The city shut down performance venue
April 15. According to Land Use Director Matt O' Reilly, who oversees the Permit Division and Inspections and Enforcement Division, the division's director, Mike Purdy and former (he retired this week) Fire Marshal Angelo Ortega ordered the venue's closure until it meets assembly requirements. According to Little Wing Director Ross Hamlin, all Little Wing events, which include a wide variety of music and other performing arts, have been canceled or moved to other venues. ---
O'Reilly says the space has a "number of problems," including a lack of fire alarms, sprinklers, dual bathrooms and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance.
The above are necessary for events with more than 15 people.
The building is zoned for general commercial use. According to O'Reilly, the zoning is fine. The problem lies in the "construction of the building and the uses they are trying to put it to."
Ross says that due to cost issues, financing the updates is unlikely.
O'Reilly says Little Wing came under investigation after organizers applied for a Special Dispenser Permit from the City Clerk's Office so they could serve alcohol. The clerk "became concerned and contacted [Purdy] and the fire marshal who did inspections."
The fledgling music and education venture opened in 2010
, as a project of Hamlin and
. Though some of its events have drawn upward of 50 people, often, Hamlin says, under 15 attend.
Hamlin is considering "operating [Little Wing] more as a retail thing and less of a concert venue," though he's unsure of the details as of yet. He is currently in the process of finding other locations for Little Wing's performances, working with
and
to do so.
Macedonian/Turkish music act Avenue East will play 8 pm Saturday, April 23 at O'Shaughnessy Performance Space at Santa Fe University of Art and Design. Slumgum and UFO Ensemble play 7 pm Friday, April 29 at Santa Fe Performance Exchange.
Additional rescheduled events from Little Wing posted below:
MATTHEW MORROW::: "FRIENDS AND OTHER STRANGERS" photography art opening
music by FAMILY MOONS and OPEN CIRCUIT RECORDINGS
SANTA FE COMPLEX 632 Agua Fria (free parking lot on Romero St.)
Friday, April 22nd
5-8pm
$5-10 suggested donation
Avenue East: Macedonian & Turkish Music
O'Shaughnessy Performance Space (Benildus Hall), Santa Fe University of Art and Design
8:00PM
Saturday, April 23rd
$5
Dead Dub Society Presents: I WANT YOU TO TURN UP DEM' DUBZ!
Saturday, April 23
9:00pm - April 24 at 2:00am
Santa Fe Brewing Co.
27 Fire Place
$5
MARK WEAVER'S UFO ENSEMBLE
& SLUMGUM'S album release tour
FRIDAY, APRIL 29, 2011
7 PM
$10
all ages
SANTA FE PERFORMANCE EXCHANGE
7 Caliente Rd
Eldorado at Santa Fe
505-466-3116- SFPE
505-699-5470- Little Wing
Location: Blackbird Buvette, Albuquerque NM
Time: 6:00PM Saturday, May 7th
$5+ (fundraiser)
