The Center for Contemporary Arts of Santa Fe (CCA), which has served the community for 44 years, is closing after its board of directors voted in favor of ceasing operations.
“Closing a cherished, community organization like CCA is one of the most difficult decisions a board can make,” CCA Board Chair, David Muck, said in a press release Thursday. “However, we simply couldn’t secure the level of individual donations required to achieve the high quality of programming and exhibitions envisioned by CCA’s professional staff and board of directors.”
The center closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the CCA board considered closing the organization for good in December 2021, the release stated. The board voted to reopen in 2022, hoping for a post-pandemic recovery. But the center, like many non-profit organizations around the country, never gained enough support from patrons and donors to meet costs.
The cinema closed Thursday, and future exhibitions and programs are canceled, according to a KRQE report.
“This tough decision did not come lightly,” Danyelle Means, CCA executive director, and head curator said in the release. “For a nonprofit institution that operates independently of state support, the annual donations needed to sustainably continue operating was not enough, especially in the wake of challenges from pandemic closures and reduced attendance.”
Prior to the closure decision, Means worked to find funding to support the CCA.
He secured a three-year $100,000 grant from the Ford Foundation with an option to renew for another three-year period, according to the release. The organization was also the recipient of a $50,000 inaugural grant from the Ruth Arts Foundation. Grants were also provided by other organizations.
Self-Determined, a 2022 CCA exhibition, was ranked one of the world’s Top 50 Exhibitions of 2022 by Hyperallergic magazine, the release stated. The arts center’s new monthly Closer Looks cinema series also received high ratings from film critics.
