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Seven villagers have been named to the newly established Performing Arts Center Committee, which will make recommendations to the mayor and Village Council for a proposed space for stage productions, music and other presentations. In earlier discussions, Village officials have indicated such a center would probably be constructed where the Jones residence stands west of the Corrales Post Office. The home would be demolished, and a new facility would go in its place. The committee would recommend what would be needed.

Named to the committee at the May 24 council meeting were: Jim Wright, Linda Parker, Tony Messec, John Schumann, Jon Young, Bonnie Gonzalesร‚ย  and Ken Duckert. The concept for a municipal performing arts center has morphed into a mixed use facility that could even include a community kitchen for farmers and growers to use to process foodstuffs for sale. That was Mayor Jim Faheyรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs guidance during brief remarks at an earlier council meeting ahead of the Village Councilรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs adoption establishingร‚ย  an ad hoc committee รขโ‚ฌล“to explore the possibilities of the Corrales Performing Arts Center.รขโ‚ฌย He said members wereร‚ย  likely to be drawn from Music in Corrales, Corrales Society of Artists, the Parks and Recreation Commission, the Corrales Arts Center, Corrales MainStreet, Inc. and villagers engaged in agriculture. One at-large member was to be named.

Fahey said the committeeรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs mission is รขโ‚ฌล“to identify and help to implement a plan to create a performing arts center that could be used for a variety of events and classes in the village of Corrales.รขโ‚ฌย

Before councillors voted to establish the committee, the mayor suggested perhaps the new groupรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs name might be changed because it is no longer being thought of as exclusively for performances. รขโ‚ฌล“It would really be more of a mixed use facility.รขโ‚ฌย

In that context, Fahey suggested the proposed structure might accommodate a รขโ‚ฌล“commercial kitchen,รขโ‚ฌย the need for which has been recognized for more than a decade. Such a kitchen would be used to process food from Corrales farms and gardens that is certified by the N.M. Department of Health for sale to the public.

Discussion at the May 10 council meeting also included possible use of a performance space by the Adobe Theater. รขโ‚ฌล“We want them coming in from the very beginning,รขโ‚ฌย he told councillors, explaining that he would like an ongoing revenue stream from use of the facility such as the theater might provide.

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Although it started in Corrales more than 50 years ago, the Adobe Theater now stages productions in the North Valley, north ofร‚ย  the Alameda Boulevard-Fourth Street intersection.

(See Corrales Comment Vol.XXX VIII No.15 October 19, 2019 รขโ‚ฌล“CAC Seeks Performance Space, Possibly at Old Jones Residence.รขโ‚ฌย)

In 2019, officers with the Corrales Arts Center held preliminary talks with the Adobe Theater. รขโ‚ฌล“Theyรขโ‚ฌโ„ขre interested and weรขโ‚ฌโ„ขre interested,รขโ‚ฌย the Corrales Arts Centerรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs Jim Wright reported in a Corrales Comment interview Octoberร‚ย  11, 2019.

Providing a better arts-related facility here would be a crucial component of the Villageรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs proposed designation of an arts and cultural district (See Corrales Comment Vol. XXXII No.19 November 23, 2013 รขโ‚ฌล“Arts &รขโ‚ฌห†Cultural District Must Wait.รขโ‚ฌย)

Since early 2017, CAC has worked from leased space in the commercial space at 4940 Corrales Road, just north of the fire station. Arts related meetings, exhibits, talks and small performances have been held in that space.

The Village bought the 2.65-acre Jones property in June 2016. A barn and shed farther west on the parcel are now used for Corralesรขโ‚ฌโ„ข Public Works Department.

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