Sunday, February 19, 2006
On Founding the
Taos Institute
Work over the next two months was focused on the threads
Community centric service methodology
(next Taos Discussion posting is [75] on April 12,
2006)
Discussion
Early Taos
National Heritage Park
First clay model of the Taos National Heritage
Brief description
· The road at the top (black) is the existing main highway (Paso Del Pueblo Sur, Hy 68)
· The top left adobe walled-in area is the “To-Be” Indian Hills Inn (transformed from its current condition.)
· The road (black) to the left and along the bottom is to be proposed to the State, and to the White House, to be a state part road and connector between Hy 68 and Hy 65 (Kit Carson Road). The road will be closed at night.
· The property next to (North) of the Inn in the Allegro Mall, a small adobe mall that used to be owned by Ervin Couse (grandson of artist Couse).
· Next to the Mall is a deep 6 foot dry creek bed.
· Between the creek bed and the Mac Donald’s parking lot is a space that can be turned into the main parking lot for the Taos National Heritage Park. This lot would be a fee based lot specifically designed to support the Park. A second Park parking lot will be placed along Kit Carson Road (where there is currently a little used municipal parking lot. )
· The Road to the South and East are proposed as a state connector between Hy 68 and Hy 65 (Kit Carson Road)
· The white adobe walls are required to transform the 37 acre Couse Land Trust into a state park, and to provide beauty and security. The walls will have gardens as well as an irrigation system.
· Water will be pulled from the underground water table (located at between 8 and 20 feet). This water will be researched as part of the science funded by the Foundation on water use and conservation. A grant for this research will be funded by the governor of New Mexico.
· The park would be co-managed by the State of New Mexico, the Couse Trust and a Board of Governors responsible for fulfilling a Charter (to be developed over the next two years).
· The land use is to be determined in the Charter
Regarding the Charter for the Taos National Heritage Park.
· The first mission of the TNHP is to convey knowledge about the history of settlements of Taos, Taos Mountain and the Valley of Taos to a worldwide audience.
o This mission will be projected into both virtual museums and a e-commerce system
§ The e-commerce system will accrue, to the Park as revenue, a 20% “tax” on Internet sales made through an advance e-commerce software system designed by Dr Paul Prueitt, son of Taos Artist A. Kelly Pruitt.
o The virtual museum will initially have five time periods
§ Pre-Cortez Mexico and New Mexico
§ Period of colonization (1500 – 1900)
§ The early Taos art colony and the modern history of the Taos Pueblo
§ Present day Taos, Taos Valley and surrounding lands and communities
§ Taos as projected to 2050
o University associations will be maintained both virtually and with physical (on-site) projects.
· The Charter will support a visiting artists program
o Artists from around the world will be invited to live within the artist community, represented as the seven houses in the lower left corner of the clay model.
o The model of living within the Park will be experimental and developed around the notions of a commune.
o Artists will be part of one of seven artists commune, and each commune will be run according to principles embodied, but modified, in the Taos Pueblo government.
§ Each commune will have a little over an acre of land and a central house and parking garage.
· Rules will include: no smoking or drinking except in cases where neighboring communes do not see or feel the consequences
· All private automobiles will be stored in closed parking garages and will be used only occasional
· Food preparation will generally be done communally.
· No loud music will be broadcast from the Park grounds
· Outside temporary structures, like a Tepee, can be created, only for an approved period of time.
· The Park will be run as if a Bed a Breakfast, ie everyone is a guest except the management team.
o Artists from around the world will be invited to the Taos National Heritage Park to create works in oil, various similar media, bronze and clay.
o All work created by visiting artists will be made part of the Foundation’s common property.
Pictures:
From the middle of the Couse Field (near the Creek bed)
The Creek bed, now filled with broken beer bottles
View from the creek bed up towards the Taos Historic District