Forming an arts community
The small town where Stoffobeads has its corporate headquarters, and beadmines are located, Ajo, AZ (postal code 85321) is an old mining town, formerly a large copper mining area. The copper mine, an open pit now with large tailings piles is a constant presence looming over the town.
Town has many amenities here that you wouldn't find in a town this size otherwise. We have a newspaper, actually two now. The copper news and The Corridor Times which doesnt have its website up yet. Not too many towns with a summer population of 4000 and winter of about double that who can boast two weekly newspapers these days.
There are about 4 Mexican restaurants, a deli/internet cafe, a Pizza hut, Dairy Queen, Asian restaurant, liquor store, 2 grocery markets, Radio Shak, and various other assorted local businesses. We have a golf course, a public pool that's fantastically clean and wonderful if it were only open more, a great public library, bank, Florist, health clinic, many different churches, and Im sure Im missing some critical stuff...
The county services are fantastic as this is a remote part of Pima County, same county that Tucson serves as a tax base for. So in many ways we reap the benefits of a huge tax base but are still small town. Many outdoor recreational activities and opportunities exist here as the gateway town to Mexico in specific Rocky Point. Gateway to the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge , Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument , and plenty of BLM land.
The Ajo Chamber of Commerce has a webpage with some really great photos of the town plaza. Built in the Spanish colonial mission style (I think) the town plaza is one of the best features of the town. It serves as a focal point for the library, deli, pharmacy, and post office. Its very picturesque and alot of community events are held here.
Santa comes in on his sleigh, greets the local kids and gives out treats to everyone who shows up in this amazing Norman Rockwellian event and the whole town does show up for that. Folklorico dance lessons are held here, some folks enjoy the sprinklers when they turn on to water the grass and its over 100 degrees out.
Oh yeah, not to paint too idyllic a picture, it does get hot here, I didn't mention that earlier. Our high temp recorded here is 119 in the shade and thats not lie. Far to hot to make beads !
Well, one of the focal points of the town is a historic cluster of buildings that were/are The Curley School and its parent organization, ISDA .
Where am I going in this rambling epic.....
One of the last places we lived, Cumberland MD, also an area where the local economy had been based upon a now defunct industry. At the time we were there, it was economically depressed but forming an arts community. We left just as the transformation was taking shape and they are well developed as an arts area now.
So we at Stoffobeads are hopeful and active to some extent in promoting Ajo, our current Bead-epicenter as a newly forming arts community. Though my involvement in this promotion is not organized or formally aligned with any organization, I pledge that I will force the Umpa-Loompas to take a break from the beadmine and send info to anyone who wants it, electronic or otherwise about this area.
The film festival starts soon, featuring 3 movies that I believe were all shot locally. There are interesting lectures at the library. The arts council brings in wonderful cultural events like Tucson Symphony Orchestra who is also coming soon.
Want to move to a really neat South Western small town with about 350 days of sunshine, fantastic weather in the winters and warm summers, let me know and I will tell you more than you want to hear about Ajo. Its on the verge of becoming the next Sedona, or Patagonia and you heard it here first.
Town has many amenities here that you wouldn't find in a town this size otherwise. We have a newspaper, actually two now. The copper news and The Corridor Times which doesnt have its website up yet. Not too many towns with a summer population of 4000 and winter of about double that who can boast two weekly newspapers these days.
There are about 4 Mexican restaurants, a deli/internet cafe, a Pizza hut, Dairy Queen, Asian restaurant, liquor store, 2 grocery markets, Radio Shak, and various other assorted local businesses. We have a golf course, a public pool that's fantastically clean and wonderful if it were only open more, a great public library, bank, Florist, health clinic, many different churches, and Im sure Im missing some critical stuff...
The county services are fantastic as this is a remote part of Pima County, same county that Tucson serves as a tax base for. So in many ways we reap the benefits of a huge tax base but are still small town. Many outdoor recreational activities and opportunities exist here as the gateway town to Mexico in specific Rocky Point. Gateway to the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge , Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument , and plenty of BLM land.
The Ajo Chamber of Commerce has a webpage with some really great photos of the town plaza. Built in the Spanish colonial mission style (I think) the town plaza is one of the best features of the town. It serves as a focal point for the library, deli, pharmacy, and post office. Its very picturesque and alot of community events are held here.
Santa comes in on his sleigh, greets the local kids and gives out treats to everyone who shows up in this amazing Norman Rockwellian event and the whole town does show up for that. Folklorico dance lessons are held here, some folks enjoy the sprinklers when they turn on to water the grass and its over 100 degrees out.
Oh yeah, not to paint too idyllic a picture, it does get hot here, I didn't mention that earlier. Our high temp recorded here is 119 in the shade and thats not lie. Far to hot to make beads !
Well, one of the focal points of the town is a historic cluster of buildings that were/are The Curley School and its parent organization, ISDA .
Where am I going in this rambling epic.....
One of the last places we lived, Cumberland MD, also an area where the local economy had been based upon a now defunct industry. At the time we were there, it was economically depressed but forming an arts community. We left just as the transformation was taking shape and they are well developed as an arts area now.
So we at Stoffobeads are hopeful and active to some extent in promoting Ajo, our current Bead-epicenter as a newly forming arts community. Though my involvement in this promotion is not organized or formally aligned with any organization, I pledge that I will force the Umpa-Loompas to take a break from the beadmine and send info to anyone who wants it, electronic or otherwise about this area.
The film festival starts soon, featuring 3 movies that I believe were all shot locally. There are interesting lectures at the library. The arts council brings in wonderful cultural events like Tucson Symphony Orchestra who is also coming soon.
Want to move to a really neat South Western small town with about 350 days of sunshine, fantastic weather in the winters and warm summers, let me know and I will tell you more than you want to hear about Ajo. Its on the verge of becoming the next Sedona, or Patagonia and you heard it here first.
posted by Stoffobeads at 6:24 PM
4 Comments:
Hi Matt
I would love more information! Please contact me thru my website/blog.
It sounds like a beautiful place.
I'm an artist also and mainly work with gourds right now. I would love to someday be able to combine glass and gourds...(just some ideas I have :-) )
Thank you
Matt, If I didn't know better, I'd think you've grown to love Ajo. Speaking as a way too infrequent visitor, I agree with almost all the superlatives you've used about Ajo. I didn't know about the culture though.
Well I have grown to love Ajo, it is a cool place! I do happen to live in lots of places as I move often with work. Ajo has the most going for it and most potential of anyplace we have lived.
It's a shame that you left Ajo, but good for you. The Curley School is a HUD housing facility. And with that comes criminal activity, drugs, and the physical, mental and financial challenges of residents which this wonderful small town neither deserves nor should have the resposibility to support. This is definately not an artist community.
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