Meet your retreat instructor
Eirene Archolekas
Irene Arholekas, or Eirené, is a writer, journalist, editor, and teacher.. Born to Greek parents in South Africa, she is a daughter of the Hellenic Diaspora who has lived and worked across three continents, several European cities, including Athens, Heidelberg, Barcelona and Jerusalem.
After graduating with a BA in English literature from CUNY/Queens College and a Masters from SUNY/Stony Brook, she relocated to Greece where she taught composition and English literature and English as a Foreign Language at various universities and language centers including the American College of Greece, Deree. An avid and restless traveler, she moved on to teaching for the University of Maryland in Heidelberg, Germany where like Danny DeVito in “Renaissance Man” served the US military by teaching English 101 from inside barracks, tents in the desert, and even a navy ship stationed outside of Naples. Because the weather was horrible in Germany, she relocated to Barcelona, Spain, where she taught at the renowned Institute of North American Studies for several years. After returning to New York City from Europe, she continued teaching on the high school level across four of the five boroughs. She is an active adjunct faculty member for both the City and State University of New York.
Besides teaching, Irene is an active freelance journalist, editor, writer, and blogger. She started her journalism career back in the 1990’s when along with a photo-journalist, she spearheaded The International Youth Gazette, the only general-interest magazine journal to serve the needs of the largest American community living in and around Kaiserslautern, Germany. She penned the weekly column for the National Herald, the oldest, most popular Hellenic-American newspaper, entitled “Being a Greek American” which later evolved into a memoir. She launched the first site exclusively catering to the needs of Greek-American women, www.greekamericangirl.com. Irene was also contributing editor for Ins and Outs, a high-end, glossy lifestyle magazine covering the arts, real estate, and business in her hometown of LIC/Astoria.
After acquiring a Masters in journalism from the University of Missouri, Columbia, she became a freelance correspondent in the Middle East. Irene has written for Gulf News, Jerusalem Post, and This Week in Palestine. She has published articles ranging from travel, to music and restaurant reviews, to health and science, religion as well as business.
Most recently, she has embarked on a career as an encaustic painter, photographer, and expressive arts workshop facilitator. Awash with the cerulean blues and whites of the Cyclades, her encaustic practice synthesizes natural elements, communicates emotional timber through varying textures, and moves in the rhythms of the four elements. She has exhibited her work in NYC, Moscow, Rome, and Paris. She is a member of International Encaustic Artists and the Encaustic Art Institute of New Mexico. She has completed a Certificate in Expressive Arts from Expressive Arts Therapy and isawaiting official registration as a REACE for the International Expressive Arts Therapy Association.
Her work can be viewed at: www.ateliereirene.com.
Eirene is trained in expressive arts facilitation by the International Expressive Arts Therapy Association. But most importantly, she is from Greece and from Ios. Her family’s roots go back hundreds of years. When you participate in her retreats, you are invited into her ancestral home. She will guide you into trauma-informed, ethically-based, person-centered activities that will increase well-being, health, self-awareness, mindfulness, and connection to others.
Previous Retreats
ExA Retreat 2022
Our 2022 retreat offered a transformative experience. Hike stunning trails, build bonds with new friends, and unleash your creativity through painting. This wasn't just a vacation, it was a journey to a healthier, happier you.
Exa Retreat 2023
Unwind with yoga, forage for nature's bounty, capture empowering photos, and unlock creativity through journaling. This is more than a trip, it's a journey to a renewed you.
