ZINC contemporary invites you to embark on an unparalleled artistic journey, while immersed in the captivating landscapes of Umbria and Tuscany during our exclusive 8-night, 9-day workshop curated by founder and art advisor Laura Zeck and led by esteemed New York artists, Gabe Brown and Ashley Norwood Cooper.
Ignite Your Creativity in Italy
ZINC contemporary Workshop
8 Nights & 9 Days
October 18 — 26, 2024
With artists Gabe Brown &
Ashley Norwood Cooper
$6975 per person (double occupancy)
+$1500 single supplement
A $2000 deposit reserves each spot.
Book by May 1st.
Art Venice Pre-Tour Extension
with Venice to Orvieto transportation
October 14—17, 2024
More info here
“Whether you are an artist, a collector, or just someone who loves to travel and is creatively curious, this trip will be one to remember and draw from for a lifetime.”
—Laura Zeck, ZINC contemporary
Workshop
Program
Villa Monteporzano
Purposefully designed for a discerning few, whether seasoned artists or curious collectors, this unparalleled two-part art workshop is a rare opportunity to unlock your creative potential, while receiving exclusive behind-the-scenes access providing privileged insight into how artists perceive the world and leverage that perspective to ignite their creativity.
Part one of the workshop unfolds in Umbria, where we will stay at the Villa Monteporzano dating to 1856. This beautiful estate is surrounded by olive groves with breathtaking views of Orvieto where refined elegance meets the charm of the Italian countryside. Drawing inspiration from the landscape, artist Gabe Brown will guide us through a series of hands-on lessons involving abstraction, symbolism, and composition.
Villa Monteporzano — Orvieto, Umbria
Torre Bellosguardo — Florence, Tuscany
Our artistic sojourn continues in Florence, where we will stay at the majestic Torre di Bellosguardo, originally constructed in the 13th century. This architectural masterpiece, filled with rich history, overlooks the city’s timeless beauty, providing a unique perspective that has inspired artists through the ages. Here we will delve into part two of the workshop led by artist Ashley Norwood Cooper with a focus on setting, allegory, narrative, and figurative elements.
The unique structure of this immersive workshop provides participants with continuous access to learn from both artists throughout the entire trip, ensuring a seamless integration of insights, techniques, and artistic wisdom from two distinct masters. Join us for this experience of a lifetime in the captivating landscapes of Umbria and Tuscany.
“What sets this trip apart is the caliber of our instructors — both Brown and Norwood Cooper are masters at their craft, represented by esteemed galleries and collected internationally — and you have access to both of them the entire time. The masters-level instruction paired with these outstanding accommodations makes this trip a catalyst for intensive creativity.”
—Laura Zeck, ZINC contemporary
About the Instructors
Gabe Brown
Gabe Brown holds her BFA degree from The Cooper Union in New York City and an MFA degree in Painting from the University of California, Davis.
Brown is a 2018 recipient of New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship in Painting and Sustainable Arts Foundation Award. She has been a Resident Fellow at The Virginia Center for Contemporary Art, The Saltonstall Foundation, Spruce Residency, Anderson Center at Tower View, and Women’s Studio Workshop. Her paintings and works on paper have been exhibited nationally in galleries and museums such as Kenise Barnes Fine Art, Sears-Peyton Gallery, ZINC contemporary, The Chautauqua Institute, Adah Rose Gallery, Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art, Maya Frodeman Gallery, Matteawan Gallery, The Saratoga Arts Center, Garrison Arts Center, John Davis Gallery, ArtsWestchester, Schweinfurth Arts Center, SUNY Brockport, The Horticultural Society of New York, and The Albany International Airport. Her work is included in both public and private collections.
Gabe Brown lives and works on a sustainable farm in the Hudson Valley. She has been an Adjunct Professor in Painting and Drawing at Fordham University, Marist College and SUNY New Paltz where she received three Merit Awards for Professional Achievement.
“This workshop will offer a unique environment for creatives to exchange ideas, gain inspiration from the rich cultural heritage, and refine their craft. This setting will foster deep connections, collaboration, and personal growth, contributing to the vibrancy of the global creative community.”
—Gabe Brown
Ashley Norwood Cooper
Cooper has exhibited in solo and group shows in the US and Europe. Her work has been featured in New American Paintings and on the I Like Your Work Podcast. Her debut at VOLTA NYC 2020 with ZINC contemporary garnered write-ups in the NY Times and Arcade Project (Columbia University). Cooper’s paintings are included in public and private collections in the United States and Europe including the McEvoy Foundation for the Arts (San Francisco) and Greenville County Museum of Art (South Carolina). Cooper’s recent solo exhibition at the Fenimore Museum, SWARM, explored the world through the metaphoric journey of the bee and the unfolding role of the mother, wife, daughter, teacher, and artist. Her next museum exhibition will be at the GCMA in 2025.
Cooper received her undergraduate degree in Classics from the University of Georgia, Athens during the Renaissance that produced R.E.M and the B-52’s and her MFA in painting from Indiana University. She is an Adjunct Professor at SUNY | Oneonta.
“Whether you are an artist or someone seeking more creative energy and inspiration, the act of really looking at art and engaging in the history and process of making can slow your mind much like meditation. You emerge from an in-depth experience like this not only inspired but transformed.”
—Ashley Norwood Cooper
Itinerary
Civita da Bagnoregio
“As an artist I am interested in using landscape to shift the picture plane, creating an intimate yet expansive understanding of place. Nature and those elements existing in its microcosm become metaphors for a strange and at times super reality — a parallel universe, an inner landscape of the human condition, narrative vignettes that are both alluring and mysterious.”
—Gabe Brown
Day 1—Friday, October 18
We start bright and early at 9am for introductions with the artists. We’ll stow our luggage and meet up with our local guide for a journey into St Patrick’s Well and the Chapel of San Brizio inside Orvieto’s Duomo, known for its marvelous frescos. After we’ll enjoy a long lunch Italian style followed by some time to explore on your own. At 5pm we’ll take private transportion to the Villa Monteporzano. After getting settled, we’ll toast the beautiful location with a sunset walk around the property, followed by an apericena dinner together.
Day 2—Saturday, October 19
Breakfast is served at 8am with a view overlooking the green hills of Umbria. At 9am we will begin our first full day of instruction and hands-on play with Gabe Brown. You’ll be reflecting on your experiences and surroundings to investigate abstraction, symbolism, and material experimentation. We’ll break at noon for a catered lunch, short siesta break, and hop back into it for an afternoon session. Following the workshop, you’ll have some time to relax and get ready for aperitivo and dinner on your own in Orvieto.
Day 3—Sunday, October 20
Today is a light workshop day filled with more inspiration. After breakfast at the villa and a 3-hour workshop session, we’ll visit a winery estate with an underground Etruscan-age cellar for a tasting lunch. In the afternoon we’ll explore and sketch in the abandoned medieval village of Celleno, followed by a golden hour visit to Civita di Bagnoregio. Here you will have a chance to explore the dramatic hilltop before we enjoy a group dinner together.
Day 4—Monday, October 21
This morning we’ll have a workshop session, a catered lunch, another afternoon workshop session, and some free time to enjoy the surroundings of the villa before we head out for a sunset drive into the countryside and dinner at a local gem.
Day 5—Tuesday, October 22
Following breakfast and check-out, we depart by private transport to our second destination—the Hotel Torre di Bellosguardo just outside Florence. We’ll arrive midday with time to get settled and explore before heading into town to meet up with Michelangelo’s David and a guided tour of the Accademia Museum. Afterward, you'll have time to climb Brunelleschi’s dome, wander, and fill yourself with inspiration before we gather for a group dinner in the Oltrarno neighborhood of Florence.
“When I completed graduate school, I spent 6 months in Florence. It was during this time that I began to understand how a painting is composed and how meaning is created through shape and color. I am thrilled to be able to share my love of art history and allegory with this group.”
—Ashley Norwood Cooper
Day 6—Wednesday, October 23
We’ll enjoy breakfast at the elegant Torre di Bellosguardo, and begin our first workshop session with Ashley Norwood Cooper who will lead us on an investigation of allegory and narrative utilizing setting and figurative elements. After a catered lunch we will head to the Uffizi Gallery for a thrilling tour of Renaissance masterpieces with our local guide. After soaking up so much of the world’s treasured art and a bit of free time, we’ll gather for a celebratory group dinner.
Day 7 – Thur Oct 24
Today we’re back into a morning workshop session. We’ll have a working lunch and then break to visit the Brancacci Chapel in the afternoon. You’ll have the option of free time with guidance in Florence or a chance to sketch at the Boboli Gardens. This evening is free — you can explore Florence, work on your projects, or drink wine and discuss art.
Day 8 – Fri Oct 25
Fuel up at breakfast for the last full day of workshops! The morning session starts at 9am with a working catered lunch flowing into the afternoon session. This is it! You have pushed yourself, you have been inspired by sights, sounds, and flavors, you’ve seen things from the perspective of your fellow participants, and you’ve been guided by the experience of our incredible instructors. We will gather to celebrate and share with an aperitivo and a delicious final group dinner!
Day 9 – Sat Oct 26
Spend the morning gathering your materials and soaking up more of the Torre di Bellosguardo before departing for home OR our fabulous 3-day excursion to take in the sites and sounds at the Venice Biennale (details to come)!
Itinerary subject to change.
“As humans, we are most fulfilled, grounded, and creative when we are able to use all of our senses to experience this one amazing life. To do so with others is to expand the potential of all humans beyond our wildest dreams.”
–Laura Zeck, ZINC contemporary
What’s Included
Florence
ZINC contemporary’s Laura Zeck and Guided By’s Rainer Metzger will co-direct this workshop.
What’s Included:
Art instruction from two highly acclaimed art instructors
A small group experience of 12-16 people
Access to a full-time tour director & travel consultant
8 nights accommodation, including all breakfasts
6 group dinners, 8 lunches, 1 winetasting
Drinks, wine included, at group meals (within reasonable limits)
All group sightseeing entrance fees and local guides
All local group travel by private vehicle
Driver, hotel, and restaurant group tips
Art supplies in-common
What’s Not Included:
Airfare & airport transportation
Free-time activities and taxis not included with the workshop
Hotel extras and room service
Extra wine at group meals
Individual Art supplies (list provided)
Travel insurance
Conditions:
Itinerary and what’s included details subject to change. Any substitutions will be approximately equal or better in value.
This special art instruction travel experience requires a minimum of 12 bookings by May 1st to be viable.
FAQ
Orvieto
I’m not an artist—Is this travel workshop for artists only?
While the instruction is akin to a master’s level class, you do not have to be an artist to participate. The underlying spirit of this workshop and tour is one of creativity and exploration. We believe that immersing yourself in this type of playful experimentation will have positive effects on all aspects of your life and can enhance whatever passions you pursue. We encourage everyone on the tour to participate. However, for example, if your partner is interested in taking the workshop, but you are more interested in lounging in the beautiful settings and reading a book or exploring on your own (we can provide guidance on this!) you are more than welcome. Because these are very special accommodations most rooms have a bed for two and artists and their partners will find this a very romantic setting.
What are the accommodations like on this tour?
The workshop stays at historic villas on large estates just outside Orvieto and Florence. Both properties have stunning city skyline views from the quiet calm of the countryside. There are ample common spaces to enjoy, gardens to explore, and sprawling olive groves. Rooms in both properties are beautifully restored, charming, comfortable, and inspiring to the creative process. With antique furnishings, most rooms have a double bed for two. Rooms with separate beds are limited.
Will I be rooming with someone I don’t know?
Because our accommodations are exceptionally unique, most rooms will be furnished with a bed for two, therefore suitable for two friends or partners. Pull-out beds can be provided if necessary. Solo travelers can book a private room for themselves by paying the single supplement (the tour base price assumes two travelers per room).
What’s the balance between group time and free time?
This trip is curated to provide maximum inspiration, that said we want to make sure you have time to relax and reflect, as well as soak up the exceptional settings and accommodations. This is an essential aspect of Guided By travel: keep the group time fun, efficient, and rewarding, while providing time for each traveler to explore on their own. We are happy to advise and organize optional free-time activities and excursions as desired.
When should I plan to arrive in Orvieto for the workshop?
As the workshop starts at 9am on Day 1 in Orvieto, we recommend arriving the day before and booking your own accommodations (we will recommend convenient and comfortable hotels). Orvieto is about a 1.5hr train ride from Rome and a 2hr train ride from Florence. Consider arriving even earlier in Italy to adjust to the time change, but this is personal preference.
What will we eat?
So many wonderful things! The food in Italy is always local, traditional, and based on what’s in season. Coming together at that table is a big part of Italian life and good wine is certainly a part of that. We’ll taste local cheeses, traditional meats and wild game, vegetables, beans, the famous unsalted bread, and local pasta dishes—all of course paired with excellent local wines. Group meals are fixed menu feasts, though we are happy to accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies. We have some exceptional meals planned! Breakfasts are provided at our villa accommodations. We will arrange workshop lunches and enjoy group dinners in the best local restaurants.
I'm a solo traveler, can I join the tour?
Yes! Solo travelers can either book a private room for themselves by paying the single supplement (the tour base price assumes two travelers per room) or can share a double room with another compatible participant. There are a limited number of single supplements available on this tour.
Have a question about this workshop?
We reply to inquiries within a day.