MISSA International Summer School of the Arts

The MISSA International Summer School of the Arts has been providing high caliber workshops in a wide range of artistic mediums for artists, teachers and adult students since 1984. MISSA has a reputation for attracting local, national and international instructors who engage with students in an intense multi-disciplinary environment. MISSA welcomes students from around the world to participate in an artistic immersion for two weeks every summer. 

This is the perfect place to plan for your artistic retreat!  Workshops are in 2, 5 or 7-day formats and classes run from 9-4 each day. Tuition rates include lunch and daily snacks and material fees are separate for each course. There is a 9-day Mentored Residency, which is the perfect opportunity to immerse yourself in your own work, working in the medium of your choice, under the guidance of a Mentor.

The college campus is nestled on 75 acres of west coast forest and the low-slung buildings blend into their environment.  Winding foot paths connect the buildings: dining hall, academic building, residences, library, swimming pool and a floating building down on the docks. The entire campus is transformed into an adult art camp with classrooms transformed into art spaces and students breaking to share lunch and snacks together. The accommodation is a dormitory setting with two floors and 10 rooms per house, 4 beds per room and a day room. Accommodation rates also include breakfast and dinner. Staying on campus is a way to immerse yourself in this creative experience and it can be like a real getaway without household chores and family obligations!

The MISSA Summer Program always offers a variety of creative workshops. There have been workshops offered in acrylic painting and hand-building, rigid heddle weaving and life drawing, throwing porcelain and crystalline glazes, form-folded jewelry making, natural fabric dyeing and needle felting, expressive inks and pencil studies, mixed media with liquid inks, cheesecloth imagery, relief printmaking, the dance of the brush and more! There have been offerings in abstract florals, watercolour landscapes, animal sculptures, sculpting the head and painting on animal skulls!  Offering learning experiences for the body, mind and soul, MISSA offers a little something for everyone. Which one would you choose?

With the beautiful natural environment, the quality and inspiration from the instructors, the over-flowing talent of the participants, the good food shared together, the immersion of a tucked away destination, you will know for yourself why we call it “MISSA Magic”. We look forward to seeing you soon!

MISSA Summer Program: July 2-15, 2022.