Background – the Building:

One of our programs is the Blue Portal gift shop, located at 2107 Church Street in Old Town Albuquerque. It supports New Mexico senior artists and crafters by displaying and selling their original artwork. The service is free to the artist and they receive 100% of their asking price.

The Assistance League owns the building, covers all overhead and staffs the shop. The building, originally a home, was built between 1896 and 1902, and in 2018, we discovered major structural problems. Because of its historical significance, we had to restore the building, all the way down to the foundation and walls.

Background – the Costs of Restoration:

The cost for the project was considerable and had to be undertaken in stages. We also had to move our program to another location in Old Town in the interim. The restoration process was finished in June of 2019 and we opened for business in July – to rave reviews!!