Meet the Founder
Nicole (Nikki) Schmidt, MS, CCC-SLP. A love of gathering people together, and a venue built to feel like home.
A letter from Nikki
Dear friend,
I'm Nikki, and what I love most is gathering people together for real, meaningful connection. I believe we're meant to do life in community.
By training I'm a speech-language pathologist, which is a formal way of saying I've spent my career helping people find their voice and connect with one another. For fifteen years I've also brought people together for the moments that matter — weddings, showers, business gatherings, more than twenty of them large-scale. What I loved was never the logistics. It was watching a room full of strangers become a room full of friends.
Because I believe life is easier when we share the mental load, and change or transmute our energy in movement, art, or sharing.
What I want to do here is bring people together for community and connection — you choose how you start with us, and hopefully grow in our community. The Aerie Studio connects you to your inner work. The Wilder Studio connects you to your creativity. The Gathering Rooms connect you to your community.
This building is an evolution of all my wishes, my manifestation board, late-night talks with girlfriends, and my wildest dreams. And you, who are drawn to this space and these communities, are invited to share in my dream and create your own.
The Fox & The Owl began as my vintage-rentals business. This is where it becomes a home. I'm building it with Cersty Rudy, and we can't wait to meet you.
Nicole Schmidt · Founder
Wherever you begin
Connecting to your inner work
Stillness, breath, and space to hear your own thoughts again.
Read about The Aerie StudioConnecting with your creativity
Open studio time and room to make, at whatever pace your practice needs.
Read about The Wilder StudioConnecting with your community
Rooms built for gathering the people who matter to you.
Read about the Gathering RoomsAs you grow
A quiet hour in the Aerie leads to an afternoon in the Wilder Studio. A workshop in the Gathering Rooms turns into a standing Tuesday night with people you now call friends. However you begin, we hope you'll grow into the rest.
Not a rental hall
Come as you are
A single class, a quiet hour, one event on the calendar — there's no wrong way in.
The community grows too
Familiar faces, new rhythms, more reasons to come back.
Life in community
The Fox & The Owl began as a vintage-rentals business. What it's becoming is a home for the community we build together, opening in Bulverde late spring 2027.
Core Values
◆
We believe creativity is a living thread—one that weaves people, stories, and generations together. Through shared artistic experiences, community members learn, imagine, and make meaning side by side.
◆
Every touchpoint is crafted with warmth and intention. We create spaces where people feel welcomed, held, and invited to linger.
◆
From seasonal programming to outdoor creative gardens, our work honors the rhythms, textures, and wisdom of the natural world. The Hill Country landscape is not just a backdrop—it is a collaborator.
◆
We value intergenerational learning. Children, adults, elders, and families all find offerings that meet them where they are, making art and creative wellness available to the whole community.
◆
We commit to mindful use of resources, thoughtful renovation of historic spaces, and programming that encourages ecological awareness and long-term community resilience.
◆
We uplift local artists, educators, and small businesses through partnerships, residencies, and community events—strengthening the creative economy and cultivating local pride.
◆
Narrative, folklore, and imaginative exploration are at the heart of our approach. We believe stories shape identity, inspire possibility, and connect us to one another.
Come say hello
Ask us anything, or claim a founding place before opening day.
Or call or text (979) 236-1141 · [email protected]
Strix variaBarred Owl0014