Agenda
Eye Opener balances solitude and connection—shared meals, studio workshops, quiet walks, and time alone if needed.
Thursday
After arrivals and registration in the afternoon, the retreat begins with a Welcome Dinner Feast in the courtyard. The evening continues with relaxed introductions as the group comes together and settles into the rhythm of the days ahead.
Friday
Morning begins with a light breakfast buffet and optional stretching or meditation, followed by our first studio session: Creative Lineage, a reflective workshop tracing the elders, mentors, movements, and ideas that shape our lives through visual mapping.
After lunch, we return to the studio for Beyond the Algorithm, using AI as a creative collaborator—then bringing typography back to the body. Free time follows for rest and reflection. After dinner, we gather for the Evening Salon, where a small number of participants share unfinished or in-progress work. There is no critique or hierarchy—only attentive listening and thoughtful exchange around process, experimentation, and creative life.
Saturday
After morning coffee, we begin with The Practice of Noticing—a silent walk through the Cranbrook Academy of Art gardens in Bloomfield Hills—then return for a DIY Screen Printing workshop, working hands-on with ink, paper, and simple tools.
Following lunch is a special Art Museum + Collections Tour, with free time afterward to rest or explore the grounds. Dinner leads into the second Evening Salon, where a few more participants share work in progress—opening into a wide, generous conversation across practices and generations.
Sunday
A relaxed morning begins with a pop-up wall installation of the Creative Lineage work. From there, we head out for a Detroit Art Tour through Eastside, Islandview, Corktown, and New Center — visiting artists’ collectives and historic architecture, with lunch included.
Back at Cranbrook, there is time to rest before our Farewell Dinner, concluding with Loose Talk: Building the Circle—a cozy closing evening of tea, sweets, shared reflections, and goodbyes.
Monday
A slow final morning of warm farewells and departures.