• Photograph of an easel and a paint palette
  • Photo of Large Lobster Man Sign and Painting
  • Painting of landscape

Class Description:

Be inspired by the rocky coasts and forests of Maine’s Acadia National Park in this plein air landscape painting retreat led by Ard Berge.

Over eight days, explore nature drawing, the colors of sunlight on surf, and quick painting on locations mined by Thomas Cole and Frederic Edwin Church. The retreat fees include meals and shared housing at Schoodic Institute inside Acadia National Park as well as five days of optional instruction.
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Workshop Dates:

Scheduled occurrences for the next session of this class are as follows:

Day
Date
Time
Day 1:
6/30/2024
Arrival on Sunday night - TBD
Day 2:
7/01/2024
8 am - 6 pm ET
Day 3:
7/02/2024
8 am - 6 pm ET
Day 4:
7/03/2024
8 am - 6 pm ET
Day 5:
7/04/2024
8 am - 6 pm ET
Day 6:
7/05/2024
8 am - 6 pm ET
Day 7: 7/06/2024
8 am - 6 pm ET
Day 8: 7/07/2024 Check out


ABOUT SCHOODIC INSTITUTE AND ACADIA NATIONAL PARK:

Schoodic Point is a coastal “neck” that projects into the Gulf of Maine and is adjacent to Frenchman’s Bay and Mt. Desert Island. Although Schoodic peninsula is the only part of Acadia National Park that is connected to the mainland, it tends to be significantly less crowded than Mt. Desert Island. The peninsula contains many beautiful vistas along its shoreline as well as hiking trails. Winter Harbor is the nearest village to Schoodic Point and features a grocery store as well as seasonal restaurants, galleries, and shops. Recommended Winter Harbor restaurants include the Harbor Market, Chase’s Restaurant, JM Gerrish Café as well as the Pickled Wrinkle in nearby Birch Harbor (just after the exit from Schoodic Point).
Landscape photo of ocean

LODGING & MEALS

Accommodations are provided by our partner, Schoodic Institute, at the Schoodic Education and Research Center (SERC) which they manage. The SERC facility is an educational and research campus located on Schoodic Point and is the only provider of housing inside Acadia National Park. The SERC campus is a converted former US Navy base. Housing includes a private bedroom with a shared bathroom and common area. Retreat participants will either be staying in the Cabins which sleep three people or in the Schoodic Shores apartments which sleep two per unit. The accommodations can be described as basic but comfortable. The expectation is that most of our time will be spent outside painting. Higher-end private suites with bathroom in Schoodic Institute’s Rockefeller Hall may be available for an additional cost. Six days of meals, including hot breakfast, bag lunch, and dinner, are offered from Monday, July 1st through Saturday, July 6th. Pack lunches and snacks are provided daily so you can paint the landscape. Friday’s final dinner will be a traditional Downeast Maine Lobster Supper. Please indicate your preference for Friday’s lobster dinner: lobster, chicken, or vegetarian. Also, it is important that advance notification be given of any food allergies.

TRAVEL

The retreat-workshop does not provide transportation. Participants will need their own vehicle in order to drive themselves between sites within the park. By Car-Schoodic Institute is a nine (9) hour drive from New York City by car. The charming and historic city of Portsmouth, NH is a recommended overnight stop if needed. By Air-Flights from New York City to Bangor International Airport are approximately one-and-a-half (1.5) hours. Major car rental companies are available at the airport. The drive from Bangor, Maine to Schoodic Institute is approximately one-and-a-half (1.5) hours.

  1. Before Class - Welcome & How to Prepare for Class

  2. Day 1 - Arrival during Evening & Dinner

  3. Day 2 - Drawing in Paint en plein air - Instructor Demonstration

  4. Day 3 - Color Contrasts - Instructor Demonstration

  5. Day 4 - Water and Stones; Creating Compositions with stable and moving forms

  6. Day 5 - Painting Reflections and Surf

  • $2,195.00
  • In-Person
  • 8 Days
  • Beginner to Advanced

Meet Your Instructor

Ard Berge

Instructor

Ard Berge received his M.F.A. in Painting from the New York Academy of Art in 1997. He was awarded a B.F.A. in Painting and Printmaking from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1995. His education also includes study with Jacob Collins at Water Street Atelier, working with Rose Shakinovsky and Claire Gavronsky at the Art Institute of Florence in Italy, and private lessons with Patrick Devonas. Since 1999, he has taught studio art and art history at Felician University where he currently serves as an Associate Professor in the Art Department. Berge has additionally taught at the New York Academy of Art and Bergen Community College. In 2001, he was invited by the U.S. Department of State to conduct workshops in Angola with Antonio Olé. Ard Berge has also been awarded artist’s residencies at the Santa Fe Art Institute in 2002 and Acadia National Park in 2012. Berge has exhibited widely—with solo shows at Art First Contemporary Art gallery in London, Iona College in New Rochelle, New York, and at the Queensborough Community College Art Gallery in Bayside, New York. He lives and works in Manhattan.

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