James Hubbell wants to construct a new arts center

Once a year, artist and architect James T. Hubbell and his family open up their property in Santa Ysabel and allow the public to explore the unique, nature-inspired architecture of Hubbell’s residence and studios. It’s a rare peak at some of his best work, and the tours always fill up quickly.

The annual open house has inspired Hubbell to legally turn his property over to Ilan-Lael Foundation, an arts-education nonprofit he helped found, and construct a new building to host groups of people. The building will house office space for the foundation, an archive and education room and an outdoor public space for classes, art displays and lectures, like the foundation’s own “Conversations on Beauty” series. The foundation has raised $80,000 of its $1 million goal, but the real fund-raising efforts are starting this year.

Hubbell said that while the property will be more public once the new building is constructed, the space will always be somewhat secluded.

“I really want to keep this a quiet place,” he said. “Nature is so much a part of it; the building would never have huge numbers of people in it.”

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