Dates: June 4-7, 2026 Limited to 8 participants!
Are you an artist or creative exploring themes of ecology, environment, or landscape? Are you looking to push your practice further, connect more deeply with place, and discover new ways of working with the land?
Join us for an immersive workshop designed to energize and expand your place-based creative practice. Set within the breathtaking landscape of Letchworth State Park, this gathering brings together artists across disciplines for a dynamic experience that blends conversation, learning, and exploration.
Together, we’ll engage in lively discussions, inspiring lectures, hands-on workshops, and guided field experiences that invite you to collaborate directly with the land. Grounded in curiosity and collective learning, we’ll use Letchworth as our living classroom—exploring its ecosystems, histories, and relationships while developing creative approaches that can travel with you anywhere.
Whether you work in visual art, writing, performance, design, or another medium, you’re invited to bring your perspective, your questions, and your curiosity. Come deepen your connection to place, exchange ideas with fellow creatives, and leave with new tools to enrich your artistic practice.
About the instructors: This workshop is led by Margaret LeJeune and Jeffrey Kosiorek. LeJeune is an artist and educator with 20+ years experience teaching students about the connections between art, science, and the environment. She was named the 2023 Woman Science Photographer of the Year by the Royal Photographic Society (UK). She has been invited to speak and teach at institutions around the world including Rochester Institute of Technology, Bradley University, Trinity College Dublin, Virginia Tech, Johns Hopkins, University of Rochester, University of Nebraska - Lincoln, University of Texas -San Antonio, and University of Toledo among others. Jeffrey Kosiorek is an environmental historian who studies the long, evolving relationship between human communities and river environments, with particular attention to how cultural values, economic systems, and ecological processes intersect. He has taught at institutions including the University of Southern California, the University of Mississippi, Hendrix College, Bradley University, California State University Fresno, and Southern New Hampshire University, and has led experiential learning programs focused on ecology, environmental restoration, and cultural sustainability.
About the location: Letchworth State Park, located in western New York, is often referred to as the “Grand Canyon of the East”. The park’s most famous sights are its three major waterfalls—Upper, Middle, and Lower Falls—along with more than 100 smaller cascades scattered throughout the gorge. From scenic overlooks to winding forest paths, the views are nothing short of breathtaking. Often ranked among the best parks in the country, Letchworth offers more than towering cliffs and river scenery. Over 70 miles of trails weave through the gorge, forests, and ravines of the Genesee Valley, inviting visitors to hike, explore, and slow down in nature. Letchworth is an hour from Rochester, NY, home of the George Eastman Museum, Visual Studies Workshop, The Susan B Anthony House, The Strong Museum of Play, and Mount Hope Cemetery among other notable places.
Tuition includes:
• Workshop programming and materials
• Three nights lodging in cabins in the park which are equipped with a small kitchen (sink, stove, and refrigerator) and half-baths with flush toilets and sinks. Cabins have screened porches. Showers are available in the campground.
• Meals (Thursday dinner, Friday breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Saturday breakfast, lunch and dinner, Sunday breakfast) as well as coffee and snacks throughout the weekend
Workshop participants are responsible for their travel to and from Letchworth State Park though a shuttle can be arranged to and from Letchworth from the Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport (ROC) in Rochester, NY (approx. 45 miles). Shuttle information will be sent to all registrants.
Participants should be comfortable walking on uneven and rugged terrain and be at peace with nature and the elements.
Reserve your place now - limited to 8 participants!
Single-room tuition: $1295
Double-room tuition: $995 - book with a friend to choose your roommate or let us pair you with a new friend!
Subsidized tuition: $795 - we aim to make our gatherings accessible for as many creatives as possible. This reduced rate includes double-room occupancy, meals, and all workshop activities and is made possible by the support of generous GroundTruth patrons. Limited subsidized tuition spaces available.
Cancellation Policy: Withdrawal from the workshop up to 45 days before the session’s start date will result in a full refund of tuition minus a $100 processing fee. No refunds will be given for cancellations made fewer than 44 days before the workshop start date. If the workshop is canceled due to insufficient enrollment, the entire tuition will be fully refunded minus service fees. GroundTruth Institute is not responsible for the cost of airline ticket cancellation or ground transportation costs or fees. Please plan accordingly.
Dates: July 23-26, 2026 Limited to 8 participants!
Photographers and image-makers are invited to gather in Rochester, New York, long known as “The Image City”, for a weekend retreat filled with tours of key photographic institutions such as the George Eastman Museum, Visual Studies Workshop, Kodak Visitor Center, as well as time to share and get feedback on your photographic work. The retreat led by Margaret LeJeune, an internationally exhibited photographic artist and educator with over 20 years experience in the field helping students hone and develop their photographic skills.
For more than a century, Rochester has played a defining role in the history of photography and imaging. It is the home of George Eastman, founder of the Eastman Kodak Company, whose innovations in roll film and accessible cameras transformed photography from a specialized craft into an everyday creative practice. The city continues to inspire photographers, scientists, and visual storytellers through institutions including George Eastman Museum, Rochester Institute of Technology, Visual Studies Workshop, Flower City Arts Center, and numerous photographic galleries and studios.
This 4 day/3 night all-inclusive workshop invites photographers, photo educators, and photographic students to explore Rochester’s unique legacy while growing their network and deepening their understanding of the field. Our days will be filled with group tours to fascinating museums and collections, workshare opportunities in which all participants will have a chance to discuss their current projects and get meaningful feedback on the work, and lots of good food!
What to Expect
Visits to key photographic institutions such as the George Eastman Museum, Visual Studies Workshop, Rochester Institute of Technology Galleries, and Eastman Kodak Company
Lectures and discussions by local photographers and photo curators
Opportunities for portfolio sharing and community critique
Amazing meals at local restaurants and brewpubs
Relax and unwind a comfortable and cozy local hotel
Who Should Attend
This workshop welcomes:
Emerging and experienced photographers
Artists exploring lens-based media
Students and educators in photography or imaging science
Why Rochester
Few cities are as deeply connected to the development of photography as Rochester. As the historic home of the Eastman Kodak Company, a global center for optical innovation, and the site of one of the world’s oldest photography museums, Rochester offers a rare opportunity to experience the roots of modern image-making while expanding your community and furthering your personal photographic education.
About The Instructor
Margaret LeJeune is a lens-based artist and educator with over 20 years experience teaching undergraduate, graduate, and life-long learners of all ages. She grew up in Rochester, NY where he father worked at the Eastman Kodak Company for 27 years. LeJeune’s career in academia culminated in her position as Full Professor of Photography at Bradley University. She has been invited to speak and teach at institutions around the world including Rochester Institute of Technology, Trinity College Dublin, Virginia Tech, Johns Hopkins, University of Rochester, University of Nebraska - Lincoln, University of Texas -San Antonio, and University of Toledo among others. In 2023, she was named the Woman Science Photographer of the Year by the Royal Photographic Society (UK).
Tuition includes:
• All retreat programming including entrance fees to museums and galleries
• Three nights lodging in Rochester. Participants can choose single or double occupancy tuition rate.
• All meals are included with tuition. Breakfast is available each morning at the hotel. Lunches, dinners, coffee, and snacks will be provided by local establishments. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options will be available throughout the weekend.
Workshop participants are responsible for their travel to and from the Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport (ROC). The ground transportation to and from the airport will be provided.
Tiered Tuition Model - Limited to 8 participants
$1995 Single Occupancy
$1695 Double Occupancy - book with a friend to choose your roommate or let us pair you with a new friend!
$1295 Subsidized - we aim to make our gatherings accessible for as many creatives as possible. This reduced rate includes double-room occupancy, meals, and all workshop activities and is made possible by the support of generous GroundTruth patrons. Limited subsidized tuition spaces available.
Cancellation Policy: Withdrawal from the retreat up to 45 days before the session’s start date will result in a full refund of tuition minus a $100 processing fee. No refunds will be given for cancellations made fewer than 44 days before the retreat start date. If the workshop is canceled due to insufficient enrollment, the entire tuition will be fully refunded minus service fees. GroundTruth Institute is not responsible for the cost of airline ticket cancellation or ground transportation costs or fees. Please plan accordingly.
Upcoming Fall 2026 offerings will include
Walking into Creativity Workshop
this workshop explores walking as means of incubation, meditation, connection, and collaboration with the natural world
Women’s Workshare Retreat
a women’s only excursion for visual artists looking to gain meaningful and substantial feedback on their work
in a supportive and uplifting community