My last stop is at the Inscription Rock Trading & Coffee Co. where I sit at the cozy bar and chat with its owners, Jonathan and Pam Pickens.  As I had learned that the Old School Gallery across the street is so much more than a gallery, I learned that this gift shop is so much more than a gift shop.  Inside the shop they have a small café that serves everything from cappuccinos to pastries, but then outside they have a stage and patio for outdoor performances.  I was blown away that a community of this size had a music venue!  Jonathan, a musician himself, moved from Nashville Tennessee back in 2001 to the El Morro Valley with his family.

While in Tennessee, Pam ran a similar shop and sold native gifts.  As her and Jonathan traveled back and forth across the country to get more supplies for their shop they fell in love with New Mexico and decided to relocate.  Today, many of the gifts and crafts come from the local Zuni and Navajo tribes, the Cherokees in North Carolina, and from indigenous nonprofits from around the world.

Jonathan, who is also an elementary special education teacher, tells me that they’ve had 6 shows so far at their new venue and attract people from as far as Albuquerque, Gallup, Grants, Zuni and Santa Fe.  The stage has the most beautiful backdrop with a mesa and rock cliffs, which has become the inspiration of the title of their performances “Music Beneath the Mesa.”

When I asked them about what challenges they feel entrepreneurs have in the area, several things came to mind.  Jonathan comments, “Getting supplies, even groceries, is in excess on 65 miles away, so that takes precious time out of the week.  Additionally, financing is difficult for small businesses and finding start up money.”  Pam adds, “There is the responsibility that you feel towards the community.  When you’re buying from one another it’s so much more than just a transaction, as you know that the people you’re buying from truly depend on you.”

As I wrap up my visits in El Morro, I can’t help to think how welcoming everyone has been.  This is a community that truly understands relationships and the importance of cooperation and collaboration, and they all have a vision to build the community in a sustainable and entrepreneurial way.

And, listen to a sample of Jonathan’s music by clicking on Drop In The Bucket.

As I make my way into the Ancient Way Café for lunch, I wonder if I can skip lunch and go straight to dessert as I see a listing of their homemade all organic pies.  But I’m good, I eat my lunch first and enjoy dessert with the general manager and head chef, Maqui.  I learn that Maqui was a potter for years but fell into an opportunity at the Café as he says, “I have become an artist of food and now I get to create edible glazes!”  As a long-time resident of the area and a past board member of the El Morro Area Arts Council, he understands the challenges that both the artists and community face.

As Maqui has been with the Café for several years, he said, “In the first two years I doubled revenues by creating gourmet meals utilizing local and organic ingredients, and by establishing regular hours and a dependent staff.”

Maqui comments that, “In order to be successful you have to be fresh and cutting edge and you always have to show up.”  He also believes that you always have to affect other people in your work.  He loves the constant interactions amongst the public and friends, and feels the restaurant is the community hub.

Maqui understands the need for attracting tourists and is working with Sharron, the owner of the Café and campground, to provide more options for tourists. They offer massage and reiki in one of the studios on the property and are considering building a yurt to offer weeklong yoga retreats.  They want tourists to experience the way of life, not just get a taste of it.  This is cultural entrepreneurship at work.

Maqui has some great ideas for further development of the area.  Up the road there is an old gas station for sale.  He thinks it could be a great place to turn into a local market or even a co-op.  Even though there is the farmer’s market in nearby Ramah, it’s not enough for local farmers and gardeners so they have to bring their veggies to places over 50 miles away, like Gallup, to sell.  Maqui says, “It’s all about creating and thinking outside of the box.”

It’s easy to drive right by the businesses of El Morro Valley, but you can’t miss The Old School Gallery, with its brightly colored exterior.  Several artists within the El Morro Area Arts Council established the gallery 11 years ago to find a place for local artists to display their art.  The building itself was built in 1947 and served as a one-room schoolhouse for many years.  Today, the space is used for a gallery and so much more.  Attracting people from as far as the Acoma and Laguna Pueblos the space is used for art workshops, community meetings, yoga and tai chi classes, musical performances, and youth programs.  The gallery has one staff member and the rest is volunteer-driven.  It represents artists from approximately a 50-mile radius and displays new art shows quarterly.

What I love is that here, in this small rural community, they function as a social enterprise.  The gallery incorporated as nonprofit to help bring in income but found that its income had to be diversified beyond contributions and foundation support.  So now through their programs they generate enough earned revenue to maintain the gallery.

As I talk to Paula Tripodi, the executive director of the gallery, I realize not only am I sitting with a social entrepreneur but a cultural entrepreneur as well.  Paula has played the guitar since she was 10 and now she sings and writes songs too.  Initially shy about performing, she found she enjoys it as she performs at the gallery and at local festivals in such an accepting community.  She even recorded an album several years ago and is working on her next one.

As we talk about the gallery and the community she said, “Even with the gallery there is a constant challenge to get everyone’s art exposed.  Not everyone has galleries or studios, making it difficult to have regular hours to show their work.”  Additionally, things like having a website or even business cards, sound simple enough, but are lacking here to help move their art beyond El Morro.  However, one of the opportunities and something that they’re working on with the New Mexico Tourism Department is to find affordable ways to create studios along the Ancient Way Arts Trail and to have signs that show people driving by that the studios are a part of the Trail.

Paula further commented that, “Even though there aren’t many businesses in the area, we are working together to create packages and incentives for people to come and visit and make a day out of it.  For example, someone could come a see a show at The Old School Gallery, have a gourmet dinner across the street at the Ancient Way Café and then spend the night in a cabin at the campground.  The next day they could get up and get a great hike in at El Morro or El Malpais.”

El Morro may be a small community, but it’s certainly worth the visit!

As I continue to venture around New Mexico taking in the sights, food and culture, I head southwest of Grants down the Ancient Way Arts Trail towards the El Morro Valley.  Along the way I pass the El Malpais National Monument and the Ice Caves, go up and over the continental divide, and arrive in El Morro.  Once here, I find the brightly painted Old School Gallery and a feed store on one side of the road and the Inscription Rock Trading and Coffee Co., the Ancient Way Café and a campground on the other side.   And practically in their backyard is the El Morro National Monument.

This is an area with truly extraordinary geographic and cultural significance.  El Malpais National Monument displays a landscape of lava flows, mountain ranges, and mesas, while providing much evidence of American Indian history.  Today, Indian groups including the Puebloan peoples of Acoma, Laguna, and Zuni, and Ramah Navajo, make their homes here and continue their traditional uses.  And, its neighboring National Monument, El Morro, is home to many ancient carvings and writings alongside sandstone cliffs.

My visit was filled with meeting practically the entire community and lots of food!  I had the opportunity to talk to Paula Tripodi, the executive director of the Old School Gallery, Maqui, the chef and general manager at the Ancient Way Café, Jonathan and Pam Pickens, owners of the Inscription Rock Trading and Coffee Co, and many more who were interested in learning about what I was doing.

This is a community that is using cultural entrepreneurship to come up with ways to attract more people to the area in hopes of building their community.  They truly depend on one another and wear many hats in order to survive.  In the coming weeks, you’ll learn more about the individuals I met and how they are using cultural entrepreneurship as the foundation to build their community and economy on.

Grants is a community that has gone through its boom and bust cycles and now, like other Western communities, is thinking about how it will sustain its economy for current and future generations.  Creating a sustainable economy involves developing new models of thinking about economic, cultural, and political paradigms. Furthermore, sustainable communities are more driven by human capital and depend on the entrepreneurial spirit to survive. 

Grants is starting to build a foundation of entrepreneurs, especially cultural entrepreneurs, who will be great catalysts to preserve and promote our cultures.  Local cultural entrepreneurs like Ava Peets and Robert Gallegos, leaders with the Cibola County Arts Council and mentioned in my previous posts, are just a few examples of individuals building cultural organizations that contribute to the entrepreneurial economy while creating a vibrant cultural community.

Grants has some other great initiatives including the MainStreet Program led locally by Randy Hoffmann, which is also a statewide initiative.  The New Mexico MainStreet Program is a “highly successful – community-driven, flexible approach to downtown revitalization.  It brings people together, fosters civic pride, economic revitalization, job growth, and restores the heart of our small communities and neighborhoods.”

The development of the Ancient Way Arts Trail supported by the New Mexico Tourism Department and New Mexico Arts has also been a dynamic initiative, led by Tom Kennedy of Zuni Pueblo and modeling how communities can collaborate to create cultural destinations. 

The Ancient Way Arts Trail was created to recognize the region’s uniqueness and is considered to be New Mexico’s first “multi-arts trails”.  Running from Grants to Zuni to Gallup, the trail highlights a variety of cultures including the Navajo, Zuni, Hispanic, Anglo, and Mormon.  The trail has 26 participating sites, representing more than 650 artists.  Along the trail you’ll find independent artists, galleries, museums, shops and so much more amid breathtaking scenery.  Over the next month, you’ll meet some of the artists and locals along the Ancient Way Arts Trail as I visit the area of El Morro.

As I wrap up my posts on Grants, one question remains in my mind.  Do they need more tourists to build the local businesses, or do they need more businesses to attract more tourists?  I’m curious to get your thoughts!

Grants, New Mexico is located on the Historic Route 66 – a highway known to many for its rich culture and history.  The Double 6 Gallery, appropriately named for its location, brings you back in time with its facade of a 40’s style theater.

The Double 6 and the adjoining Cibola Art & Artifacts Museum are both part of the Cibola Arts Council which is dedicated to providing the citizens it represents, especially youth, with experiences in the arts by providing an educational resource, promoting area artists and celebrating our region’s rich cultural diversity.  In their recent newsletter they say, “The arts promote tourism, are basic to education, are fundamental to a robust economy, and art is cost effective!”

Photo by Jessica Haynie

As I toured the gallery there were a variety of photographs, paintings, and pottery to enjoy, as well as interesting mining artifacts in the museum.  The gallery is spacious, allowing for gatherings from musical performances to poetry readings and educational workshops.

The Cibola Arts Council was founded in 1976 by women whose husbands were in the local uranium mining industry.  It began as a performing arts series and later expanded to include the gallery in the early 1990’s and now the art and artifacts museum.  Robert Gallegos, the executive director of the Double 6 and–an artist himself–tells me, “The last 3 years the gallery has been very busy.  Last year alone the gallery and museum had 13 scheduled events and ended up providing 23 extra exhibits and events resulting in 2,740 visitors.”

The gallery really seems to go out of its way to accommodate both its artists and the community it serves.  As I wrote in the previous post, the Double 6 largely influenced Ava Peets’ professional career as an artist.  Ava commented, “Had the Double 6 Gallery not been available for me to begin showing my pictures I would not have known how to enter work into a gallery.  I had painted for a couple of years before showing my work and becoming an artist member.  By paying a small fee as an artist member I became knowledgeable of the way galleries do business to sell artists work.”  The Double Six is a consignment gallery.  Any artist who becomes a member and shows work has to sign a contract stating the percentage due to the gallery upon any sale of the individuals’ artwork.  “It made me aware of how to conduct business with a gallery.  My work was sold and I learned how to contact other galleries to show and sell my work.”

When I asked Ava what role she sees cultural entrepreneurship and tourism playing in Grants’ economy and future she said, “We have just tapped the beginning of tourists seeing the lovely Double 6 Gallery and the Art and Artifacts Museum.  We need much more advertising for the community in general.  Through the help of cultural entrepreneurship an awareness of the importance of arts in our community and the area will become much better known.  Nearly every successful community promotes the arts, its museums, boutiques, good restaurants and any business that attract tourists.  Through the help of cultural entrepreneurship our community will have an additional boost in being able to fulfill such goals.  We have the Historic Route 66, natural wonders and we are multi-cultured.  People want a great diversity when visiting a community and we have it all. There is a huge economic benefit to promoting all that we have here Grants and the surrounding area.”

Inside the Cibola Art and Artifacts Museum Photo by Jessica Haynie

And as Robert Gallegos sums it up, “Tourism is the key…Route 66 is our plaza.”

Ava Peets, a lifelong artist, became a professional artist in Grants, New Mexico.  Ava reflected on her joy of living in New Mexico: “It is such good fortune to live in this wonderful state–with all the beauty, cultures, and history, which serve as constant inspiration for innumerable subjects to paint.”

Ava was encouraged to become an artist at an early age by her parents.  She began drawing and cutting silhouettes at six years old.  Later, upon entering Southwest Missouri State University, she studied fine art and commercial art.  Her plans to become a commercial artist were changed when she married and had children, but she still continued to take various art lessons.  She stated, “The desire to pursue my artist interests has never left me.”

Ava had the opportunity to learn the fine art of porcelain painting during the mining boom days in Grants.  She did this for more than six years and then quit the medium completely moving on to pursue an interest in sports and enjoying the beauty of the outdoors of New Mexico.

One of Ava’s greatest loves was cross county skiing on Mt. Taylor, which is nearly in her backyard.  She participated in the Mt. Taylor Winter Quadrathlon and worked out to improve her skiing ability.  However, she injured her shoulders so severely it changed her plans to continue with cross country skiing.  As luck would have it, the opportunity arose for Ava to start painting again as she said, “It is a true joy in my life.” 

She began painting in oils, her favorite medium for about 14 years.  And after so many years she became a professional artist and attributes her success to the Double Six Gallery in Grants.  Most of Ava’s work is Southwestern, and in particular historical buildings, which is her favorite subject.

Even though Grants is a community with many artists and cultural entrepreneurs, Ava admits that it has its challenges.  “Much of it is recognizing that Grants has a large artist community.  Our community is very diverse, but the strong art presence still needs to be known throughout our state and beyond.  There are numerous sculptors, painters, potters, quilters, photographers, jewelry makers, however, this is just not seen or known for the amount of artists who live in the area.  We need a lot of publicity.”

However Ava believes that, “One of the greatest opportunities in Grants is to be able to show at the  Double Six Gallery.  There are other locations of art galleries and artists studios as well.”  Learn more about the Double Six Gallery and the group that got it all going, the Cibola Arts Council, in my next post!

I find myself unwinding from the week’s activities at The Cowgirl BBQ – a local BBQ joint in Santa Fe started by two entrepreneurs who “came up with the idea of promoting the culture of the American Cowgirl through the foods of the American West and Southwest.”  There’s nothing like getting a little American culture with some good ole’ folk music and BBQ.  I can’t help to think how cultural entrepreneurs surround us every day and we don’t even realize it.

The patio air is crisp and I know fall is here as I put my jacket on for the first time since spring.  I sit with a few friends planning the weekend’s activities: do we head north to Tres Piedras to climb or south to hike the 11,301 ft extinct volcano known as Mt. Taylor?  As we weigh the options, I sit and listen to a young but talented fiddler. We opt for Mt. Taylor.

The car is loaded with friends, gear, and good spirits as we head south on I25 from Santa Fe and then West on I40.  The drive to Grants is about two hours.  Upon arriving at the trailhead I wonder why no one else is here on this beautiful fall day, but then wonder if it is due to the lack of road signage through Grants!  We got about a half hour off schedule due to missing various turns through the town.

But the good thing about getting off course is that I spotted Badlands Burgers – the restaurant that won Gov. Bill Richardson’s recent Green Chile Cheeseburger Challenge at the state fair.  I’m not a fan of hot and spicy food, but I think I may have to try it simply because it is the best in all of New Mexico!  Perhaps it will satisfy my post-hike hunger later in the day.

It’s a gorgeous fall day as we start our ascent up the Gooseberry Spring Trail through the ponderosa and aspen forest.  Most of the aspens have reached their peak as they glisten in the sun.  We come to our first clearing and see amazing vistas and mesas in the distance.  This gets us excited to reach top to see what the views look like from 360 degrees around.  A few hours later, we’ve reached the summit, where the temperatures have dropped and the winds have picked up but it’s all worth it for the views as I’ve read you can see a third of New Mexico from the top.

As I stand on the summit I can’t help but think how Mt. Taylor has so much to offer – hiking, biking, snowshoeing, backcountry skiing – that there is even an event that highlights all of these activities in one race!  Coming this February, Grants will host the 27th Annual Mt. Taylor Winter Quadrathlon…a grueling physical and mental challenge from Grants to the summit of Mt. Taylor and back via four sports.  I’m not sure if I have the physical prowess to compete in such a race, but it has me intrigued so perhaps you’ll read more about it in February.

But Mt. Taylor doesn’t just provide outdoor adventure experiences, it provides cultural experiences as well.  It’s a sacred mountain to as many as 30 Tribes in the area and was recently listed on the State Register of Cultural Properties to protect the cultural and natural resources from uranium mining.  Can its cultural significance combined with its adventure opportunities make Mt. Taylor and nearby Grants a destination for adventure and cultural tourism?  Grants, like other Western communities, is moving beyond extractive industries as resources deplete and now has to think about developing a sustainable economy.  In the coming weeks, you can read more about this topic as I talk to some locals about the opportunities that may exist.  

Jemez Springs, deep in the heart of the spectacular Jemez Mountains, is a cultural hub that has the potential to become a cultural destination attracting people from all around the world.  A rich intersection of culture, history, and natural beauty, Jemez Springs is a place where Native, Spanish, and Anglo cultures mingle and co-exist, creating a unique destination of galleries, restaurants, outdoor activities, and religious retreats.  As you explore Jemez Springs you may even find yourself thinking you’re in a high mountain village in the Himalayas with the prayer flags that hang off some of the establishments.  And, given the various spiritual centers in Jemez Springs – including the Bodhi Manda Zen Center and the Handmaids of the Precious Blood – you wouldn’t be far off.

And there’s more: the village is located on the Jemez Mountain Trail – a National Scenic Byway, is home to ancient ruins that are now designated as the Jemez State Monument and is just south of the world-renowned Valles Caldera National Preserve.  And with the historic Native Pueblo of Jemez bordering the village nearby, Jemez Springs is a cultural tourism mecca.

However, the recurring theme I heard as I talked to people in Jemez Springs is that the plethora of people who drive through Jemez Springs do just that – they drive right on through.  Even with all of these attractions, Tanya Struble, a cultural entrepreneur and co-founder of the Giggling Springs comments that, “the biggest complaint of visitors is that there aren’t enough places to shop for local art.”  She sees local artists making a name for themselves, but not in Jemez Springs.  Local artists have to go to cities like Santa Fe to be successful.  Tanya remarks, “Artists should have success in their hometowns, not in other cities.”

Increasingly, New Mexico’s artists live and create their art in rural towns – in the landscapes that inspire them, and in the “rent districts” they can afford.  They drive to cities where markets tend to be centered and leave their creations behind, not knowing who buys these pieces of their creative spirit.  Yet if the landscapes that inspire these creative minds to paint, sculpt, compose, and cook are in our rural communities, then perhaps the markets should be thriving in these communities as well.

Small communities across New Mexico – just like Jemez Springs—are working to find ways to get people who drive through to stop and get out of their cars.  Building a critical mass of cultural enterprises and a cooperative effort among these enterprises is a first step to creating a destination that welcomes visitors and sells products and experiences that urban dwellers are hungry for.  Getting good public relations to market the village would be helpful, but what else is needed to make Jemez Springs a cultural destination that attracts people and does not become overly commercialized?  I’m interested to hear your comments!

It’s not just the natural beauty that makes the Jemez Valley spectacular, but that it is home to three significant cultures – Native American, Spanish, and Anglo – which makes it a natural hub for cultural entrepreneurs like Tanya Struble and Therese Councilor.

Tanya and Therese fell in love with the Jemez area and had a dream to run their own business.  In 1995, when the prospect came up to purchase the former springs they jumped on the opportunity.  Tanya commented, “we wanted to keep the history of this place alive so instead of bulldozing and starting over, we renovated using similar materials or reusing materials.”  After two years, they finished the renovation and opened what is known today as the Giggling Springs, a destination for those looking for solitude and relaxation.

Giggling Springs offers a respite with a pool fed by the hot springs – which are rich in minerals and are known to have healing properties in Native American cultures.  You can have your pick of floating on noodles or swinging in a hammock to let your worries drift away.  In the backdrop, the running water of the Jemez River will serenade you and provides a place to cool down after soaking in the springs.  Giggling Springs also offers massage services, a gift shop and a small snack shop where you can order a homemade smoothie to be delivered to you poolside.

The history of the hot springs started with the Jemez Native Americans who called it “the place of boiling waters.”  It was then taken over and run by a Spanish family in the mid to late 1800’s.  It was the Spanish who built a building over the hot springs to make it more “civilized.”  It is this building that still stands today on the property, but is not used because of its fragility.  Then around 1905 an Anglo family took the place over and ran it until 1950 when the family closed it.

Tanya and Therese have kept the original building in tact on the property, but it is used just as show from a distance as it is deteriorating.  They feel they only have about two more years until the building completely crumbles.  One of their more recent challenges is to find funding to preserve the original bathhouse of the Jemez area.

When asked what they see as the future for cultural entrepreneurship in the Jemez area, Tanya said, “In recent history, we have worked together to promote the Jemez Mountains as a ‘destination resort without walls’.  Most tourists are extremely interested in the Native American culture and art.  As a tourist based economy, we need to work together…diversity in culture and art exist here, just no one knows about it!”