NO BARRIERS TO CREATIVITY
SF hotel thinks outside the box to brighten patio
Lutz Arnhold is often finding creative ways to fill the void.
As managing director of the Rosewood Inn of the Anasazi, Arnhold is looking for ways to grab attention.
With hotel occupancy and dining restrictions in place as part of a statewide health order, Arnhold had to think outside the box.
The downtown property, just off the Plaza, was allowed to take outdoor dining onto Washington Avenue thanks to a construction permit from the city of Santa Fe.
“They requested the street dining be blocked off with concrete barriers for security,” Arnhold said. “They looked rather ugly. We were thinking of a way to make them look prettier.”
Arnhold teamed up with the city’s Department of Arts and Culture to find artists to put their mark on the concrete barriers.
Enter Joel Nakamura, John Paul Granillo, Robb Rael, Jessica Ortiz and Shakti Kroopkin.
The five local artists recently completed the work on their pieces.
Throughout the process, guests and locals alike have been able to watch live as the
artists work on their pieces.
“It often caught visitors’ attention,” he said. “This brought us some more customers just based on having the artists there.”
Now, the artwork borders the outdoor seating area of The Anasazi Restaurant, creating a lively ambiance.
In selecting the artists, Arnhold wanted a diverse group.
“I didn’t give them a theme,” he says. “I wanted them to be as creative as possible.”
Each of the artists was inspired by the diversity of Santa Fe and designed their barriers along the themes of nature, evolution and the seasons.
The Rosewood Inn of the Anasazi will keep the barriers up until the end of the year.
There are plans during the winter months to bring out heaters.
“Next year, we are already planning to bring new barriers out,” he said. “We’re going to do the 2021 version of the project. We might auction off the barriers when the new ones are put in place.”