Meet Madeleine Ahlborn | Founder and Steward of The Church Project

We had the good fortune of connecting with Madeleine Ahlborn and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Madeleine, any advice for those thinking about whether to keep going or to give up?
Everyone goes through pivotal moments in life that cause us to pause and take a breath, and we have the choice to stay the same, or we can choose to change. I have been thinking about these extraordinary moments since I moved to the San Luis Valley 10 years ago, and having the opportunity to say “yes” to purchase the 114 year old first baptist church in Monte Vista was one of those pivotal moments, asking myself, “did I make the right choice? Did I just make the most expensive mistake of my life?” I have learned to hold my self-doubt close to me, on my right hip to be exact, in its own holster (a metaphor of course) but it allows me to set aside doubt and worry and focus on believing in myself and the trust I have built with the San Luis Valley community over the last decade. In the first project phase of The Church Project, I removed approximately 4,000sq/ft of carpet and scraped glue from the concrete floor to prepare the space to be a community art center. The same moment of, “am I really going to start this now?” was a wave of doubt, then I focused on the task and developed a ritual/routine/habit of showing up to work on the project, which I titled as a Performance Art piece “Floor Saga” which took about 350 hours to complete and it is documented in 35mm film and digital photography. I have learned through this performance that the act of scraping the floor was really an excavation of rediscovering who I am and who I want to be in service to my community. “We don’t rise to the level of our goals, we fall to the level of our systems” – James Clear, this quote carried me toward changing my behaviors to match my values in life, and led me to daily reminders that actions speak louder than words. If you’re brave enough to commit to starting, you can build the habit, make the change, and see it through until the end. Everyone has the ability to do this, everyone.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Over the years, my relationship with identifying as an artist has shifted. When I first moved to Colorado, I worked as a housekeeper and receptionist at a motel in Antonito as a trade for housing in the attic apartment above the breakfast room. I thought I would have all the space and time to “really be an artist” then quickly found that approach didn’t suit me. So I applied to the graduate program at Adams State University in Alamosa and became prolific again in my artistic practice as a painter. My thesis exhibition left a question to the viewer, “When you think about where your thoughts come from, what does that space look like?” I have always been interested in space; what it is, how it can influence/change our character development, and how we can transform it. After I graduated, I was offered a teaching position in the art department, but I still couldn’t find a balance with my own practice. I questioned why I couldn’t dedicate myself to my practice outside the world of academia, and began to seek other options with a group of artists in Monte Vista to start a collective on Adams Street. I utilized the new studio space and energy around other artists to fill my cup and catalyze conversations around how we could foster the vast creative spirits that are here in the SLV, we called ourselves “Studio 234” (our address on Adams Street). I began to make commissions, continue my full-time job as a grant writer for a non-profit, and somehow pay all my bills. Studio 234 went through shifts and changes, a lot of life was lived then some of our collective had to end their lease, in the end, I could no longer afford the space on my own. The landlord offered to show me around another property he owned, the first Baptist church on S Broadway Street. I was on a handshake deal for $300 a month and two months later, there was an offer to purchase for $100,000. This was the beginning of The Church Project, Community Art Center, it was not easy, but I moved quickly to flow through the process, I needed to not overthink and trust my own intuition. As an artist over my lifetime, the biggest lesson I’ve learned and come to accept is the idea needs to dictate the medium. Not every idea is meant to be a painting, or a photograph, or a play, or a performance art piece. I encourage my students, friends, community members, and family to never put themselves in a box of only a single artistic medium, and when they hit a creative block, it might be a sign to try something new, shake it up and shake it off. The Church Project has a mission to provide the space and freedom for all people to unlock their creative potential. As a landscape painter, I explore space inside a (canvas) frame, as the founder and steward of The Church Project, I push the boundaries of what space can become when there are no boundaries or limitations.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
In the San Luis Valley, we are blessed with an abundance of public land, vast spaces, and big skies and mountains. If you come visit me in the San Luis Valley, I will take you to places where you can fully engage with the land, disconnect from the social world, places where there are no trails and only rivers, and if you’re physically able I’ll take you where the earth and heaven meet. Then of course I will show you around The Church Project and we will go have coffee at Bobolicious in the old Vali3 Theater, my favorite “watering hole” for gathering community.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There has been extraordinary support for The Church Project coming to fruition, 1st Southwest Community Fund for believing in the project (and me) enough to award gap funding to purchase the building, LOR Foundation for the small grant to purchase painting supplies (this grant really allowed us to be consistent which allowed us to build trust), Gates Family Foundation for capital funds to rebuild a gender-neutral bathroom (still in progress), our legacy donors; Britney Gallegos, Seth and Carrie Ahlborn, and Bob and Carol Bohley. Additionally, my advisory board (7 diverse members) who keep me sane and the 63 community volunteers who have racked up over 500 hours of volunteerism in just over a year. Lastly, to Chris Lopez and Maryanne Talbott for believing in the project and partnering with me and their non-profit (Rural Journalism Institute) to encourage and train local storytellers in the world of journalism, and for being my mentors and editors.

Website: https://www.thechurchproject.co

Instagram: @montechurchproject

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madeleine-r-ahlborn-2734a563/

Image Credits
Madeleine Ahlborn, Macey Sigaty, Owen Woods