It's in the middle of Santa Fe affording ready access to museums, art galleries and theater, dance and music venues. It is the College of Santa Fe, a small gem of a site for lovers of art to convene, to learn, practice and share. I can't think it makes any kind of sense at all to parcel this out to commercial interests to provide us with more box stores or yet another bank.

The campus sits right there now, buildings so far intact. A fiscally sound entity, Laureate, wants to lease enough of it to pay down the debt with some help from us and our city. We can be like every other city that sells out to identical strip malls and corporate-run big stores, or we can stick to our focus on the arts and maintain our claim to the title of City Different.




If the city buys the College of Santa Fe and rents it to Laureate, we will have an amazing opportunity to create jobs for Santa Feans and to support a unique educational program. Not only will we have more employment opportunities for educators, artists, administrators, maintenance engineers and all the supporting jobs needed to run a school, but Laureate would be bringing new students to Santa Fe who would add great value to our economy as well. Many of them will likely become residents after they graduate, bringing even more income to our community later on.

Laureate has looked carefully at Santa Fe and wants to be here. They see the unique potential here in our city. Education would ultimately enrich our community in ways that other commercial uses of the campus would not. I urge the city of Santa Fe to purchase the CSF campus.




Artist, curator, former New York City gallerist, keen observer of the Santa Fe art scene since 1987, I have felt blessed like many by the number of fine art institutions, each filling a different and important role. Over the years, one or another has gone through a difficult time, and the city and its citizens have rallied in support. It is time we do it for The Santa Fe Art Institute.

At time of great societal malaise, SFAI's mission, to explore the intersections between art and society by bringing together representatives in the arts, sciences and humanities, has never been as crucial. We as citizens need to support the city purchase of the College of Santa Fe campus and trust that Laureate's rent will repay the bonds. We don't want the property to be sold to developers. That's the last thing Santa Fe needs.




The purchase of the College of Santa Fe by the city of Santa Fe would ensure the tenure of the Santa Fe Art Institute and other buildings on this beautiful campus.

Santa Fe is already too commercialized, and we need the resources of this institute to better the lives of the citizens of this town. I fully approve the city's proposal to purchase this institution of higher learning.




Encourage the City of Santa Fe to purchase the campus of the defunct College of Santa Fe in order to assure that the Santa Fe Art Institute, which is a profitable nonprofit and a huge asset to the artistic community in Santa Fe, has a secure future. I have been on the board of the SFAI for many years and know first hand how hard the director and staff have worked to make this institution a meaningful part of the Santa Fe Community.




As you know, the Santa Fe Art Institute has become a destination point for visitors, as well as students, artists- and writers-in-residence and for local Santa Feans to see art in the making and participate in a great cultural exchange.

I fear that we are close to having it become a dinosaur, extinct, if the city doesn't buy the college campus, and if we do not speak out for something we have had for so long and love so much. Please help make people aware that my one voice matters, as does each one of theirs.


If we truly care about our community, our children and the future of this special city, we must all do everything we can to make education a priority. To fail to protect the College of Santa Fe — to let it disappear — would be devastating in so many ways! Let's not even consider the possibility! Let's find a way to do the right thing — to buy the college and to make it a centerpiece of the city and a boon to students, artists institutions and businesses here and across the country!




The Screen at CSF is not only a Santa Fe landmark, it offers the community an unparalleled selection of quality cinema not shown elsewhere in town. I urge the city to take the necessary step toward continuing to support community entertainment.