Additional Wiawaka Workshops 2026
Join Jill Greenbaum to discover the power of ephemeral earth art—a multi-sensory, deeply engaging creative practice that invites you to slow down, connect, and explore what lies within. In this immersive workshop, you’ll step into a nurturing space where nature becomes both partner and guide, helping you reflect on your inner landscape with ease and intention.
Through a blend of centering practices, gentle inquiry, gathering, creating, and sharing, you’ll experience a meaningful process designed to support insight and emotional expression. Together, we will explore what is in our hearts or on our minds—a change, transition, loss, or grief. You will transform that exploration into a personal, impermanent memorial or remembrance altar.
In this workshop, you will: Reflect on where you are in your journey,
Learn a seven-step process for creating nature-based, impermanent art, choose an intention or prompt to guide your creative experience, gather natural materials outdoors, build a unique memorial or altar, engage in thoughtful reflection—both individually, through writing or drawing, and within the group (as desired)
Participants will be invited into an online collaborative space where they can share photos of their work and engage with one another.
After the workshop, Jill welcomes continued connection. Participants are encouraged to share their creations, reach out with questions, and explore more about her work. Jill can be contacted at jill@jillgreenbaum.com, found on LinkedIn, and followed on social media at @jillig. Learn more at JillGreenbaum.com.
Experience the Alchemy of Nature, Ritual, and Creativity
July 15th, 2026
1:00pm-4:00pm
Instructor: Jill Greenbaum
Cost of the workshop is $30
Finding That Still Voice Inside
July 21st, 2026
9:00am-12:00pm
Instructor: Janet Dunn
We get busy and find a million distractions to take us away from a peaceful life. It sounds simple to change those patterns however notice in your own life you have send “No” I don’t want to live like this and there you are right back at it. Scattered, exhausted, confused and not in a peaceful state. This class is about ways and means of finding peace and adoring the simple things in your world. Through several practices like movement, creativity, meditation, writing, prayer, and listening to each other we will find the ways. We will find the ways and how to stick with them on our journey towards a more peaceful way of being in this fast world.
Rev. Janet Dunn is an interfaith ordained minister, certified life coach, meditation and yoga teacher, writer, and truth seeker. She practices art, walks in the woods, and finds ways to express her prayers through various art forms. She is also an aspiring herbalist. She keeps exploring life and finds the joy in learning new ways to be in life.
Cost of the workshop is $40
Drum Class
July 28th, 2026
1:30pm-3:30pm
Instructors: Olympia Avignone and John Ward
Drum Circle 7:00pm-9:00pm
Drum Class: Have fun learning hand drum technique and West African Rhythms. No prior experience necessary, all skill levels welcome from beginner to advanced, drums provided if needed. Learn West African rhythms and how to participate in drum circles. The rhythms that we cover will have parts for everyone, regardless of skill level: simpler components for anyone new to the drum, up to more complicated facets of the music, such as rhythmic phrases specific to the dances that go with a particular rhythm.
Drum Circle: Engage in a centuries old tradition that brings us together in a joyful exploration of rhythm . John and Olympia will facilitate the rhythms in the circle, playing those learned in the workshop or creating new ones on the spot as we co-create the musical experience. Join us in this rhythmic exploration and entrainment with all participants. Dancing is welcome and encouraged! Drums and percussion provided if needed.
In 1991, John Ward’s life changed forever, through his introduction to the drum, and the world of rhythm. He sought out master drummers and teachers from West Africa to study with, and in time, playing drums went from a hobby to a profession. In the thirty+ years that have followed, he has taught classes for beginning and advanced students, plays for dance classes, facilitates drum circles, plays at private and corporate affairs, and has recorded percussion tracks for many artists. He has performed with Babatunji Olatunji’s Drums of Passion, worked with Kemoko Sano, choreographer of the National Ballet of Guinee’ West Africa, done workshops with artists from the Paul Taylor dance company, David Parsons, Alvin Ailey, Jose’ Limon, and many others.
Olympia Ward has played drums for 30+ years, studying and performing in the following traditions: West and North African, Middle Eastern, Caribbean, Native American and Southern Italian and currently facilitates drum circles in the Catskill mountains and plays percussion in a duo.
Cost of the workshop is $55, this includes the use of a drum.
Spaces are limited. You do not have to attend the drum circle if you would just like to participate in the class.
Beginner Cookie Decorating
August 3rd, 2026
3:00pm-4:45pm
Instructor: Cindy Burek
Thank you for your interest in learning the use of royal icing to decorate cookies. If you’ve never worked with royal icing, or have dabbled just a little, this class will help get the ball rolling. We will work step by step on decorating 4 cookies to learn hands on the various decorating techniques used with royal icing, specifically piping/outlining, flooding and wet on wet techniques. A projector screen will be used so that each participant has a good view. Bakery boxes will be provided to transport your cookies home. All supplies for class are provided (perhaps bring your eye glasses if you find they will be helpful). Prior to your class you will receive an informational email containing a sugar cookie recipe, royal icing recipe, cookie baking basics, tips and tricks of the trade, as well as places online to check out for additional tutorials, instructional blogs, additional recipes, and vendors/suppliers for products. Plus discount codes to some favorite vendors! My hope is you will leave with loads of inspiration and further enjoy the art of cookie decorating!
Cindy Burek is the owner of Buttercup Cookie, an online cookie business started in 2011 in North Greenbush, NY. With an art background, first as a graphic designer and later as a floral designer, Cindy now uses cookies as her canvas to create beautiful works of art. She began teaching cookie decorating class in 2014 and currently holds a majority of her classes at five community colleges in the greater Capital Region, as well as many other locations. Although she doesn’t accept custom cookie requests anymore she stays current with the latest designs and supplies used in the field. She still gets to make cookies for the “stars” at the MVP Arena in Albany, having made cookies for Paul McCartney, Fleetwood Mac, Bruce Springsteen, Ariana Grande, Blake Shelton and Jelly Roll. Although, her passion is to teach people the art of cookie decorating, and for many of them they fall in love with it. So much so that a few have even gone on to start their own cookie businesses!
Cost of the workshop is $60
Fabulous Fungi Class
August 18th, 2026
3:30pm-5:00pm
Instructor: Diane Collins
Cost of the workshop is $20
The mushroom we eat is just the tip of the iceberg. There is so much more to be discovered. In this class we will learn about the amazing underground wood-wide web of fungi and why they matter in forest ecosystems; how the mushroom is the “fruit” and how mycelium is the main body of a fungus and a vast network that connects trees, shares nutrients, and supports forest health. We will go for a slow-paced walk in the nearby woods to find local mushrooms, and search under decaying logs to see delicate white mycelial threads. We will bring several fabulous edible Northeast mushrooms often sold in our farmers’ markets to show you, and then close the program reminiscing about fairy rings, witches, toadstools, and fungi folklore.
Introduction to The Enneagram
August 18th, 2026
3:30pm-5:00pm
Instructor: Dawn Campano Baker
Cost of the workshop is $20
The Enneagram is a map of human personality designed to help us become more self-aware and enrich our relationships with one another. It is a psycho-spiritual tool for self-reflection and personal growth. Each personality type has its own core motivations, fears and behavioral patterns. As we learn more about our core personality and the personalities of the people in our lives, we can develop more compassion for ourselves and those around us. We can discover new freedom as we interact with others and move through our days. Join us for this introductory workshop on The Enneagram, where you will have the opportunity to explore more deeply your own personality, motivations and habits. You might even begin a rewarding new part of your journey, enhancing your life with the wisdom that comes from The Enneagram.
Dawn Campano Baker is a certified Spiritual Director dedicated to helping individuals and groups deepen their spiritual lives. Trained in Spiritual Companionship through The Haden Institute, Dawn creates safe and sacred spaces for reflection, growth, and connection. A long-time Enneagram practitioner, Dawn holds an Applied Professional Certification from The Enneagram Institute of Ohio. She integrates this powerful tool into her work, guiding people toward greater self-awareness and authentic relationships. Dawn also facilitates SoulCollage®, a creative process that uses imagery and imagination to explore inner wisdom. Through contemplative practices and creative expression, she invites others to discover pathways to wholeness and spiritual renewal. Learn more at SoulJourneysWithDawn.com.
The intention of this class is to start to bring more awareness to the life we live, more compassion, more forgiveness, and more gratitude for the life we have. It is an invitation to bring more understanding to how we want to live the rest of our life. Through the use of various tools we will learn about embracing who we are in this moment and loving our life.
This class will be based on One Year to Live, the book written by Steven Levine, The Five Remembrances traditional statements of foundational Buddhist thought. We will have discussions, readings, meditation, nature, and journaling to help us find acceptance and understanding through our walk with life.
Rev. Janet Dunn is an ordained inter spiritual interfaith minister through One Spirit in New York. I have been studying this work for several years and recently taken a year to study this topic with Spirit Rock in California. I am life cycle celebrant/officiant, certified life coach and yoga/meditation teacher.
What if you had ONE Year to Live?
August 26th, 2026
1:00pm-4:00pm
Instructor: Janet Dunn
Cost of the workshop is $40
Grief and The Magic of Healing With Love
August 29th 10:00am-12:00pm, 2026
Instructor: Mary Alice Stuart
Many of us are experiencing the intensity of Grief at this time. We grieve about many things. The death of a family member, partner or friend can have a lasting effect on us. There's also lost love, financial crisis and health. When you transform the way you experience these life events you get to take back your power, what was, and move toward renewal, self love and self care--which will bring you back to a place of peace and true joy. This two hour workshop, we'll us meditation & sharing to: Learn how to connect to your loved ones. Learn Creative ways to honor and remember them Release yourself from the bondage of life's challenges. Receive spontaneous messages from your loved ones. Create joy from sadness and anger. Join us if you are ready to receive the blessings of connection and to honor yourself and your process. This heartwarming program will help you heal the loss of a loved one or a life event, and help you move forward with was and grace.
Mary Alice is an Empathic Medium, Clairvoyant, Healer, Meditation Teacher and Visionary. These skills have been applied to her work in Business, Government, Politics and the private sector. With her extraordinary range of powers, Mary Alice focuses to profoundly influence the lives, hopes and dreams of her clients. Her striking presence, gentle wisdom and sweet demeanor fail to hide an incisive intelligence, a penetrating intuition, and a unique ability to redefine perceived barriers, to resolve emotional roadblocks and to remove spiritual obstacles. Her knowledge and attributes are diverse and the life changing transformation she brings to each client is impossible to ignore.
Cost of the workshop is $50
The Witches Dance
August 31st, 2026
4:00pm
There is no fee for this presentation! Please sign up by calling the front desk at Wiawaka (518)-668-9690.
Our mission is to bring Peace, Love, and Healing to the places we take our dance. Our vibe is “Outside and Free” for most places we go.