WORDS / KODY FORD

It’s hard not to venture into Northwest Arkansas without hearing the name Terra Studios. Hearing people describe it has an almost mythical quality – the labyrinth, the troll sculptures, the walls engraved with dragons. Even if you have been to Terra Studios before, you probably don’t know Terra Studios. Like any work of art, it’s constantly changing.

     In 1975, Leo and Rita Ward and their son John established this wonderland of art was founded as a glass and pottery studio. Together they worked in their respective fields – glass, pottery and sculpture and other artistic endeavours. Eight years later, they created their first Bluebird of Happiness and started a business that boomed. Fast forward eight million Bluebirds and things have changed greatly. James Ulick purchased Terra Studios in 2007. It has blossomed into a sprawling campus with a variety of installations ranging from a giant chessboard to a pavilion for those beautiful glass birds that made it all possible. Of course, the Bluebirds of Happiness are still for sale and you can even watch them being made.

     Five years ago, Ulick decided to make a major change for Terra Studios – to turn it into a 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to “Using Art to Create a Better World” – and last year, that became a reality.

     “We realized that as we planned out the next decade, we were approaching retirement and have a “seventh generation” mindset — but we are only good for one generation,” said Val Gonzalez, Executive Director of Terra Studios. “Becoming a nonprofit allows for change and growth, community involvement, and for a long-term plan for Terra Studios.”

     However, as a nonprofit Terra Studios is faced with another set of challenges, namely raising funds. They are not able to apply for grants for a few years due to government regulations. While many may think the Bluebirds are a cash cow, the overhead for things like a glass furnace can take it’s toll. They do have fundraisers planned for the coming months though.

     The Terra Studios Fall Music and Art Festival (a.k.a. Terra Fest) is a fundraiser that will be held on September 12 & 13 from noon to 5 pm each day. The event will feature art booths, food vendors and song circles where groups of musicians play a wide variety of music in intimate small groups all around the grounds.  Gonzalez said, “[There will be] bluegrass here and celtic there, rock-a-billy in the woodland, country on the back porch, blues in the gazebo, and it feels like you’re eavesdropping on a living room jam session.”

     The annual Terra Studios fundraiser is held in November. This year, they will host a Celebrity Troll Auction, in which local celebrities unleash their suppressed creativity by creating trolls. They will have art and other items available at an auction.

     “[The trolls] are an excellent metaphor for creativity,” she said. “You see being creative is a little scary, but once you unleash creativity it’s really, really fun and, so it is with trolls. To create trolls, you are actually sculpting. But, trolls are only ‘sorta human,’ so there’s no perfection to drag you down.”

     Terra Fest or their November fundraiser are both great reasons to head east out of Fayetteville down Highway 16. Not that you need a special occasion to visit. Gonzalez has a message for people who have never been to Terra Studios.

     “It is so much more than “the bluebird place.” Yes, it is the home of the world-famous Bluebird of Happiness, but it is also a gallery of over 100 local artists works, and a place to create art. It’s a great place for a date, a birthday party, a girlfriends day out, a family adventure with the kids or grandkids and much more.”

     The future looks bright for Terra Studios. They have plans for new, interactive art installations, for wheelchair accessible paths throughout the art park, for the art lab to be open every day and for a broader range of art classes.

     “We encourage people to be artists,” Gonzalez says. “Everyone has that in them. We offer classes and the price point is really low. We have step by step instructions so its failsafe and you can actually take something home that you feel good about.”

     Four decades is a long-time for any institution, much less an art studio. The beauty of Terra Studios is that it appeals to children and inner-children. The mystique lies in the creative energy found throughout the grounds.  You can see into the minds of hundreds of artists who have left their mark. Gonzalez has her own thoughts on the matter.

     She said, “Terra Studios is still appealing because creativity is eternally appealing – it is fun, whimsical, and stimulating. And, Terra Studios is 40 and brand new as well. It has evolved and continues to flourish. Terra Studios celebrates creativity in everything and in every one.”

VISIT: TERRASTUDIOS.COM

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