We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Beth Cooper. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Beth below.

Alright, Beth thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

Someone once told me “no,” and that turned out to be one of the best things that ever happened to me! The story of Bluebird Studio is part of a plan that developed slowly over many years and finally came to fruition in 2022. We moved to Santa Fe in early 2018 after living in Denver for 30 years. We owned a second home in Santa Fe for over a decade and always had in the back of our minds the idea of moving permanently to New Mexico. Although retirement for my husband was years away, we both wanted to find a property where he could have horses and I could pursue my passion for art.

One day, I casually mentioned to a neighbor in Santa Fe that I had an idea for an art workshop space—my exact words were “art barn.” She shook her head and said that won’t work, it’s been tried before and they always fail. As a student of many pastel workshops over a 10-year span, particularly in Santa Fe, I noticed that many of the local spaces were inadequate and didn’t offer a true Santa Fe experience. As a former event planner for a local Congressman in Colorado, I knew I had the skills to put together a successful event space, but I lacked business experience. The “no” I received from that neighbor spurred me into action and challenged me to make my dream a reality. I was like “watch me”!

We searched for years to find the perfect property in the Santa Fe area and eventually decided to purchase a 50-year-old small ranch that needed remodeling from top to bottom. We made an offer, sold our home in Denver, and moved to Santa Fe full-time. I built this business from the ground up with the help of my husband, who is an attorney. I also hired a local business lawyer, a web designer, a business coach, a graphic designer, an architect, and a contractor. Most importantly, we constructed the studio after completing the main house.

Fortunately, my husband retired just before COVID hit, and opening an event-based business in the midst of a pandemic was, to put it mildly, not the best idea. We pushed through the challenges of the pandemic and launched our first workshop in April 2022. I held six workshops in my first year, collaborating with well-known, established artists, many of whom I had studied with in the past, including Desmond O’Hagen, Barbara Jaenicke, and Mike Mahon. It was a risk for these artists to trust me during that first year, as our enrollment numbers were low, but you have to start somewhere!

Success brings its own rewards. In 2023, I hosted ten workshops. I began with zero social media followers and no newsletter subscribers, but I persevered. Slowly, like filling a bucket drop by drop, the name of the studio started to spread, my lists grew, and this past year, I hosted twelve workshops featuring many highly esteemed art instructors.

Despite not having any previous business, marketing, or accounting skills, I managed to make it work! I also celebrated my 69th birthday on Thanksgiving Day in 2024 and as other people are retiring at 65, Billy and I completely started new lives with our 3 horses, 4 dog and 5 grandchildren. Moving to a new town, building new friendships, remodeling an entire ranch, and launching a business have proven to keep us both busy, opened new doors, and created many interesting and wonderful friendships in our lives.

Beth, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My passion for art has been a lifelong dream. As I was growing up I was always coloring, drawing and painting or creating things – needlepoint, knitting, and crafts. However, I didn’t pursue art at the University of Oklahoma, as the 70s art scene didn’t resonate with me.

While raising our children in Denver, I explored various careers, including running a faux finish business and working as an event planner as a Congressional staffer. In 2001, I went back to school to work on a degree in Interior Design, but it wasn’t really what I wanted to do, which was to be a professional artist. I just didn’t know how to do that.

A friend, also an artist, invited me to teach art to homeschool kids in Denver. Teaching 8- to 10-year-olds made me realize that teaching is one of the best ways to learn! One Christmas, the kids gifted me a certificate to a local art store, where I purchased soft pastels that inspired me to start taking pastel workshops with renowned artists like Albert Handell and Liz Haywood-Sullivan. I joined pastel societies and plein air groups in New Mexico and Colorado and I started to show my work in local and even national shows.

These experiences led to the idea of hosting art workshops at Bluebird. What makes our workshops unique is that students when students come to one of the workshops, we are welcoming them into our home. I have a motto that says, “You enter our lives a stranger, but depart as a friend”. We provide complimentary breakfasts and snacks; we cater in lunches to let students focus solely on art. I help find accommodations and organize cultural experiences in Santa Fe, including visiting local museums, touring art galleries on Canyon Road and group dinners.

Each workshop is tailored to the instructor’s preferences, ensuring an excellent experience for both teachers and students. We offer workshops in oil, acrylic, watercolor, soft pastel, both in the studio and in plein air. We have workshops that focus on painting or sculpting horses, portraiture and still life.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

I believe that people who think they can’t even “draw a stick figure” should give it a try. I’ve heard countless stories from individuals about negative experiences with junior high art teachers who completely stifled their creativity. Many express that they don’t feel “good enough” to take an art class, even though they have a desire to create; they are often afraid of failing and feel they lack talent.
I repeatedly tell people that anyone can learn to be an artist! If you have the yearning and desire to create, that gift is already within you; it just needs to be coaxed out. Art should not be reserved for prodigies or those who have spent years studying in places like Paris or New York City—art is for everyone!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Running an art workshop space involves a lot of hard work, planning, and time spent on the computer. There’s also a significant investment in advertising and researching marketing, especially on social media. At times, I do feel tired and wish I had more time to focus on my own art. However, I learn so much from each workshop!

Looking back at photos from past workshops and hearing from my students reminds me that I am creating a special environment for others to pursue their dreams. Many years ago, I realized that hospitality is also one of my gifts, and this workshop allows me to utilize that talent in a positive way and give back to others.

One of the biggest perks is the friendships I’ve formed with my art instructors. They stay in our guest house, we plan the workshops together, share meals, and enjoy a glass of wine while discussing art and life. This camaraderie has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my workshop endeavors. I feel motivated and guided by many of these artists, and I know I can reach out to them when I need help with my own art. Also, I have made many new friendships with my students. Some have returned time and time again and over the years they have become our friends and one woman who took a class at Bluebird is now one of my employees and helps me set up meals, make the coffee and keeps the place running!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.bluebirdstudiosantafe.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bluebirdstudiosantafe
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-cooper-91899174/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bluebirdstudiostudios