©1997-2006 Betty Chypre, All Rights Reserved

~  Affordable Housing  ~

in Arizona

for Craftsmen & Artists

NEW ARTIST LIVE/WORK RENTALS IN THE SPECTACULAR SONORAN DESERT

 
Ajo, Arizona: Spacious apartments for artists including large workspaces, at affordable rates, are taking shape in the magnificent Sonoran Desert of Ajo, Arizona. The Curley School, once an oasis for education and now on the national register of historic places, is being converted to live/work spaces for 30 artisans and their families.

 The historic Curley School is currently undergoing an innovative ten-million-dollar transformation into artists’ and artisans’ live/work spaces. In early 2007, qualified artists/artisans in all media will be invited to rent the 30 units in the Curley School for an affordable $295 - $595 per month. Units range in size from studios to three-bedrooms apartments.
 
Artists and artisans are encouraged to place their names on the interest list now.

A free DVD with local artists/artisans inviting others to join them in beautiful Ajo, AZ is available now at our web site www.curleyschool.com  . Tenant application process starts September 2006. Information is available too, about Artist’s Weekends in Ajo, which provide an opportunity to visit Ajo, tour the Curley School Artisan Lofts now under construction, and meet local artists and artisans in this already flourishing arts community..
 
“I came through town to visit friends for a few days and ended up buying a house,” says fabric collage artist Regina Browne. “We all agree, there’s something about the light.” Browne is just one of the many artists and artisans who already reside in Ajo.
 
These beautiful, well-lit and affordable apartments, with the original eight-foot windows and high ceilings combined with on-site galleries and performing arts spaces, will offer artists and artisans a new and exciting adventure surrounded by the inspirational beauty of the Great American Southwest.
 
Forty miles from the Mexican border, two hours from the major cities of Phoenix and Tucson, and well within the range of many premier Western art shows and festivals, the Curley School Project provides artists new opportunities for selling their work, while living in a quiet, undisturbed creative environment.
 
This unique desert setting captures the hearts and souls of its inhabitants while offering a space for artists to grow and develop professionally as their families and life partners enjoy the rewards of small town rural living. Ajo is a supportive community that thrives on artistic energy.
 
Project sponsor is the International Sonoran Desert Alliance (ISDA), a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the unique biological and cultural diversity of the Sonoran Desert through international dialogue, education, sustainable development, and community action. For more information about ISDA go to www.isdanet.org .

*With underwriting or support from Enterprise Community Investment, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the State of Arizona, and Pima County.

END

CONTACTS:
      Jim Wilcox, Project Director, International Sonoran Desert Alliance,
520-237-1875, curleysc@tabletoptelephone.com
     Tracy Taft, Executive Director, International Sonoran Desert Alliance,
520-387-6823, alianza@tabletoptelephone.com