Creative Catalyst: The Transformative Power of Making Art

With Dana Albany and Michael "Flash" Hopkins

February 10 - 14, 2025

Workshop Schedule

Monday
5:00 pm – 5:45 pm*How to Drop into Esalen *
7:15 pm – 9:30 pm
Tuesday
9:30 am – 1:00 pm
4:00 pm – 6:30 pm
Wednesday
9:30 am – 1:00 pm
4:00 pm – 6:30 pm
Thursday
9:30 am – 1:00 pm
4:00 pm – 6:30 pm
Friday
9:30 am – 12:00 pm

See general schedule information including arrival, departure and meal times.

  • Sleeping Bag Space – $1,055.00
  • Bunk Bed Space – $1,355.00
  • Standard Shared Space – $1,675.00
  • Standard Queen Room – $2,175.00
  • Standard Room Two Beds – $3,375.00
  • Premium Queen Room – $3,115.00
  • Premium King Room – $3,335.00
  • Premium Plus King Room – $3,755.00
  • Premium Wooden Yurt – $3,755.00
  • Premium Wooden Yurt Two Beds – $3,755.00
  • Rolf Suite – $7,075.00
  • Point House – $7,075.00
  • Fritz Point House – $7,075.00
  • South Point House – $8,675.00
Program is fully booked
Program is fully booked

The Artist lives within everyone! Art can be made out of just about anything! It’s a time to leave the critic behind and allow oneself to play, nourish, and replenish the creative spirit. It’s also a time to enjoy the company and camaraderie of like-minded peers. Now is your time to discover the joys of art based on community and collaboration and to find out how meaningful and grand a shared, creative experience can be.

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 glass, metals, wood, plastics, paper, photographs, fabrics, and old artifacts — bits and pieces of the past and present.

In a beautiful, nurturing, supportive setting, we will reclaim and shape society’s scraps and discarded objects into 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,  and learn new skills. 

Not only will you have the opportunity to explore your own expression and immerse yourself in solo creations, but we will also engage in a collaborative group project to 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 exciting, shared experience teaches us how beautiful it is to break down barriers and collaborate. 

This workshop is geared toward anyone with the desire to create. From the beginner to the advanced, this is a time to explore new possibilities. Together, we will:

  • Explore our own creativity and immerse ourselves in solo artistic expression.
  • Engage in a collaborative group project and enter the whimsical world of community-oriented magic and play.
  • Leave the critic behind and allow ourselves to play, nourish, and replenish the creative spirit.
  • Discover the joys of art based on community and collaboration and how meaningful and grand a shared experience can be.

If there are any recycled materials, special mementos, poems, or photos you would like to bring and include in our creations, please feel free!

This workshop includes an additional $115 for art materials.

About the Leaders

Dana Albany

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.

Learn more about Dana Albany

Michael "Flash" Hopkins

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.

Learn more about Michael "Flash" Hopkins

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