The fused-glass art studio that Shari Burke opened in May 2011 at 21 S. 12th St. – part of Kirchner Square – has new owners.

Heather Applegate and Amy Wilson took the helm of the enterprise on Nov. 30 and have an ambitious vision for its future.

“We want to take everything Sherri did and expand on it,” Wilson said.

Applegate said part of the game plan is to increase the number and variety of classes and art options Studio Fusion offers.

“With glass, there are so many things that you can do that we need to expand upon,” she said.

Art based on glass is at the heart of the enterprise, but the new owners are broadening the agenda significantly.

“We still want our main focus to be glass because we both love that,” Applegate said. “We want to bring more new fun things to Fort Dodge. We want somebody to look at our schedule and say ‘Wow, I’ve never heard of that. I want to come and do that.’ … Anything art. We want to get into and do everything.”

The range of possibilities is illustrated by the types of classes that were offered this month. They included beginning glass fusing, wine glass painting, princess pottery painting, arm knitting, pottery and canvas painting.

The owners both stressed that Studio Fusion has options with appeal to people of all ages and that young folks are welcome.

“We’ve had a lot of classes for kids and hope to add more in the summer,” Wilson said. “We’ve got 6-year-olds that do glass.”

Studio Fusion is a family-friendly business.

“Kids can come whenever, but we do offer specific instructor-led kids classes,” Applegate said. “We want to do more kids classes.”

The shop provides a flexible venue where people can work on artistic projects as individuals, receive instruction and take part in classes.

Additionally, it sells a constantly changing assortment of unique artistic creations. The inventory varies, but could include plates, bowls, jewelry, picture frames, vases, wine stoppers and holiday ornaments.

A big part of the service Applegate and Wilson provide is helping customers craft their own art, but they said they want the outcome to reflect the creator’s taste, not theirs. They said clients frequently find the store’s retail section a useful source of inspiration.

“We have an open studio night where people can just come and make whatever they want,” Applegate said. “Other people can come in any time and we’ll help them. We also have where we do groups – baby showers, bachelorette parties, meetings, Christmas parties. … Besides the glass classes, we do canvas painting classes, pottery classes, deco-mesh.”

Outside of normal business hours Studio Fusion also is spot where a wide assortment of groups can meet to socialize while exploring creative pursuits.

“We require a minimum of six people,” Wilson said. “They call and set up an appointment, reserve a spot. Usually, what they do is bring snacks. They decide what they want to make. They talk, relax. We clean up the mess for them.”

Art is for everybody

Applegate and Wilson want potential patrons of Studio Fusion to know that they are catering to the community at large, not a small number of experienced artists.

“People are scared of art,” Wilson said. “I think it’s intimidating to a lot of people. A lot of the first-timers that we have come in say ‘Wow that was easier than I thought it was going to be and I can’t wait to come back next time because now I know what I can do.”

Applegate said novices often find they are more artistic than they suspected.

“It’s amazing,” she said. “A lot of people think that they are not artsy or craftsy, but they come in and make some really beautiful pieces. I think people think it is more difficult than it is. And they can really make something pretty awesome.”

And even if for patrons whose artistic talents are quite modest, Applegate said undertaking a project at Studio Fusion can have a major benefit.

“You wouldn’t believe how many people say it is therapeutic,” she said.

Meet the owners

Heather Applegate graduated from Prairie Community in 1988. She studied at Iowa Central and completed a bachelor’s degree in psychology at Buena Vista University.

Amy Wilson is a 1989 graduate of Fort Dodge Senior High. She subsequently studied at Iowa Central Community College and the University of Northern Iowa.

In addition to being the hands-on proprietors of Studio Fusion, Applegate and Wilson also work as dental assistants at the Sonksen Dental Clinic.

They said acquiring Studio Fusion is an exciting new venture for them.

“We decided we needed some more fun in our lives,” Applegate said. “We are both artsy. We heard that Sherri was selling and we came in and approached her right away. It was really cool, because everything just fell into place. It was like it was meant to be. … We just love even being here. Just walking in the door makes us feel good.”