I’ve heard about the Sparkle Barn in Wallingford for years, but never had the chance to go. I drove past it many times, and noticed how cool it looked, but didn’t have time to stop in. Friends told me how much I would like the place, and boy were they right. On June 30th, I DJ’d their 7th Anniversary Party, and even though it rained, it was a good time. It’s an amazing place, both inside and out. Everywhere you look, there’s some really cool art. I could spend hours in the gift shop. My friend Stephanie Cassineri told me it has everything I don’t need. I disagree, there was so much I do need. I’ll definitely be back again. After I posted about it, so many friends commented how much they like the place. As soon as I walked in I knew I needed to write an article about it, so I spoke with owner and artist Stacy Harshman to learn more.
The Sparkle Barn is called “Unique gifts in a magical environment.” Stacy said, “It’s like a gift shop and immersive art experience in one, that’s full of life and color.”
Stacy lived in Manhattan, prior to moving to Vermont in 2015. She suffers from depression, and first came here to Spring Lake Ranch in Cuttingsville, for therapy. She stayed there for about 9 months and then moved to Rutland. She was painting in her apartment, and put her art online, and got a following on her Facebook art page of about 20,000 people. Please visit “Stacy Harshman Art” on Facebook/Instagram and stacyharshman.com to see more. Stacy said, “I sold a few pieces a week so that gave me some confidence, and the idea I could sell my work and other artist’s work too. I wanted a shop, and a barn so I looked in Rutland real estate and found this place.”
Stacy did art projects in NYC, not really becoming an “artist” until moving here. She had a business making glass lighting, she sourced and sold vintage antique tribal rugs, and she wrote a book, “Crowning Glory – An Experiment in Self-Discovery Through Disguise”, and before all that she did music. She said, “I’ve been creative, just not necessarily art. I’ve gone up and down with depression my whole life. I was in a slump and ended up buying this long, red wig. It kind of changed me into this power goddess, which I didn’t expect. I went out, into the world in Manhattan, and I got so much attention. After a week or two, I wondered why since I didn’t get this much attention as me, it was ridiculous.” She hired a “research assistant” and they went out on the town, each week with a different colored wig: blonde, brunette, redhead, and documented everything that happened. Stacy added, “It wasn’t a serious scientific experiment but like an experiment of discovery. I also did a week with my hair, and felt quite vulnerable because I wasn’t in disguise.” The red got the most attention, it was flashy, she was asked out the most as a blonde, and blended into the scenery as a brunette. I’m going to have to check out this book, which took about 2 years to write.
If you search “Stacy Harshman Music” you’ll find the 6 albums she made. When she was younger, in France, she wrote a bunch of songs on guitar. She moved to Manhattan to record an album with a friend, of a friend. Stacy said, “I never met him, which was awkward, but for the time I think it was really good. I kept recording more music, and I did play out with another person in Manhattan, and played some gigs.” She played piano, but said, “I wrote the songs with some crazy tunings on guitar.”
Art has definitely helped with her depression. She said, “The whole Sparkle Barn is kind of my art therapy project. I want to make it as beautiful as possible, and put as much of my creativity into it as possible. It pays off, people enjoy it, and that makes me feel good.” I’m one of those people. There’s so much creativity, everywhere you look. The gift shop sells unique items, but it’s the art that is really unique. Upstairs is what they call “The Bloom Room”. They’re working on expanding that. When I went up there, I felt like I was in an “Alice in Wonderland” type of playroom. It is very colorful, with flowers everywhere. It’s something you need to see, to believe. Stacy said, “I get to create a beautiful space with different elements of furniture, fabric, and giant flowers. It’s great for me to intellectually be stimulated, and having a goal really helps. I’ve had a really good run with the Sparkle Barn the last 7 years.” The “Bloom Room” should be finished in about a month and then they plan on having events up there like Open Mic, Story-telling, Art Classes, Plays, Comedy, etc.
As soon as you park, you’ll see the “Magic Garden” out front with a giant unicorn. Before the pandemic, little girls were coming there wearing their sparkliest outfit, making it an outing so Stacy wanted to make something special for them. She said, “I thought that was so sweet. I wanted to give a bigger experience, more than just a gift shop. I took the corner of the parking lot, and had my way with it, just kept building. I wanted to give kids, and adults, more of an experience.”
In the nicer weather months, there’s a dragon story walk out on the front lawn. When you do the walk, each dragon has a podium with their story that you can read. At the end, there’s a box that says, “Find the source of your inner sparkle.” When you open the box, you find a mirror. There’s also dragon cards that say, “You’re an honorary member of the land of Sparkle Dragons. What’s your magic power? Go forth and sparkle.” Stacy said, “It’s something that’s imaginative, and fun.”
Stacy, and her partner/fellow artist Garrison Buxton are working on converting a 26 foot truck, that will have the aesthetic and vibe of the “Bloom Room” upstairs, and be rented for parties. It will be like an immersive art experience of being in a garden, but in a truck.
Stacy ended with saying, “I’m always thinking about how I can be more creative, and provide more experience. I like to come up with ideas, so to have a canvas where I can make my ideas a reality, is pretty exciting. I like when people enjoy my art, when it has a life outside of me.”
Please visit the Sparkle Barn on Facebook and Instagram to see more of their colorfulness, and uniqueness.
