Houston Arts Resource Council Celebrates 27 Years of Creativity

A champion of local artists, HARC continues to enrich Southeast Minnesota’s cultural offerings

By Rose Korabek, November 4, 2025

An older woman with gray hair and glasses sits under a large tree on a sunny day, playing a nyckel harpa—a wooden instrument resembling a violin with keys and strings. She wears a blue T-shirt with a colorful abstract print and a Star of David necklace. The scene feels peaceful, with soft sunlight on green grass.

At Meadowfest, musician Donna Buckbee played the nyckel harpa, a keyed fiddle that became the National Instrument of Sweden in the 1300s. (Photo courtesy of Rose Korabek)

HOUSTON COUNTY – For nearly three decades, the Houston Arts Resource Council (HARC) has been the quiet engine behind a thriving art scene in Houston, Minn. Holding nonprofit status since in 1998, this volunteer-driven organization has connected artists, supported festivals and brought public art to life throughout the region.

As the “longest running small town arts organization supervised by the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council (SEMAC)”, HARC has brought a wide range of unique artistic experiences to the region.

From the whimsical metal sculptures to the diverse Meadowfest gatherings to the annual Apollo Music Festival, HARC’s mission remains the same: to celebrate creativity and keep art at the center of community life in southeastern Minnesota.

A close-up view of a large wooden sculpture carved from a tree trunk shows an owl perched upright with detailed feathers and wide eyes. The background reveals late-autumn trees with bare branches and a few golden leaves, suggesting a crisp fall day in Houston, Minnesota.

This chainsaw carved owl can be seen at the Houston City Park. (Photo by Rose Korabek)

“The group has been around for a long time but so many people don’t know about it,” says HARC Treasurer, Diane Crane. She attributes part of the issue to no longer having a dedicated local newspaper or a communication clearinghouse for Houston. But the group has also endured other issues that nonprofits deal with.

“We closed up shop during COVID and some members moved elsewhere,” she added. “The core has stayed.

“Mary Denzer and Twyla Thorson are key to that,” she says. “We had a very active secretary who is no longer available.” The group recently filled that spot with HARC member Sue Fletcher.

“I have been involved with HARC since 2018,” said Fletcher. “I wanted to be involved to support and learn about local art offerings and to connect with other artists.”

The Houston Area Chamber of Commerce recognizes the group as important to the community, stating on its website, “HARC supports a variety of arts from visual to performing, storytelling and sculpture, this organization is to thank for the Parade of Owls and the annual Houston Arts Festival.”

Besides sponsoring events, HARC can also “help get grants and act as a fiscal agent,” said HARC President Twyla Thorson. “HARC helps sponsor the Apollo Music Festival, an annual classical music festival in Houston. We get into this and that, and now we’re sponsoring Meadowfest.” In fact, the group currently focuses on four regular events held annually.

A woman with short gray hair and glasses stands behind a display table at an outdoor festival. Her booth, covered with blue tablecloths, features colorful handmade fabric crafts, cards, and quilted items. Sunlight filters through the trees behind her, illuminating a cheerful forest-edge setting.

HARC President Twyla Thorson sold her wares at Meadowfest in September. (Photo by Rose Korabek)

Just in time for the holidays

Leading into the holiday shopping season, HARC holds the annual Houston Arts Festival on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. This year’s 2025 event takes place on Saturday, Nov. 29, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Hurricane Hub, 202 S. Sheridan St., Houston, Minn. Admission is free. Lunch will be provided by Houston students and is available for purchase.

Local artwork for sale will feature stained glass, stoneware pottery, photography, jewelry, baskets, hand painted artwork, wood carvings and knit fiber art, as well as local honey.

Parade of Owls art tour

Crane said, “We initiated this project for the owls.”

Houston is home to the International Owl Center, chosen for this region because while making up just 3 percent of Minnesota’s land area, Houston hosts over 40 percent of the state’s rare owl species, the great horned owl.

Three metal owls perch together on a curved branch in a sculpture by artist Howard Tomashek. The piece, mounted on a black pedestal, gleams in the sunlight with bronze and silver tones. Green maple leaves frame the background, hinting at early autumn.

A metal owl sculpture perches outside Houston Elementary School, one of 12 commissioned pieces by HARC that comprise the Parade of Owls in Houston, Minn. (Photo by Rose Korabek)

HARC commissioned various regional artists, including Winona sculptor Howard Tomashek, to create 12 metal owl sculptures. The “Parade of Owls” sculptures can be viewed year-round throughout Houston.

Thorson explained that while the commission began with a call for owls made from metal, they added other local artists who incorporated chainsaw carving, concrete and stained glass and recycled bicycle parts.

To view the permanent public art tour map and information on the artists, click here.

An older woman in a stray hat holds a painting of a bald eagle's head againsta a blue background.

Judy Schultz of rural Houston, Minn. shows off the Sue Fletcher eagle photograph she won at a HARC event. (Photo courtesy of HARC Facebook page)

Meadowfest held in spring and fall

This popular twice-per-year festival is now sponsored by HARC and hosted at board member Mary Denzer’s Seven Bridges Pottery‘s valley studio (7246 Chisholm Rd., just south of State Highway 16 about halfway between Houston and Rushford).

There are vendors, musicians, magicians and free food. Meadowfest runs on Saturday and Sunday during the last weekends of June and September.

The most recent September Meadowfest had nearly perfect weather. It featured “loads of gorgeous handmade pottery for sale and several other talented local artists and makers!” was the description on Owl Bluff Farm‘s Facebook page. They participate by “slinging free pizza snacks topped with our veggies and baked fresh in Seven Bridges’ wood-fired oven. It’s a laid-back gathering in a beautiful setting with some super fun people.”

Apollo Music Festival

Garret Ross, a pianist and native of Houston, Minn., founded the Apollo Music Festival (AMF) in 2013. It is a classical music festival focusing mostly on chamber music.

Ross presented his first professional concert in Houston in December of 2012, with cellist Ruth Marshall, in the space that would become the International Owl Center.

A black-and-white photograph captures a full audience inside a modern church with wooden walls and high ceilings. Rows of people stand and applaud as musicians, including a pianist and a small ensemble, take a bow near the altar. Soft light streams through tall side windows, giving the image a timeless and reverent atmosphere.

Apollo Music Festival concert (Photo courtesy of Apollo Music Festival)

AMF runs every summer during the two weeks before Labor Day, producing four concerts in Houston, plus other concerts in communities like Caledonia, Winona, La Crosse and St. Paul.

Since 2014, AMF has also offered educational opportunities for students, including master classes with its guest musicians, and student recitals.

Artistic Director Garret Ross said, “For myself personally, it is an annual return to my roots. I grew up in Houston and was inspired by my local music teachers and local music organizations to pursue a career in music. I hope that, like the people who inspired me, the Apollo Music Festival can give back to the community through music.”

In the spirit of sharing, every event at AMF is free and open to the general public. For information additional details, visit the Apollo Music Festival’s website

Supporting HARC and the local arts community

Thorson said the group couldn’t do much through the pandemic but is doing so much more now, including trying to attract more artists. “They don’t have to live in Houston to be in HARC,” she added.

Other board members include Sui Conrad, Marianne Zerbe, Ann Kramer and Mary Denzer. Conrad serves as the council’s lead photographer. Lifetime Members include Ron Evenson, Jean Collette and Drue Ferguson.

“All of us on the board are artists,” said Fletcher. “I do bird photography, Mary does pottery, Twyla does fabric art, Diane and Marianne paint and Sui does photography. It’s a fun group of talented folks!”

The board of HARC invites all area residents to join in. Attend their events; support artists through buying their wares; donate to the organization or become a member or volunteer to help the organization. HARC’s current needs include a volunteer to help manage their dormant Facebook page.

For more information, contact the council at: HARC@goacentek.net.

Read these Root River Current articles to see how some of HARC’s board members express their creativity

Root River Current’s coverage of the arts is made possible, in part, by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts & cultural heritage fund.

Contributor

Rose Korabek

Rose Korabek owns Korabek Ink & Edit, LLC based in southeast Minnesota. She is an award-winning storyteller who enjoys exploring culture, cuisine and landscapes. She's been associate editor for the Caledonia Argus and a writer for the Rochester Post Bulletin. Her hobbies include reading, taking nature hikes, traveling and visiting farmers markets.