The Art of Grieving: An Expressive Arts & InterPlay Retreat
Advertisement
WHAT THIS RETREAT IS ABOUT
Join us for the Art of Grieving InterPlay Expressive Arts and Art-Making Retreat, a unique gathering designed to help you explore creativity as a path through grief and life transitions.
Together, we’ll create a supportive circle where we can honor our heartbreaks, our joys, and all that life has handed us. Using InterPlay, an improvisational approach to storytelling, movement, and voice, alongside hands-on artmaking, we will discover the spiral path of growth and insight that a transformed grief bestows.
WHAT WE’LL DO
Over four days in this nurturing, southwestern art scene setting, we will:
Engage in InterPlay practices, gentle, playful movement, storytelling, and voice that help us access the wisdom of our own bodies and a supportive group body.
Visiting the Kewa Pueblo, we will design and art, giving form, color and substance to what lives in our hearts.
Hold rituals of remembrance, offering creative ways to honor loved ones who have died, and exploring new ways to stay connected to them.
Enjoy spacious time in nature in the high-desert, "Land of Enchantment, that helps us remember that we, too, are part of the cycles of loss and renewal.
Build a compassionate community, so we do not carry our stories alone.
By weekend’s end, you’ll carry home new art pieces, deeper insights, and connections with a circle of kindred spirits.
WHO THIS RETREAT IS FOR
This retreat is for people who:
Are grieving someone they love, or a life chapter that has ended, and want to honor any loss through creative expression.
Feel called to explore their creativity, whether they’re seasoned artists or complete beginners.
Are looking for new ways to process the complex emotions of living in these times, grief, beauty, uncertainty, hope.
Long to be with others who understand that grief is not something to be “gotten over,” but to be companioned, witnessed, and transformed.
As grief advocate Francis Weller writes:
“Soul activism is what we are called to in this extreme time.”
Through the expressive arts of InterPlay and artmaking, we engage in that very activism, tending to what is most tender, personal, and profound.
WHERE & WITH WHOM
The retreat takes place at the Synergia Ranch Retreat Center, thirty minutes from the beautiful Santa Fe, NM. It will be facilitated by Dr. Sheila K. Collins, Author of The Art of Grieving: How the Arts and Art-Making Help Us Grieve and Live Our Best Lives & Christine Gautreaux, MSW, Co-author of Stillpoint: A Self-Care Playbook for Caregivers to Find Ease, Time to Breathe & Reclaim Joy.
Art Making in Collaboration with:
Mary Louise Tafoya & The Kewa Pueblo
PRACTICALS
When: Thursday evening, October 22nd through midday Sunday, October 25th, 2026
Where: Synergia Ranch Retreat Center + 2 field trips with activities included
Nearest airports: Santa Fe (30 min), Albuquerque, NM (45 min)
Registration: Opens March 1st, 2026. Space is limited to 20 retreatants -
$300 holds your space
Space is limited to 20 people - Early Bird Discounts and Payment Plans available:
Fee (includes single occupancy lodging, private bath and 9 catered meals): $1335 (super early bird registration by July 31st); $1435 (early registration by Sept. 1st); and $1535 after.
Fee (includes single occupancy lodging, shared bath and 9 catered meals): $1135 (super early bird registration by July 31st); $1235 (early registration by Sept. 1st); and $1335 after.
Fee (includes double occupancy lodging, shared bath and 9 catered meals): $1035 (super early bird registration by July 31st); $1135 (early registration by Sept. 1st); and $1235 after.
Fee Day rate for Meals & Programming $795 (super early bird registration by July 31st); $845 (early registration by Sept. 1st); and $895 after.
You can mail your deposit via check to
InterPlay Pittsburgh
130 Chapel Harbor Dr.
Pittsburgh, PA
15230
We will also be updating a way to pay electronically via Zelle soon
What past participants have said about this retreat:
"All of the activities were inspiring, but the real magic came in the group setting — being fully present with others in real time. That experience can’t be replicated on Zoom, where touch and spontaneous connection are impossible, or through reading, which is more self-absorbing and inward. While time alone is valuable, this retreat reminded me of the necessity of time together — bonding through shared experiences that deepen our sense of connection." Gail, Art of Grieving Retreat 9/2025
"Meeting, mingling, sharing, interplaying with leaders and participants. Meeting in person and gradually (incrementally:))letting down into safe space is soul nourishing."
Eve, Art of Grieving Retreat 9/2025
"The retreat from my usual routine brought fresh air, beautiful scenery, new people and experiences. The opportunity to try new things, reconnect to people both past and present in a supportive and loving atmosphere was sublime. The whole weekend was embodied yes, and..."
Lynn, Art of Grieving Retreat 9/2025
"I love the open permission to honor our loved ones that have gone before us. Thank you for giving the opportunity to share those cherished people who have passed with the living. It was an honor to. listen and a gift to speak of them." Lynn, Art of Grieving Retreat 9/2025
"Christine, the connector, smoothly transitioning from one element to the next, eased us in and out and around the weekend. Love your creative energy and ability to read the room. Thank you for the beginnings, endings and being a thoughtful, supportive backbone to the weekend." Lynn, Art of Grieving Retreat 9/2025
“i didn’t know what to expect when i arrived. what i experienced was so unlike anything else i have ever done! The openness of the other participants was inspiring, and the movement helped me connect with emotions that i didn’t know that i had buried. “ Mary, Art of Grieving Retreat 5/2026
“Sheila & Christine made me feel very welcome. Sheila’s energy is contagious, and they create an atmosphere where one feels comfortable sharing.” Mary, Art of Grieving Retreat 5/2226
Join us for the Art of Grieving InterPlay Expressive Arts and Art-Making Retreat, a unique gathering designed to help you explore creativity as a path through grief and life transitions.
Together, we’ll create a supportive circle where we can honor our heartbreaks, our joys, and all that life has handed us. Using InterPlay, an improvisational approach to storytelling, movement, and voice, alongside hands-on artmaking, we will discover the spiral path of growth and insight that a transformed grief bestows.
WHAT WE’LL DO
Over four days in this nurturing, southwestern art scene setting, we will:
Engage in InterPlay practices, gentle, playful movement, storytelling, and voice that help us access the wisdom of our own bodies and a supportive group body.
Visiting the Kewa Pueblo, we will design and art, giving form, color and substance to what lives in our hearts.
Hold rituals of remembrance, offering creative ways to honor loved ones who have died, and exploring new ways to stay connected to them.
Enjoy spacious time in nature in the high-desert, "Land of Enchantment, that helps us remember that we, too, are part of the cycles of loss and renewal.
Build a compassionate community, so we do not carry our stories alone.
By weekend’s end, you’ll carry home new art pieces, deeper insights, and connections with a circle of kindred spirits.
WHO THIS RETREAT IS FOR
This retreat is for people who:
Are grieving someone they love, or a life chapter that has ended, and want to honor any loss through creative expression.
Feel called to explore their creativity, whether they’re seasoned artists or complete beginners.
Are looking for new ways to process the complex emotions of living in these times, grief, beauty, uncertainty, hope.
Long to be with others who understand that grief is not something to be “gotten over,” but to be companioned, witnessed, and transformed.
As grief advocate Francis Weller writes:
“Soul activism is what we are called to in this extreme time.”
Through the expressive arts of InterPlay and artmaking, we engage in that very activism, tending to what is most tender, personal, and profound.
WHERE & WITH WHOM
The retreat takes place at the Synergia Ranch Retreat Center, thirty minutes from the beautiful Santa Fe, NM. It will be facilitated by Dr. Sheila K. Collins, Author of The Art of Grieving: How the Arts and Art-Making Help Us Grieve and Live Our Best Lives & Christine Gautreaux, MSW, Co-author of Stillpoint: A Self-Care Playbook for Caregivers to Find Ease, Time to Breathe & Reclaim Joy.
Art Making in Collaboration with:
Mary Louise Tafoya & The Kewa Pueblo
PRACTICALS
When: Thursday evening, October 22nd through midday Sunday, October 25th, 2026
Where: Synergia Ranch Retreat Center + 2 field trips with activities included
Nearest airports: Santa Fe (30 min), Albuquerque, NM (45 min)
Registration: Opens March 1st, 2026. Space is limited to 20 retreatants -
$300 holds your space
Space is limited to 20 people - Early Bird Discounts and Payment Plans available:
Fee (includes single occupancy lodging, private bath and 9 catered meals): $1335 (super early bird registration by July 31st); $1435 (early registration by Sept. 1st); and $1535 after.
Fee (includes single occupancy lodging, shared bath and 9 catered meals): $1135 (super early bird registration by July 31st); $1235 (early registration by Sept. 1st); and $1335 after.
Fee (includes double occupancy lodging, shared bath and 9 catered meals): $1035 (super early bird registration by July 31st); $1135 (early registration by Sept. 1st); and $1235 after.
Fee Day rate for Meals & Programming $795 (super early bird registration by July 31st); $845 (early registration by Sept. 1st); and $895 after.
You can mail your deposit via check to
InterPlay Pittsburgh
130 Chapel Harbor Dr.
Pittsburgh, PA
15230
We will also be updating a way to pay electronically via Zelle soon
What past participants have said about this retreat:
"All of the activities were inspiring, but the real magic came in the group setting — being fully present with others in real time. That experience can’t be replicated on Zoom, where touch and spontaneous connection are impossible, or through reading, which is more self-absorbing and inward. While time alone is valuable, this retreat reminded me of the necessity of time together — bonding through shared experiences that deepen our sense of connection." Gail, Art of Grieving Retreat 9/2025
"Meeting, mingling, sharing, interplaying with leaders and participants. Meeting in person and gradually (incrementally:))letting down into safe space is soul nourishing."
Eve, Art of Grieving Retreat 9/2025
"The retreat from my usual routine brought fresh air, beautiful scenery, new people and experiences. The opportunity to try new things, reconnect to people both past and present in a supportive and loving atmosphere was sublime. The whole weekend was embodied yes, and..."
Lynn, Art of Grieving Retreat 9/2025
"I love the open permission to honor our loved ones that have gone before us. Thank you for giving the opportunity to share those cherished people who have passed with the living. It was an honor to. listen and a gift to speak of them." Lynn, Art of Grieving Retreat 9/2025
"Christine, the connector, smoothly transitioning from one element to the next, eased us in and out and around the weekend. Love your creative energy and ability to read the room. Thank you for the beginnings, endings and being a thoughtful, supportive backbone to the weekend." Lynn, Art of Grieving Retreat 9/2025
“i didn’t know what to expect when i arrived. what i experienced was so unlike anything else i have ever done! The openness of the other participants was inspiring, and the movement helped me connect with emotions that i didn’t know that i had buried. “ Mary, Art of Grieving Retreat 5/2026
“Sheila & Christine made me feel very welcome. Sheila’s energy is contagious, and they create an atmosphere where one feels comfortable sharing.” Mary, Art of Grieving Retreat 5/2226
Advertisement
Where is it happening?
Synergia Ranch, 1 Blue Bird Ct, Santa Fe, NM 87508-1531, United States
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.
Host or PublisherSheila K. Collins
