DeKoven Center’s Sketchy Friends Retreat is a wintertime sketch event, offering you a cozy place to be with your sketch friends for a 3-night stay, 3 classes and several fun and unique sketch opportunities!  Your instructors will be Marcia Schrotenboer - Collage Reportage Sketching, Jo Thul – Book Binding Travel Sketch Books, and Denise Zingg – Watercolor Mandalas.  We will be learning new techniques and visiting local iconic restaurants to practice … including the famous Well’s Bros Pizzeria, Eave Rooftop Bar, and Red Onion Cafe.

Beautiful and historic Taylor Hall, provides class space, lodging and dining facilities, ample parking, elevator access and complimentary WiFi. We are located on the shores of Lake Michigan in the Southside Historic District of Racine, WI.   

Our guest rooms offer unique charm with a comfortable and restful atmosphere. Shared bathrooms offer privacy stalls. Our meals will be shared in our beautiful dining room. We will develop a meal plan to accommodate food allergies and special diets including vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free options.

The deadline to register is Friday, January 2, 2026.

Prices

  • Early Bird (Before October 1st, 2025)- $375

  • Regular (After October 1st, 2025)- $390

  • Commuter - $195

Register Now

After submitting your registration form, please call (262) 633-6401 ext. 104 to make your payment. Your registration is not confirmed until payment is received.

 

The Artists & Workshops

Marcia Schrotenboer

Collage Reportage Sketching

Bio coming soon…

Jo Thul

Book Binding Travel Sketch Books

I seem to have been doing some kind of artwork for most of my life in one for or another.
I call myself the “essential eclectic artist”. It’s because it includes a little bit of everything I like to do. Where does it say you have to stick with the same thing, the same media, over and over? Life is too short to be put in that kind of box! Most of what I exhibit are oil, acrylic, watercolor and encaustic paintings as well as ceramics, mixed media and altered art. I have recently picked up urban sketching and book arts of all kinds. I enjoy sharing my knowledge teaching adult classes in book making and art journaling.

Denise Zingg

Watercolor Mandalas

Bio coming soon…