North Carolina
Arts at Montreat: Choose Your Own Learning Adventure
Program No. 25731RJ
See More Photos
Arts at Montreat: Choose Your Own Learning Adventure
Arts at Montreat: Choose Your Own Learning Adventure
1 of 11
Itinerary
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date.
Read More.
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Duration
6 days
5 nights
What's Included
14 meals (
5B, 4L, 5D
)
13 expert-led lectures
2 expert-led field trips
11 hands-on experiences
2 performances
An experienced Group Leader
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
Day
1
Check-in, Welcome Dinner, Orientation
Location:
Montreat, NC
Meals:
D
Stay:
Assembly Inn
Activity Note
Inn check-in from 4:00 p.m. Remember to bring your name tag.
Afternoon:
Important: This week includes a visit to the Biltmore Estate for dinner and a Candlelight Evening experience. This December 5 - 10 2027 week is the only one this year for this class with this special trip. Come enjoy the flowing waters and lush mountain peaks of Montreat, NC where inspiration abounds! Join us as we explore a variety of artistic avenues through book making (four styles) then create personal writings for new pages or saving books as gifts for friends and family. Strolls in nature, both in class and during free time, offer moments for personal reflections. Literary arts include nature poetry (classical poets), storytelling (folklore), and short fiction, while colorful adventures delve into personal mandalas and nature symbols. Bring personal journals for the week. You may bring any special papers (handmade, marbled, patterned) with which to create festive covers! The texts that will be purchased and given to you when you arrive in Montreat are ‘Reclaiming the Wild Soul: Earth’s Landscapes’ (M. R. Thompson) and ‘Nature Meditations’ (Bobbie M. Pell). Note: You will share the week with other Road Scholar programs. Be sure to check out what’s offered this week to see if you have friends who might want to join you for a different program. 4:00-5:30 p.m.: After you check in and have your room assignment, join us at the Road Scholar table to register with the program staff and get your welcome packet containing the up-to-date schedule that reflects any changes, other important information, and to confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please ask for your packet when you check in. Feel free to relax in your room, meet and enjoy fellowship with other participants in the beautiful lobby, or stretch your legs with a walk around the campus before dinner.
Dinner:
Dinner will be served from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Assembly Inn Dining Room.
Evening:
Orientation: 7:00 p.m. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. We will also meet the instructor. This is a Road Scholar Retreats program. Programming at Retreat locations includes opportunities for light morning exercise, interaction with members of the local community, a farm-to-table meal, and evening entertainment. Sleeping and dining facilities are in one building, with approximately 300 yards walking required. On some evenings, there will be entertainment such as a concert, dance, or storyteller followed by opportunities for fellowship in the lobby of the Inn. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. We’ll finish up around 8:30 p.m. with some “get to know you” activities and then have refreshments and fellowship in the lobby. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.
Day
2
Illumination, Wild Soul Deserts, Pressed Flowers
Location:
Montreat, NC
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Assembly Inn
Activity Note
Classroom based program. Some walking (uneven terrain/rocks/roots). Coffee in lobby at 6:30 a.m.; join us from 7:30-7:45 a.m. for early morning stretches.
Breakfast:
Breakfast is served from 7:30-8:30 a.m. in the Assembly Inn Dining Room.
Morning:
We begin our week of Book Arts by examining the historical landmarks in this craft, specifically the ancient Celtic traditions of using shapes, symbols, and coloring called “Illumination.” Certain ancient symbols carry deep meanings such as the Claddagh Ring, Celtic Cross, Triquetra, Spirals, and Triskele. We will watch how illumination expanded over the years into the ultimate Book of Kells. Following a 30-minute refreshment break, we will begin our second class involving our natural world text, ‘Reclaiming the Wild Soul: Earth’s Landscapes’ by M. R. Thompson. Each day we will be examining the intricacies and qualities of different archetypal landscapes which correspond with our inner soulscapes, beginning with Deserts, the Wild Soul Mandala, and journaling options for the week as we deepen personal connections with nature. Closing, we will consider nature poetry and its use of figurative language and specific poetic techniques as exemplified through an “active listening” experience from authors Mary Oliver and Carl Sandburg.
Lunch:
Lunch is served from 12:30-1:30 p.m. in the Assembly Inn Dining Room.
Afternoon:
After lunch, our Book Making involves preparing a pressed flower pamphlet book to be completed on Thursday (fresh cut flowers will be provided). Students will use the Class Flower Press. We will then create an Accordion Book using materials provided. Poems/ nature observations created during the week will fill these pages. An elective walk around Montreat is offered after class ends.
Dinner:
In the dining room.
Evening:
Our evening program will feature a local musician/band or a storyteller. The remainder of the evening is at leisure, with activities in the lobby of the Inn for fellowship.
Day
3
Poetry Transformation, Wild Soul Forests, Pamphlet Books
Location:
Montreat, NC
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Assembly Inn
Activity Note
Classroom based program. Some walking (uneven terrain/rocks/roots). Coffee in lobby at 6:30 a.m.; join us from 7:30-7:45 a.m. for early morning stretches.
Breakfast:
In the dining room.
Morning:
Today we transform journaling into poetry. Step-by-step instructions show how to transform prose into poetry. Vivid imagery and classical poetic patterns embellish your poems. Active Listening exercise covers the genius of both Robert Frost and W. B. Yeats. We will also take a silent walk where the Writing Wild technique will be used, focusing on observations, sensory details, and emotional engagements with nature. After the break, we return to our text and examine the many intricacies and layers of the forest. We will take a Forest Bathing experience into the woods, walking with intention along Elizabeth’s Path in Montreat. We will enjoy this Sensory Immersion forest stroll where solo prompts and meditations will be given. Journal time will later translate into effective prose, poetry for books created this week.
Lunch:
In the dining room.
Afternoon:
Following lunch, we will make single signature pamphlet books. We conclude with the ancient Celtic philosophy called The Great Chain of Being depicting our place in the hierarchy of all nature. If time allows, you may work on the Wild Soul journal prompts for Forest. After class, we'll board the vans and head into Asheville for a visit to the beautiful Biltmore Estate. Our first stop will be Antler Village, where you can explore exhibits, do some shopping or walk up for a tour of the winery and a wine tasting.
Dinner:
A candlelight dinner at the Biltmore Estate. We'll be at the Stable Cafe Loft for our Candlelight Dinner. We'll post a menu closer to the event. The Stable Cafe is located right next to the Biltmore House, so after dinner we'll walk over for our Candlelight Evening at Biltmore experience.
Evening:
Following dinner, we'll enter the Biltmore House for our Candlelight tour. Biltmore House is beautiful in all seasons of the year, but the Candlelight experience is nothing short of magical. You'll see the house as the first guests of the Vanderbilts did when they first opened the home. Musicians and entertainers are on all different levels of the house. You'll go through at your own pace, and there are docents available for questions. we will board the vans by 9:45 p.m. (at the latest) for departure back to Montreat.
Day
4
Water Cycle, Multiple Signatures, Sacred Animals
Location:
Montreat, NC
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Assembly Inn
Activity Note
Classroom based program. Some walking (uneven terrain/rocks/roots). Coffee in lobby at 6:30 a.m.; join us from 7:30-7:45 a.m. for early morning stretches.
Breakfast:
In the dining room.
Morning:
Starting with our text, Water is the focus for today. Following a review of the soul qualities and deepening metaphors, we will once again venture into nature then experience a Water Cycle Forest Bathing invitation. As we become each part of this natural process in our active imaginations, we will consider where we felt most alive, intimately connected. We will then journal about this prompt. After a break, book making time will build on the first two classes by moving into use of multiple signatures and various spine stitching options. Following the instructor demonstration, we will be free to utilize detailed handouts. Once your book is completed, consider how you might fill your pages – classical nature poetry, original verse, or even drawings, paintings inspired by our outdoor adventures!
Lunch:
In the dining room.
Afternoon:
Free time. This period of time has been set aside for your personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Please note that the period scheduled for free time is subject to change depending on local circumstances and opportunities for independent exploration. Your ticket to the Biltmore will allow you to return (on your own) to visit Antler Hill Village, the winery, the conservatory, and any outside areas (it does not allow you to re-enter the house).
Dinner:
In the dining room, we will enjoy a farm-to-table meal.
Evening:
A review of Backyard Birds and Celtic Sacred Animals will inspire you into a vivid experience, where using your imagination, you may transform into one of these amazing creatures! You will write about this experience then share the journey with classmates. Enjoy a storytelling performance of nature-infused pourquoi tales in the format of “How the Who got the What." The process for writing a pourquoi tale will be given as an option for you to create your own tale, either inspired by your animal transformation or other natural phenomenon.
Day
5
Wild Soul Mountains, Moon Journal, Meditation, Mandalas
Location:
Montreat, NC
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Assembly Inn
Activity Note
Classroom based program. Some walking (uneven terrains/rocks/roots). Coffee in lobby at 6:30 a.m.; join us from 7:30-7:45 a.m. for early morning stretches.
Breakfast:
In the dining room.
Morning:
Poetry leads the way this morning as look at creating effective metaphors throughout a single work. Our Active Listening focuses on poems by Sarah Teasdale and Robert Frost. A specific review of Poetry Revision will assist us in polishing our works from earlier in the week. The Wild Soul readings today bring us to Mountains. Venturing outside, we will listen to meditations by John Muir then engage quietly with the natural world using intention and diaphragmatic breathing. We will close with private journal time. Book Making is the focus for our second morning class time as we complete our Pressed Flower pamphlet book then move quickly into a Moon Journal. Facts and folklore about the moon and other celestial bodies will inspire us as we learn about the eight phases of the moon and prime constellations in their most visual seasons. Handouts will join with templates to create our last book. All other projects must be completed by the end of today. Handouts for each style will aid students to complete these easy tasks at home if needed.
Lunch:
In the dining room.
Afternoon:
Following lunch, the class learns of ancient Sacred Circles then uses this symbol to create a personal Mandala (a circular-driven image). Meditation using Inner Outing cards offers students personal brainstorming words/ phrases which can translate into a pictorial version within the lines of the mandala. Guidelines for working with the mandala shapes will be given, a common art form connecting us to nature. This meditation work can be both insightful and healing.
Dinner:
In the dining room.
Evening:
Our evening program will feature our great instructor, Bobbie, who will share some wonderful stories with us. Afterwards, prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.
Day
6
Wild Soul Grasslands, Share Books, Program Concludes
Location:
Montreat, NC
Meals:
B
Activity Note
Class ends by 10:15 a.m.; check-out by 10:00 a.m.
Breakfast:
In the dining room.
Morning:
We will close the week by examining the Wild Soul landscape: Grasslands. Its expansive nature will open us to new vistas and ways of connecting with the natural world. We will have the opportunity to share one of our books with the class. This concludes our program. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to like our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!
Please select a day to update the map
Map details are not available for this location.
Please Note:
This program has itinerary variations on certain dates.
Dec 5 - Dec 10, 2027 Itinerary Differences:
Book Arts: Responses to Nature with trip to Biltmore!