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Travel Adventures with Bonnie Fitzgerald
MEXICO RETREAT: Expressions in Mexican Smalti
Mosaic Mastery Retreat
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Tentative Dates
January 10–16, 2027
5-Day Immersive Workshop | 6 Nights Accommodation
Our 2026 retreat was such a success that we’re planning to return in 2027! We are currently waiting for updated pricing from our partners and are gathering expressions of interest (not payments) at this time. If demand is strong, we may add a second week. Once details are confirmed, we’ll share the news right away.
The description below reflects the 2026 workshop and is likely very similar to what we’ll offer in 2027.
| Start On | January 10, 2027 |
| Duration | 5 days, 6 nights |
| Level | All are Welcome |
| Location | The Joint, Puerta Vallarta, Mexico |
| Accommodations | All single rooms |
| Price | $440.00 |
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The Experience
Join us for an unforgettable artistic retreat in the vibrant coastal city of Puerto Vallarta. This five-day, hands-on workshop welcomes mosaic artists of all levels who want to deepen their practice using Mexican smalti, all while enjoying sun, culture, and great food.
What’s Included
Accommodations
• 6 nights at The Joint Boutique Hotel, a stylish modern hotel just two blocks from the beach in the lively Romántica neighborhood
• Private en suite room for each participant (double, queen, or king beds available; assigned first-come, first-served)
Workshop & Studio Time
• 5 days of instruction (Monday–Friday, 10:00 AM–2:00 PM)
• 25+ hours of studio time, including optional evening open studios
• Bright, secure private studio with ergonomic workstations and natural light
• One-on-one guidance to help you plan future personal projects, including design, andamento, materials, and fabrication methods
Materials
• All materials for structured exercises included
• Substrates, adhesive, concrete colorants, and Mexican smalti provided
Meals & Social Events
• 6 buffet breakfasts (Monday–Saturday)
• 5 buffet lunches (Monday–Friday)
• Welcome cocktail reception on Sunday evening
What You’ll Explore
• Color theory and gradation using smalti
• Foundational and advanced andamento techniques
• Innovative design strategies and aesthetic refinement
• Concrete colorants and custom substrate creation
Participants will complete four or more mosaic studies, working abstractly or figuratively. You’re also encouraged to bring personal projects to work on during open studio time.
Guest Policy (Yes, This Is Real 😊)
You may bring a non-participating companion for $125 total for the entire stay (6 nights, Sunday–Friday). This includes:
• Shared room accommodation
• Breakfasts, lunches, and the Sunday evening reception
Guests do not attend workshop sessions.
A limited number of rooms accommodate couples; availability is first-come, first-served with no guarantee of bed type. If two students wish to share a room and both attend the workshop, please contact Bonnie directly for pricing and availability.
Important Notes
• Airfare is not included
• Travel insurance is strongly recommended
• Early arrivals or extended stays may be arranged—contact Bonnie directly
• Rooms are assigned first-come, first-served
• All rooms are en suite
This retreat is hosted in collaboration with Maverick Mosaics, supporting artist-centered retreats at The Joint. Instructors interested in learning more are welcome to reach out to Bonnie.
Cancellation Policy
All cancellations must be submitted in writing to
bonnie@maverickmosaics.com
• Before August 1, 2025: 100% refund minus $100 administrative fee
• August 2 – October 1, 2025: 100% refund minus $250 administrative fee
• October 2 – December 1, 2025: 100% refund minus $500
• December 2 onward: No refunds
(If your spot is resold by you or us, you’ll receive a full refund minus $100.)
Additional hotel rooms booked through Maverick Mosaics carry a $10/night cancellation fee prior to December 2. After that date, no refunds apply.
Schedule at a Glance
• Sunday, January 11: Optional welcome cocktail & meet-and-greet around 5:00 PM
• Hotel check-in: 4:00 PM (luggage storage available; early room access if available)
• Monday–Friday:
– Breakfast
– Workshop instruction: 10:00 AM–2:00 PM
– Lunch at 2:00 PM
– Free time & open studio afternoons/evenings
• Saturday, January 17: Check-out by 11:00 AM
All prices are in USD.
Featured workshop image: smalti from smalti.com.
Mexico City Art & Culture Tour with Bonnie Fitzgerald | Maverick Mosaics
| Start On | January 10, 2027 |
| Duration | 5 days, 6 nights |
| Level | All are Welcome |
| Location | The Joint, Puerta Vallarta, Mexico |
| Accommodations | All single rooms |
| Price | $0.00 |
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What if your next adventure wasn’t just a trip — but a creative awakening?
Tentative Dates
January 17–23, 2027
Join Bonnie Fitzgerald of Maverick Mosaics for an immersive art and culture journey to Mexico City, one of the world’s great creative capitals. This thoughtfully curated tour will explore ancient and contemporary influences—from pre-Columbian sites and colonial architecture to world-class museums, murals, markets, and living craft traditions—through the lens of an artist.
We will visit renowned museums and encounter new public installations by leading contemporary artists, offering a dynamic view of Mexico City’s evolving cultural landscape.
A special one-day excursion is planned to Cuernavaca to visit MOSAICOS VENECIANOS DE MÉXICO. Where the Perdomo family’s smalti production and artistic studio is located. Participants will learn about the smalti-making process, experience breathtaking large-scale mosaic works currently in fabrication, and gain insight into a studio internationally recognized for monumental mosaic projects worldwide. And yes—there will be time to shop at the factory store.
Designed for curious, culturally engaged travelers, the itinerary balances guided experiences with time for personal exploration, conversation, and inspiration.
Tour development is underway.
We are currently collecting names for priority notification as details are finalized. If you’re interested in traveling with us to Mexico City in January 2027, add your name to be among the first to receive full itinerary and registration information.
Image: Mexico City Opera House, public domain image
Discover New Mexico: A Maverick Mosaics Art & Culture Journey
What if your next adventure wasn’t just a trip — but a creative awakening?
Discover New Mexico: A Maverick Mosaics Art & Culture Journey – NEW DATE, this trip is being poistponed to Spring 2027. Connect directlywith Bonnie for updated itinerary. We are tweeking a few things – 2027 dates will be confirmed soov!
Join us in spring 2027 for Discover New Mexico: A Maverick Mosaics Art & Culture Journey — a 9‑day exploration of the Southwest’s art, culture, and mosaic heritage in Albuquerque + Santa Fe.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN BEING NOTIFIED WHEN THIS TRIP BECOMES AVAILABLE FOR SIGN PLEASE “ENROLL IN THIS CLASS NOW”. There is NO FINANCIAL COMMITTMENT, just lets me know you are interested.
Join Maverick Mosaics for a U.S.-based travel experience – an inspiring exploration of Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico, created for art lovers, creative explorers, and curious travelers. Led by artist and educator Bonnie Fitzgerald, this thoughtfully curated journey blends hands-on learning, studio visits, and meaningful cultural encounters shaped by years of art-focused travel expertise.
Our adventure begins in Albuquerque, where we’ll tour its remarkable collection of public-art mosaics and meet local artists who contribute to the city’s vibrant creative scene. We’ll also visit notable galleries and enjoy special museum experiences that reveal Albuquerque’s rich artistic landscape. We learn about Pueblo pottery and the deep history and cultural traditions that have shaped the region.
We will be based in Old Town Albuquerque, staying at the same hotel the entire trip, and outside our hotel doors are countless restaurants, art galleries, and public-art mosaics.
In Santa Fe, the journey continues with visits to acclaimed galleries and museums, along with the unforgettable opportunity to walk in Georgia O’Keeffe’s footsteps. We’ll tour her home, stand in the very vistas she cherished, and see the landscapes she so magnificently transformed into iconic paintings.
Throughout the trip, you’ll enjoy memorable meals, thoughtfully chosen experiences, and plenty of free time to explore on your own – whether that means wandering a gallery-filled street, discovering local cuisine, taking on a spa treatment, or simply soaking in the region’s natural beauty. On our last day, we create a souvenir artwork to take home.
From historic neighborhoods to breathtaking desert views, this Maverick Mosaics adventure offers an intimate, art-centered look at the creative heart of the Land of Enchantment. Whether you’re a mosaic artist or a traveler who delights in meaningful cultural experiences, we invite you to join us for this unforgettable journey.
Optional Add-on Workshop with Bonnie:
In this two-day workshop, we will translate our Southwest memories from our week of travel into abstract landscapes. Working in smalti, we will begin with a design and planning morning. The afternoon and the entire next day, we are in a mosaic. And it’s smalti – no grouting! Bonnie provides all project materials; students bring a mosaic wheel tool and a few other small items. Space limited! $460 plus additional hotel nights. Students are responsible for booking their additional hotel or Air B&B nights.
The workshop will be held at a private studio in Albuquerque. We will share transportation costs from the hotel to the workshop.
| Start On | April 16, 2027 |
| Duration | 8 Days |
| Level | All are Welcome |
| Single Supplement | $1100 |
| 2 or 3 Day Optional Workshop with Bonnie | Inspired by our trip, working in smalti |
| Price | $0.00 |