Circus arts nonprofit's longtime lease slated to end in 2025

Apr. 21—To Amaya Alvarado, it feels like spaces to practice circus craft are rapidly disappearing.

"It's just getting harder and harder to continue to exist," she said.

As co-executive director — as well as an instructor and performer — at the Santa Fe circus arts nonprofit Wise Fool New Mexico, Alvarado was once a member of a circus in Portland, Ore., before it halted operations after more than a decade.

Now, Wise Fool's future seems uncertain as well. The organization learned April 11 its landlord has opted not to renew the lease for its Siler Road studio in 2025, Alvarado said. The space instead will be occupied by a neighboring business.

Because of the circus' unique design needs, Alvarado argued one year isn't enough time to find a suitable replacement — even if the organization finding a new space "makes sense as a business move."

As a result, Wise Fool is seeking a three-year extension of the lease, which would allow the organization to stay until 2027 as it searches for a new space.

"I really feel that circus has a major social, cultural, political, personal impact and that it matters," Alvarado said. "It would be really sad if we weren't given enough time to make a transition and be able to continue the good work that we're doing out there."

The landlord, Stan Biderman, did not respond to The New Mexican's requests for comment.

Though Wise Fool's programs can involve learning to juggle, hang from a trapeze bar or walk on stilts, Alvarado insists the circus arts can teach a whole lot more than technical skills. The art form is all about working towards a goal, she said, meaning it teaches discipline, resilience and collaboration.

"There's so much that's beautiful about circus," Alvarado said.

Though it also takes the circus on the road for workshops in local schools, Wise Fool does a lot of its work — and finds a lot of that beauty — in the nearly 5,000 square-foot studio, which houses more than 20 staff members and was specially outfitted to meet the needs of circus performers.

The organization installed custom floors, lined with foam to absorb impact. And the studio is filled with frames, trusses and rigging to ensure students and instructors are safe while while hanging from fabric, hoops, ropes and poles.

All of that is hard to install and hard to move. With only a year's notice, Alvarado said it will be very challenging to find another appropriate space in town, given Santa Fe's expensive and desirable real estate market.

The studio also doubles as a rentable black box theater — one of few local, midsized performance venues. Removing the space, Alvarado said, "has a bigger impact on the arts in Santa Fe."

Now, Wise Fool working to appeal to Biderman and neighbors for the lease extension through 2027. The organization recently sent out an "urgent appeal" email to its community of supporters last week, seeking help in advocating for the extension.

Without an extension, the organization's future is unclear, Alvarado said.

"We will still do everything we can to try to continue our programming," she said. "I can't say for sure what would happen, just knowing what it takes for us to relocate."