ART MEDICINE
5-WEEK ART MAKING WORKSHOP
EXPLORING THE HEALING POWER OF ART THROUGH SYMBOLS
IN SANTA YNEZ, CA
Sometimes the soul seeks expression beyond the limitations of words. Artistic symbolism (animals, plants, geometry, colors, metaphor of all kinds) can often serve as better vehicles to translate the language of the psyche and heart.
In this 5-week workshop we will explore the symbolic nature of the self through the creation of art. By building a small community we will support one another as we experiment with various modes of artistic expression. Art can be powerful medicine!
*No art experience required to participate—only a desire to create, to see and be seen.
ABOUT THE WORKSHOP
-
The workshop is limited to a small number of participants.
-
Sessions take place weekly on Saturdays from 2-4pm in Max Gleason's studio, a converted barn nestled in a vineyard in the heart of Santa Ynez.
-
Session dates: APRIL 6, APRIL 13, APRIL 20, APRIL 27, MAY 4
-
Participants will each create 1 unique piece of art over the course of the 5 weeks, tracking the thematic evolution over the duration of the workshop.
-
Participants are strongly encouraged to attend all 5 sessions to maintain continuity.
-
Each session will include:
1 hour of creation time (easels will be provided, but each participant must supply their own canvas or drawing/painting surface, as well as art materials: paints, pens, charcoal, etc.)
Followed by
1 hour of group discussion in which we will share our artwork and the themes we are exploring. Participants are encouraged to bring supportive and engaged attitudes to these discussions.
-
Your facilitator will use prompts to guide participants through the creative process, but there are no rules for what is created or how. The workshop simply provides a platform for freedom of artistic expression.
-
Please note: Your facilitator is not a therapist, but rather a guide and a fellow artist/human holding space for the naturally occurring healing that can happen when engaging with art.
-
Fee for 5-week workshop is $300/person.
APPLY
ABOUT YOUR FACILITATOR, MAX GLEASON
Art can touch the Divine. For thousands of years artists have pointed us toward the “Transcendent Other” through marks, models, songs and symbols. I, too, have chased a glimpse of Divinity for much of my artistic career. Then 4 years ago something happened which split my world wide open—as a human and an artist. On October 25, 2019 my wife and our two young children were killed by a suicidal motorist. With this event, my relationship to spirituality became immediate and painfully visceral. I was forced to reckon with the biggest existential questions:
What happens when we die?
Why are we here in the first place?
Does free will exist or is everything predestined?
As a lifelong artist, I turned to painting to help me process this tragedy, creating several pieces honoring the life and passing of my family. Roughly one year after the crash, people began approaching me for painting commissions. These new clients had visions, dreams, pains and passions they were hoping I could translate into paint. By virtue of my personal loss, people felt that I could be a channel for their own deep life experiences. This marked a pivotal transition in my career as an artist, offering myself as a bridge between the unseen world and the seen. In doing this work recurring themes have arisen: birth and death, the joy of children, the guidance of ancestors, navigating illness, celebrating love, and everything in between...the stuff that makes us human. I am immensely grateful and humbled to do this work. I am now married to my incredible partner, Jasmine, a beautifully intuitive healer, and we live in Santa Ynez, CA.
