An Encouraging Journey Through Clay and Paper with Elsa Mora
May 15 - 17, 2026
Black Cat Farm | Boulder, Colorado
15 Students
No Experience Necessary
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 curious minds 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. Participants will have a unique opportunity to explore different aspects of themselves through a creative lens, guided by artist Elsa Mora. This hands-on adventure moves beyond the ordinary, inviting us to engage with clay and paper in unconventional ways—awakening the senses and unlocking artistic potential.
Using a hand-building approach, we will work with malleable clay to create a series of small, grounding sculptures representing the five senses. These pieces will be fired in a kiln during the retreat, and participants will take their finished ceramics home as lasting reminders of the experience. Guidance on how to interact with and reflect on these sculptures will be shared throughout the workshop sessions.
In addition, we will explore drawing, cutting, gluing, and shaping techniques to construct three-dimensional paper sculptures inspired by the five elements. Along the way, we will reflect on the metaphorical meanings these forms embody. This workshop offers the opportunity to create artwork rich with meaning while discovering imagination as a powerful and nurturing form of self-care.
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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
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
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!
Retreat Schedule
Friday, May 15th
8:30am to 4pm Workshop, Snacks and Lunch
4pm to 8 pm Open Studio
Saturday, May 16th
9am to 4pm Workshop, Snacks and Lunch
4pm to 7:15pm Open Studio
7:15pm to 9:30 pm *Optional Black Cat Farmstead Dinner)
Sunday, May 17th
9am to 3:30pm Workshop, Snacks and Lunch
4pm to 8 pm Open Studio
Retreat Experience Pricing
$2,295
includes
3 full creative workshop days
(18 hours of instruction)
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all workshop materials
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handcrafted herbal tea
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three morning snacks
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three farm-to-table lunches
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three afternoon snacks
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online class page with all the details and inspiration about this retreat
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special gift
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* optional Black Cat Farmstead dinner + $200
Questions? See our FAQs. We’re happy to work with you on a custom payment plan; email ali@themakerie.com.