BRIGHT SPOT
Reinvesting in the community. This is what Jared and Laurie Tarbell did when the pair made the decision to donate a Downtown Albuquerque location to Flamenco Works Inc.
The property is located at 506 Central SW, near Lindy’s Diner.
Jared Tarbell is a New Mexico native and the cofounder of Etsy, the online e-commerce company.
Laurie Tarbell is an innovative architect and community builder.
“(They) made a real decision to reinvest in their community,” said Jesús Muñoz, executive director of Flamenco Works Inc. “It’s something that I never imagined would happen.”
Muñoz said the organization, which currently rents a space in Barelas, was looking for a permanent home in Albuquerque.
“We tried to buy the space in Barelas,” Muñoz said. “We knew we only had a year left on the lease and we had to start making some plans.”
The organization began to look for other options and found the commercial space owned by the Tarbells.
When they found the property, Muñoz said it was a perfect spot. It is a 4,500-square foot historic building in the middle of Downtown.
“It sounded too good to be true,” he said. “I remained cautious and I pitched the idea of a building donation in August 2020. The brokers thought I was crazy. Less than a week later, I got the call
the Tarbells wanted to do it.”
Muñoz remained cautious until the keys were in his hand, which happened around Christmas.
“The building became home to Flamenco Works on Jan. 16,” he said.
Flamenco Works was created to empower youth to reach their potential through professional flamenco dance training and the creation of visceral, cutting-edge flamenco art.
Muñoz said there’s a lot of work to be done and he’s counting on community support to make the dream happen.
“Art improves everything from walkability to sustainability in areas of commerce,” he said. “Art grows the GDP (gross domestic product) and increases the price of adjacent and area real estate within the first 90 days of entry into any area of town, from residential to commercial. Investing in art, dance, music is not only good for the community and the people it serves.”
There are going to be at least three phases of build-outs and the first halfphase will be done by spring. The project will take 12 months to complete.
The company will remain in Barelas as the Central location is being refinished.
“We’re planning shows in June that will be a hybrid of outdoor and indoor shows,” he said. “There will be studio space for classes or dancers at the new space, as well as a performance venue.
“It’s just the beginning.”