“M.A.R.S Collective ”

Music Arts Re-Creation and Sustainability on top of the whirled, M.A.R.S. Collective is a 501c3 nonprofit wing of Wiley’s Last Resort. M.A.R.S. Collective is the umbrella company for projects here at Wiley’s Last Resort including Swarp Co (Music Events Wing), Flamingrow Gardens (Appalachian Agriculture Wing), Bad Branch Institute (Education Wing) and Kudzu Media (Media Cooperative for Artists & Creatives). M.A.R.S. is headed up by photographer, videographer and musicianer, Jared Hamilton and is guided by a diverse board of directors. Stay tuned for more including a M.A.R.S. Collective website coming soon!

Mars mission statement

Think of M.A.R.S. Collective as a flamingo. This is a flamingo like no other. It is a four winged Frankenmingo. It is made up of the best parts of all of the folks who love this little gem in the mountains known as Wiley’s Last Resort. M.A.R.S Collective is a member based organization focusing on music, arts, re-creation, and sustainability.

The most noticeably different thing about this flamingo is the fact that it has four wings. These four wings being Swarp Co, Kudzu Media, Bad Branch Institute, and Flamingrow Gardens. These four wings work together to help this hypothetical flamingo that is M.A.R.S. Collective fly higher than almost any other hypothetical bird in the state.

The concept of M.A.R.S. originated with the late, great Wiley Quixote aka Jim Webb. Our goal is to create programming that supports the artistic community here in Appalachia while keeping the spirit of Wiley Q. alive. From our concerts to our garden to our educational programming we hope to keep these mountain ringing forever!

MARS Collective Membership Perks

Cup Half Empty Membership $50

Magic Cup for full season
- access to member hospitality at M.A.R.S. Fest.
Invite Only Events.
Free Altitude Adjustments (Day Pass only, camping not included)
Exclusive merch and offers
Participation in Kudzu Media and Arts.
- First consideration for work the collective needs.
- Featured on the Kudzu page of our website with links to your work and your contact.
- If someone commissions something through kudzu you could get work with us. If they commision you and found you on our page you owe us nothing and would rather it go this way.
- Group galleries.
- Group Collaborations.
- Group meetings.

Cup Half Full Membership $100

T-shirt
Magic Cup for full season
Invite Only Events.
No Camping fees at events.
Discount on HipCamp
Free Altitude Adjustments (Day Pass only, camping not included)
Early release tickets.
Exclusive merch and offers
Participation in Kudzu Media and Arts.
- First consideration for work the collective needs.
- Featured on the Kudzu page of our website with links to your work and your contact.
- If someone commissions something through kudzu you could get work with us. If they commision you and found you on our page you owe us nothing and would rather it go this way.
- Group galleries.
- Group Collaborations.
- Group meetings.
Vision Council Seat
- Vision Council meets yearly. The Vision Council will also get to give ideas and discuss the overall plan for the next year up at Wileys. The Vision Council is the place to let the board know how our community feels.