Hand and Hearth: A Winter Art Retreat

Name: Hand and Hearth: A Winter Art Retreat
Start: 2027-02-14
End: 2027-02-19
Location: Montreat Conference Center

February 14–19, 2027 AdultContinuing Education

A Montreat Conference Center Event

Come, gather around the hearth and let your hands create during this winter art retreat. Hand and Hearth is a small, intimate gathering designed for artists, makers, and creative souls who long for time to slow down, explore, experiment, and simply make.

Over the course of five days, this intimate group will gather around the warmth of a winter fire, with classes held right in the Assembly Inn Lobby around the hearth. Each participant will choose one featured class and spend six hours immersed in creative instruction each day, allowing plenty of time for them to learn, experiment, and develop their own creative voice. Explore class offerings and other event details below! Check back for additional class announcements.

Leadership

Leslie McCarthy – Pages of Possibility - A Mixed Media Journaling Workshop

Her artistic journey began in childhood, growing up with two talented parents who encouraged exploration and creativity. Her mother taught her to sew at an early age, sparking a love for making her own clothes. Her father, a woodworker, inspired her through his night school classes, where Leslie absorbed as much as she could. These early experiences laid the foundation for her lifelong passion for art.

For 26 years, Leslie owned and operated Making Ends Meet, an interior fabric store and design center. The store was recognized in Southern Living Magazine as one of the Best of the South. She loved designing for customers, especially working with colors outside her personal palette.

After a cancer diagnosis in 2004, Leslie turned deeply toward art, finding healing and peace through creative expression. She opened a studio inside Making Ends Meet, where she began offering classes and discovered her love for teaching.

In 2016, Leslie closed the store and launched www.funkyfibersky.com, where she creates fun and funky furniture and teaches wherever she’s invited. She thrives on collaborating with customers to bring their visions to life.

Nancy Basket – Pine Needle Class

Nancy Basket is a master basket maker and fiber artist. A descendant of Cherokee heritage, she has spent nearly four decades exploring and teaching the art of traditional and contemporary basketry. She works primarily with locally sourced natural materials—including kudzu, pine needles, and other plant fibers—transforming what many consider “invasive” into functional and beautiful works of art. Her work reflects a deep connection to place, honoring both the natural landscape of the Southeast and the cultural traditions passed down through generations. An experienced educator, Nancy has spent more than 30 years teaching in public schools and community settings, helping students of all ages connect with nature, creativity, and storytelling through basketry. She is especially passionate about sharing knowledge across generations and fostering community through the creative process. Through her work, Nancy invites others to see the beauty and possibility in the materials around them and to discover how craft, story, and place are deeply intertwined.

Darci McKinnon – All Things Needlepoint: Stitch, Paint & Finish!

Darci McKinnon is a professional needlepoint finisher, instructor, and creative enthusiast based in Edmond, Oklahoma. Through her business, Stitched Inspiration, Darci shares her passion for needlepoint by teaching classes and workshops across the United States, helping stitchers build their skills, discover new techniques, and fall in love with the art of needlepoint. From exploring creative stitches and designing custom canvases to transforming needlepoint into beautifully finished pieces, she loves empowering others to express their creativity and bring their projects to life. Darci believes needlepoint is about so much more than the stitches themselves—it’s about building friendships, sharing ideas, and creating a welcoming community where everyone can learn and grow. Her classes are hands-on, encouraging, and filled with inspiration, welcoming stitchers of all experience levels to discover the joy of creating something uniquely their own.

Class Offerings

Please choose one class for the entire week. Any materials fees for your class are in addition to the conference fee.* We assign classes on a first-come, first-served basis. We reserve the right to cancel a class based on projected attendance. Register early to ensure a place in your class!

*Materials fees are nonrefundable if cancelling within two weeks of the conference.

Pages of Possibility - A mixed media journaling workshop - Leslie McCarthy

Discover the joy of creative journaling in this hands-on mixed media workshop, while enjoying cozy time with friends and a warm fire in the background. We will begin by making a simple journal of our own, then explore a variety of ways to add color, texture, pattern and interest to our pages. Using the mixed media supplies at our fingertips and daily prompts if you choose to use them, we'll experiment with materials and techniques, layer different elements, and learn how to bring our pages to life.

No special experience is needed- just a curiosity and willingness to play, experiment, and see where the creative process takes you. You will leave with a handmade journal, new techniques to try and inspiration to keep telling your stories through art.

An email will be sent out closer to time with supply ideas for you to bring to make your journal personal.

Class limit: 12
Materials fee: $40

Pine Needle Class - Nancy Basket

Come experience the art of pine needle basketry by the fire this winter. Learn how to make an overcast stitch and coil pine needles into a small bowl at first. If you want to experiment with different types of stitches we can do that. Handles and lids will be shown to see what technique interests you most. A metal ring will be covered with raffia and a design woven into it for a Tenerife center. Pottery bases with holes on the outsides are planned to start a separate basket.

Bring a towel for your lap to keep your area tidy. A thimble, if you have one and scissors.

Cherokee stories told and Native American cultural questions welcomed.

Class limit: 12
Materials Fee: $30

All Things Needlepoint: Stitch, Paint & Finish! - Darci McKinnon

Come stitch, create, and connect in this hands-on needlepoint experience celebrating everything we love about this timeless art! Whether you’re picking up a needle for the very first time or looking to explore new creative possibilities, this class is all about learning, experimenting, and having fun.

We’ll explore a variety of needlepoint stitches, stitch a custom canvas, discover the art of painting your own needlepoint canvas, and learn how to finish a round needlepoint piece into a beautiful, finished project. Along the way, you’ll gain new skills, spark your creativity, and find inspiration in the ideas and talents of those around you.

Most importantly, this class is about community, creativity, and the joy of making something by hand. Come ready to learn something new, share ideas, make friends, and celebrate the wonderful world of needlepoint.

No experience required—just bring your curiosity and a willingness to create!

Class limit: TBD
Materials Fee: TBD

Rates & Registration

Comprehensive Rate

Comprehensive rates below include conference fee of $305, room in Assembly Inn (Sunday through Thursday nights), meals in the Katherine "Kat" McKay Belk Dining Room (Sunday supper through Friday breakfast), plus a $5 community services fee per adult for public services provided by the Town and the fire district. Materials fee will be added manually by the registrar before charging your credit card. Rooms are assigned on a first come, first served basis. After December 17, 2026, rates will increase by $25. Room check-in AFTER 4:00 pm on Sunday. Room check-out BEFORE 10:00 am on Friday.

Assembly Inn
Single Occupancy Private Bath	$1095
Double Occupancy Private Bath	$1615
Single Occupancy Shared Bath	$1020
Double Occupancy Shared Bath	$1540

Commuter Rate

Rates below include a conference fee of $305, plus a $5 community services fee per person for public services provided by the Town and the fire district. Materials fee will be added manually by the registrar before charging your credit card. Commuter rate does not include lodging or meals.

On or before December 17: $305 per person
After December 17: $330 per person

Check-in/Check-out for Housing

Housing Check-in: Sunday, February 14, 2027 AFTER 4:00 pm
Housing Check-out: Friday, February 19, 2027 BEFORE 10:00 am

Scholarships

Limited scholarships are available for this conference.

Questions?

If you have any questions about the conference or classes, please contact the Director of Programs, Sarah Skinner, at sarahs@montreat.org or call 828.419.9845.

For questions about the registration process, please reach out to the registrar at justinkp@montreat.org.

Schedule

2027 Winter Art Retreat Schedule*

Sunday, February 14, 2027
3:30–5:00 pm	Registration & Check-in (room check-in at 4pm), Assembly Inn
5:30–6:30 pm	Dinner, Katherine "Kat" McKay Belk Dining Room
6:30 pm	Conference Opening Gathering, Convocation Hall
7:15-9:00 pm	BLOCK ONE, Classrooms (sites listed below)
Monday, February 15, 2027
7:30-8:30 am	Breakfast, Katherine "Kat" McKay Belk Dining Room
9:00 am–12:00 pm	BLOCK TWO, Classrooms
12:15–1:15 pm	Lunch, Katherine "Kat" McKay Belk Dining Room
2:00–5:00 pm	BLOCK THREE, Classrooms
5:30–6:30 pm	Dinner, Katherine "Kat" McKay Belk Dining Room
6:30 pm	Evening Devotions, Assembly Inn Tea Garden (Outside)
7:15 pm	Evening Program, Convocation Hall
Tuesday, February 16, 2027
7:30-8:30 am	Breakfast, Katherine "Kat" McKay Belk Dining Room
9:00 am–12:00 pm	BLOCK TWO, Classrooms
12:15–1:15 pm	Lunch, Katherine "Kat" McKay Belk Dining Room
2:00–5:00 pm	BLOCK THREE, Classrooms
5:30–6:30 pm	Dinner, Katherine "Kat" McKay Belk Dining Room
6:30 pm	Evening Devotions, Assembly Inn Tea Garden (Outside)
7:15 pm	Evening Program, Convocation Hall
Wednesday, February 17, 2027
7:30-8:30 am	Breakfast, Katherine "Kat" McKay Belk Dining Room
9:00 am–12:00 pm	BLOCK FOUR, Classrooms
12:15–1:15 pm	Lunch
2:00–5:00 pm	BLOCK FIVE, Classrooms
5:30–6:30 pm	Dinner, Katherine "Kat" McKay Belk Dining Room
6:30 pm	Evening Devotions, Assembly Inn Tea Garden (Outside)
	Free Evening
Thursday, February 18, 2027
7:30-8:30 am	Breakfast, Katherine "Kat" McKay Belk Dining Room
9:00 am–12:00 pm	BLOCK SIX, Classrooms
12:15–1:15 pm	Lunch, Katherine "Kat" McKay Belk Dining Room
2:00–5:00 pm	BLOCK SEVEN, Classrooms
5:30–6:30 pm	Dinner, Katherine "Kat" McKay Belk Dining Room
6:30 pm	Sunset Evening Prayer, Assembly Inn Tea Garden (Outside)
7:15 pm	Coffee House and Open Mic, Convocation Hall
Friday, February 19, 2027
7:30–8:30 am	Breakfast
10:00 am	Check-out

*Schedule is tentative and subject to change

Coffee is available for purchase at the Huckleberry Café located on the top floor of Moore Center. Hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 8:00am-3:00pm. Childcare is not provided during this event.

Evening Activities

The creativity doesn't end when class does! Each evening, an open and welcoming art space will come alive with an abundance of supplies waiting to be explored. Fabrics, fibers, paints, papers, natural and organic materials, found objects, and so much more will be at your fingertips. There are no assignments and no expectations— just an invitation to play, experiment, and follow wherever your imagination leads.

Each evening will also feature a guest artist, offering inspiration, conversation, demonstrations, or a glimpse into their creative process.

Evening activities are always optional and by choice. Come create. Come visit. Come watch an artist work. Or simply curl up and enjoy the warmth of the hearth.

Refund Policy

Cancellations must be received by Friday, January 1, 2027 in order to receive a full refund, less a $75 administrative fee.

Cancellations received between Saturday, January 2 and Friday, January 15, 2027 will receive a 50% refund of the conference fee and any payments made toward room and meal charges (if applicable), less a $75 administrative fee.

No refunds will be issued for cancellations received on or after Saturday, January 16, 2027.

All requests must be made in writing and received via email, fax, or U.S. mail.

Materials fees are nonrefundable if cancelling within two weeks of the conference.