Artist Towns? (Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Santa Fe: rentals, home, neighbourhoods)

[Logand]

Corrales is a small village just North of Abq. It is considered artsy with all sorts of painters, wood, metal and music artisans. The housing is costly here, but you get to live in a unique village environment while jut a few minutes from Abq and all that it has to offer.

[moko]

I moved to Truth or Consequences from Washington DC a few years ago and love it here. There were only 2 galleries when I moved here and now there are 14 and more coming. It's slowly becoming an art town. Don't expect to sell your art a lot of the time, but it is certainly a place for an artist to work and live affordably. It's no Sante Fe in the ways of selling art, but it's definately inspiring and relaxing here. There are hot springs you could soak for a few dollars. It's 5 minutes to Elephant Butte Lake (no one there during the week). Unfortunately Walmart is coming, but the community is pulling together and supporting each other.

As for art supplies, there isn't a huge selection, but there is a store downtown that sells paints (oil, acrylic, watercolor), canvases, charcoals, stretcher bars, varnishes, and other items. They don't have everything, but are expanding. Right next door to it is a painter's studio who hosts life drawing and other art classes.

Be forewarned - the town is a retirement town, so there isn't much to do for night life. There's a few bars that are open at night, but for the most part the town shuts down at 5-6pm.

We are have an "Art Hop" on the second Saturday of every month (6pm-9pm) and draws in people from El Paso to Sante Fe. It's the one night a month where the town is open pass 5pm.

Every Fall is Destination Sierra County - where we celebrate the arts of Sierra County and have things going on in most of the towns around the county for 3 days. We are on our 3rd run of it and its starting to get a name (I think).

Good Luck on finding a place.

[repins]

You might contact the Roswell Museum and Art Center or the Robert O. Anderson Art Museum and there are a lot of OTR jobs in and around Roswell. We have a large dairy industry and lots of milk hauling.

[janea]

We just returned from a trip to Silver City New Mexico. IT is a small town of 10,000 plus or minus and has a great artists community. We met several artists and everyone was friendly. This is a wonderfl small town waith reasonable real estate.

[stormweary]

iriegirl,
there is a book about art towns that is written by a guy from Santa Fe. It talks about cities and towns all over the U.S. You may want to check it out. It is how I got interested in the "smaller" areas besides S.F/Taos area in New Mexico. Mesilla/Las Cruces is listed there as well as several places mentioned in this thread.

[ontheroad]

I just went to Amazon to check if they had a book about artists' towns, and found one, with very few good reviews. Pity!

I do wonder when we ask about a spot on the map, what each of us has in mind. As an artist, most particularly, a poet, and then a painter, I am looking for good resources, as well as a good community. Once more, just today, I went to my local art supply store, and not only didn't they have what I wanted (nothing difficult) but the shop rep told me "you'd be better off buying on-line." Not a good promotion for my town, one among the most highly rated for artists. While we have about half a dozen museums, and scads of galleries, I haven't found the pulse of a community after six month's sojourn.

What do other people look for?

Originally Posted by stormweary

iriegirl,
there is a book about art towns that is written by a guy from Santa Fe. It talks about cities and towns all over the U.S. You may want to check it out. It is how I got interested in the "smaller" areas besides S.E/Taos area in New Mexico. Mesilla/Las Cruces is listed there as well as several places mentioned in this thread.

[stormweary]

ontheroad,
yea, its probably a good book to check out of the library but at least its a start.
I'm in a city in Fl. and we have three pretty good art stores. Two are the "national" type while the other is local. One is good for stretched canvas and one has lots of paint brands. But I'd trade that for better, less stressful (hence the nickname) weather and lower cost of living.
The idea of being close to a major art scene would be ok by me. You are right to wonder what each of us has in mind which is why I enjoy reading all the different threads. I hope to get to N.M. this coming spring to check things out. I've only been to Santa Fe and Taos and I know I can't afford to live there.

[stormweary]

ontheroad,
yea, its probably a good book to check out of the library. At least, is a start.

I live in Fl. in a medium size city with three art supply stores, two regional/national ones and a local one. They all have pretty much what you could want in term of supplies. (i'm a painter) I'd trade it for less stressful weather and more affordable living. I hope to get out to N.M. this spring to check things out. I've been to Santa Fe/ Taos only and know I can't afford a house/studio there.

[ontheroad]

Spring is lovely here in NM. I hope it is sane. This Spring was a pleasure. I've never spent much time in Florida because I don't like hot weather, and I am certain the storms are awful to wonder and worry about.

I had great hopes for my little town, Taos, and while the people are tremendously friendly, caring and generous, the landscape a knock-out, something about it just doesn't work for me.

It may be an East Coast-West Coast mentality that I am trying to adjust to in a little space of time. Until now, I spent much of my life either in a huge cosmopolitian city, NYC, Amsterdam, or a tiny New England town, Williamsburg or a somewhat moderate sized city, Providence. With so many more people, even in small East Coast towns, competition is so heightened that choices are increased. In NYC, I had the option of 5 local art suppliers within easy walk of each other and as a professional, a nice 10-15% discount. In the smaller towns/cities I've lived or worked in, I seemed to also find options about where to buy, hang out and communicate.

With only one major artstore in all of New Mexico, and therefore virtually no competition, except for online resources, the shop can charge anything and offer only what suits them. But, more than this:

So many towns, cities, are gaining a reputation but it isn't always understandable on what basis that reputation is garnered. Take my small town, Taos. It has an international reputation, not only for skiers, but painters. Yet, it has few supplies and no active teaching community. It does have many artists, a flood of galleries (mostly high end) and some well recognized museums. My particular favourite is the Fechin but the Harwood is a very active museum with a diverse catalogue of works. However, I suppose I was spoiled with museums like the Metropolitian, MoMo, and others in NYC, and the RISD in Providence, and in driving distance of Boston.

I think, but am not convinced yet, that I will probably go back East, and seek a medium sized city rather than a town of less than 5000.

Hope to hear "what others feel or think.

[stormweary]

Sorry about the double posts. I wasn't sure if the first one had gotten thru.
I hear ya about the N.E. As far as "culture" is concerned, for me there is no other area in the states in terms of museums and such. If it wasn't so expensive, I'd move to Boston in a heartbeat. I'd put up with the cold ( I lived for two years about an hour north of NYC so I have an idea of the winters up there) Oh heck, I'd move to NYC if I had the money.......
I guess its a trade off wherever one goes and it just is what one is willing to lose in order to gain something else.
i am sorry to hear Taos doesn't have much by way of education and art supply stores. you'd think that would be the ONE place to find both.