GAC in Italy
June 10-24, 2026
This is more than a trip — it’s an opportunity to create, connect, and grow as an artist or writer in one of Italy’s most inspiring settings!
Join the Gunnison Arts Center in the charming Tuscan town of Certaldo, Italy, for an unforgettable creative experience! Choose from two immersive, two-week workshops — Painting with Don Seastrum or Creative Writing with Paul Edwards — running June 10–24, 2026 (arrive June 9, depart June 25). Participants will dive into their craft with three-hour morning sessions and additional afternoon workshops, leaving evenings and weekends open to explore Tuscany’s rich history, food, and culture. Both workshops will get to attend the famous Renaissance dinner together (included in the tuition).
With limited enrollment, these workshops are designed for deeply personal, hands-on learning. The $1,950 fee includes instruction and programming; participants will arrange their own travel, passports, lodging, insurance and meals with guidance from on-site coordinator and professional artist Jennifer Wells. To ensure you’re fully prepared, the GAC will host in-person and Zoom information sessions this fall and winter, providing detailed instructions and answering any questions about travel, logistics, and workshop expectations.
Registration Deadline: Mid March 2026 to meet minimum enrollment. April 1 for final registrations.
Painting in a Unique Place
with DOn Seastrum
Immerse yourself in the rich culture and landscape of Certaldo while developing your artistic voice. This intensive two-week workshop offers weekday sessions (9 AM–12 PM and 1–3 PM) combining location painting, compositional studies, and presentations. Participants will work in their choice of media—acrylics, watercolor, tempera, pastels, or other drawing materials—while exploring how Place functions as an essential element of visual storytelling.
Guided by Don Seastrum, artists will refine technical skills and creative expression, examining the dynamic interplay of color, light, and space, and will leave with a collection of studies to inspire future work in their personal studios. Experience Tuscany not just as a visitor, but as an artist—transforming your surroundings into meaningful compositions.
Workshop Facilitator: Don Seastrum
Min: 5 students | Max: 8 students | Price: $1,950
Mapping Your Story in a Unique Place with Paul Edwards
Join Playwright and Professor Paul Edwards for “Mapping Your Story in a New Place,” a two-week writing workshop in Certaldo, Italy. Explore how maps and stories intertwine, featuring writing sessions, discussions, visits to points of interest and guided walking tours. As a writer, experience a new place in ways that will provide you with fresh and sometimes unexpected perspectives.
This intensive two-week workshop will meet weekdays, with sessions held 9 AM–12 PM and 1–3 PM (We may switch out one or two of the afternoon sessions to meet in the early morning or in the evening). Ideal for writers of all levels, this workshop offers inspiration for plays, screenplays, stories, and creative nonfiction.
Workshop Facilitator: Paul Edwards
Min: 5 students | Max: 12 | Price: $1950
