new adventures at Lucky Star!

The Lucky Star Farm Residency Program is currently on hold. We are in the process of expanding our community outreach and opening a new avenue for artists and the community to interact. Lucky Star Handmade, an artist co-op, will be opened in the Spring of 2024 in the town of Yellville. Residencies will resume at a later date. You can still contact us and let us know you are interested.

The Lucky Star Farm AiR Program offers two-week residencies in the Spring and Fall with a stipend of $500. We welcome emerging and established artists in a wide range of disciplines—visual arts, music, performance art, theater, dance, writing, culinary arts, photography, architecture, interior design, garden design, textile arts, sculpture, graphic design, biology, ecology, food preservation, and farming. All residencies include room and board at no charge. At the present we can accommodate one to two artists at a time. Applications will be reviewed twice a year by a panel of creative professionals.

Unique to Lucky Star is the inclusion of a textile dyeing program. Textile Artists who work in natural plant dyeing have access to plant materials specifically grown for fabric dyeing in our dye garden. At Lucky Star we grow indigo, woad, madder and many other dye plants. Our new outdoor dye structure can facilitate experimenting with historical dyeing methods. Seasonal dyeing materials can also be sustainably wild harvested or gleaned from the farm’s flower and herb garden.

Now more than ever we need artists, creative thinkers, and storytellers to help us reconnect to the ecological and social communities where we live. Art and culture can help facilitate dialogue that connects local experiences with larger contexts by helping people find common ground across political, geographical, and ideological boundaries.

LOCATION AND FARM - Lucky Star Farm is nestled in the ancient Ozark Mountains on 174 naturally beautiful wilderness acres just off the lower Buffalo National River. Because the farm is located in the traditional territory of the Sioux, Osage and Quapaw peoples we gratefully honor the land as well as the people who were the original inhabitants of the area.

We grow approximately 80% of the vegetables, herbs, fruits and meat we consume year-round. We eat seasonally and utilize a high tunnel to extend our harvest through the winter months. The summer harvest is preserved by freezing, drying and canning. We raise chickens for meat and eggs, sheep for meat, and goats for clearing land. Our beloved rescue dogs Zulu, Jockamo, and Stella protect our animals and the farm.

The majority of our energy needs are supplied by the sun. We have sparkling clean well water for drinking. Two clear-flowing creeks on the property provide beauty, a wildlife habitat and a refreshing dip on a hot summer day. Our creeks drain directly into the Buffalo National River which makes us stewards of the watershed to this precious natural resource.

Wildlife is everywhere! We share the land with many forms of life: wild turkey, deer, fox, wild boar, otter, beaver, bobcat, coyote, snakes, raccoon, and the occasional bear. The Ozarks are home to hundreds of bird species that nest, fish, and forage in the area.

There are many hiking opportunities in the immediate area and hundreds of miles of hiking trails within an hour’s drive. The nearby waterways (Buffalo National River, Crooked Creek, White River, Bull Shoals and Norfork Lake) all offer hiking, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, swimming, bird-watching and serenity.

While the beauty and isolation can be a creative godsend for many, it’s not for everyone. You will never be alone on the farm, and we can arrange for as much or as little contact with the local community as you desire. But keep in mind, if you only work well with constant interaction with others, this might not be the residency for you. There is no public transportation in the area. A car would be required if you plan to leave the farm during your stay. The nearest town, Yellville, has a population of 1200 with basic services such as gas, groceries and banking. The larger town of Mountain Home is 35 miles away from the farm.