculpture

Upcycled Mixed-Media Collage Cards

If the Shoe Fits

Carole Spelić

Carole Spelić creates a variety of artworks from many media. Originally from the East Coast, she earned her MFA and then spent 17 years as a productive artist in Manhattan. She now lives in Mineral Point and recently retired from working at Shake Rag Alley Center for the Arts. Check out her music output with bands Point Five and Driftless Standard Time! Carole and her partner, artist Richard Moninski, own the Green Lantern Studios where they create their artwork, mount fascinating exhibitions, cuddle Lena the cat, and enjoy the downtown vibe.

Workshops

Robust Rag Rug – April

Robust Rag Rug – June

Robust Rag Rug – July

Robust Rag Rug – August

Robust Rag Rug – October

Robust Rag Rug – November

My Meander Map

Weaving with Four Harnesses

Jacqueline Sullivan

Artist Jacqueline Sullivan expresses her creativity through mixed media, acrylic, and calligraphic paintings. Her works are unique expressions of adventure and discovery, each piece experimenting with texture, layers, color, unusual materials, calligraphic marks, and words. In addition to technical precision, personal artistic development is intrinsic to her practice. Jacqueline is a teaching artist with more than 30 years of experience.…Read More

Jacqueline is a teaching artist with more than 30 years of experience. She has developed and presented many classes at art centers, colleges, guilds, and online. She is a certified Golden Artist Educator, making her a specialist on acrylic products and techniques. She is known for her multidiscipline workshops given at top art retreats as well as art and calligraphy guilds in the U.S. and Canada. She has also served as faculty for several international calligraphy conferences.

Jacqueline’s work has appeared in many publications, including Astarte’s Mega-Zine, Cloth Paper Scissors, Pages, and Somerset Studio, as well as calligraphic journals. Her work has been published in the book AcrylicWorks 4: Captivating Color the Best of Acrylics and Acrylic Works 6. Her bestselling DVD, Acrylics: Textures, Layers, and Metallics, is published by Creative Catalyst Productions.

Her widely collected work has been shown in galleries and top-juried art fairs nationwide. In addition to garnishing the walls of collectors and inspiring thousands of students through her teaching, Jacqueline has enriched her painting practice by using her degree in graphic design, working for many years as a publication, marketing, and advertising designer. She paints and lives in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Instructor Website

Workshops

Abstract Painting with Oil & Cold Wax

Raku Painting

Acrylic Textures & Layers

Gail Willert

Gail is a mixed media artist who works with photography, assemblage, collage, and ceramics. She loves experimenting and combining as many of these mediums as she can in her work — whatever it takes to express an idea! Having been a teacher in adult education for 30 years, she loves teaching all levels of students. Her work can be seen locally and nationally in museum and gallery shows.…Read More

Workshops

Beyond Collage

Rita Yanny

Rita Yanny exhibits her collages, paintings, and mixed media pieces in galleries and museums in the United States and in Japan. For more than 25 years, she has worked as a teacher and led workshops for children and adults in a variety of settings. Rita earned a bachelor of science degree in art education from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.…Read More

Instructor Website

Workshops

Collage Exploration

Art Adventure Schedule

Thursday, August 25

Thursday

9 am – 4 pm Beyond Collage Gail Willert

9 am – 4 pm Printing Botanicals on Paper Marianne Biagi

9 am – 4 pm Raku Painting Jacqueline Sullivan

Thursday–Friday

9 am – 4 pm Peetie’s Book: Metal Transfers & Surface Design on Canvas Leighanna Light

Thursday Social Hour

4:30 – 5:30 pm in the Lind Pavilion

Friday, August 26

Friday

9 am – 4 pm Family Reliquary Deborah Petronio

9 am – 4 pm Textures & Transfers Roann Mathias

9 am – 4 pm Upcycled Mixed-Media Collage Cards Lorraine Reynolds

9 am – 4 pm Acrylic Textures & Layers Jacqueline Sullivan

Continuing from Thursday:

9 am – 4 pm Peetie’s Book: Metal Transfers & Surface Design on Canvas Leighanna Light

Friday Social Hour

4:30 – 5:30 pm in the Lind Pavilion

Saturday, August 27

Saturday

9 am – noon Serenity Stones Marianne Biagi

9 am – 4 pm If The Shoe Fits Lorraine Reynolds

9 am – 4 pm Collage Exploration Rita Yanny

Saturday – Sunday

9 am – 4 pm Vintage Metal Deck Leighanna Light

9 am – 4 pm Abstract Painting with Oil & Cold Wax Jacqueline Sullivan

Saturday Social Hour

4:30 – 5:30 pm in the Lind Pavilion

Art Adventure Vendor Night

4:30 – 7 pm in the Lind Pavilion

Sunday, August 28

Sunday

9 am – noon My Meander Map Carole Spelić

9 am – 4 pm Little Black Book Roann Mathias

Continuing from Saturday:

9 am – 4 pm Vintage Metal Deck Leighanna Light

9 am – 4 pm Abstract Painting with Oil & Cold Wax Jacqueline Sullivan

Click here for a printable Art Adventure schedule.

Art Adventure FAQs

How much does it cost to attend Art Adventure?

There is no event fee. Workshops are individually priced. See below.

Do I have to sign up for a minimum number of workshops?

Nope. No minimum. You may sign up for just one or as many workshops as you like. Most workshops are one full day. Some are half day classes and there are some two-day classes as well.

How do I register?

Register for each class individually. You may register online (see below) or call the Shake Rag Alley office at 608-987-3292.

Where do I check in for class?

See the What to Expect section of our Planning Your Workshop Experience page.

What if I have to cancel my registration later?

See the Cancellation Policy section of our Planning Your Workshop Experience page.

If a class has materials fees, do I pay those to the instructor or do I pay them when I register?

Materials fees are shown in the class listings and are usually paid with the tuition payment, although in some cases materials fees are paid directly to the instructor at class time. Check the class listing.

Can my child attend with me?

Our workshops are designed for ages 14 and up, as described on our Planning Your Workshop Experience page.

Can my spouse attend class with me as a non-registered guest?

We do encourage your spouse to accompany you to enjoy Mineral Point! But sorry, only registered students are allowed in class unless there is a medical need for assistance.

Will I receive a class confirmation when I register?

Yes, you will receive an email confirmation. If you do not have an email address, we will send a postal mail confirmation.

How do I get to Mineral Point and Shake Rag Alley?

Mineral Point is located in Southwest Wisconsin about 45 miles from Madison. See our Planning Your Workshop Experience page for travel info.

I will want to stay overnight. Where can I find accommodations?

Shake Rag rents three guest rooms right on campus and two apartments a few blocks away. Students receive a 10% discount on Shake Rag Alley lodging. See our Lodging page for more information. In addition, Mineral Point has a variety of motels, hotels, inns, and bed and breakfasts with a wide range of prices and amenities, many within walking distance of Shake Rag Alley. See our Local Lodging Directory.

What about meals?

We’ve teamed up with three Mineral Point restaurants to make a box lunch for you each day, if you’d like. Registered students will receive the links to order via our website, and we’ll have lunches waiting for you at noon in our Art Cafe’. You may dine al fresco on our campus, or find an indoor space in which to savor your meal. We’ll have beverages for sale in the Art Cafe’ and Lind Pavilion as well. Note: This is optional. You are welcome to make other lunch arrangements. Mineral Point has a number of terrific restaurants offering a variety of cuisines and price ranges. Most restaurants are within walking distance of the Shake Rag Alley campus. See our Local Dining Directory. Or, you are welcome to bring a bag lunch or picnic. Several buildings on campus have refrigerators where you can store a bag lunch and there are tables and chairs on the patio outside the Art Café as well as benches throughout campus.

How can I find out about shops, galleries, and other attractions in the area?

Mineral Point boasts a large number of artist galleries/studios and shops, as well as several historic sites. Other cultural offerings can be found in nearby communities. Parks and outdoor activities are available in Mineral Point and outside of town as well. Please see our Planning Your Workshop Experience page for more information.

Will there be other special activities in addition to the workshops at Art Adventure?

YES! During Art Adventure we welcome you to:

Unwind and enjoy complimentary drinks, cheese, and snacks at our nightly After-Class Social Hours
Find a new treasure at the Swap Table
Visit the Mineral Point Market on Saturday morning
Take in Mineral Point’s many galleries, artist studios, and historic sites

Click here to check the Mineral Point community calendar, which may be updated with new events as your workshop date approaches, and review the list of possibilities provided on our Planning Your Workshop Experience page.