There is an undeniable energy that happens when we write in community. And when a community gathers at a place as extraordinary as Fallingwater, that energy becomes transformative, even magical. Join poet and essayist Sheila Squillante on a reflective and restorative weekend of writing at Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural masterpiece and site on the UNESCO World Heritage List, Fallingwater. She is the long-time editor of Chatham University’s Master’s in Fine Arts program’s journal of nature-and-place-based writing, The Fourth River.
For this new course available to the public, Insight/Onsite: Writing Nature & Place, Squillante invites writers of all levels to consider how humans intersect and interact with the natural and built world during this creative retreat nestled amid the natural beauty of Fallingwater and Bear Run Nature Reserve.
Your days will include the famous Fallingwater Institute “silent hike,” time for writing both in solitude and with others, guided writing sessions and prompts, as well as examples of nature and place-writing by authors such as Ross Gay, Mary Oliver, Wendell Berry and others to inspire your own creative process. In the evenings, you will gather with others to share your work and process, and to enjoy each other’s company and our spectacular surroundings.
FEATURES:
- Exceptional access to Fallingwater, an international landmark included on the UNESCO World Heritage List, including special evening access
- Creative activities, including time for writing both in solitude and with others, guided writing sessions and prompts, and inspiration gathering at Fallingwater
- On-site housing at Fallingwater Institute’s educational facility, High Meadow
- Lodging, meals, and materials provided
Program Sessions
About the Instructors
Sheila Squilllante
Sheila Squillante is a writer and visual artist living in Pittsburgh. She is the author of the poetry collections, “Mostly Human”, winner of the 2020 Wicked Woman Book Prize from Brick House Books, and Beautiful Nerve. She’s also authored four chapbooks of poetry: “Dear Sunder, In This Dream of My Father”, “Women Who Pawn Their Jewelry” and “A Woman Traces the Shoreline”. Her debut essay collection, “All Things Edible, Random and Odd: Essays on Grief, Love and Food”, was published by CLASH Books in 2023, and “The Brightest Days: New and Selected Poems” will be published by Braddock Avenue Books. Her abstract paintings have been featured in numerous literary journals, including ”Brevity and A-Minor”, and as the cover art for “Dogwood: A Journal of Poetry and Prose”. She directs and teaches in the MFA program in creative writing at Chatham University, where she is executive editor of “The Fourth River“, a journal of nature and place-based writing. For more than a decade, she was the facilitator of the Summer Community of Writers, a ten-day residency that brought together nationally renowned writers, MFA students and community members for intensive study at Eden Hall, Chatham’s organic farm campus. She lives in the Hazelwood neighborhood of Pittsburgh, with her family.
Facilities
Participants will stay on the property at High Meadow, the Fallingwater Institute’s residency facility designed by AIA Gold Medalist architect Peter Bohlin, who is the founding principal of the firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson. This property is situated adjacent to Fallingwater, and includes eight bedrooms, each with a private bath. This secluded site is surrounded by an amazing view of the Bear Run Nature Reserve – the 5,100-acre natural area that is home to Fallingwater.
Educational activities are held at the Cheteyan Studio at High Meadow, and on site at Fallingwater. This is a casual and natural learning environment where daily activities can inspire great things! All meals are provided.
Eligibility
- You must be at least 18 years old to participate. Writers of any ability level are welcome to register.
- This program is not designed for experienced ikebana students or teachers. If you have some experience with ikebana, please describe it in the application.
Program Sessions
Insight/Onsite: Writing Nature & Place
October 3 - October 5, 2025
Tuition
$500 per person, plus 6% service fee. Tuition includes lodging, meals, art materials, studio supplies, tour tickets, and exceptional access to Fallingwater.
RegisterFor more information, contact fallingwaterinstitute@paconserve.org.
Cancellation and Refund Policy
If you cancel your registration for a one-day workshop any time up to 30 days before the day of the program, you will receive a refund minus a $25 processing fee.
If you cancel your registration for a multi-day program (residencies, Insight/Onsite, etc.) any time up to 30 days before the first day of the program, you will receive a refund minus a $50 processing fee and a $150 cancellation fee.
If you cancel less than 30 days before the first day of a Fallingwater Institute program, refunds are not available.