Esalen Institute is open! However, Highway 1 to the south is closed — please review the alternate route directions.
Please note: On Wednesday September 20, online registration may be unavailable for up to 15 minutes while system maintenance is performed. If the 'Register Now' page does not load, please wait about 15 minutes and try again.
The Artist lives within everyone and Art can be made out of just about anything!
In this transformative workshop, we will use repurposed material in a whole new context of re-creation. Come experiment with a vast array of reused materials to create mixed-media mosaics, sculptures, and collages.
There will be an assortment of recycled materials and bits and pieces of yore and today to choose from:
You will have the opportunity to explore and play in a whole new creative way.
In a beautiful, nurturing and supportive setting, we will reclaim society’s scraps and discarded objects to re-imagined meaning. Find your own inner voice of expression as you delve into the process of creating art out of different materials and mediums while learning new skills, guided and supported by Dana and Flash.
Not only will you have the opportunity to explore your own expression and immerse yourself in solo creations, we will also engage in a collaborative group project and enter the whimsical world of community-oriented magic and play. There is a transformative joy that comes from engaging with others in the artistic process. It opens doors unseen and forges deeper bonds between people. This shared experience is exciting and teaches us how beautiful it is to break down barriers and collaborate.
This workshop is geared towards anyone with the desire to create. From the beginner to the advanced, this is a time to explore new possibilities. It’s a time to leave the critic behind and allow yourself to play, nourish, and replenish the creative spirit. It’s also a time to enjoy the company and camaraderie of like-minded peers. It’s a time to discover the joys of what art based on community and collaboration is and how meaningful and grand a shared, creative experience can be.
If there are any recycled materials or special mementos or photos you have that you would like to bring and include in your creations, please feel free to bring them along!
Important Note:
For this workshop period, the COVID-19 testing requirements are being moved into accordance with the following guidelines: Tests must be taken within the last 72 hours PCR/NAAT) or 24 hours (if antigen), and results must come from a laboratory or healthcare or test provider.
Proof of an PCR/NAAT test taken must be provided upon arrival at Esalen, and a negative COVID-19 test is required for entry onto the Esalen Campus.
Please contact Esalen Reservations with any concerns or questions.
Learn more about the requirements to receive continuing education credit.
Dana Albany is an artist who has exhibited for the San Francisco Arts Commission, SOMAR Gallery, the de Young Museum of Art, San Francisco Airport, Exploratorium, and California Academy of Sciences. She has been awarded many grants and produced several large-scale sculptures for the Burning Man event.
Read More
Michael Hopkins, aka Flash, is a legendary Burning Man figure. He is an artist, actor, instigator and storyteller. He has worked with Dana Albany on many projects. A unique character with his own creative flair, he both inspires and entertains in an unforgettable way.
Read More
Mon 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Tue - Thu 9:30 am – 1:00 pm
Tue - Thu 4:00 pm – 6:30 pm
Fri 9:30 am – 12:00 pm
Summer Groovers will experience Esalen in a format similar to our Self Guided Explorations workshops. Each Summer Groove week or weekend will open and close with a circle, and be filled with festive, nostalgic activities that harken back to those days of yore.
More activities can be found on our open class schedule.
See general schedule information including arrival, departure and meal times.
Click Register Now to view availability of accommodations and all-inclusive, program-specific tuition. Please note that not all accommodation levels are available for every workshop and additional faculty fees may apply.
We offer scholarship funds for those with financial need. Learn more.
Please note: On Wednesday September 20, online registration may be unavailable for up to 15 minutes while system maintenance is performed. If the 'Register Now' page does not load, please wait about 15 minutes and try again.
Click Register Now to view availability of accommodations and all-inclusive tuition that includes lodging, three meals per day, access to the baths, and all activities on the Summer Groove schedule.
We offer scholarship funds for those with financial need. Learn more.
For this workshop, you will register and pay for accommodations and tuition in two separate steps.
Second, click Book Accommodations from this page and enter the password to complete your reservation to stay at Esalen.
Prices for accommodations include your lodging, meals, open classes, and use of the baths and other facilities. View partner program accommodations pricing.
As of June 30, 2023 we no longer require a negative COVID test at the time of check in. Please read our current COVID safety guidelines for complete details prior to booking your stay.
All guests and faculty must provide proof of negative test results at time of check-in. Please read our current COVID safety guidelines for complete details prior to booking your stay.
In addition to proof of vaccination, all guests and faculty must provide proof of negative test results at time of check-in. Please read our current COVID safety guidelines for complete details prior to booking your stay.
Effective January 7, 2022 in response to the rapid spread of the new Omicron variant, all guests and faculty will provide proof of negative PCR, NAAT, or antigen test results at time of check-in. The test must be taken within 72 hours nd results must come from a laboratory or healthcare provider.Please read our updated COVID safety guidelines prior to booking your stay.
Effective December 15 in accordance with new guidance from Governor Gavin Newsom and the California Department of Health, all guests, students, staff, residents, and faculty are required to wear masks in all indoor public settings, irrespective of vaccine status, for the next four weeks (December 15, 2021 through January 15, 2022). Please read our updated COVID safety guidelines prior to booking your stay.
Effective November 19, 2021, in accordance with new guidance from the Monterey County Board of Supervisors, all guests, students, staff, residents, and faculty are no longer required to wear masks indoors on campus. Please read our updated COVID safety guidelines prior to booking your stay.
Starting November 5, 2021, due to substantial levels of COVID-19 transmission in Monterey County, a mask mandate established by the Monterey County Board of Supervisors will go into effect. Please read our COVID safety guidelines prior to booking your stay.
All guests will be required to provide proof of vaccination upon arrival starting September 3, 2021. Please read our COVID safety guidelines prior to booking your stay.
Masks are no longer mandated indoors or outdoors, except during massage sessions. Guests are not required to provide testing or vaccination verification before arriving on campus. Please read our COVID safety guidelines prior to booking your stay.
The Artist lives within everyone and Art can be made out of just about anything!
In this transformative workshop, we will use repurposed material in a whole new context of re-creation. Come experiment with a vast array of reused materials to create mixed-media mosaics, sculptures, and collages.
There will be an assortment of recycled materials and bits and pieces of yore and today to choose from:
You will have the opportunity to explore and play in a whole new creative way.
In a beautiful, nurturing and supportive setting, we will reclaim society’s scraps and discarded objects to re-imagined meaning. Find your own inner voice of expression as you delve into the process of creating art out of different materials and mediums while learning new skills, guided and supported by Dana and Flash.
Not only will you have the opportunity to explore your own expression and immerse yourself in solo creations, we will also engage in a collaborative group project and enter the whimsical world of community-oriented magic and play. There is a transformative joy that comes from engaging with others in the artistic process. It opens doors unseen and forges deeper bonds between people. This shared experience is exciting and teaches us how beautiful it is to break down barriers and collaborate.
This workshop is geared towards anyone with the desire to create. From the beginner to the advanced, this is a time to explore new possibilities. It’s a time to leave the critic behind and allow yourself to play, nourish, and replenish the creative spirit. It’s also a time to enjoy the company and camaraderie of like-minded peers. It’s a time to discover the joys of what art based on community and collaboration is and how meaningful and grand a shared, creative experience can be.
If there are any recycled materials or special mementos or photos you have that you would like to bring and include in your creations, please feel free to bring them along!
Important Note:
For this workshop period, the COVID-19 testing requirements are being moved into accordance with the following guidelines: Tests must be taken within the last 72 hours PCR/NAAT) or 24 hours (if antigen), and results must come from a laboratory or healthcare or test provider.
Proof of an PCR/NAAT test taken must be provided upon arrival at Esalen, and a negative COVID-19 test is required for entry onto the Esalen Campus.
Please contact Esalen Reservations with any concerns or questions.
Learn more about the requirements to receive continuing education credit.
Dana Albany is an artist who has exhibited for the San Francisco Arts Commission, SOMAR Gallery, the de Young Museum of Art, San Francisco Airport, Exploratorium, and California Academy of Sciences. She has been awarded many grants and produced several large-scale sculptures for the Burning Man event.
Michael Hopkins, aka Flash, is a legendary Burning Man figure. He is an artist, actor, instigator and storyteller. He has worked with Dana Albany on many projects. A unique character with his own creative flair, he both inspires and entertains in an unforgettable way.
February 7–11, 2022
This program is full. Find another.
Applications are closed.
Applications are closed.
The Artist lives within everyone and Art can be made out of just about anything!
In this transformative workshop, we will use repurposed material in a whole new context of re-creation. Come experiment with a vast array of reused materials to create mixed-media mosaics, sculptures, and collages.
There will be an assortment of recycled materials and bits and pieces of yore and today to choose from:
You will have the opportunity to explore and play in a whole new creative way.
In a beautiful, nurturing and supportive setting, we will reclaim society’s scraps and discarded objects to re-imagined meaning. Find your own inner voice of expression as you delve into the process of creating art out of different materials and mediums while learning new skills, guided and supported by Dana and Flash.
Not only will you have the opportunity to explore your own expression and immerse yourself in solo creations, we will also engage in a collaborative group project and enter the whimsical world of community-oriented magic and play. There is a transformative joy that comes from engaging with others in the artistic process. It opens doors unseen and forges deeper bonds between people. This shared experience is exciting and teaches us how beautiful it is to break down barriers and collaborate.
This workshop is geared towards anyone with the desire to create. From the beginner to the advanced, this is a time to explore new possibilities. It’s a time to leave the critic behind and allow yourself to play, nourish, and replenish the creative spirit. It’s also a time to enjoy the company and camaraderie of like-minded peers. It’s a time to discover the joys of what art based on community and collaboration is and how meaningful and grand a shared, creative experience can be.
If there are any recycled materials or special mementos or photos you have that you would like to bring and include in your creations, please feel free to bring them along!
Important Note:
For this workshop period, the COVID-19 testing requirements are being moved into accordance with the following guidelines: Tests must be taken within the last 72 hours PCR/NAAT) or 24 hours (if antigen), and results must come from a laboratory or healthcare or test provider.
Proof of an PCR/NAAT test taken must be provided upon arrival at Esalen, and a negative COVID-19 test is required for entry onto the Esalen Campus.
Please contact Esalen Reservations with any concerns or questions.
Learn more about the requirements to receive continuing education credit.
Dana Albany is an artist who has exhibited for the San Francisco Arts Commission, SOMAR Gallery, the de Young Museum of Art, San Francisco Airport, Exploratorium, and California Academy of Sciences. She has been awarded many grants and produced several large-scale sculptures for the Burning Man event.
Michael Hopkins, aka Flash, is a legendary Burning Man figure. He is an artist, actor, instigator and storyteller. He has worked with Dana Albany on many projects. A unique character with his own creative flair, he both inspires and entertains in an unforgettable way.
Esalen Institute
55000 Highway 1
Big Sur, CA 93920
US: 1-831-667-3000
info@esalen.org