(Reprinted with permission from the Peninsula Pulse, all rights reserved, ©2004)

Hands On Art Studio on Peninsula Players Road in Fish Creek is a year-round do-it-yourself studio that provides a fun, relaxed atmosphere for artists of any age or ability to play with art. Visitors can try their hands at glass fusing, ceramic painting, pottery throwing or hand-building, mosaic tiling, glassware, furniture painting and more! When one first enters the 4,000-square-foot barn, it is apparent that there are thousands of projects to choose from, some specific studio areas, lots of tables and art supplies used to create.

There are some scheduled activities, such as summer Art Camp for Kids, and weekly Art Night for Adults (ages 21 and older) and everything else is “walk-in.” The atmosphere at Hands On is always free-flowing and casual. Open since the spring of 1999, owner Cy Turnbladh has grown his business steadily, keeping himself and his staff busy seven days a week, May through October and on weekends the rest of the year.

Q: How did you come up with the idea for Hands On?
A: My training and work background is in pottery, functional and decorative, so naturally I was interested when I first learned of an emerging industry known as Contemporary Ceramics Studios. And, given my restless and curious nature, I figured I could offer something like that in Door County. I visited one of these studios in Minnesota in the early ’90’s and basically filed the idea. However, when I first opened a tiny Hands On area in Spirited Hands Gallery in Juddville in the spring of 1996, I had no idea the journey I was beginning. It was clear to me that visitors to Door County were hungry for things to do, for art and craft projects. And, I loved the challenge of the idea of bringing as many mediums as possible to the forefront for my customers to experience.

Q: Why did you think Hands On Art Studio would work in Door County?
A: As with most new ventures, they are begun on a wing and a prayer, but I knew that Door County was becoming a place where people come to do things. I believed my gallery customers wanted to experience art, not just buy it. I was right. Hands On took off in the kitchen and living room of my little apartment in my gallery. The next spring, I remodeled the whole space to accommodate a Hands On studio large enough to meet the demand. I added glass fusing, glass painting, T-shirt painting along with some wooden objects to paint as well.

Q: Was Hands On an instant success?
A: In some ways it was received very well “instantly”, but again with any new venture, turning it from a sideline into a viable business takes effort, persistence and paying attention. Concurrent with running Spirited Hands Gallery and responding to the popularity of Hands On, I had an opportunity to purchase a 65-acre abandoned farm on Peninsula Players Road. It was one of those situations where “I couldn’t not do it.” The place was a wreck, except for the barn. Friends told me to build a house in the barn, and I told them there already was a house—sort of. At the time I had no idea that I would move Hands On two years later and that, a few years after that, the Art Barn would be full of artists, young and old.

Q: Did people begin doing artwork in the barn in 1999?
A: Yes, I had remodeled the downstairs of the barn in 1997, still not knowing I would move Hands On. Oh yes, I took 20,000 pounds of junk to the landfill and put sinks and snowmobiles and oil-fired heaters on the road to watch them “disappear” by the next morning. In 1998, I remodeled the dilapidated farmhouse into a home—another long and challenging project. The house needed everything: electricity, plumbing, rooms, roof, heat—everything. It’s a good thing I enjoy building and making old buildings better. In February of 1999, I was tired of building and moved into the house. By that May, I had moved Hands On and Spirited Hands to the downstairs of the barn and waited for my customers to find me. They slowly did. By July we were fairly busy and I found out that on rainy days Door County visitors really need things to do!

Q: How have you been able to accommodate so many people?
A: After that first season, it finally dawned on me to make the whole barn a usable space. At times I would show people the upstairs, and they were so enthralled by the beauty of the space, the shape of the ceiling—like an upside down ship’s hull—that I knew I needed to finish it by the following season. That remodeling added 2000 square feet along with two outside decks, one sunny in the morning and one sunny in the afternoon. By 2002, 95% of my business was Hands On projects. I added staff and services such as Art Camp, Adult Night and Art Outreach. I was devoting all of my time to helping other people make art. In the summer, it’s not uncommon to have 200 people a day make projects. For July of 2003, we were as busy in that one month as I was the whole first year in the Art Barn!

Q: Does the wide variety of projects make Hands On a success?
A: I think that variety itself is a big factor for Hands On clients. It’s funny sometimes to watch people wander around both floors for 45 minutes or an hour trying to decide on a project. Little kids are easy—the first puppy or kitty or fairy or Hummer or dinosaur is it—but the older they get, the more difficult the decision. I’m guessing here, but I think we have more variety and quantity of inventory than any other walk-in art studio open to the public. We have a separate wing of a building where we store inventory unloaded from semis. But seriously, other really important reasons why Hands On is so popular are: my staff is great—friendly, happy, helpful and informative, and the environment indoors and outdoors is beautiful and inspiring. As for activities in Door County, Hands On is a good deal. You have fun making something that you get to take home and tell the story or remember the memory! We want everyone to have a great time and let their imaginations take them away. There are times when there are, say, 50 people upstairs working on their own projects and, except for the music, it is totally quiet. Kids, parents, grandparents, couples—totally quiet. Wow! I marvel at the concentration, the relaxed focus, the spending time as a family not being entertained!

Q: Are there certain age groups or types of people who come to Hands On; i.e., “artsy-fartsy” types?
A: No. Not at all. We have a true cross-section of folks coming to Hands On: newlyweds from Wisconsin, families from Illinois, retirees from Florida, Scouts from Sturgeon Bay, high school exchange students from France, executives from Chicago doing teambuilding—as diverse as our society! The youngest artist we’ve had was 9 months. Mom had him in one of those front sling carriers, and she stuck a paintbrush in his hand and let him move the brush around on a plate! It was wonderful! Many families bring younger kids and make mementos with their kids’ handprints. Grandparents bring grandkids. Parents have their kids’ birthday parties at Hands On.

Q: Are you open year-round?
A: Yes. We just insulated the upstairs of the barn - another long project and this past autumn. I installed an outdoor wood-fired boiler to heat both the house and the Hands On barn. It’s an awesome system. So the heat is free, just some sweat and a bunch of deadwood and the whole building is comfortable and cozy.

Q: Are your rates competitive with other studios and other activities?
A: I think so. It is important to me to offer a good value. The majority of our clients are families, so a good value is important. In a tourist economy, it’s easy for prices to spiral out of reach and I don’t want that to happen or think that’s necessary. We charge a $7 studio fee, plus you buy your projects. You can come to Hands On and make, say, a mosaic mirror for the cost of $37, $30 for the tile and grout, and $7 for the studio time. But you couldn’t buy that same mirror at a store or gallery for less than $150. And you made it!

Q: Has all your hard work been worth it?
A: Absolutely! Even though the season is exhausting, I love what I do and enjoy every day, even the crazy rain days. People come back here time and time again because of all of us. My staff and myself. They come for the experience, the energy, the people and the environment. And they get to take something home that is one-of-a-kind, because they made it!