Kewaunee Co. Fall Rocks Challenge

KEWAUNEE COUNTY – Zara Studio and Co., a small business owned and operated by Nala Heer, has invited the community to add some extra color to Kewaunee County this fall by painting, hiding and finding decorated rocks throughout the county.

Heer said she opened Zara Studio to foster creativity both within herself and throughout the community.

“Art has always been my way of connecting with the world and expressing the emotions we can’t always put into words. I grew up painting alongside my mom, learning to find beauty in the little things, sunflowers, sunsets and quiet moments. From the start, creating art wasn’t about perfection — it was about feeling, connection and sharing something meaningful with the people around me,” Heer said.

The challenge was motivated by that same philosophy.

“What inspired me was trying to get people to be more creative. I was at my mom’s house one day with the kids, and I was painting rocks with them, and I was like, ‘You know what? This is just fun. I think if we could do something where we can get more people in the community to be doing something like this, that would be great.’ And I know in Kewaunee a few years ago there was a big boom of painting rocks and hiding them all around. But I feel like that kind of died down a little bit. And I wanted to see more color out there. I wanted to see more painted rocks. So I was like, ‘Well, let’s, let’s try to get some incentive to get people doing that. So that’s kind of what inspired me, was just trying to get people to be more creative and foster creativity in the community.”

That incentive is a random prize draw for all participants in the challenge, and no purchase is necessary. All entries are eligible for all prizes, and will not be judged. To enter, either paint and hide a rock or find a rock, then share a picture with the hashtag #KewCoFallRocks2025. Social media posts will only count as entries if the account is public. Entries can also be emailed to zara@zarastudio.co, but sharing on social media is encouraged. Submissions are unlimited; every rock counts as its own entry. To keep the challenge going, hint at where the rock was hidden or where it was found.

The prizes include a free, six-person private paint party hosted by Heer, who will travel to the winner’s chosen location, provide supplies and options for the work of art she will design and walk the participants through the process.

Three winners will receive gift certificates to some of Heer’s favorite local businesses, and the final winner will receive pastels, colored pencils, markers, watercolor and acrylic paints to keep the creativity going at home.
Winners will be selected at random on Thursday, Nov. 20.