Building an Artist Colony in Ramah New Mexico (Gallup, Grants: for sale, houses)

[mosaicforms]

Hello,

My name is Tami Barker, I belong to a large group of Artists in San Diego, CA. We will be traveling to New Mexico this summer (2008) to start building an artist colony in Ramah, New Mexico (60 miles west of Grants, 60 miles west of Gallup, near the Zuni reservation).
We will start by setting up 3 yurts, collecting water from the community well, building several outhouses, building a fire pit, and starting on a papercrete made lodge. This will be a 5 year project (most work will be performed during the summer months). We will host an organic garden, create an art studio with glass blowing and a kiln, build several different dwelling structures, create art and activity walls, chain saw totem poles, make organic skin care products, candles, swim in the nearby lakes, kayak, hike, learn about the Native American Tribes in the area; Zuni, Navajo, Hopi.
Invite orphanages, schools, foster children, underpriveleged children, handi-capped children, church and spiritual groups, horticulture enthusiasts, those interested in solar power, wind generated energy, etc. to visit the resort.
Upon completion, we will invite artist and horticulture interns and apprentices to stay at the resort for 3 month periods, free of charge to study and learn in their fields of expertise. For more information; contact Tami Barker at [MOD CUT]

[Zoidberg]

I'm sure you have researched this, but are you aware of how cold it gets there? That would put me off if I was wealthy, had spare time, and wasn't used to the cold.

[bigduly]

That would be great for the surrounding communities. Maybe you guys can setup art shows. Many Zunis like attending shows like that. Plus you might learn new techniques from the Zunis and Navajo.

[catman]

mosaicforms: Do you mean 60 miles west of Grants ans 60 miles east of Gallup?

[HIF]

I would like ot hear more....

[Spoke]

I read your post regarding the artist colony in Ramah. I live in Ramah, NM and really love it here. There is an artist group here, El Morro Area Artist Council. I don't think they do the permaculture/solar but check into their site. Start with davis-realty.net/ and then click on the local attractions for the El Morro Old School Gallery.
Good luck and I look forward to reading more about your project.
ab

[Devin Bent]

Good fortune and please keep us informed of your progress.

[sjbasin]

Search out info on New Mexico communes from the late 60's, and of course D.H. Lawrence, O'keefe, and the rest of the artists who have made NM a stop on their journey. Some of them have something to say about what not to do. Good luck.

Fifteen of us lived together, one room per family, and a kitchen and a communal room. I can't say that I enjoyed that kind of living. It always seemed that women ended up doing a lot more chores than the men. The men played music, smoked the herb, chopped wood and repaired vehicles. The lack of privacy was a test.

Lisa Law: Communal Living

[groovyman1968]

For the (cold) area, your building should have propane, and a pellet stove for heat. Over insulate the structure, with about 8-12" of insulation, I prefer foam with high R values, and be sure to have a peaked roofline for snow. Many lots for sale have no power, so wind/solar combo would be okay. Plan on a septic tank, and hauled water, or drill a well. It seems like alot of prep-work, but it is worth it. I plan on retiring, at 45, and moving up there. Big city life--------blah....It's mid Oct in Phoenix, AZ---------95 degrees today, wonder why we moved here, 7 month Summers get old.

[Cyborg13]

Ramah is a beautiful area, and is towards the top of my list of retirement spots (a long way off). I am just curious, where in Ramah are you building? I hear Candy Kitchen is popular for artists.