What if we gave ourselves the space and time to truly create something?
When
May 2024
Where
Sosta House, Oregon
Themes
Creation, Vulnerability, Community
When we found out our friends Nico & Mia Ponzi-Hamacher were opening a creative bed & breakfast on a vineyard outside of Portland, we knew instantly we’d have to host a retreat there. The property is only 45 minutes from PDX, but feels like stepping into another world, one where Mia is whipping up ingenious delights in the kitchen, and Nico and pup are roaming the grounds gardening and keeping the sheep in check.
We decided the sprawling green fields and craftsman feel of Sosta would be a perfect place to host a retreat format we’d been wanting to try: The Incubator.
The idea was simple - bring together artists of all mediums who are craving space to create something. We’d support them in whatever way we could: through supplies, workshops, skill lessons, advice, and community. At the end, we’d all walk away with a finished (or semi-finished) project we were proud of.
The results were unexpected, complex, and beautiful. Creating something start to finish is a vulnerable process, and over the course of 4 days our group of 8 transformed from a retreat into a support-group, skill-share, and belly-laughter cohort of friends.
The projects that came out of the Incubator are as diverse as the people who joined. To summarize, briefly, we had:
A giant tapestry, woven 24/7 under the branches of the oak tree
A video music project that explored Idea Camp and creative block
A book (yes, book) about Moments and what it means to notice
A wooden installation of painted hills and flowers and butterflies
A collaged zine about childhood, memories, and family
A stitched photography portraiture collection
And more.
What we realized from the Incubator, is that it feels incredibly good to share not only what you make, but the process of making, with others. We’re so grateful to those who came for showing us their work & minds.