Set of terracotta-colored ceramic objects including a jug, two small bowls, two elongated oval dishes, a textured oval mat, and a two-compartment bowl, arranged on a light green surface.
Collection of paper craft leaves in various shapes, colors, and textures arranged on a light surface.
A person's hand holding a realistic-looking chocolate sculpture of a human heart, with floral patterned wallpaper in the background.
Kids wooden toys including a scoop, cone, fish-shaped piece, several paddles, and flat oval pieces, all made of light-colored wood.
A hand holding a folded paper fish with a pink and white pattern, with a decorative patterned background.
Person trimming nail tips with nail scissors over a decorative tablecloth
Person working on a large, intricate paper art piece with circular patterns and geometric designs, using a tool to place or adjust small paper elements.
Assorted cleaning sponges and wooden cleaning tools on a light blue surface.
A woman with gray curly hair holding a large, orange, plastic hand mask over her face, with only her right eye visible.

An Encouraging Journey Through Clay and Paper with Elsa Mora
May 15 - 17, 2026

Black Cat Farm | Boulder, Colorado
15 Students
No Experience Necessary

REGISTER
Simple illustration of a leafy branch with elongated leaves.

The heart of this retreat explores what it means to live a meaningful life through the innovative use of ordinary materials.

Designed for those with a curious mind and seeking a stimulating experience, this retreat explores what it means to live a meaningful life through the innovative use of two materials: paper and clay. It is designed for individuals with curious minds seeking a stimulating experience. Participants will have an exceptional opportunity to explore various aspects of themselves from a creative perspective, guided by artist Elsa Mora. This hands-on creative adventure will take us beyond the ordinary. We will engage with clay and paper in unconventional ways, connecting with our senses and unlocking our artistic potential.

Using a hand-building approach with clay, we will create a series of small grounding sculptures that represent the five senses. Participants will work with beautiful speckled clay, which will be fired in a kiln  during the retreat. More details about how to interact with these small sculptures will be shared during the workshop sessions, and students will be able to take their finished ceramic pieces home as lasting reminders of their experience.

Additionally, we will use techniques involving drawing, cutting, gluing, and shaping to construct three-dimensional paper sculptures that represent the five elements. We will also explore the metaphorical meanings these pieces embody. This workshop presents an opportunity to create beautiful artwork filled with meaning while uncovering the potential of our imagination as a powerful form of self-care.

    • All tools & clay provided

    • Elsa’s favorite paper scissors as part of your material kit

    • Bringing home a tangible "toolkit" to encourage the activation of your creative self whenever inspiration is needed

    • Fresh farm-to-table organic meals

    • Handcrafted tea blends each day

    • The energy of growth and renewal of being on a working farm

    • Gentle body movement session 

Folded paper rosette with alternating cream-colored and dark blue units, featuring text on the paper.
A ceramic figurine of a person with a large round head decorated with crosses, wearing a striped outfit, and holding a rounded object, standing on a striped base.
An artist with curly gray hair, wearing a blue dress and a gold necklace, sitting at a cluttered art studio table with various ceramic sculptures and art supplies, smiling in front of a window.
Gray illustration of a leafy branch with small round buds

About the Artist | Elsa Mora

Elsa Mora is a celebrated artist, curator, and educator born in Cuba. She moved to the USA in 2001. At a young age, Mora was recognized with the UNESCO-Aschberg Bursaries for Artists in Paris, France. Her work explores universal themes of identity, connectivity, and survival using various materials, including paper, clay, and fiber.

Mora's art has been exhibited in galleries and museums worldwide. She taught at the Vocational School of Arts in Camagüey, Cuba, and has served as a visiting artist at institutions such as the Art Institute of Chicago, San Francisco State University, the Art Institute of Boston, the MoMA Design Store, and the National Gallery of Art, among others.

Her work is part of the permanent collections of the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C., the Long Beach Museum of Art in California, and the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at the University of Oregon. Mora has collaborated as an illustrator with several organizations, including the Museum of Modern Art, Chronicle Books, The New York Review of Books, Penguin Random House, The Oprah Magazine, Cosmopolitan, and teNeues.

In 2016, Mora co-founded ArtYard, a contemporary art center where she served as artistic director and curator until 2024. Also, in 2024, she co-founded Mudtown, a ceramic studio where she spends time experimenting with clay and fostering a vibrant community of artists. In her private studio, Elsa continues to work with paper and other materials.

elsamora.net
@elsamorainstant

A wooden table with a large round wooden tray holding several plates of traditional tamales wrapped in banana leaves, garnished with a small plant in a white pot on the side.
A man and a woman standing together in a garden, holding leafy plants, with a sunny landscape and trees in the background.
Outside view of Black Cat Organic Farm with string lights, rustic wooden building, and a gathering of people seated under a wooden pergola during sunset.
Silhouette of an apple with leaves

The Venue: Black Cat Organic Farm

Black Cat Farm ~ a place where all are welcome and the seeds of hope surround you. Nestled among the rolling fields just outside Boulder, Colorado, this rustic working farm is home to our Black Cat Makerie retreats. Tucked away from the rush of the world, time stands still. The beauty here isn’t curated, but rather defined by the ever-changing seasons and the pulse of growth and possibility at every turn. No matter where you are coming from or which season of life you find yourself in, you’ll feel the embrace of something so grounding and deeply authentic you might not ever forget it.

Using Black Cat’s Certified Organic farm as a source of creativity, Chef Eric Skokan creates an award-winning cuisine vibrant with seasonality. The kitchen draws heavily from the farm’s more than 250 varieties of organic vegetables, legumes, grains, herbs and flowers, as well as its large flock of heritage sheep and its robust population of heritage pigs, paving the way for a limitless palette of flavors, colors, and textures from which to build each food experience. The farm team devotes hours every day to harvesting ingredients, and then crafting them into outstanding dishes that mirror what is thriving in the fields. We can’t wait for you to experience it all for yourself!

A set of six brown ceramic tableware pieces including a teapot, two small bowls, a large oval platter, a rectangular tray with a textured surface, and a small round bowl, all arranged on a light-colored background.
A light-colored, stylized illustration of three leaves or branches.

Retreat Schedule

Friday, May 15th

8:30am to 4pm

Saturday, May 16th

9am to 4pm
6pm to 9pm (Optional Black Cat Farmstead Dinner)

Sunday, May 17th

9am to 3:30pm

 

A simple illustration of a leafy branch with elongated leaves.

Retreat Experience Pricing

$2,295

includes

3 full creative workshop days
(18 hours of instruction)
..
all workshop materials
..
handcrafted herbal tea
..
three morning snacks
..
three farm-to-table lunches
..
three afternoon snacks
..
online class page with all the details and inspiration about this retreat
..
special gift

..
* optional Black Cat Farmstead dinner + $200

REGISTER

Questions? See our FAQs. We’re happy to work with you on a custom payment plan; email ali@themakerie.com.

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