A Santa Fe institution, stuck behind a fence
I went over to Santa Fe Indian School late last week to catch a rare public appearance in Santa Fe by Gov. Susana Martinez. She gave the commencement speech for the New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy’s graduation ceremony at the Pueblo Pavilion Wellness Center.
But going into the wellness center — which actually is a big gym — I saw something out of the corner of my eye that brought back a flood of memories. Paolo Soleri Amphitheater. It’s still there, behind a chain-link fence not far from the wellness center. There are a couple of padlocked gates and for reasons I’m not sure of, some ribbons, whose colors are mostly faded, tied to the wire in one section. You can’t really see the main stage from behind the fence, though you can see the top of the upper stage, which to me always looked like a dinosaur rib bone. From a distance, this all looks like some ancient ruin.
As a music lover and as a Santa Fe lover, Paolo Soleri Amphitheater has a special place in my heart.
As I said, I experienced a flood of memories, bittersweet memories of so many shows I saw there. B.B. King, Carlos Santana, John Prine, David Byrne, Pete Seeger, Jackson Browne, the Native Roots & Rhythms Festival. … The first time I met country music giant Roger Miller, a former Tesuque resident, was backstage at Paolo back in the summer of 1980 when he was a surprise guest at a Michael Martin Murphey show. Roger came out and introduced himself, but before he could sing a note, the sky opened up and the rains came down. The rest of the show was canceled. A few years later, I took my daughter to her first concert, Arlo Guthrie. She was 2 or 3 at the time and slept soundly through the whole thing.
I remembered the first time I ever went to Paolo. That was my high school baccalaureate in 1971. I was amazed by the theater. It reminded me of something out of Bedrock. Fred and Wilma would have loved the place.
A 2011 article by architect Conrad Skinner on his website about the history of the amphitheater describes it best:
“The thrust stage with its cavelike shell. The bridge and upper stage over the shell. Two vomitoria tunneling to the foot of the stage from under the audience seating. Paired hollow columns rising from lower stage [to] the upper stage balcony. Stairways flanking the columns to penetrate the shell. The tower stage right and the canyon ramping down stage left from the background earthwork. The amalgamated elements evoked a fantastic landscape, not the blank stage of modern theaters.” (Read the whole piece at paolosoleriamphitheaterhistory.com.)
The amphitheater is named for Italian-born architect Paolo Soleri, who designed it using an earth-cast technique that involves pouring concrete into pre-shaped earthen molds, then excavating away the earth after the concrete hardens. It was constructed at the Indian School in the mid 1960s.
I don’t know when the fence was put up, but I do know the last concert — featuring Texas singer Lyle Lovette — took place there on July 29, 2010.
That year there was shock and anger in the city when the Indian School announced its plans to demolish Paolo Soleri. ThenSuperintendent Everett Chavez said the facility had become too expensive to maintain and it didn’t further the school’s educational mission. The decision was backed by the All Indian Pueblo Council, made up of governors of the 19 New Mexico pueblos, which administers the school. Besides the cost, school and pueblo officials cited drug use among “unsavory elements” attending the concerts there.
Architect Soleri, who died in 2013, was quoted in the New Mexico Mercury website saying, “I am willing to do anything to support preservation of the theater.”
New Mexico’s two U.S. senators, Tom Udall and now-retired Jeff Bingaman, got involved. They sent a letter to the school and the pueblos saying, “This historical landmark has been an important venue for a great number of activities that go on in Santa Fe, and in our opinion it would be a significant loss to the community if the amphitheater is not retained. To this end, we would like to offer our assistance in preserving the future of the amphitheater should you decide that is the appropriate course.”
That undoubtedly helped save Paolo from demolition, but it didn’t bring back any music to the venue.
Udall’s spokeswoman, Jenn Talhelm, said Friday his office isn’t aware of any new proposals to reopen the amphitheater.
So there it stays, behind that chain-link fence.