ESSA

About an hour south of Branson, Missouri is the small town of Eureka Springs, Arkansas

- Logan Wittmer

It’s home to about 2,100 people and it has a rich history. Walking down the historic main street, you’ll be surrounded by a dozen amazing coffee shops, boutique stores, local crafts, and the occasional trolley that passes by. When I first traveled there to shoot photos with Doug Stowe (Coopered Table, page 38), I instantly fell in love with the small Ozark town. As quaint and beautiful as Eureka Springs is, it’s also a popular destination for motorcyclists, downhill mountain bikers, and fly fishermen (seriously, you should see the streams here). But, in my opinion, the real hidden gem here is ESSA — the Eureka Springs School of the Arts.

The Campus

The Eureka Springs School of the Arts is a 55 acre campus, catering to both locals and students traveling in from across the United States. Founded in 1998, ESSA receive its 501(c) status as a non-profit in 2001. Built upon grants from the Arkansas Art Council, the classes hosted at ESSA have grown from a couple of weeks a year to now offering year-round classes, ranging from one day-courses to five-day workshops.