George R.R. Martin, The Savior of Santa Fe’s Youth?

Many know him as the local author who launched the popular series and TV show “Game of Thrones.” Others call him the savior of Santa Fe. But who is George R.R. Martin? And what exactly is he doing to help give Santa Fe more staying power for young people?

Meow Wolf

The Art Gallery Meow Wolf on Rufina Circle used to be the bowling alley Silva Lanes. That is until George R.R. Martin bought it for $2.7 million in 2015. With the help of Vince Kadlubek and a small art collective, they transformed the rundown alley into something incredible.

“George took the first leap. He bought the building and supplied his endorsement to the project. Though he has not put money into Meow Wolf directly, his spiritual support and stamp of approval has meant the world to us,“ said Kadlubek. “We all wanted to create an arts and music collective. It came out of a need to express ourselves.”

The Meow Wolf website describes itself as “a combination of a jungle gym, haunted house, children’s museum, and immersive art exhibit.” The first exhibit in Meow Wolf, The House of Eternal Return, opens in March 2016.

“The House of Eternal Return, long adrift in time and space, is spinning back towards earth and its eventual landing on the south side of Santa Fe, courtesy of the madmen and madwomen of Meow Wolf,” writes Martin in a blog post, which he calls “Not a Blog.”

The Santa Fe New Mexican says the exhibit will contain “a Victorian house with passageways, forests, caves, tree houses, bridges, a light cloud, a sideways bus, an arcade and workshop spaces.”

Jean Cocteau

Meow Wolf is just one of Martin’s projects to help Santa Fe become a more youth-friendly town, and Silva Lanes isn’t the only building Martin is turning into a young-person hangout. The Jean Cocteau was an underused theater off Guadalupe Street in downtown Santa Fe before The Savior of Santa Fe got his hands on it.

Adding 128 new seats to the one-screen theater, as well as a popcorn bar and a projector for both 35 mm film and digital, Martin totally revamped the theater. The theater even features what some call a “crying room,” a soundproof room where a parent can calm down a screaming child.

According to npr.org, Martin could have built his own private theater but used the money to make a public one because he thinks sitting at home just doesn’t have the same impact. He recalls “Raiders of the Lost Ark” as one of his favorite movie-going experiences.

The scene with the attacking swordsman brings fond memories to Martin. “And the shock that went through the audience — the audible gasp at that moment — and then the howl of laughter that followed it,” he told NPR. “That was a great moment in the cinema, and it was a great moment because it was shared. If you’re sitting all alone in your living room, it doesn’t have anywhere near the impact.”

The theater hosts events such as book signings, old and new movies, and even “Game of Thrones” marathons.

Dragonstone Studios

What was once the Desert Academy campus at 313 Camino Alire, and before that a mental-health treatment center, is now filled with studios for artists.

Named after an island in Martin’s “Song of Ice and Fire” (Game of Thrones), the goal of Dragonstone is to offer affordable art spaces to Santa Fe artists.

The first open house for Dragonstone was in December. Though this is not necessarily “for the public,” as Martin says in a blog post, he is still excited about the art spaces.

“Work is still ongoing there (and way behind schedule, like everything else I am connected with, it seems), and there’s less to say since this is not intended for the public,” he writes in his blog post on Jan. 1. “But the building has been filling up nicely with artists, a real creative community seems to be developing, and I’m stoked.”

What’s Next?

George R.R. Martin’s crusade to ignite Santa Fe’s youth and arts communities does not end there. As well as finishing the next installment of “Song of Ice and Fire,” the writer has several other plans for the future.

“There’s also some cool stuff going on down in Candy Kitchen,” he writes, alluding to the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary in the northwestern part of the state. “But more on that in the future, when the work is done…. And there’s something else… but no, can’t talk about that one yet…”

What that cool stuff is, well, only time will tell.