Your instructor, Chris Toy, is the author of 6 popular cookbooks, a private chef, and has taught Asian fusion cooking for several Maine community education programs. Cooking students will learn how to prepare a variety of recipes from Asia, Europe, and the Americas, incorporating traditional and local ingredients. Each meal will actively engage cooks with the tools, techniques, and stories behind the dishes being created. $595 includes a workshop fee, all meals, and special activities to extend your learning from the day’s workshops. 

Recent Acadian Arts Retreats participants commented: “I learned so much from Chris that I can use immediately at home in my own kitchen.”  “Great kitchen hints!”.

Step back to a time when President Franklin Roosevelt, Eleanor, and their family escaped to their "beautiful little island" in the Canadian Maritimes. We will be exclusive guests of the international park, staying in historic Victorian cottages. Workshop participants will explore and paint the same coastal scenery enjoyed by the summer residents at the turn of the 20th century. Register for the retreat, and then call Sherry Mitchell at 506-752-2922 to make room reservations. Acadian Arts Retreats participants will have exclusive overnight accommodations in the park. 

Your instructor, Mary Laury is an accomplished watercolorist and highly esteemed teacher. She encourages all her students to believe they can be successful. Painting is an exciting medium; it flows and moves and does beautiful things. If you have never painted in watercolors, we will start at the beginning. If you have painted before, you will pick up some new tips and tricks as well. We all learn together! Step back to a time when President Franklin Roosevelt, Eleanor, and their family escaped to their “beautiful little island” in the Canadian Maritimes, Campobello Island. We will be exclusive guests of the international park, staying in historic Victorian cottages. Workshop participants will explore and paint the same coastal scenery enjoyed by the summer residents at the turn of the 20th century. All meals are included in the workshop fee as well as specially planned optional evening activities designed to extend your learning from the day’s workshops. Register for the retreat then call Sherry Mitchell at 506-752-2922 to make room reservations. Acadian Arts Retreats participants will have exclusive overnight accommodations in the park. Feedback from recent Acadian Arts Retreats participants: “Mary is a wonderful guide and a gifted teacher.” “Very helpful watercolor instruction."

Acadian Arts Retreat Watercolor Painting at Roosevelt Campobello International Park, New Brunswick, Canada with Mary Laury

October 10 - 13, 2025

Your instructor, Mary Laury is an accomplished watercolorist and highly esteemed teacher. She encourages all her students to believe they can be successful. Painting is an exciting medium; it flows and moves and does beautiful things. If you have never painted in watercolors, we will start at the beginning. If you have painted before, you will pick up some new tips and tricks as well. We all learn together!

Step back to a time when President Franklin Roosevelt, Eleanor, and their family escaped to their “beautiful little island” in the Canadian Maritimes, Campobello Island. We will be exclusive guests of the international park, staying in historic Victorian cottages. Workshop participants will explore and paint the same coastal scenery enjoyed by the summer residents at the turn of the 20th century. All meals are included in the workshop fee as well as specially planned optional evening activities designed to extend your learning from the day’s workshops. Register for the retreat then call Sherry Mitchell at 506-752-2922 to make room reservations. Acadian Arts Retreats participants will have exclusive overnight accommodations in the park. June 20-23, 2025.

Feedback from recent Acadian Arts Retreats participants: 

“Mary is a wonderful guide and a gifted teacher.”  “Very helpful watercolor instruction."

Are you interested in acting or looking to strengthen your public speaking skills? Join NACE instructor and theatre actor Gregory Athans, in this 6-week workshop where you will have the opportunity to explore and express your creative talents. This course is designed for beginners who are interested in the craft of acting, but also beneficial to participants who have never attempted acting or done plays. The process will be informative, enriching and most importantly: fun.

Together we will embrace and cultivate the creative exploration of theatre where everyone can refine their talent and learn skills and techniques to reach their individual potential. Using the words of the playwright; along with instinct, motivation, emotion and other performance skills, participants will, through their own authenticity, develop a character and gain the confidence to be a great performer.

Each week, you’ll be paired with a partner and assigned a scene from a script. Beginning with cold readings and analysis, the scenes will be rehearsed and workshopped, culminating in a casual performance for your classmates at the following week’s class where the process will then begin again with a new partner and scene.

No prior experience is necessary-just a willingness to explore, take risks, and most importantly have FUN.

NACE is offering a special discount for high school students ages 15 - 17 who are interested in participating! Parents must sign a permission slip in order for students to participate in the class.

In this class, you will make a Halloween waterfall card, a harvest box card and a Thanksgiving easel card.  All materials and instructions will be provided.

INSTRUCTOR: FAITH GARNETT has been teaching card making for more than 10 years and sells her cards on line and at craft fairs

Gel Plate Printing is a dynamic and fun way to express yourself through creating monoprints on a soft, pliable gel plate.  Each one-of-a-kind print is as individual as the person creating it and requires no prior art skills to do. In class you will learn what gel plate printing is, how to do it using several different techniques, and be provided with the materials needed to create a variety of prints. 

This class is so much fun & expected to fill up fast so sign up early!

Minimum: 4   |   Maximum: 8

In just a few hours, you can learn enough secrets of the trade to give you years of musical enjoyment. Learn to play piano the way professionals do-using chords. Since this class is being held online with ZOOM, you will be able to sit at your piano or keyboard at home and take this course with no pressure at all. And since this course includes an online book and online follow up video lessons, you will be able to continue your practice and study on your own. An optional periodic online question and answer session is also included. A recording of the class is included as well. The course is partly lecture/demonstration and partly hands on instruction.

Topics include:
• How chords work in a song
• How to get more out of sheet music by reading less of it
• How to form the three main types of chords
• How to handle different keys and time signatures
• How to avoid “counting”
• How to simplify over 12,000 complex chords

Have you ever wanted to learn the guitar but simply find it difficult to find the time? In just a few hours you can learn enough about playing the guitar to give you yearsof musical enjoyment, and you won’t have to take private lessons to do it. This crashcourse will teach you some basic chords and get you playing along with your favoritesongs right away. Since this class is being held online with ZOOM, you will be able tosit at home with your guitar and take this class without any pressure at all. And sincethe class includes an online book and online follow-up video lessons, you will be ableto continue your practice and study on your own. An optional periodic online questionand answer session is also included. A recording of the class is included as well. Class limited to 15 students. For ages 13+.

Topics include:
• How chords work in a song
• How to form the three main types of chords
• How to tune your guitar
• Basic strumming patterns
• How to buy a good guitar (things to avoid)
• How to play along with simple tunes