Horse Tail Trails

There is a huge amount of artistic talent in the Espanola Valley.  Countless numbers of artists live in and around the town, holding open studios during art tours and coming to the annual art shows.  Even for all of this, there is a lack of community places that provide classes and work space for the arts in Espanola, particularly where performing arts are concerned.  In the near future, this gap will be filled, as a new project is currently underway; The Ol’ Mel Patch Art Space.

The Mel Patch was a bar and dance hall until the early 1990’s.  The building then became a tire and body shop.  It sat empty and neglected for some time after that.  Dust and grime from the years cover the hardwood floors.  Walking across the old barroom was a complete hazard, with the rotting boards bowing and giving way at a moment’s notice.  There are makeshift bridges leading the way to the sturdy patches.  The ceiling needs repairs, the upstairs windows are broken, and the whole place is in disarray, but not for long.

Even in its current state, the potential of the Mel Patch building is undeniable.  The structure itself is sound, with thick walls and a good roof.  This 6,400 square foot building is set on the corner of South Riverside and E. Corlett Road in the Espanola Y Business District.  It long ago caught the attention of multiple people as the perfect location for a community art space.  After two years of getting everything in order, the dream is coming to life.

On February 20, 2010, the Mel Patch Arts Space had its first “rip up the floor party.”  By the time Horse Tail Trails reporters got there at 11:00am, gaping holes had already been cut in the rotting floor, revealing the crawl-space below.  The first wave of volunteers for the day included Randy Perraglio, Rosalia Triana, Elijah Mares, and Eric and Becky Archuleta, along with their children, Chloe and Eli.  Dino Martinez, who owns the Lovin’ Oven doughnut shop next door, generously provided pastries for the volunteers and even came in to see the progress for himself in the middle of the afternoon.  Wheelbarrows full of pulled up planks were stacked by the back door to be hauled off later.  Music was playing, alternating with the sound of the power saws that vibrated the floorboards. 

So what is all this work leading to?  In the future, the building will house a community space for visual and performing arts.  Dance, theatre, poetry, music, painting, drawing, and possibly even film making are among the workshops being brainstormed by the group.  The plans for the future are big.  The building will become an art gallery, a studio space for artists to work in, and a classroom space for the community.  Though it will not be specifically limited to just children and teens, one of the goals is to give the youth a creative outlet.  This has already started in the form of the freelance mural walls that the outside of the building provides.

Many people have a negative view of graffiti art due to the fact that they relate it to vandalism and gang activity.  As a result, there has already been some negativity toward the building because of its mural walls.  However, the Mel Patch group recognizes that graffiti is an art form and it needs to have its own time and place so it can be practiced legally, not as vandalism.  Currently, amid beautifully composed graffiti-styled art pieces, a large section of the wall has a wonderfully done reproduction of The Beatles Abbey Road album cover.  There’s also a cartoon depiction of Al Hurricane, various symbols of peace and love, and a comically grumpy character that was recently painted over an image of the Dark Knight version of The Joker.  The sprawling mural is a fantastic array of colors and art styles in itself, constantly changing from one week to the next.  It’s amazing to think that so much art has already happened just on the outside of the building in the form of this evolving compilation piece.

Inside the building, there’s a good deal of things already collected and donated to the cause.  Flats that form a stage and folding theatre seating were given to the Mel Patch when the Soul Arts Theatre in Albuquerque went out of business.  Pieces of art that will be on display already line the walls.  Desks, a couch, tables, and a variety of other scattered furniture are stored in corners away from the construction mess.

Past events run by the Mel Patch include the Christmas Cruise and Toy Run 2009, the Y District Farolito Lighting, Bomb the Gazebo Art and Music Festival on the Espanola Plaza, as well as a 2007 bike show when the group first came together.  Currently they have a food drive planned for April 17th, though there are no further details yet.

The restoration and establishing of the Mel Patch Art Space is a collective effort.  It has been stressed that no one wants to be the voice or face of the project, preferring that it be viewed as a group of equals rather than people working under a central figure.  Volunteers and people interested in the future of the project are encouraged to contact the group through our business directory listing: Click Here

For even more videos, visit our new Horse Tail Trails YouTube channel:

Click Here to go to our YouTube