Artist Towns? (Las Cruces, Santa Fe, Deming: house, private school, colleges)

[Claycat]

Ontheroad, I love Northern New Mexico, too. When I was a child, my Granny used to spend her summers in Chama. She was a fisherwoman and fished the Chama, Rio Brazos, Conejos in Colorado, and various mountain lakes all over the area. We went to a beautiful high mountain lake in the Cumbres Pass area. It is so beautiful up there. I really prefer that, but my husband is a warm weather lover. However, central Texas is the pits in the heat. The dry heat of the Southwest is much better.

[designer]

Truth or Consequences could probably be classified as a artsy town but it
is not a good art market to sell your art here. Santa Fe, Taos, Ruidoso,
and Silver City are the best with Santa Fe being at the top of the list. Many
have moved to T or C and have been very disapointed in their low volume
of art sales and a few who can afford it seem to move on. In my opinion there are three or four good artists in T or C and possibly a few more
but most are wana be's. T or C is a very inexpensive place to live so if you
have an established market for your work it might work out for you. I find it
quite boring and cannot get stimulated to be creative here but this is my
first small town to live in so it would depend on what you are looking for and what your background is. Also generally I believe that the caliber of art work
in Santa Fe is much higher than in most NM smaller towns. After saying that
I also know that much of the work represented in Santa Fe galleries is done
by artists ouside of NM.

[tcburns]

I found TorC somewhat depressing, we checked it out in oct 2005 and counted some 50+ empty storefronts. Just north of there Socorro seemed much more lively, and economically healthier.

Previously someone mentioned Silver City, which we found has a very large and diverse art community with a number of gallerys showing outstanding works; downside is we felt it was pricey on realestate.

We felt after our big search in NM that summer that it was important to find a community with a diverse economic base [my wife still has to work], some population of fellow artists to keep me stimulated and having fun, but gallery sales locally shouldn't enter into the equation. Keeping/making connections out of the area, out of the SW, is very important to realistic art imcome.

We're returning to Albqq area, and Socorro this summer to look for a rental prior to buying, but the attraction of the 40 some artists around Socorro, inexpensive realestate, closeness to northern nm all seem very attractive.

I think most artist want to be connected to a larger artistic community around their home, how/where to make these connections is the tough one. My experience so far is that universities, comm. colleges, studios, workshops [especially the 3 day + workshops] help build good networks. Just some thoughts.

[LLD]

Perhaps someone here has already mentioned Madrid? It's not super far from Santa Fe or Albuquerque so you would still have the connections you speak of with universities and bigger towns etc but it is very much an artist's community from my understanding.

[tcburns]

Madrid, no I don't recall any mention in this thread. That area 'tween Santa Fe and Albuquerque is our last to explore, so thanks for the info ~ know anything else about Madrid? ~tim

[LLD]

Madrid is on the Turquoise Trail (high 14) and is a big artists community and quite a quirky town from my understanding. Do a google search on "Madrid, New Mexico" and you will get lots of listings, I just wasn't sure which link to post.

BTW, it's not pronounced like Madrid, Spain, but with a short "a" and more emphasis on the first syllable.

[tito]

Originally Posted by ontheroad

Stormweary, in June I did do a quick look-see driving down as far as Las Cruces, then over to Ruidoso and into Roswell. I took the road back into Albuquerque as I had friends in Placitas rather than straight up to Santa Fe.

Unfortunately, except for Las Cruces, I found New Mexico unappealing. I also have an art acquaintance who lives in Ruidoso, and he manages really well (a retiree) and gets his art fix by going for a half week or more to Santa Fe during a major event. Ruidoso, like Taos, abounds with tourist shops, but is not in my estimation a town to "live in."

In July, I did a ten day joy ride over to the Zuni and later to the Hopi. Naturally, they were exciting as we landed in time for some magical ceremonies, but the towns surrounding both of these are bleak, commercial, strip malls.

Too accustomed to the populated Northeast, I'm afraid, where each town has a personality, even if the personality doesn't always appeal, and at each stop, and generally below a 50mile ride, I can get coffee, a cafe, a breeze, and a conversation.

While the Atlantic coast towns can get trendy, and filled with tourists, many are just 'umble hamlets that contain a grocery, a pharmacy, an ice cream parlour, etc. Much of the United States is bereft of these charms, and many that contained them are losing out to chains with "Mart" in their name.

For about 20 years I summered and also did weekend winters in the New Milford area of Ct--the town I lived in by the grace of my godparents, was a tiny hamlet in the lower mountain range around the lake. But, we had a market, great restaurant, wine shop, well stocked hardware store, and several novelty type operations. Within a 20 mile radius, into or around New Milford, nothing was impossible to do or buy. But the last time I was in New Milford, about 10 years go, shopkeepers and residents alike were suffering from the abundance of the super-mall, super Mart, and a radical change in the landscape and fabric of the community had emerged.

In a town like Taos, with less than 5,000 residents, not including the county number, we have no grocery, but several large markets, and nearly everyone is reliant on a large Mart for their services. Week after week the smaller shop owners hang out "big sale" signs and then a few months later, they are gone and so is another small piece of the once vibrant, but small town of Taos.

This has become America!

I haven't found that village, or hamlet, or city for that matter, that speaks to me in New Mexico. Sometimes you go to the place, and it sings to you, in high or low octaves. You may not recognize the song, but you hear it repeatedly and persistently. Here I hear silence except when I drive towards the mountain--it is only the mountain that captures my soul.

And what I need to thrive is soul! I am still optimistic I will find it and myself!

I'm another artist (oil painter) thinking about moving to New Mexico. I have visited Santa Fe and Taos and they are great Artsy towns with many galleries; however, unless you are making lots of money it's hard to live in those places. As a compromise, I have been considering Las Cruces, which seems te be a nice town conveniently located because it's not too far from El Paso's airport. I'm planning a visit to Las Cruces later this month to check it over, but I'm still open to consider other places that will offer more conveniences for me than Las Cruces.

[stormweary]

WOW!! I did not realize this thread resurrected itself! shame on me for not checking more often!

Ontheroad: I am interested in your decision to move back East. Over the holidays I got a curve ball thrown at me. My daughter lives in Connecticut and wants me to move up there!! I have a year to figure all this out as my son finishes college Dec,2007! ( he'd like to move up there and is visiting his sister as i write..... snowboarding....) Totally unexpected! I have been checking on the Connecticut thread about expenses and weather there and it seems that living away from the bigger cities, towns such as Storrs, Vernon and Manchester are doable expense wise. Weather... well... its cold up there. Your thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated!!

My biggest hesitation in moving to New Mexico is that I do not know a soul there! Talked with a friend who has friends living in Santa Fe and she indicated that the art market is hard to break into in Santa Fe. However, other towns mentioned in this thread seem more open to "new" artists moving in.
I have not given up on New Mexico just yet. I am just having to rethink some things......

[ontheroad]

Stormweary, how nice to hear from you!

Connecticut is affordable in many areas. Good that you're following that board. I lived most summers for about 20 years in Sherman, CT (near New Milford) on the Fairfield County line. My godparents owned the house, but my godfather hated it, so it was mine for my pleasure and leisure. I loved it in those mountains and it was very affordable until 1997. I haven't been back since then so I can't comment on the current cost of living.

I just haven't been able to adapt here in New Mexico. I've tried but it is a mindset I can't relate to at all--too lay back, and not as splendid in the grass.

I am going to check out New England, again, a place I love after I sojourn in Pittsburgh for a month or more--my daughter is pregnant and would like me to be with her after the delivery.

Originally Posted by stormweary

WOW!! I did not realize this thread resurrected itself! shame on me for not checking more often!

Ontheroad: I am interested in your decision to move back East. Over the holidays I got a curve ball thrown at me. My daughter lives in Connecticut and wants me to move up there!! I have a year to figure all this out as my son finishes college Dec,2007! ( he'd like to move up there and is visiting his sister as i write..... snowboarding....) Totally unexpected! I have been checking on the Connecticut thread about expenses and weather there and it seems that living away from the bigger cities, towns such as Storrs, Vernon and Manchester are doable expense wise. Weather... well... its cold up there. Your thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated!!

My biggest hesitation in moving to New Mexico is that I do not know a soul there! Talked with a friend who has friends living in Santa Fe and she indicated that the art market is hard to break into in Santa Fe. However, other towns mentioned in this thread seem more open to "new" artists moving in.
I have not given up on New Mexico just yet. I am just having to rethink some things......

[stormweary]

ontheroad:
I understand what you are saying about the laid back attitude. Sometimes that can get annoying....i originally wanted to find an affordable place to do my art full time, figured my children were grown up and had lives of their own. Now, I'm am rethinking some of my priorities. I'll be in Connecticut in June and plan to look around then.

tito: while in Las Cruces, check of Mesilla( its right next to the city) as it is suppose to have lots of arts related things there. There are many smaller art towns in Southern N.M. but L.C. is the only larger one.