A Walk in the Park - Terra Studios: A park worth visiting

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

— Terra Studios is located 14 miles east of Fayetteville on Highway 16. It is the home of the popular crystal-blue glass “Bluebird of Happiness,” but that is just the beginning.

This 10-acre park is a creative wonderland of artwork that is sure to amaze, entertain and maybe even stir up the imagination of your inner child. It is open seven days per week from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., and admission is free.

For starters, the bluebird gallery and factory showroom is located at the park entrance. Here visitors can observe glassblowing demonstrations and watch how the birds - about 175 of them most days of the year - are handmade by local craftsmen. Although blue is the standard color for the little glass icons, the showroom shelves are stocked with a few variations, including pink, yellow, green and rainbow. Other blownglass art pieces, as well as a variety of other unique hand-crafted items, are also displayed in the gallery. The bluebirds are sold on location or shipped to gift shops and other places all over the United States and to several other countries. Over eight million have been sold since Terra Studios was founded in 1975.

Continuing from the gallery through the rest of the park, artwork of one kind or another can be seen virtually everywhere. Much of it can be found along paths throughout the grounds, but the Family Studio and the Muse Gallery and Coffee House make two additional inside stops as well.

The layout of the Family Studio is designed to let visitors enjoy displays of both beautiful and whimsical pottery pieces whilealso observing the potters when they are working. Another feature of the studio is the fun, cave-like passages characterized by imaginative designs and creations along the way. For instance, one dark corner of the “cave” resembles a star-lit night due to the crescent shaped moon and tiny round windows that allowed in a bit of light from the outside.

The Sculpture Garden is the home of one large, contented-looking dragon, as well as an abundance of fantasy clay creations.

The Mural Garden features beautiful multicolored mosaic walls. Another interesting nearby feature is the stone labyrinth.

There are two gazebos on the grounds. The bluebird gazebo has walls fashioned from hundreds of the tiny glass bluebirds, while the other gazebo is located near a pond and picnic area. An arched bridge, complete with a troll waiting underneath, provides the way - “trip-trap, trip-trap” - to the picnic area.

Our final stop was at the Muse Gallery and CoffeeHouse. This is a must-see whether you are interested in coffee and a light brunch or just want to look around. From the little clay cars parked out front in valet parking to the uniquely designed dining booths inside, the whole place is a work of art. Even the ladies room is an impressive site with hand-painted wall tiles, a stained-glass mushroom window and lighted flower petal faces on the wall.

Earl indicated the men’s room is artistic, too, but I couldn’t pull a detailed description from him to share with you.

The Muse Gallery is loaded with one-of-a-kind handmade crafts, including incredible pottery pieces, jewelry, glass work and a variety of other works crafted by regional artists.

Terra Studios is a place to take grandparents, parents, children or grandchildren. Plan to stay a while to explore and enjoy at a leisurely pace - maybe even bring lunch and trip-trap across the wooden bridge (the troll is harmless) to the picnic area.

Because of its interesting mix of serious art and whimsical expression, a visit to Terra Studios is sure to be a pleasant, if not enchanting, experience for all ages.

More information is available by calling 800-255-8995, or on the Web atwww.terrastudios.com.

Annette Rowe is a freelance writer and a speechlanguage pathologist at Siloam Springs High School. She may be reached by e-mail at [email protected].

Opinion, Pages 5 on 02/24/2010