John Perry
John was introduced to Meadowcreek in the early 1990s when he and his wife Judi made friends with several residents. He is always inspired by the valley’s incredible natural beauty, and remoteness, and the mission of its organization to preserve the environment by supporting a way of living that can serve as a model to others.
John and his wife Judi are potters at the Ozark Folk Center in Mountain View. The Park’s mission to perpetuate, present, and promote an Ozark way of life has been at the center of their lives since the early 1990’s. Meadowcreek’s mission is very much aligned with those overlapping goals. John also enjoys traditional “old time” fiddle, and he and Judi frequently join in on the jams held on the square in Mountain View. Those gatherings have always connected him to the past and present with the wonderful sense of wordless communication and community that the music inspires.
John has been involved in many community organizations over the years, including the Ozark Folk Center’s Craft Advisory Board since its inception, as well as a past member of the Arkansas Craft School and Arkansas Guild Boards. He also serves on the Friends of Stone County Recycling Board. He and Judi were founding members of the local Humane Society, and John served on its Board for several years.
John enjoys canoeing and hiking in the Ozark streams, rivers, and trails. He and Judi live in a rustic home that backs up to the 100,000 acres of National Forest. That connection to nature and the forest canopy always beckons, and he rarely misses a day of exploring its trails and off-road remoteness.
John is excited to be involved with the Meadowcreek Board, and looks forward to helping to further the mission that President Gary Valen described as enabling visitors to “once again see the natural world as a place of renewal and inspiration.”