Bad Art Club
A river and small waterfall running through the forested farmland.

The Art of Being Human

Artfully Alive

10 magical days in the heart of Brazil

December 2-10, 2026

Fazenda Vinhatico · 2 hours west of Rio de Janeiro

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A person walking a grass path into the forest, between tall corn.

A return to innocence

Artfully Alive is about uncovering the artist that lives inside each of us, the one that is endlessly and effortlessly creative. We gather for eight days on 300+ acres of lush, private land in the hills west of Rio to remember who we really are: artists. We slow down, become quiet, move at the pace of presence and listen to the subtle voice inside, the one that's both curious and alive.

This is a retreat designed to return us to innocence, to the part of you that made things before you learned to call them good or bad. We gather, explore, build, sculpt, share, celebrate and play. We sit by the fire and let ourselves be beginners again.

This retreat is intentional in every detail, and completely without pretense. Permission and ceremony are deeply embedded into the fabric of what we offer. Come exactly as you are.

Guiding pillars

  • Community.
  • Nature.
  • Presence.
  • Art.
  • Play.
  • Embodiment.
  • Resonance.

Explore polarities and carve more space to hold nuance.

Experiment with chaos and order, mess and structure, expression and introspection, depth and lightness.

Move from individual exploration, to small group collaborations, to full-on community activation.

An open hand holding a collection of small river stones over the water.

“Illuminate what's always been there and deepen into that.”

The land

Fazenda Vinhatico

Fazenda Vinhatico sits in Bananal, at the foot of the Serra da Bocaina, inside one of the largest and best-preserved remnants of Brazil's Atlantic Forest, surrounded by lush forest, waterfalls, rivers, and an extraordinary diversity of wildlife.

Inherited from Fabi's grandparents and built on the site of an indigenous Puri cemetery, the land takes its name from an old vinhatico tree whose remains still stand. Permission and ceremony are embedded in its history.

It's a working dairy farm, home to cows, wild and tame horses, and sweet dogs. We're honored to seed the first long-format retreat on this powerful land together.

  • The creek winding through the open farmland.

    A creek

    About a 2.5 km walk from the house, for nature walks and quiet reflection.

  • Rolling green hills and palms seen across the farm.

    A mountain top with a view

    Long views across the hills, a favorite spot for ceremony and quiet.

  • A wooden treehouse cabin with string lights.

    A tree house

    A wooden treehouse to climb up into.

  • A swimming pool ringed by palms in golden light.

    Two pools

    To cool off in during the warm December days.

  • A towering tree on a forest trail through the preserved Atlantic Forest.

    Preserved Atlantic Forest

    Open natural areas for meditation, wandering, and activities.

  • The tiled steam room with a window onto the trees.

    A steam room

    For slow, restorative evenings.

The land speaks for itself

A tall waterfall tumbling through the forest.A buff-necked ibis foraging in the grass.A dairy cow grazing on the farm's open hilltop beneath the mountains.Two dogs watching the sun set over the rolling valley.

The structure

Days are book-ended with morning and nightly rituals. Each day explores a theme and offers a guided transformational experience, with plenty of space and time for relaxing, connecting, and integrating.

The house's long covered veranda looking out over the green valley.
The large open hall inside the house, used for group programming.

  1. Morning ritual

    Alive, centering, inspiring, invigorating, dropped in.

    Meditation and embodiment practice as a group, the introduction of the day's theme, wandering, sharing, and council with individual prompts.

  2. The open day

    Spacious, unhurried, yours.

    A guided transformational experience around the day's theme, with plenty of space and time for relaxing, connecting, and integrating.

  3. Nightly ritual

    Ceremonial, witchy, experimental, integrative.

    Fire, voice activation, and resonance as we close the day together.

The facilitators

A small team holding the week with experience, warmth, and a light touch.

    Fabiana Souza

    Movement teacher · wisdom of the elements

    This is her family's land.

    Fabiana is a Physical Educator and holds a Master's degree in Psychomotricity. For nearly two decades, she has been exploring and sharing movement as a pathway to greater awareness, expression, and connection with the body.

    Her path has been shaped by years of study Ido Portal Movement Philosophy, Tai Chi, martial arts, strength training and Vipassana meditation. Through the integration of play, balance, organic strength, and mindful movement, she creates spaces where people can explore, learn, and reconnect with themselves.

    Born and raised in Brazil, Fabiana returns to this land with a deep appreciation for the wisdom found in nature. Rooted in the belief that attention is one of the purest forms of love, she invites participants to slow down, listen, and rediscover what it means to feel fully alive.

    Taylor Ana Valdez

    Career oil painter · ceremonialist

    Taylor Ana Valdez is a career oil painter, nature-based initiation & retreat guide and artistic mentor. Raised between Texas, Spain and the Bahamas, Taylor's biggest inspiration is her love for the beauty of the world and its people. Her early career as a photographer and videographer opened doors to leading retreats internationally and working with indigenous communities in the US, Mexico, Colombia and Brazil. Amidst her dedication to painting, Taylor acts as an educational bridge between modern society and traditional cultures as a way to weave earth-based practices into the collective.

    Merging classical techniques with a deep symbolic and abstract language, Taylor's work depicts womanhood, divinity, and archetypal symbolism to reflect the mythic dimensions of the human experience. Her work has seen two solo exhibitions and various group shows throughout the US. Taylor is committed to the expansion of human consciousness through art, culture and imagination.

    Julianne Costa

    Founder of Bad Art Club · trauma-informed facilitator

    Jules is the founder of Bad Art Club, a transformational facilitator, and a tender of the creative fire in all of us. A certified addiction recovery coach with over 500 hours of trauma-informed training, she's also an ex-Senior Software Engineer turned Bad Art Teacher.

    Jules believes authenticity is the key to connection. Her calm, playful presence is warm and infectious, and that spirit is the heart of Bad Art Club.

    Jules spent six years traveling the world on a journey of self-discovery, pursuing adventure and honing the art of holding space for transformation. Through Bad Art Club, she acts as a bridge between the functional and imaginal realms, supporting people from all walks of life to break free of conditioning and awaken to their creativity.

    She believes that making bad art is a vital pathway to personal and collective liberation, and her work centers play, creativity, and art as tools for remembering who we are.

Sunset over the farmhouse and meadow, mountains behind.

The table

Food here is part of the medicine. A local, private chef cooks with love for us all week, building meals around what the land and the region offer.

We eat predominantly locally sourced foods with dairy fresh from the farm. Shared meals are one of the centerpieces of the week.

Every dietary need is accommodated. Let us know what you eat and what you don't, and the chef will take care of you.

  • Fresh pizzas lined up by the wood-fired brick oven.
  • A plated meal of rice, beans, and garden salad by the wood stove.
  • Greens and vegetables grilled over the fire.

Where we share food

The farm has three fully equipped kitchens, including a wood-fired brick oven for pizza nights and proper setups for traditional Brazilian meat cooking.

  • Brick BBQ and wood-fired pizza oven in the outdoor kitchen.
  • A large kitchen with a long wooden communal table under beamed ceilings.
  • An indoor kitchen with a dining table and a window onto the papaya trees.

Where you'll sleep

Beds for around 25 guests across two buildings: the Main House and the Event Hall (Salão). Choose the room type that's right for you; your choice sets your price. Tap a tier to see example photos. (Room assignments are handled by us.)

The main farmhouse and pool in golden evening light.

  • Main House

    • 6 bedrooms (3 en-suite, 3 sharing 2 bathrooms)
    • Fully equipped kitchen
    • Living room
    • Laundry area
    • Porch

  • Event Hall (Salão)

    • 2 bedrooms
    • Kitchen + bar area
    • BBQ area with wood-fired pizza oven & stove
    • Large open event space with couches, games, and movable furniture
    • Steam room & swimming pool
    • 1 full bathroom, 2 half bathrooms, 2 large showers

We provide bed sheets and a towel for every guest.

  • Private

    Just youPrivate bathroom

    Fully private, with your own private bathroom.

    $2,200 for the room

    ★ Sweet deal: bring up to two plus-ones to share your room for $1,000 each. A private room for two works out to just $1,600 per person.

  • Semi-private

    Shared with up to 2 othersPrivate bathroom

    Shared with up to two other guests, with a shared bathroom.

    $2,000 per person

  • Shared

    Shared with 3-5 othersShared bathroom

    Shared with three to five other guests, with a shared bathroom.

    $1,800 per person

    Included in the base price.

Apply / inquire

Reciprocity

$1,800 USD

to start, per person

Artfully Alive starts at $1,800 USD per person for a shared room, included in the base price. Semi-private rooms are $2,000 and private rooms are $2,200, with the option to bring plus-ones. Choose your tier above.

What's included

  • Round-trip transportation between Rio de Janeiro and the property
  • All meals, prepared by our private chef
  • Accommodations
  • All programming, ceremony, and facilitation

Not included

  • Flights
  • Accommodation in Rio before or after the retreat

Your room tier sets your price. See the options above.

Apply / inquire

What you'll carry home

People leave grounded, with a clear vision, knowing their natural gifts and who they are in the world, knowing the resources that really fill their cup, and with the autonomy to get what they need.

A wide green meadow rolling up to the Serra da Bocaina mountains under a big sky.

All ages welcome

This retreat is for all ages, and children are warmly invited. Please note there is no childcare available, so parents and guardians are fully responsible for their own children throughout the week.

The fine print

The questions people tend to ask. Tap any to open it.

  • Fazenda Vinhatico is a private dairy farm of roughly 300 acres of open space and preserved Atlantic Forest, in the hills about two hours west of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Round-trip ground transportation from Rio is included.
Dusk settling over the mountains beyond the farm.

Run with Beauty

Eight days, one powerful piece of land, and a return to the part of you that simply makes things. We'd love to have you.

Apply / inquire

Spaces are limited and held with care.