From its art-filled headquarters in Argenta, the arts education nonprofit Thea Foundation carries on the legacy of Thea Leopoulos, an Arkansas student who thrived academically and emotionally thanks to her emerging interest in the arts. Since 2001, her story has been echoed and amplified through the many students and teachers impacted by Thea’s programs.
Clark Trim and Henrik Thostrup, owners of Colonial Wines & Spirits, also share stories that underscore the importance of the arts. As this year’s recipients of the Pillar of Arts honor at Thea’s biennial Into the Blue gala, their consistent support for the arts highlights the ripple effect of creativity, how a personal interest can blossom to benefit the entire state.
An Arkansas native, Trim grew up in what he calls an “arts desert.” His thirst for the arts led him to seek out performances wherever he could find them — from musicals on TV to an eventual stint in Europe. Thostrup, who grew up in Denmark, was raised in a family that valued the arts and enjoyed easy access to plays and the symphony, an informal education that developed a lasting love for the arts.
In 1992 they bought Colonial Wines & Spirits, allowing them to transform a hobby into a successful business. Not only do they have a day job that counts “explore the wine continents” among its duties, but their continued success allows them to give back, specifically to Thea and the local art community.
“Their generosity has touched most of the performing arts organizations in central Arkansas, and we are grateful to call them legacy donors of Thea,” says Nick Leopoulos, executive director of Thea Foundation and brother of its namesake. “Clark served on our board of directors, and he and Henrik have supported Thea through their gifts, time and in-kind gifts over the past 10 years. They believe in the transformative power of the arts in the lives of students and how important that is to building community in our state.”
Thea Foundation has been dedicated to that transformative power for the last 22 years. Much like an intricate musical score, Thea harmonizes three programs to reach students, teachers and communities in every corner of the state.
According to the foundation, most art teachers in Arkansas are allotted less than one dollar per student for materials. Thea’s Art Closet is designed to bridge the gap, allowing public school teachers to apply for creative supplies.
“How can they teach a basic drawing class or coloring class without crayons? There’s no money in the budget to buy them. Or music without instruments? There’s no money to buy them. Thea’s Art Closet provides the tools teachers need to engage students in creative and thoughtful instruction,” Trim says.
Last year alone, 394 wish lists were fulfilled, and as of 2023, Thea has provided more than $4 million in needed supplies to underfunded classrooms across the state.
Thea also awards 36 scholarships annually to high school seniors for higher education, no matter their intended major. To date, more than $3 million has been given to students in categories including performing arts, creative writing and fashion. The program has fueled both academic success and the careers of future working performers and artists.
“What I find so amazing about the Thea Foundation is how thankful these recipients are,” Thostrup says. “It is coming full circle right now, and we are seeing that some of the first recipients are coming back to the state and giving back to the community … and showing what they were able to do, which will inspire so many other young people.”
Scholarship recipients also perform at Into the Blue, and Trim and Thostrup treasure the performances they’ve enjoyed at past events, from slam poets to football stars turned Boadway-bound singers.
Through the Arts Reconstruction initiative, Thea also helps build and bolster arts education programs by giving high school art teachers access to intensive professional development. Teachers can engage in graduate-level study to learn new mediums and share their fresh artistic energy and techniques with their students. Thea will highlight the work of Arts Reconstruction teachers and their students with The Creative Collective II gallery, an exclusive preview of which will debut at Into the Blue before it opens to the public.
Thea Foundation will also continue to engage the community this year with events that put a spotlight on both creative Arkansans and its mission as a whole. These include Thea’s Art Department, a quarterly series of exhibitions featuring local artists like Perrion Hurd, Bri Peterson, Crystal Mercer and Rex Deloney; and Thea Paves the Way, an annual student chalk art event at the Clinton Presidential Center coming this fall. Into the Blue will take center stage in North Little Rock at UA Pulaski Technical College’s CHARTS theater on April 6.
Looking ahead, Leopoulos shares Thea’s 2024 focus.
“We are adamant about growing our programs exponentially,” he says. “We have seen a record number of requests for support from schools.”
And so Thea will continue to work toward its goal of providing creative material to every public classroom that has a need. With his own small town upbringing, Trim loves Thea’s far-reaching impact.
“A lot of people don’t realize that Thea is a statewide organization,” Trim says. “The programs are so important to every teacher in every part of the state.
“When teachers have what they need, there’s no limit to what they can do.”
Into the Blue
Benefiting Thea Foundation
April 6, 6:30 p.m. | UA-PTC CHARTS
Info: theafoundation.org/into-the-blue