Inspiration Point History

HISTORY OF INSPIRATION POINT FINE ARTS COLONY

Inspiration Point, poetically described as “a mountainous place not too many miles from heaven,” is located northwest of Eureka Springs, Arkansas, and overlooks the White River valley some 600 feet below . To create an idyllic scene, the lowlands merge into the incomparably beautiful Ozark Mountains .

THE BEGINNING

In 1928, a German-born architectural engineer, Charles Mowers, purchased the land overlooking the White River valley and began construction of a castle patterned after those of the Rhine River valley. In 1932, the unfinished castle and the grounds were purchased by Rev. Charles Scoville, a Christian missionary and evangelist, who completed the castle and gave it its name, Inspiration Point. When he died in 1938, his wife gave the estate to Phillips University in Enid, OK. For more than a decade the property was a white elephant. In 1950, Dr. Henry Hobart, Dean of Fine Arts at Phillips University, was asked to start a summer music camp at Inspiration Point. Dr. Hobart had founded a summer opera program in Enid and welcomed the opportunity. With the support of Gertrude Stockard, Director of Music at Eureka Springs High School, Inspiration Point Fine Arts Colony (IPFAC) came into being in the summer of 1950, with a little of everything in vocal and instrumental music and dramatic art. There were about as many staff members as there were students. Dr. and Mrs. Hobart decided to make Inspiration Point Fine Arts Colony into an opera or music drama summer workshop, conducted under the highest professional standards for talented college, high school, and junior high school students. All opera roles would be performed entirely by the students; no lead singers would be brought in to sing the principal roles. The theme of Inspiration Point Fine Arts Colony would be, “The students are the stars.”

For the first two years or so, a major portion of the funds needed for operating expenses and capital expenditures were provided by Dr. and Mrs. Hobart personally or by loans obtained from Phillips University. Some construction materials were donated by Eureka Springs businesses and Dr. Hobart frequented government war surplus warehouses. Practice pianos and furniture were obtained as gifts from churches, schools, and individuals, but the financial needs were greater than the Hobarts and a handful of loyal supporters could continue to meet.

THE FEDERATION OF MUSIC CLUBS JOINS THE TEAM

Dr. Hobart had been state opera chairman for the Oklahoma State Federation of Music Clubs. He suggested to the federation president that the state federation sponsor the youth opera workshop. The state federations of Arkansas, Kansas, and Missouri were invited to become co-sponsors of the project. Arkansas became active in 1952. Kansas became active in 1953, and Missouri joined in 1954. The Illinois State Federation became a cosponsor in 1974, the Texas State Federation joined in 1989, and Iowa State Federation in 1993.

In 1959, Inspiration Point Fine Arts Colony obtained a 99year lease from Phillips University on all of the Inspiration Point property. In the early 1970s, Dr. Vernon Baker purchased the Inspiration Point property from Phillips University, subject to the 99-year lease. Dr. Baker donated all of the land south of the highway, about 66 acres together with the buildings thereon, to the Fine Arts Colony. In return, the Fine Arts Colony gave up its lease on all the property north of the highway.

Dr. and Mrs. Hobart moved from Enid to Inspiration Point in 1964 and lived in the castle until Dr. Hobart’s death in early 1966. Mrs. Hobart lived there alone until 1973 when she moved into Eureka Springs. During most of those years she was the only person living on the Inspiration Point grounds during the fall and winter months.

GROWTH

From the ramshackle buildings that Dr. Hobart began with, the campus has required continual improvements to adapt to changing standards. Indoor plumbing, hot water, and air conditioning were not part of the original campus but are necessary to the comfort of modern day students and audiences. An enclosed stage pavilion with stage lighting was not built at Inspiration Point until the late 1960s.

Prior to its completion, night opera performances on the IPFAC campus were not possible. Most of the opera performances up to that time were given at the city auditorium in downtown Eureka Springs with some operas being staged in nearby communities and

universities. For the past 50+ years, most performances have been held at the IPFAC campus. Air conditioning was added in 2014. IPFAC remains committed to improving its facilities and recognizes that this will continue to require a substantial investment.

ONLY THE BEST

Dr. Hobart’s philosophy with regard to the faculty was to try to get only the best. As a result, a number of eminent artists at the top of their professions have been associated with Inspiration Point. The most outstanding of these was Dr. Isaac Van Grove. His accomplishments as an opera composer, conductor of leading opera companies, vocal coach, and accompanist for several world famous singers qualified him as an opera director of the highest order. At 18, he was a nationally known concert pianist. He served as accompanist and vocal coach for famous artists such as Enrico Caruso, Lauritz Melchior, Mary Garden, and Grace Moore. He composed several operas specifically for use with the young singers at Inspiration Point, and IPFAC was given the publishing rights to these operas. He was conductor of opera companies in Chicago, St. Louis, Cleveland, and elsewhere. Dr. Van Grove was the artistic director at Inspiration Point for 25 years, up to his death in 1979 at the age of 86. For twenty years, up to her death in 1976, Joan Woodruff, wife of Dr. Van Grove and an internationally known choreographer and ballet instructor, taught advanced ballet, stage action, and stylized dance forms at Inspiration Point. Dr. Hobart and Dr. Van Grove’s legacies have been upheld throughout the years by other distinguished faculty. Musical and theatrical staff are drawn from the nation’s best music and theater schools and from professional opera companies and theaters.

Until 1986, orchestra training was an important facet of IPFAC. In addition to accompanying the operas, the orchestra presented concerts featuring symphonic music. Orchestra students received instruction in their respective instruments from professional teachers who also played in the orchestra. The opera students gained invaluable training and experience in performing with

a full orchestra, a feature not provided at many opera programs. Orchestral training was discontinued in 1986, but in 1990 a small professional level orchestra was hired to accompany the opera performances, a practice which continues.

As the level of opera training in universities has risen, so have the ages of IPFAC students. The objective in recent years has been to become a career preparation center. Accordingly, the artist ages have risen from college age up to 35. The nature of the repertoire has also gradually changed. In earlier years the operas generally were light and relatively easy to learn. All were in the English language. In recent years the trend has been to perform major operas in the original language. Thus, the challenge to learn and perform has grown with the artists’ increasing abilities. The length of the summer session has been increased to eight weeks.

The effectiveness of training received at Inspiration Point is demonstrated by the success of its alumni. Several are internationally famous. Many have performed with the Metropolitan Opera and companies in Chicago, New York City, San Francisco, Houston, and internationally. Students who do not go on to become opera stars are successful academics, church musicians, private music teachers, or are thriving in non-musical careers. The friendships that develop at “The Point” last a lifetime.

GOVERNANCE

Guiding and overseeing the development and activities of Inspiration Point Fine Arts Colony is the responsibility and function of its board of directors. The Governing Board consists of 21 regular members – two from each of the sponsoring states with additional members-atlarge. The Governing Board is responsible for the overall planning, development, and activities of IPFAC. The members of the Associate Boards are involved in the handling of matters affecting their respective individual states, such as recruiting and publicity, and in providing advice and counsel to the Governing Board. A Board of Trustees administers the IPFAC Endowment Fund and has responsibility for matters involving land and buildings. In July of each year, the South Central Region of the National Federation of Music Clubs holds its annual Federation Days in Eureka Springs and at Inspiration Point.