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Hi!
I'm new here - just ran across this thread as I consider where I want to live after I finish my college adventure in Olympia, WA. I moved to the PNW four years ago to live closer to my daughter and her family and then they moved back to PA last summer. While here I followed an old dream of going to college. I'm almost finished so I'm considering where I want to live next. Because I lived in New Mexico for eight years before moving here, and 30 in PA near Allentown (another year in NYC, Ohio, and grew up in midwest) this thread has been quite interesting.
I fell in love with the land and the history in New Mexico although Santa Fe was expensive and never felt like a real community--rather elitist--although it was a wonderful eight years but time to move on. One of my top choices (if there were jobs and inexpensive homes) would be in the Cedar Crest area (east side of the Sandia's.) I have a friend that is a clay artist that sells in galleries and the artist co-op in Old Town and lives there. Since I need a job to support myself as I attempt to become an artist that sells, Alb makes the most sense if I want to move back but have not visited the towns in the south.
I am guessing the answer to your question on why they don't promote more business, relocation, is lack of natural resources. Water. Something everyone takes for granted unless you live in a desert and take the blinders off. I had a friend that built his studio on old family land on top of a mesa and had to lug water up. Not for me.
Good luck with your search! Where else are you going to look?
[quote=iriegirl;488613]3) I think it's a real shame that NM is such a poor state, why doesn't the government promote it more? THere is not much business there, and I don't see NM recruiting business like other states do. That's one reason the economy is bad. Even if I do want to live there, I think there is no work for my husband. It just seems like it is not keeping up with other states like Fl or Ca or Az to attract tourists and new families to move there. (except maybe Las Cruces or Ruidoso.) And without that you are totally dependent on tourists.
Hi Dancingearth,
It sounds like you have lived in some interesting places, while I have only lived in Pa and NJ....so I have a kind-of wanderlust thing going on now, especially since my kids are grown. What field of art are you studying in college?
Where is the Cedar Crest area? If you have a friend who sells to galleries, that's a foot in the door,almost.
Anyway, my husband and I started thinking about this a few years ago,and we bought a travel trailer, went to Ca, NM, Az, Fl& NC, and the other states in-between. I've loved certain towns in each state, but we're still not sure, which I guess means we're still looking. And now, it's such a bad time to sell, but we just got back from Fl. and I really liked the Keys and St.Augustine.
Also, its so easy to get there from NJ, and there are alot of art shows & fairs in Fl. ,which I might want to do .
thanks for the info about NM, I'm not sure we could afford to live there, event thou the COL is low, but great light,right?
Good Luck. look forward to your reply,thanks.
iriegirl
ps) did you read the posts about starting a co-op? something I always wanted to do somewhere ,but not here.
I've done all kinds of arts & crafts but my favorite has been New Mexican tinwork, carving cottonwood (learned at a free art studio in Santa Fe) and in college have succumbed to ceramics. Love clay and sculpture. I'll be taking Intro to 2D next quarter--living in New Mexico made me want to learn to draw and paint and I think it will help my ceramic sculptures.
New Mexico is a beautiful place although I also love the beauty here in the PNW. I am drawn to both the water and the desert. Someone said it might be because the desert was the bottom of the ocean at one time. Olympia feels like a down-to-earth Santa Fe. I get a sense of lots of art community here although I haven't had time to really check it out. School and work keep me busy but I'll be done within the next year. I'll probably try and stay here if I can find a job and a place to have a studio. I don't have wanderlust--tired of starting over but knowing me, that might change once I am finished with school.
Cedar Crest is on 14, the same road as Madrid but south. Alb is over the mountain to the west. The cost of living is low? Not in Santa Fe. They even charge sales tax on food! Or at least four years ago they did. I wouldn't be able to afford to live in Santa Fe anymore and don't want to.
I would like to start a co-op when I get settled somewhere. When I visit a town I always look for the artist co-op if I want a souvenir from my trip. I'll have to look for those posts. Thanks for the tip.
Dancingearth
Thanks for your reply Dancingearth, I like your user name.
I have read so many things about the art in the PNW, so many artists ,galleries and cool things going on, but I just need to get into
some sunny state for a while.
It's so overcast and gloomy here for most of the winter, I'm looking at statistics of how much sun a place gets before I even think of going there.
good luck in your drawing class, I loved art school...it's a time to really find your own style.
If you live in or around NYC or Chicago you might find it nice in T or C to get
to a small quiet little hamlet but several people I know who have lived here
for a few years are about to go out of their mind and since real estate has
gone up faster almost everyplace but T or C they don't have the funds to move. If you like being around colleges or universities T or C might not be your cup of tea but Socorro might be. The college in Socorro is primarily
engineering with little or no arts so that may not work for arty types. Another thing to consider is if gas prices keep going up it can be a financial
problem to have to drive places all the time. Most of the closest towns from
T or C are roughly 75 miles. Another thing to consider about art galleries in
Santa Fe is that a large number of the artists represented there do not live
in NM and many live on the east coast. I am in Santa Fe almost as much as
in T or C and I have become friends with some of the gallery owners. Also almost all art sold in Santa Fe is sold to outsiders from the state so there is not a lot of money spent in this state for art by new mexico residents. I agree with Moko that T or C is about as cheap as it gets for housing and if
you are willing to travel to establish art markets for your work it might be
perfect for you. If you get bored easily and like to eat out it may not work
very well. Good luck
I'm thrilled to have found this thread and hope to revive it in order to gather your opinions on selecting our next home.
We are considering moving to NM, specifically Santa Fe, Sandia Heights Abq, Corrales or Los Alamos and have rules out Taos. ( I'm an artist/painter and my spouse is a writer/documentary producer.) Each of these towns seems to offer different benefits but have a few concerns (in priority order below.
In your opinion, which NM town has:
#1. The very best school system for our child(ren)
#2. Wide variety of artistic growth opportunities such as classes, workshops, lectures, active working artist "sketch groups" etc.
In Alexandria Va, we have a very high concentration of artistic learning and selling opportunities. Nearby Fairfax County has excellent schools as well ... not to mention the personal growth opportunities associated with living in the internationally diverse nation's captiol area. So, while we would love (read - prefer) to move to the Santa Fe, NM area because of the warm people and weather, we need more information to know if this would be a wise move.
What do you think?
Oh --- and to the earlier thread. I do have to give Old Town Alexandria high marks as a great town for artists who value continuous learning and a fun lifestyle. It's also easy to sell art here if your work lends itself well to the area's home decorating styles but some of my more edgy artist friends find it very difficult to find buyers here. The Art League classes are *cheap* and the instructors are amazing.
In your opinion, which NM town has:
#1. The very best school system for our child(ren)
#2. Wide variety of artistic growth opportunities such as classes, workshops, lectures, active working artist "sketch groups" etc.
I lived in Santa Fe for eight years (actually Eldorado and worked in Santa Fe.) My son went to public school in Santa Fe - if I could have afforded it, I would have sent him to private schools. Schools weren't great.
I left four years ago and miss New Mexico and the art opportunities. I'm not a painter so I don't know about sketch groups, etc. but this summer I flew back for a pottery workshop at Ghost Ranch (heavenly)--I talked to several painters who were there for other workshops. It seemed like everywhere I went I talked to people about art. While I lived there, I did a workshop with Wise Puppets and made a giant puppet and took classes at the community college. There was a free art studio where I learned to carve. Had a great time but if I move back I'm going to ABQ--need a bigger more down-to-earth community. Santa Fe is a tourist town. If I could I would move to the Cedar Crest area. I stay with friends there when I visit--close enough to ABQ and Santa Fe to easily go into town.
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Give me water!
Revive - NM places to live thread
