Artists’ Retreat
in the Castelli Romani with James Langley
Fall 2027
(Registration opens Fall 2026)
Classicist James Langley says that “when the ancients invented the art of the nude they achieved a moment
of equipoise and felt themselves walking closer to the gods.” Artists have been connecting
to the transcendent through the immanent from the earliest days of Western Civilization,
discovering the beauty that is both ancient and new. In this modern age, many of us
want to find a way to return to the sources of that beauty, to find a space of leisure
beyond the noise of traffic, the news cycle, and the bustle of modern life where primitive
beauty will inspire new levels of artistic skill and expression—where we can re-connect
with what Simone Weil called an “incarnation of God in the world, of which beauty
is the sign.”
“Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new”
- St. Augustine, The Confessions
This Fall, you can find that space at the Park Hotel in the historic Villa Grazioli just south of Rome. The University of Dallas is excited to partner with resident artist James Langley, who will guide you through morning and afternoon art sessions. He invites you to join him for “a week in creative work grounded in solid technical foundations and expressive potency as we move together between the live model, the Italian landscape, and ancient classical sources as only Rome and its environs can offer.” At this unique art retreat, you will not only apply yourself to learning technique but will become part of a living artistic tradition while enjoying community, culture, and the riches of the Classical and Christian heritage that make this part of the world so significant to us all.
“Beauty will save the world”
- Fyodor Dostoevsky
Dostoevsky said that “beauty will save the world,” and Pope Benedict XVI encouraged all artists to remember that they are “the custodians of beauty in the world.” Take time this year to explore what it means to play your part in the renewal of culture. Join the quest for rootedness and transcendence—the renaissance of beauty-making that just might save the world.
“Dear artists. . . . You are the custodians of beauty”
- Pope Benedict XVI
