Artist François Miglio Builds Sustainable Education and Art Space in Chimayó Through Personal Labor and Crowdfunding

Artist François Miglio is transforming his home in historic Chimayó, New Mexico, into a 2,000-square-foot Education & Art Space that will serve as a sustainable cultural hub and working base for the Miglio Foundation's exhibitions and educational programs. Using traditional building materials including pumice and adobe, Miglio dedicates eight hours daily to personally constructing the facility from the ground up, realizing a lifelong vision through hands-on labor.

The new space will feature a permanent gallery, rotating exhibitions, and a video room designed for immersive art and science experiences. Beyond exhibition capabilities, the facility will provide educational opportunities for students and community members to learn and collaborate in a unique cultural environment. Miglio's journey to this achievement reflects extraordinary perseverance, having moved from France to the United States at age forty with limited English proficiency and spending fifteen years living in a basement without windows or running water while promoting his art.

Miglio's artistic work has gained recognition through exhibitions and lectures at prestigious institutions including UC Berkeley, Stanford University, and the University of Toulouse. His experiences at these academic venues revealed the universal accessibility of his art. During my exhibitions and talks at universities and cultural institutions, Miglio says, I realized that my art could be understood and appreciated by some of the most erudite scholars—whose vast knowledge often lies beyond my own reach. Yet I also discovered that it speaks just as naturally to the innocence of young children, and to anyone who still possesses a sense of wonder and curiosity.

This realization inspired the creation of a physical space where people can experience art directly, bridging imagination and learning in tangible form. To complete construction, Miglio has launched a personal crowdfunding campaign seeking $80,000 through https://gofund.me/5b42430e9, with funds allocated for materials, infrastructure, and equipment. The artist has already invested $40,000 of personal savings into the project and committed an additional $30,000 from his own resources.

Once completed, the building will become the permanent home of the Miglio Foundation, hosting exhibitions, workshops, and programs that explore intersections between art, science, and philosophy. This foundation isn't just about art — it's about possibility, Miglio emphasizes. It's about showing that creativity and education have the power to transform lives, no matter where you begin. Situated along the scenic route between Santa Fe and Taos, the Chimayó space will serve as both a cultural destination and testament to Miglio's decades-long commitment to art, education, and sustainable building practices.

The project represents a significant development for Northern New Mexico's cultural landscape, creating new opportunities for artistic engagement and educational programming in a region known for its rich artistic heritage. By combining traditional building techniques with contemporary educational vision, Miglio's initiative demonstrates how personal dedication can create lasting cultural infrastructure that benefits both local communities and visitors to the region.