Lockhart’s Cult of Happy: Where art, community and joy converge

By Anthony Collins

LPR Editor                                                                                                                                           

In the heart of Lockhart’s historic downtown, a bold experiment in creativity and connection is unfolding. Cult of Happy is more than just a shop or a popular art gallery, it’s a vibrant, living space that fuses art, retail, and community in unexpected and joyful ways. 

     Founded by artist and creative force Chad Rea, the space is the culmination of decades of experience across branding, advertising, art, and spiritual psychology.

     Chad Rea is no stranger to reinvention. After an early career spent building over 190 brands as a high-profile advertising Creative Director, and later teaching creativity and critical thinking at institutions like Art Center College of Design and the University of Texas, Rea eventually turned his full attention to art. “I’ve worn a lot of titles,” he says.  “Today, I proudly embrace the all-encompassing title of ‘artist.’ That just means I boldly craft and market stuff differently than most folks. Always have.”

     Inspired by artist-owned brands like Shepard Fairey, Keith Haring, David Shrigley, and Michael Weems, Rea envisioned Cult of Happy as a place where people could engage with art on their own terms.    

     “Visitors can collect an original paintings of mine or get it on an artful object, like a T-shirt or coffee mug, making it easier and more affordable for everyone to own art,” he explains. 

    Membership, he adds, isn’t just about perks like early access or exclusive invites, it’s about joining a “joyful community against negativity.”

     The space also serves as a platform for immersive public projects, installations, and interactive experiences. One of the most visible is the HELLO BENCH installation, which began with Rea’s dissatisfaction with the uninspired public benches around Lockhart’s town square. “I thought, what if I created a scalable art project that could address a growing cultural problem, like loneliness, and encourage connection?” So, he bought a bench, installed a plaque inviting strangers to share their stories with one another, and sparked a movement that could easily spread beyond Lockhart.

     Inside the shop, Rea’s eye for blending digital and physical worlds comes to life with a novel time capsule project. Using obsolete iPads as photo booths, visitors are invited to take selfies that will eventually be sealed away, 20,000 images in total, to be unveiled in 2035 as a gift to the city. “The connection comes from so many diverse people being part of a living art project and leaving their digital footprint for future generations,” Rea explains.   Rea’s solo interventions in public spaces reflect a knack for bold, socially conscious statements. His “Out of Sight, Out of Mind” installation, created for the Micro Galleries collective’s response to COP26, involved setting up a glowing camping tent in public areas around Austin, including on the Texas State Capitol lawn, to draw attention to both the climate crisis and the nation’s homelessness epidemic. At night’s end, the tent was left behind with a note offering it to anyone in need of shelter. It was gone by morning.

     Another enigmatic project, “PRADA Lockhart,” playfully nodded to the famous Prada Marfa installation, satirizing Lockhart’s growing cultural cachet. 

     While Rea maintains an air of mystery, he does little to hide his mischievous grin when asked about the installation. “I can neither confirm nor deny,” he says.

    When Rea isn’t mounting installations or painting in his studio, he’s on the move in his self-designed Art Bus. Originally purchased to accommodate larger paintings, the bus has been retrofitted with modular seating that transforms it into a mobile cultural experience. “I don’t curate the experiences. That’s up to the passengers,” Rea says. 

     “A blank canvas, if you will.” Visitors can book the shuttle via LockhartBus.com for everything from brewery crawls to riverside retreats.

    Looking ahead, there’s no shortage of happenings on the horizon. Once downtown construction wraps up, Cult of Happy’s backyard will play host to a growing roster of community events and member experiences. Rea is also in early talks to launch SILOED 2, a sequel to his collaborative art experience at Tank Town that will expand across Lockhart in early 2026. And while details remain secretive, he promises something unforgettable for the upcoming Texas BBQ Fest.

    For Rea, Cult of Happy isn’t just a physical space, it’s a philosophy. One born from activism, shaped by healing, and powered by creativity. “My hope is that people feel better about the world and themselves when they experience my art,” he says. “Cult of Happy is that immersive experience multiplied by a hundred.”

   And for those wondering if it’s the right time to get involved, Chad Rea puts it simply: “Today is a great day to join a cult.”