Spring Update 2026
As circus artists, we are great at finding balance in the face of chaos. We spent much of 2025 tiptoeing through borrowed spaces following the loss of our Siler Rd studio, juggling possible leads for new homes, and then finally sticking the landing at our midtown campus location within Aspect Media Village’s Garson building.
We are happy to share that we’re settling nicely into this burgeoning location – along with some of our immediate neighbors Sky Cinema’s Midtown and Tender Fire Kitchen, as they open their doors to the public too! In many ways, 2026 has felt like a BIG year of change ahead of us, but it’s really been a return to form as we are finally able to shift our focus from organizational triage to the things that really matter – our programs.
Learn what programs are returning, and what our next plans for the space are by reading on! And as always, you can support what we do by making a donation today.
Donations Matched Up To $25,000
This spring is a vital time for our organization’s fundraising efforts – an anonymous benefactor will be matching gifts up to $25,000!
Any donations made will be effectively doubled in their reach. By contributing to Wise Fool this spring, you will directly support us in our recovery from the loss of program revenue last year, take on renovations needed to expand the accessibility of our new home, and continue bringing high-quality circus arts education to Santa Fe.
Programs Returning in 2026
While we were able to offer several of our seasonal circus camps and Afterschool Fools programs throughout the first half of 2025, thanks to vital partner organizations like Teatro Paraguas, Desert Montessori School, Girls Inc., and the Santa Fe Children’s Museum – 50% of our program offerings had to be temporarily shuttered during the transition between homes. These included the majority of our teen program offerings like Teen Troupe and TeenBUST!, our entire fall semester of Afterschool Fools, and all adult classes.
We’re excited to bring those and more back to our schedule in 2026 – with plans for new offerings like Date Nights to offer circus-based childcare on the 2nd Friday of each month so that parents and guardians can carve out their own self-care time. Additionally, we just wrapped on Entrapping Our Abundance, our professional-level circus production.
Here is a list of programs we are excited to welcome back to our schedule:
- Studio classes for adults and teens
- Elevate, our 2-week adult circus intensive (which happened this past January)
- Take It To The Stage (Afterschool Fools)
- Teen Troupe (Afterschool Fools)
- Drop-in Teen/Tween classes
- Spring, Summer, and Winter Break Circus Camps for kids
- TeenBUST!
- Cirque Atelier open training program
- Work-Trade options for tuition assistance
Here are NEW programs we plan to introduce:
- Student Showcases: Low-pressure opportunities for our students to perform in front of an audience, debut choreography, and build community with their peers
March 28- June 20
- October 10
- Seasonal Cabarets: Our semi-professional performances have been shifted to Sumer & Winter
- August 22-23
- December 19-20
- Summer Date Nights: Starting this summer, on the 2nd Friday of each month, parents & caretakers can drop off their children between 5:30 – 8:30pm so they can treat themselves to self-care time. We are seeking partner organizations to collaborate with – please contact us if you’re interested!
- July 10
- August 7
- September 11
Grant funding shifts have continued to affect our ability to offer free or low-cost youth programs like TeenBUST! and Circus Comes to School to their full extent. When you give to Wise Fool, you are in turn giving children access to transformative, non-competitive programs that nurture physical skills, artistic expression, a sense of self-belonging, and confidence.
Support Our Renovation Plans
Flooring
Currently, our studio floor is uneven concrete, with flaking paint and remnants of carpet glue. We are ecstatic to announce that we have received funding from Santa Fe County to support some of our planned renovations to improve our new studio space. We’ll be leveling out the concrete and adding more joint-friendly solutions to our primary studio floor.
Improved floors for movement activities will begin installation this May!
Make It Cute & Comfy!
We have gradually been filling out our space with donated furniture and community bulletin boards – but it’s missing the big personality our orgainzation is known for! Fresh paint for the walls and floors, more space-efficient storage for our equipment, and decorative elements are among the next steps to tackle.
We aspire to transform our upstairs craft storage room into a Parent Lounge and meeting space. Its peekaboo window allows parents to look out on classes without distracting the kids, and will give busy parents a place to catch up on emails. We are building funds towards cozy seating, storage solutions for our wide array of art supplies, and modular work stations.
We are also happy to accept donations of the above items! Please contact us with any leads or inquiries: mail@wisefoolnm.org
Rehearsal Venue & Rental Space
In our previous location, we offered one of the most affordable space rental rates in town for rehearsals, small events, art making, and community gatherings. While the cozier size of our new studio does limit our capacity, we have plans in place to expand our studio’s use for rehearsals, dance classes, and make the space more enticing for affordable space rentals in support of local artists and organizations.
The next stage of our renovations will involve laying marley vinyl used for dancers, installing shatter-proof mirrors along the walls, fresh paint, enlivening the space with murals, and updating much of our workout equipment. Later phases will include upgraded sound and lighting equipment, and efficient seating solutions to further its uses as a stand-alone venue with a 60 person capacity.
PS: Your support helped us turn a year of balancing acts into a new space to dream in. Let’s build it up to something even greater!