About Art & Soul Retreats

For over a decade, Art & Soul has been host to inspirational mixed media retreats for thousands of creative souls. A place to discover unconventional art techniques, Art & Soul is much more than a retreat — it’s an experience! Getting together with like-minded people sparks friendships that last a lifetime. The knowledge and camaraderie you’ll walk away with is simply priceless.

Beginning in 1999 as smaller, more intimate weekend events on the Oregon coast, Art & Soul has grown into annual events in multiple locations throughout the United States. Our now week-long retreats have been going strong year-after-year, with many people attending all the events around the country!

Glenny Moir – Event Owner & Producer

The mastermind behind Art & Soul’s dynamic retreats, Glenny Moir is no stranger to event planning. More than 20 years of weddings, anniversaries, bar and bat mitzvah’s, themed parties and festivals kept her busy, busy, busy. During that time, Glenny sought an outlet for her artistic endeavors and discovered a few small venues for creative learning. When she realized that she could take her passion for creativity and education, and create a large-scale venue for mixed media… Art & Soul Retreats was born!

Glenny has a knack for selecting the most popular instructors as well as discovering up-and-coming artists and art trends that attendees find interesting. In fact, many of the top mixed media artists of today got their start with Art & Soul Retreats. Besides the delight in running such an event, Glenny loves to watch the attendees push beyond their comfort zone and create something magnificent. The smiles on their faces as they walk from their workshops — projects held high — is all Glenny needs to reassure her that she’s on the right path. Her commitment to excellence has made Art & Soul the premier mixed media retreat in the country.

Glenny lives in Boring, Oregon (no, it’s not boring) with her furry, four-legged friends and just a few closets full of art supplies.

Michelle Banton

Michelle has been teaching over 20 years in the US, Canada, and Ireland. She’s generally taught non-traditional quilting designs and techniques, but is expanding the scope of her teaching to include other mixed media. Michelle’s style is relaxed, encouraging and hopefully a bit entertaining.

Michelle has worked with quilting shows & organization and is great asset for us!

Michelle Bernard

Michelle was already a longtime attendee of Art & Soul when we asked her to design the 2009 Rock & Roll themed logo. I liked the design so much, I brought her on as our permanent Graphic Designer. Michelle’s unique perspective and approach to advertising and promotion have helped to keep our attendees excited, informed and engaged. As the former Art Director of Ranger Crafts, she brought with her a background in the craft industry, and even co-taught a few of our opening night classes in Virginia.

She loves to say that her years of attending workshops at Art & Soul helped her discover her own style of mixed media collage, assemblage, jewelry, sculpture and dolls. Having started out selling her creations online and at craft shows, Michelle is now focusing on painting and shows her work in galleries and retail establishments.

Michelle currently lives and makes art in the quaint Victorian seashore town of Ocean Grove, New Jersey in a 100-year-old home, full to the rafters with art supplies and flea market finds.