About Casa Libre

| Mission & Name | Concept & Origin | Casa's Keepers |
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Concept & Origin
How'd Casa come to be? Why writing studios in the heart of the city in the middle of the desert?

The idea of Casa Libre was formed while its founders and directors Ann Fine and Kristen Nelson were studying together in undergraduate school at the University of Tampa in Florida. After long hours of memorizing much of Shakespeare's tragedies and discussing the ins and outs of his plays—Kristen and Ann would talk to the wee hours about what they were going to do after college. They asked themselves..."what would we really enjoy doing?" Together they brainstormed ideas about starting a place that was like their own home but big enough to house many writers at once. They saw this as a place from which writers could come and go and use as a home base for rejuvenating their creativity and seriously working on their writing projects. They imagined a supportive environment for writers and thinkers that supplied all the comforts of home while maintaining the privacy such serious work requires.

Three years after graduating from undergraduate school and living in New York, Ann finished graduate school at Bennington College in Vermont and Kristen quit her job working as a full-time reporter for the Rivertowns Enterprise in Hastings, New York; they packed up their little Toyota truck with boxes of their favorite books and drove for a week and a half across the country to Tucson with their big dream pushing them on.

The hunt for the building continued as soon as they arrived, and lasted a year and a half, until finally they lucked out and found the property on Fourth Avenue. At first they thought they'd like to be out in the desert, where it was peaceful and nature surrounded their home on all sides. But as the months wore on they came to realize they were more interested in being close to the heart of the city, where their writing guests could have the best of both worlds—a homey historic hearth with plenty of plants and desert life warming the space, while giving access to all the cultural excitement the city offers. Having the galleries, shops, libraries, University and cafes accessible by foot, bicycle and bus made the city center a more realistic option to them.

To Kristen and Ann, the tension created by the atmosphere they chose (or that chose them)—with the frequent whistle coming from the trains which pass day and night only a block away, and the living hum and buzz of the city surrounding them, contrasted by the peaceful private courtyards decorated with many green and desert plants and the pool and spa tucked into these old adobe walls—was the perfect, and somehow right, catalyst for creative work. Since they moved into the property on Fourth Avenue they have taken great care to assure each suite is comfortable, clean, attractive, and outfitted with all the amenities that make each suite unique and inspiring to stay in.

As the first year here passed Kristen and Ann took over each apartment one by one and turned them into writing suites. They did everything from major renovations to small repairs, chipping away at the projects until eventually they had created a library, an office, and five fully furnished and outfitted writing suites. Once the major physical labor was behind them, they began seriously working on their tax and corporation paperwork and moved their focus toward developing programs and events they hoped Casa Libre could someday be host to. This work continues today as they seek input from the community to find out how Casa Libre can and will best serve Tucson.

Primarily, the founders and board members of Casa Libre do what we do because we want to actively participate in fostering creativity in the world. We care about interacting with and supporting the people who are thinking, writing, and working to make this world a better place through writing, art, and philanthropy. That is why Casa Libre supports non-profits (literary-related or not) as well as literary groups and individual writers. For all of us at Casa Libre this project is a lifestyle as much as it is a job—and the work here enriches our lives as much as we hope it enriches the lives of every person who steps foot on the property.

We have begun to host unique writers residencies, writing classes and workshops, and many open-mic and special guest-reader receptions. Already we have had the privilege of hosting many wonderful visiting writers for local literary groups, and have hosted several successful literary events in our cozy courtyards. The reception and feedback from all who have participated as a guest or an event attendee has been encouraging and positive. We are confident that the community appreciates what we are doing here; we just need to keep working to make the dream grow.