Project Description

Arroyo Seco is a small town in mountains of Northern New Mexico. In recent years, the town elementary school has closed, leaving the community children with out a park, playground, or play space.

We are raising money to build a circus themed children's play space and community mural next to the Seco Pearl Teahouse and Community Garden. The playground will house two trapeze bars, a safe-style tightrope, a few swings, and a huge play box with hula hoops, juggling balls, costumes, puppets, roli-bolis and more.

We are arranging a work party with local adults and children to paint the surrounding fences in a Circus theme. In addition, we want to invite several of the local middle and high school youth to work with local artists to create a large community mural on the side of the building that borders the west wall of the playground.

The Seco Pearl Teahouse and Boutique is a locally owned store as well as serving as the community center for our town. The Pearl offers many free children activities, art and music classes. The staff from the Pearl, as well as activity leaders will supervise the playground. In addition, there is a two-acre community garden on the property, providing youth with opportunities for hand-on educational experience.

We will involve many of the local youth graffiti artists in the making of the mural, providing them with a huge workspace of which they can feel proud. The younger kids will be invited to paint the surrounding picket fences, helping to develop their artistic courage early on.

Wise Fools Performance group, a nearby circus arts theater, will be invited to give performances and workshops in the playground area on the trapeze, tightrope, and other circus items. We hope to make these events free to all youth.

We believe in creating safe, supportive and silly spaces for young and old to play alike. In times of the loss of small schools, open spaces, and the arts programs in schools, we see our responsibility to take up the slack and take care of our children.