Relax while exploring your inner creativity at local weekend retreat

Sep 29, 2009

Local women wishing for time to slow down and unwind will be able to relax, renew and discover hidden talents at the Women’s Urban Arts Retreat, November 14 and 15.

The two-day event, presented by Metro Arts - the newly rebranded arts program of Metro Parks Tacoma, offers a temporary cure for today’s fast paced society where juggling work and family commitments leaves little time to tend to personal interests and needs.

Art experience and talent are not required to participate in this weekend of creativity and wellness, only a desire for learning and relaxation. The retreat is comprised of a series of workshops designed to appeal to all women, whether one is experienced or a beginner. Each participant will customize her weekend schedule through a pre-selection of workshop choices. 

The workshops include wellness, arts and educational offerings. Women can renew themselves with wellness activities like yoga, Pilates or Zumba; express their creativity with visual and performing arts such as pottery, painting and ballet; and improve and educate themselves during sessions on landscape architecture, fashion or art appreciation.

The event kicks off Friday evening, November 13 with a free get-together where participants can get to know each other as they mingle over hors d’oeuvres and pick up their schedules for the weekend. 

Highly experienced instructors will be featured at the retreat, including Jim Gosselin teaching Pottery on the Wheel, Mary Mabry leading Ballet: Intro to Floor Barre and Cynthia Snyder teaching Fused Glass. 

All workshops will be held at the Tacoma School of the Arts facility in the heart of
downtown Tacoma. Lunch and supplies are provided each day. A one-day option is available for a reduced price. Participants who sign up with a friend receive a $25 discount! 

Online registration is available at www.MetroParksTacoma.org/arts. 

Retreat Specifics:

Date: November 14-15 (with an optional evening social on Friday, Nov. 13.)
Time: 10 am - 6 pm on Sat.; 9 am - 3 pm on Sun.
Ages: 18+
Cost: $225 for 2 days
$125 for 1 day
$25 discount if registering with a friend
Address: School of the Arts, 1950 Pacific Ave.
Phone: 253-571-7914
Web site: www.metroparkstacoma.org/arts

Workshops offered at the retreat:
· Art Appreciation – Learn how to view and talk about art. Includes a short gallery visit.
· Art of Entertainment & Menu Planning – Get tips on planning your next big
gathering!
· Ballet: Intro to Floor Barre – Emphasize anatomical principles of alignment.
· Bath Salt & Body Scrub Making – Make your own deliciously scented products.
· Belly Dance – Acquire shimmy skills as you experience this exotic dance form.
· Crafts to do with Kids – Learn crafts to creatively engage the kids in your life.
· Fashion vs. Style – A local fashionista shares examples and defines fashion and style
for people of all ages and body types.
· Fused Glass – Create a brilliant piece of glass jewelry.
· Hand Built Pottery – Build a piece of art with your bare hands.
· Jewelry Making – Try your hand at working with metals on a jewelry scale.
· Landscape Architecture – Get ideas and tips for your personal landscape from a local
expert.
· Massage Techniques – No partner required to learn basic massage techniques.
· Painting – Learn fundamental painting techniques using watercolor or acrylics.
· Pilates – Focus on your core postural muscles for proper body alignment.
· Pottery on the Wheel – Try your hand at the wheel, but be warned that centering
your piece is more difficult than it looks.
· Raku – Experience this fiery, traditional Japanese form of ceramics.
· Stress-Free Drawing – Relax and let your creativity flow in this introduction to
drawing.
· Tai Chi – Balance yourself while promoting mental concentration and inner awareness.
· Tango – Learn this spicy dance of Argentina and Buenos Aires!
· Vintage Card Making – Utilize the letterpress to make funky vintage cards!
· Yoga – Ahhh.
· Zumba – Energize yourself with this hot, new fitness craze!
>Meet some of the instructors:
Jim Gosselin - Pottery on the Wheel
Jim Gosselin is a long time clay artist from Tacoma. His experience includes operating his own instructional pottery studio and private art business. Together with his partner Terri Placentia, he creates large-scale sculptural installations as well as fine art pottery. Jim is currently a ceramic art instructor at Stadium High School and teaches all levels of pottery for Metro Parks at Tacoma School of the Arts.

Mary Mabry - Intro to Floor Barre
Mary Mabry’s dance experience has been ongoing for nearly twenty six years, and includes ballet, modern, creative movement, lyrical jazz and Russian folk dancing. She received her Dance Education degree from University of Southern Florida and has taught in three different performing and visual arts schools in three different states. Mary worked extensively with the Kennedy Center and Towson University on the project known as Moving America Maryland, is on the board for Dance Education Association of Washington, and is a founding member of a local professional dance company: the Tacoma Dance Collective (TDC). Mary currently is an adjunct artist at Tacoma School of the Arts in Ballet, and is the head of the Metro Arts Dance Company. She also serves as the Dance Program Coordinator for Metro Arts.

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Established in 1907 by Tacoma voters, Metro Parks Tacoma was the first independent park district created in Washington State

Contact: Melisa Jennings, Metro Arts Programs Coordinator, (253) 571-7957; melisaj@tacomaparks.com

Anne Winters, public relations associate, 253-208-1897; annew@tacomaparks.com