Chicken Farm Art Center sold to new owners

(KLST/KSAN)– Roger Allen 1st opened the Hen Farm Artwork Heart in 1971. Jerry Warnell labored along with him for above a few many years.

“I satisfied him in 1985 and we grew to become wide pals,” Warnell said. “It was all about the Rooster Farm and his dream of what the Hen Farm really should be.”

Allen passed absent in 2019. He left 50 percent of the Chicken Farm to Jerry and his spouse, Susan. Soon just after, they started out getting discussions about their personal retirements. Jerry explained he and Roger’s spouse, Pam, began the lookup for new proprietors, but it was not simple. If actuality, they turned away numerous gives.

Hope was soon restored as soon as Chasity and Juston Oakes arrived alongside. The couple stated they fell in adore with the art middle although on a date night time at the Silo Household Restaurant. They had ideas of investing in some serious estate. That is when the Rooster Farm arrived up.

“We sort of brushed it off and considered there is no way we are in all probability a prolonged shot from staying able to acquire the Rooster Farm, but it retained on coming up on our queries and we could not deny the sensation that we felt like the Rooster Farm was calling us,” Chasity mentioned.

Chasity and Juston moved to San Angelo about two yrs back and spoke of seeking to set up roots listed here in the neighborhood. What far better way than to develop into the entrepreneurs one of the city’s major tourist sights?

“If we could have hand picked two new folks to choose in excess of the Rooster Farm, we couldn’t have performed any superior,” Warnell mentioned.

Juston reported their intention is to keep Roger Allen’s legacy alive, although also putting their own spin on the spot.

“Roger Allen did a large amount of excellent function in excess of the decades with the stripe ware and the star keeper sequence and a lot of other collection and we want to retain that legacy alive and expand on that and carry in other potters’ perform and incorporate it into the pottery store and the retail gallery to give other artists possibly even exterior of San Angelo a area to offer their amazing artwork,” Juston said.

Suitable now there are a few bed and breakfast spots at the artwork middle. Chasity claimed they are on the lookout into potentially including a few a lot more.

“And we’ll also be increasing into 1 of the residences, Roger Allen’s house actually, and making that into an air bnb as perfectly,” Chasity explained.

The couple stated they want people today to occur make recollections and stay as lengthy as they’d like.

“Also want to turn this into a location exactly where folks can occur and have birthday functions, relatives reunions, or marriage receptions and just appreciate the atmosphere and the society,” Juston explained.

Chasity stated they system to continue to keep the integrity and the spirit of the artwork centre Roger Allen created all these a long time ago.

“We want to protect that legacy and do things that greatly enhance the neighborhood listed here in the campus to make it prosper another 50 yrs or a lot more,” Chasity stated.

Juston said there’s additional to encounter than just the to start with Saturday, but also 7 days days all thirty day period very long.

“Please discover, get your time, for the reason that that is what genuinely drew my spouse and I into it,” Juston mentioned.

Jerry mentioned he designs to remain related to the Chicken Farm without end.

“I’ve used more than 30 a long time below, so I indicate it’s house,” Warnell claimed. “It’s what we have always required to do is get it bigger and superior but we ran out of electrical power, and these individuals are at the point wherever they are just finding all set to go.”

He stated he hopes the community welcomes the Oakes with open up arms.

“I know that it’s going to get the Rooster Farm to even larger and improved,” Warnell explained.