Artists and art-lovers alike are invited to The Tree of Life, an arts retreat hosted at Nashotah House from June 15-19, 2026. As we consider the central image of the tree in biblical tradition and art history, participants will connect art-making, theology, and prayer to daily life.
Over the course of the week, we will gather in prayer, shared meals, and the joy of artistic collaboration as we participate in discussion groups, studio demonstrations and instruction, and, most significantly, making art together.
Drawing on philosopher Hans Georg Gadamer’s inspirational essay “The Relevance of the Beautiful” on the tripartite nature of Beauty – play, symbol, and festival – retreat participants and instructors will collaborate in serious play to produce meaningful and beautiful symbols, designs, objects, and images, culminating in a festive final group installation piece.
Participants may choose one of two tracks:
Bruce lives with his wife Meg, extended family, and assorted friendly beasts in Gloucester, Massachusetts, where he has his art studio. His paintings, prints, and drawings have been exhibited nationally in most major cities, including New York, Boston, and Los Angeles, and internationally in Italy, England, Japan, Hong Kong, Canada, and Israel. Herman’s art is found in many public and private art collections including the Vatican Museum of Modern Religious Art in Rome; The Cincinnati Museum of Fine Arts and the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles as well as in many college and university collections.
Bruce’s written work is published in many books and journal articles, and his most recent book Makers by Nature was released by IVP Academic Press in 2025. His writing and paintings are featured in other major volumes including A Broken Beauty (Eerdmans, 2006), Magnificat (2006), QU4RTETS (2013), Through Your Eyes (monograph on Herman with Eerdmans, 2013), and in several art surveys like 100 Boston Painters (Shiffer); Religion and Contemporary Art (Routledge); and Art & Soul (Piquant UK). He has been artist-in-residence at several institutions, including Duke Divinity School where he completed a major commission for the school. He has led numerous retreats and workshops and has spoken at many national venues. He taught studio art and curated exhibitions at Gordon College in Wenham, Massachusetts for nearly forty years, where he held the college’s first endowed faculty appointment. Bruce completed both BFA and MFA degrees at Boston University College of Fine Arts under American artists Philip Guston, James Weeks, David Aronson, Reed Kay, and Arthur Polonsky.
Having invested 30 years in campus ministry with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and then 10 years leading CIVA | Christians in the Visual Arts, Cameron Anderson now serves as the Associate Director of the Stephen & Laurel Brown Foundation in Madison, Wisconsin. In that role, his deep love for the academy melds with his long experience in campus ministry and the arts. As a writer and visual artist, Cam’s passion burns most brightly for the arts.
In 2021, Cam and co-editor Walter Hansen published God in the Modern Wing: Viewing Art Through the Eyes of Faith, a volume in IVP Academic’s prestigious Studies in Theology and the Arts (STA) series. Cam’s earlier book, The Faithful Artist: A Vision for Evangelicalism and the Arts is another contribution to that same series. Stay tuned for his next writing project, tentatively titled Sentries, Stars, and Towers, and read his monthly blog posts at liminalmaker.com.
Cam holds a B.F.A. in Painting and Drawing from the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire and an M.F.A. in Painting and Drawing from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. He has also completed postgraduate coursework in Art History and Aesthetics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He and his wife, Cynthia (C.K.), have two adult children and two grandchildren and have resided in Madison since 1986. Cam also serves the Stephen & Laurel Brown Foundation as a Distinguished Fellow at the Lumen Center.
MORE ABOUT CAMERON
Registration includes the cost of breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday, along with dinner on Thursday and Friday.
Participants of all skill levels are welcome. We are looking for people who desire to grow in their relationship with God, who want to learn more about the relationship between their Christian walk and art-making, and who desire to lean into Christian community as the body of Christ.
In the weeks leading up to the retreat, participants will be asked to keep a journal of sketches and ideas related to the retreat’s theme of the tree of life. Participants should purchase a journal at the link below in 8x11" size.
These can be purchased directly through Leda or through Amazon. We recommend a larger size for freedom of different media and multiple entries on a page. Participants can use a variety of media in their journals (i.e. ink, pencil, charcoal, collage, watercolor, etc.).
Purchase JournalLodging on campus is limited during the summer and offered on a “first come, first served” basis. Please complete the form at the link below to request on-campus accommodations.
Request on-campus lodging See our local hotel partnersDelicious, freshly prepared food will be offered buffet-style for breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday. Our chef will make every effort to accommodate food allergies and sensitivities.
In addition, dinner will be served in the Refectory on Thursday and Friday evening. Retreat participants are encouraged to explore local dining options for dinner on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.
The closest airport is General Mitchell International (MKE), and the travel time to and from the Milwaukee airport to Nashotah House is 45 minutes. We recommend either renting a car or coordinating a ride from the airport with other retreat participants. You may also utilize Uber or Lyft for transportation to and from campus (please note that fees normally range from $50-70 one-way). A rental car may cost about the same or less than roundtrip transportation service fees and can be handy due to the rural location of the campus.
Retreat participants are welcome to explore our campus, the surrounding woods, and our private beach on Upper Nashotah Lake, which is available for swimming, boating, and fishing.
Contact Catherine Wheatley at cwheatley@nashotah.edu with questions about the retreat.
Contact Jana Smith at execadmin@nashotah.edu with questions about on-campus accommodations.
