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Welcome to Abbey of the Arts! We are global, open and affirming community and strive to be radically inclusive. We support you in becoming a monk in the world and an artist in everyday life. We believe in nourishing an earth-cherishing consciousness.

Poetry is our nourishment.  Art inspires our souls.  We dance for the joy of it.

We delight in being joined by people like you, who are monks at heart and seeking kindred spirits, a community committed to contemplative rhythms and creative expression. 

We are not affiliated with any particular institution and open our doors to people from any denomination or none at all. We strive to create a place of welcome and hospitality where we might dialogue with one another and grow. Our own spirituality is shaped very much by the rich Catholic mystical tradition of which we are a part, and we also treasure being catholic, that is universal, in our outreach.

To get started on your journey we invite you to:

  • Watch the welcome video from Christine Valters Paintner, the online Abbess.
  • Subscribe to our newsletter and receive regular soul nourishment with your choice of daily, weekly, or monthly emails. When you sign up for the newsletter we will send you a link to a welcome gift: Our Monk in the World 8-week online retreat (inspired by the principles of our Monk Manifesto).
  • Learn more about our Holy Disorder of Dancing Monks and visit the Facebook group to join the community and meet other dancing monks.
  • Enjoy our free resources listed below.
  • Explore the Reflections section of our website to read soul nourishing reflections from Christine and John Valters Paintner, Hildy the Monk-ey (our Abbey mascot), and members of the community in the Monk in the World Guest Post series. (Calls for submissions are announced in the newsletter.)
  • Check out our Calendar for a schedule of upcoming programs. We offer monthly contemplative prayer services, single session retreats focused on contemplative wisdom and creative expression, and seasonal, multiweek retreats that invite you to a deeper integration of contemplative spiritual practice and creative expression with monastic spirituality.

Join the Abbey Newsletter

Subscribe to our newsletter and receive regular soul nourishment with your choice of daily, weekly, or monthly emails. When you sign up for the newsletter we will send you a link to a welcome gift: Our Monk in the World 8-week online retreat (inspired by the principles of our Monk Manifesto).

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Free Resources

We have five Prayer Cycles to guide you in contemplative prayer. Each prayer cycle includes an audio podcast available in your favorite apps like Apple, Google, Spotify, Amazon, and Pandora. Earth Monastery, Monk in the World, and Birthing the Holy have video podcasts. Video podcasts for The Soul of the Pilgrim and The Love of Thousands will be released in 2024.

Explore our Lift Every Voice Book Club and podcast for a bi-monthly conversation on how increasing our diversity of perspectives on contemplative practice can enrich our understanding of the Christian mystical tradition. Bi-monthly we will post our newest video recording and invite you to watch, ponder, and share your insights with us during the month that follows. Lift Every Voice is now available as a podcast in your favorite apps like Apple, Google, Spotify, Amazon, and Pandora. We then invite conversation and reflection in our dedicated Facebook group (click the link to request to join us).

We are delighted you found Abbey of the Arts and look forward to walking with you along this contemplative, creative path.