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Eureka Springs School of the Arts

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Eureka Springs, AR
Eureka Springs School of the Arts

Eureka Springs School of the Arts is committed to cultivating, promoting, and encouraging artistic

OUR HISTORY-

ESSA was founded by committed artists within the community that felt they had both an obligation and an opportunity to provide art education. Our past is filled with artists and craftspeople that create a rich tapestry of experience and commitment to the goal of creating an art and fine crafts school in EurekaSprings. What started as a few committed individuals providing a few classe

s without walls has grown
to a strong leadership team fulfilling the goal of providing quality art and fine craft education on a permanent campus. MISSION STATEMENT-

In the belief that art is vital to the human spirit, the Eureka Springs School of the Arts commits itself to cultivating, promoting, and encouraging artistic expression by providing art and fine craft education opportunities for students of all levels in a unique environment of beauty and creativity. OUR VISION-

ESSA is dedicated to instilling the passion and power of art and fine craft in all of us.

08/27/2026

Get into the Wood Studio and start building! Spend the weekend learning your way around woodworking tools and equipment while making two projects you'll use daily at home: a Shaker bench and a cutting board.

You’ll get plenty of time with the tools, learn how to use them safely and confidently, and build some solid woodworking skills in the process. No previous experience is needed, and all materials are included.

Woodworking Sampler with Steve Walter
October 9th – 11th | Beginner

Save your seat here:
https://reg131.imperisoft.com/essa-art/ProgramDetail/3732343934/Registration.aspx

08/25/2026

Spend three days with Dawn Ward exploring what else you can do with a frame loom!

Beyond the Basics: Tapestry Weaving Tips & Techniques is designed for students with some previous weaving experience and offers a chance to add new techniques to your repertoire.

Explore ways to work with shape, color, blending, and texture, along with finishing techniques and methods for attaching your weaving to other materials. You’ll also learn how to make a homemade frame loom and identify different types of looms.

If you’ve taken Weaving on a Frame Loom at ESSA before, or you already know your way around a loom, this is a chance to build on what you know and keep experimenting.

October 2nd – 4th | Intermediate | with instructor Dawn Ward

Register here:
https://reg131.imperisoft.com/essa-art/ProgramDetail/3732343930/Registration.aspx

08/21/2026

Forge it or felt it?

Two very different workshops are happening at ESSA the same weekend, September 18th – 20th.

🔥 Unbreakable Blossoms with Daren Fitzpatrick
Fire up the forge and turn steel into something surprisingly delicate. Using traditional blacksmithing techniques, students will create leaves, flowers, stems, and other botanical forms while learning skills that can carry into future forging projects.

🧶 From Wool to Wardrobe: French-Style Scarf, Handbag & Beret with Treka Wenner
Spend the weekend working with wool and learning wet-felting techniques to create wearable and functional pieces of your own. Students will make a French-style scarf, handbag, and beret while exploring color, texture, and surface design.

Both workshops run September 18th – 20th at ESSA.

Learn more and register:

Unbreakable Blossoms: https://reg131.imperisoft.com/essa-art/ProgramDetail/3732343836/Registration.aspx

From Wool to Wardrobe: https://reg131.imperisoft.com/essa-art/ProgramDetail/3732343835/Registration.aspx

08/18/2026

Applications for ESSA’s 2026 Artists’ Sojourn are open through August 26th. This fall, artists working in Painting & Drawing, Small Metals, and Stained Glass have the opportunity to spend November 9th - 23rd at ESSA, with two weeks set aside for their studio practice.

Residents will stay on ESSA’s picturesque campus in the Ozark Mountains just outside Eureka Springs, Arkansas, with private lodging and 24-hour access to their studio. There’s no required project or expectation to produce a finished body of work. Artists can use the time in whatever way makes the most sense for their practice.

ESSA subsidizes much of the cost of each residency, keeping the artist fee well below the actual cost of the experience:

🎨 Painting & Drawing: $400
💍 Small Metals: $1,000
🪟 Stained Glass: $800

We also offer a limited number of Residency Fellowships that cover 50% of the residency fee for artists who need additional financial support.

If you know an artist who would make good use of this time, please send the Sojourn their way. Share it with a friend, a former student, someone in your guild or studio, or an artist whose work you’ve been following. We’d love your help getting this opportunity in front of the people who might not otherwise find it.

Applications are due August 26th.

Click here to learn more and apply: https://essa-art.org/artist-residencies/

08/17/2026

Sparks will fly in this three-day introduction to plasma cutting and metal fabrication!

ESSA instructor and owner of Garden Deva Sculpture, Bobby Babcock, will guide you through using a plasma torch to cut and shape metal, building the skills you need to turn raw material into something entirely your own. Dig through a broad selection of metal pieces, experiment with form and design, and create a whimsical sculpture for your home or garden.

No need to arrive with a masterpiece mapped out. Part of the fun is seeing what takes shape once the torch is in your hand. 🔥

INTRO TO PLASMA CUTTING: SLICING METAL WITH FIRE
with Bobby Babcock
September 25th–27th at ESSA

Click here to sign up: https://reg131.imperisoft.com/essa-art/ProgramDetail/3732343837/Registration.aspx

08/14/2026

Take the lathe for a spin!

Spend three days exploring the craft of woodturning with instructor Jesse Horn, building confidence at the lathe while creating a variety of projects along the way.

You’ll get familiar with the anatomy of the lathe, learn how to choose and properly use turning tools, practice caring for and sharpening your tools, and explore techniques you can carry into future projects.

Explore Woodturning with Jesse Horn
📅 September 25th–27th
🪵 All Levels

Click here to register: https://reg131.imperisoft.com/essa-art/ProgramDetail/3732343838/Registration.aspx

08/12/2026

HOLY CARP! 🐟🌊 Tickets are on sale NOW!

Dive into the 24th Annual Mad Hatter Ball: Secrets of the Sunken Kingdom, where strange creatures stir in the deep, fabulous hats rise from the wreckage, and one unforgettable night awaits beneath the waves. 🐙🫧

Start dreaming up your most seaworthy ensemble and prepare to descend into the Sunken Kingdom for one of ESSA’s biggest nights of the year.

And while the Mad Hatter Ball is a night to let loose, get weird, and celebrate, it’s also an important fundraiser for ESSA. Your ticket helps support the programs, studios, artists, and creative experiences that keep our school thriving all year long.

🎟️ Tickets are officially on sale. Reel yours in today!

24th Annual Mad Hatter Ball: "Secrets of the Sunken Kingdom"
Friday, October 16th at the Historic 1886 Crescent Hotel
5 - 9 PM

Click here to purchase tickets and learn more: https://essa-art.org/events/2022-mad-hatter-ball/

08/07/2026

The tides are shifting...

The deadline to secure your sponsorship for the 24th Annual Mad Hatter Ball: Secrets of the Sunken Kingdom is this coming Monday, August 10th!

Sponsorship is one of the best ways to support ESSA while guaranteeing your place aboard one of Eureka Springs' most anticipated nights of the year. Every sponsorship level includes guaranteed event tickets, so you'll already have passage secured before tickets are released to the public.

Then, on Wednesday, August 12th at 12:00 PM, the gates to the Sunken Kingdom open and general admission tickets go on sale. If history is any guide, they won't stay afloat for long.

Whether your crew arrives as pirates, sea captains, merfolk, mythical creatures, or the rulers of a forgotten underwater kingdom, this is your chance to help bring the magic to life while supporting ESSA's scholarships, artist residencies, and arts education programs.

Learn more about sponsorship opportunities:
https://essa-art.org/events/mad-hatter-ball/

Visit the link in our bio or visit essa-art.org before the August 10th sponsorship deadline.

Address

15751 US 62 Highway W
Eureka Springs, AR
72632

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

+14792535384

Website

https://essa-art.org/

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