Concept
“SO WHAT IS THE CONCEPT OF AN ART HOUSE?”
– asked me one of my volunteer. She was studying art therapy and was the first person giving me this question straight.
“You know, when you make an art work, and you have the silence in you, and that focused attention, others might call it ‘flow’… I want to have a place where you can have this feeling easily, a place which actually make you create something, which inspires you. I would like to add tools in people’s hand to have this feeling, and I want to have the same, of course, I want to be inspired. And this creation can be anything, can be a song in the morning, a small drawing on a piece of tea filter paper, can be a sculpture made of mud. Can be anything, a small little thing..” I told her. And i think, this is still true, this is the philosophy of the Camino Art House. (Bea, founder of CaminoArt)
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Camino Art House is an inspiring, healing place in the hills of Gran Canaria. The 90 years old house, and the magical land is a perfect place to hide away or escape from you regular, well known life. You can spend hours to wander around in the valley, more hours to listen to the birds, and much more hours with thinking, creating, or having a conversation with others, who are just like you, maybe looking for peace, inspiration, calmness and creativity.
We are organizing workshops, exhibitions and we offer space for your creativity. You might join us only for a few hours, but feel free to stay for more or many days, and involve yourself in our activities.
The Story
It is difficult to say from where this story starts. Probably from the first thought of an art farm in Catalonia, sometimes in about 2010. There were the masia-s. These massive, multi-functional buildings were somehow separated from the society, and had their own, fairy world. Not only in the building itself, but outside on the farm, land, forest. Bea (founder of Camino Art) was living in Barcelona that time, and had a dream to find an empty masia, put life in it and fill it up with artists and creative energies. Good food and happy vibes would have been served every day, which would have inspired the art-making.
Like many of the dreams, this one had also a big gap in the coming true. The financial side. How can one manage to open up an art-making, inspiring place with no financial background at all. Trusting in local/governmental support or direct supports from fans, or include investors, or fundraising seemed ways that were difficult to follow.
In 2012, with many different and adventurous episodes accompanied Bea arrived to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, de capital of Gran Canaria, the main island of the Canary Islands. She started to work in a hostel. She became the manager. She became a good manager, and eventually started to have her own ideas about the hostel which was not yet her own project. Her boss asked her to move to Mexico and manage another hostel on Cozumel island. This hostel was a bit (one hour ferry ride) away from the mainstream tourist path in the Yucatan, and was a scuba diving hostel, which attracted very different travelers. Different in a more alternative way. A bit of more interesting way. A bit of more familiar way. Familiar, at least to her. Bea felt very comfortable in this little paradise filled with these strange, kind and funny people. She understood that she wanted to open her own hostel and fill it up with her kind of people. The idea of Camino Art Hostel was born. Bea returned to Gran Canaria in 2015 August, and in November the hostel opened its door for guests. It had a garden, it had cave rooms, it had a funny, gypsy, arty and happy atmosphere. Since than so many things arrived to this little project that would be hard to list. Exhibitions, art fairs, workshops, yoga, amazing volunteers, clear quiet nights full with stars, full moon walks to the top of the hill, a dog, cats, kittens, friendly rats, concerts, campfires, new and new motivations. Guests started to return because they like the place so much.
In 2017 Camino Art Hostel moved from Galdar area to Vega de San Mateo, into an idyllic green valley. The hostel is much more than accommodation. It is a nest of nature and art lovers, hikers and seekers, travelers and those who are on spiritual journey. Home of many different projects, like Clean Island, Artist Residency, Yo’Camino, Cactus and Plates, and many more.
From 2020 Camino Art Hostel became Camino Art House as the project started to focus on art, workshops, and education.
Camino Art House can be also your muse, a way that you follow, because you feel an inner call. Camino – is your path.