Survey Results + Scholarship Fund Reminder

Thank you, thank you, thank you! We're so grateful to all of you who took the time to share your thoughts with us in our recent planning survey (if you missed it, it isn't too late—we'd still love to hear from you). Congratulations to Sharon, who won our giveaway! We appreciate all of your thoughtful feedback and are carefully considering it as we plan ahead for the 2027 season.

Beyond art making, our community is craving restorative time in nature and the inspiration that comes from the exploration of a new place (in this case, beautiful Vermont!). It's also clear that finances are a hurdle for many of you. We can empathize with this predicament as we are well aware that our retreats are a significant investment. That's why we want to take a minute to remind you of our new Marian Nixon Scholarship Fund. This scholarship fund is a tribute to our beautiful friend and supports artists who dream of attending a retreat but need a little help getting here. Please do apply for a scholarship if finances are getting in the way of you joining us for a retreat. All inquiries are handled with care and complete privacy. On the other end, if you'd like to make a contribution, 100% of your gift will be used exclusively to support student tuition and educational expenses. Learn more here.

Thanks again for your time and willingness to share. You all truly make The Smiley what it is! Stay tuned as we'll be announcing our 2027 lineup of incredible artist-led retreats in the coming months. We are SO EXCITED and can't wait to tell you all about it!

Talk soon,

Jennifer