'Game of Thrones' Author Breathes Life (not Fire) into the Arts
As the Season 5 premiere of HBO’s Game of Thrones draws near, fans may be surprised and intrigued to learn that author George R. R. Martin’s latest project doesn’t involve dragons, beheadings, palace coups, or three-eyed ravens.
It does, however, involve a bowling alley and a quirky art project in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
George R. R. Martin Photo: Getty Images
With help from Martin, the former Silva Lanes bowling alley is being turned into a 33,000 square foot, fully immersive art exhibition and workshop.
Martin lives in an adobe-style house (with a castle-shaped mailbox) in Santa Fe, and has been stepping up his involvement in the local arts community.
In 2013, the GOT author also lent his efforts to reopening the Jean Cocteau Cinema, an eclectic art house movie theater.
“It gave me a great feeling to see something come alive that had been dead for so long,” Martin told the Santa Fe New Mexican about the theater project. He says the bowling alley is a worth follow up.
“I got the same feeling when I came here.”
Rendering of Meow Wolf’s new space. Photo: Meow Wolf
The artistic force behind the venture is Meow Wolf, an artist collective that strives to create interactive and engaging art exhibits for Santa Fe’s residents and artistic community.
The Due Return Exhibition Photo: Meow Wolf
The group was founded in 2008, and has created many successful installations, including The Due Return in 2011, which centered around an alien sea-vessel set deep in an otherworldly landscape.
The Due Return Exhibition Photo: Meow Wolf
Martin has brought $2.7 million to the table and has leased this bowling-alley-turned-art-complex to Meow Wolf for 10 years. The new artistic venture is to be titled The House of Eternal Return, and along with a standing exhibit, it will also house a 2,000 square foot workshop and 19 artist studios.
"We want people to feel like having fun and being playful aren’t just throwaway concepts," the group says in a promo video. Their work features puppets, wacky lighting, and quirky curios all packed together to create a carnival-funhouse atmosphere.
The Due Return Exhibition Photo: Meow Wolf
Admission will cost $8-$15 for an exhibition that is 10 times the size of their previous installation, which featured an 80-foot wooden ship. They promise the new exhibit will “push the boundaries of art and entertainment.”
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"We want to transport audience members into many other dimensions," group member Vince Kadlubek says, somewhat cryptically.
Martin at the Jean Cocteau Cinema. Photo: Jean Cocteau Cinema and Linda Carfagno
The group is giving away “Thrones” books autographed by Martin, as part of their fundraising efforts.
It seems safe to say that Martin is an avid supporter of the arts and on a mission to keep the city of Santa Fe thriving and creatively inspired wherever and however he can.
Now maybe he’ll sit down and finish the “Thrones” series, as fans have been clamoring for.
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