documentary

Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story

DateMarch 7

This star studded tribute brings into focus the dazzling, complex period of Liza Minnelli’s life starting in the 1970s, just after…

2025 Oscar Nominated Shorts

DateFebruary 21

Since 2006, ShortsTV has proudly brought the Oscar® Nominated Short Films to audiences across the globe. This special release features…

Art for Everybody

DateApril 11

You’ve seen his cozy cottages, idyllic gardens, and welcoming village streets on everything from canvas to commemorative plates. Both celebrated…

Cabin Music (film & musical performance)

DateSeptember 29, 2024 @ 6:00 pm

Co-presented by CCA and Chatter North: ONE NIGHT ONLY, WITH FILMMAKER IN ATTENDANCE! This event includes a film screening followed…

MADE IN ENGLAND: The Films of POWELL & PRESSBURGER

DateAugust 30, 2024

Martin Scorsese first encountered the films of Powell and Pressburger when he was a child, sitting in front of the…

Jazz on a Summer’s Day

DateJuly 23, 2024 @ 6:00 pm

Presented in a new 4K Restoration as part of CCA’s monthly series on music & film, Amplified. Filmed at the…

Swan Song

DateJuly 26, 2024

An immersive, behind-the-scenes look at one of the world’s leading ballet companies as it mounts a new production of Swan…

The Blues Accordin’ to Lightnin’ Hopkins + A Well Spent Life

DateAugust 27, 2024 @ 6:00 pm

Two documentaries on Texas Blues by the late great documentarian Les Blank. Presented as part of CCA’s monthly series on…

American Movie

DateAugust 27, 2024 @ 8:00 pm

Presented as part of CCA’s monthly Cult Film Series! Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of this inspiring, cinematic treasure! In this…

Burden of Dreams

DateJuly 26, 2024

Screening for ONE WEEK ONLY as part of CCA’s Director Spotlight Series on Werner Herzog. Presented in a brand new…

Frank Capra: Mr America

DateJuly 25, 2024

Presented ONE DAY ONLY as part of CCA’s celebratory participation in Art House Theater Day! Frank Capra: Mr America tells…

HOW TO COME ALIVE with Norman Mailer

DateJuly 5, 2024

Playing in the CCA Studio HOW TO COME ALIVE with Norman Mailer explores the rollercoaster life of America’s most controversial and…

2025 Copyright Center for Contemporary Arts – Santa Fe. All rights reserved.

The Board of Directors for the Center for Contemporary Arts of Santa Fe (CCA) has voted to close the organization after serving the Santa Fe and northern New Mexico community on its forty-fourth year of operation. The decision was reached after careful consideration of options presented during its current strategic planning initiative.

“Closing a cherished, community organization like CCA is one of the most difficult decisions a board can make,” said David Muck, CCA Board Chair. “However, we simply couldn’t secure the level of individual donations required to achieve the high quality of programming and exhibitions envisioned by CCA’s professional staff and board of directors,” he continued.

Many nonprofits in the U.S. were hit hard by Covid and CCA is a good example. The CCA Cinema closed during Covid, and attendance was slow to resume, reflecting national downward trends in moviegoing post-Covid as reported in multiple news outlets, such as IndieWire and others. In 2023, the organization forecast the cinema to perform at only 50% of pre-Covid levels, resulting in monthly losses. Though grants and individual donations to the organization were up significantly in 2022 and 2023, they simply weren’t enough to make up the difference in the annual budget and cover both current and planned exhibitions and operations.

“This tough decision did not come lightly,” said Danyelle Means, CCA Executive Director and Head Curator. “For a nonprofit institution that operates independently of state support, the annual donations needed to sustainably continue operating was not enough, especially in the wake of challenges from pandemic closures and reduced attendance,” Means continued.

CCA did have its share of recent successes: CCA Executive Director Danyelle Means had secured a three-year grant of $100,000 per year from the Ford Foundation, with an option to renew for another three-year period. The organization was also the recipient of a $50,000 inaugural grant from Ruth Arts Foundation, as well as other granting organizations. Self-Determined, a 2022 CCA exhibition, was listed as one of the world’s Top 50 Exhibitions of 2022 by Hyperallergic magazine and CCA’s new monthly Closer Looks cinema series was a hit with film enthusiasts.

The CCA board of directors considered closing the organization in December of 2021, but voted to remain open in 2022 in hopes of a recovery post-Covid. However, despite the hard work of CCA staff and the accomplishments like the ones mentioned above, the shuttered period during which the cinema was closed proved too challenging to overcome. CCA Cinema’s final day of public operations is Thursday, April 6, and all upcoming CCA gallery exhibitions and public programs are cancelled.