There are so many ways to create art, just as there are so many ways that art creates us. Share your vision and be inspired by ours.
Right now, the Happy Castle Art Camp is little more than a blank canvas waiting to be brought to life.
The human experience is informed by art. It inspires us. It represents our deepest desires and most It's both an escape from reality and an homage to it. It's spiritual and material. Art is human, from the first cave-paintings to satellite-internet, we are creatives and creators limited only by the tools at our disposal.
The Happy Castle Art Camp is a place where we can come together and collaboratively make art while simultaneously being art. The culture space we create here is the sum of what each of us brings. Love, authenticity, and growth are the goals. The magic is already in the Earth, but it needs us to shape it into existence.
We invite campers from all walks of life to visit this land and offer their energy for however long they wish in building and sustaining the Happy Castle community. Learn new skills, share knowledge, and find your tribe.
the Art
district
CAMP IN A DESERT ART FOREST
The Art District at Happy Castle is the beating heart of our 160-acre outdoor art garden—a dynamic, ever-changing space where creativity and imagination take center stage. Spanning 25 acres, this area will showcase the campground’s most concentrated collection of art installations and sculptures. Visitors can wander through a veritable forest of interactive art, where every turn reveals something dazzling in scale, beauty, and ingenuity. (Bonus: it’s the ultimate selfie spot.)
While art is woven throughout the entire Happy Castle landscape, the Art District stands out as a hub of collaboration and participation. Campsites within this district offer a one-of-a-kind experience—imagine waking up surrounded by awe-inspiring creations and living within an enchanted desert wonderland that you can help shape.
The art here is the product of both Happy Castle residents and talented outside artists, blending individual visions with collaborative efforts. But it’s not just for the pros—visitors can roll up their sleeves and join in through Community Art Workshops, where you’ll have the chance to leave your mark on the landscape and contribute to our shared artistic legacy.
For those seeking deeper immersion, our Artist Residency Program offers a unique opportunity to live onsite and bring big ideas to life using our facilities. These residencies infuse the district with fresh perspectives and connect us to a growing community of creators who share our passion for pushing boundaries.
Whether you’re a camper exploring the wonders of the Art District, a volunteer eager to create something extraordinary, or an artist ready to transform your vision into reality, Happy Castle isn’t just a destination—it’s a celebration of art, community, and the limitless possibilities of human imagination.
Artist
Campground
Revenue split
BUILD YOUR ART AND EARN YOUR SHARE OF HALF OF ALL CAMPGROUND REVENUE
We want to support artists and see that their art gets made and that they get paid. When you build art or store your art at Happy Castle Art Camp, whether permanently or not, you'll be entitled to a share of half of all Art District Campground revenue. From now until forever, you'll earn passive income on your art. The more campers that visit the campground to see your art, the more income you'll make. This way, the artists and visionaries that help create Happy Castle will always be a part of it, sharing in its success.
ArT
Grants
GET THE FUNDING YOU NEED TO BRING YOUR ART TO LIFE
At Happy Castle, we believe in empowering artists to create bold, transformative works that inspire and engage our visitors. Our Art Grants program provides funding to support a wide range of creative projects, whether they’re permanent installations, temporary displays, or performances that electrify our festival-goers.
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Eternal Art Grants: These grants fund projects designed to become permanent additions to the Happy Castle campground. Eternal works are integrated into the landscape to be enjoyed by visitors for generations to come.
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Ephemeral Art Grants: Focused on temporary onsite art, these grants allow creators to experiment and showcase fleeting, impactful works that leave an unforgettable impression during their time at Happy Castle.
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Festival Art Grants: These grants support sculptures, installations, musical performances, and interactive experiences during the Happy Castle Art Festival. Whether it’s a breathtaking sculpture or an unforgettable performance, these projects make the festival a one-of-a-kind celebration.
Planned Community Art
All year round our villagers will dream-up, design, plan, and implement various community art-projects onsite with the help of our ever-changing community of campers. If you want to pour a concrete-statue, paint a wall, erect a totem, or weld a sculpture just book your stay on denoted art-days and dive in.
Our villagers are constantly at work enhancing Happy Castle and always in need of helping hands and inspiration. Whether you're looking for a skill-building opportunity, honing your own craft, or simply seeking a chance to meet cool new people and be a part of something bigger than yourself, Happy Castle is your place. Stop-by, spend a couple nights in the desert, and have an experience. We're all waiting.
Artist
residency
program
LIVE ONSITE AND BUILD YOUR ART
We want to support artists and see that their art gets made and they get paid. When you build art or store your art at Happy Castle Art Camp, whether permanently or not, you'll be entitled to a share of half of all campground revenue. From now until forever, you'll earn passive income on your art. The more campers that visit the campground to see your art, the more income you'll make. This way, all the artists that help us build Happy Castle will always be a part of it and invested in its success.
AN ARTIST'S ESCAPE
Happy Castle a sanctuary for artists seeking the freedom to create without the constraints of mainstream society. Nestled in the serene desert landscape, the camp provides endless inspiration with its sweeping vistas, vibrant art installations, and a community brimming with creativity and passion. Whether it’s the golden light of sunset painting the valley or the collaborative energy of fellow creators, Happy Castle is a canvas waiting to be transformed.
But inspiration is only part of the equation. What truly sets Happy Castle apart is its commitment to providing artists with the resources and materials they need to bring their visions to life. From fully equipped art studios and workshop spaces to recycled materials and sustainable resources, everything is designed to empower creators. Artists can experiment with new mediums, collaborate on ambitious projects, and showcase their work to a community eager to celebrate their creativity.
At Happy Castle, art is not just an individual pursuit—it’s a shared experience. By connecting people through collaboration and self-expression, the camp becomes a living, evolving masterpiece, reflecting the spirit and soul of its community. Whether you’re an emerging artist or a seasoned visionary, Happy Castle offers the tools, space, and support to turn your ideas into reality.
Imagine the Possibilities with Us
A major aspect of Happy castle will be its status as a tourist attraction. Besides the undeniable natural beauty of the High Desert, the Happy Castle Art Camp is meant to differentiate itself from the surrounding expanse by serving as a sitewide, large-scale, outdoor, art-installation in itself. From the buildings and infrastructure onsite to the many sculptures, art-projects, and landscaping, the entire site is designed to inspire the awe, wonder, and joy of our members and guests. With so much space onsite as well as plans to establish new campgrounds and communities in the future, our creation will likely never be complete, but that is part of the enchantment. Every year, the Happy Castle Art Camp will grow, adding more for our members and guests appreciate, experience, and enjoy.
However, we have to start somewhere. That’s why, besides prioritizing only residences and infrastructure, a portion of the Kickstarter proceeds as well as a significant share of the revenue we'll generate from our various onsite ventures will be designated to the continuous construction of Happy Castle Art Projects. Although the first of these projects will likely start out as rather humble creations, deferring to cost-consciousness, we envision a future in which the success of our Art Festivals and Campground frees our art-installations to be limited only by the imagination of their creators. Keep this in mind as you walk with us through some of these our aspirational visions. And please, if you have any ideas how to transform our empty desert into the mystical destination we're trying to create, feel free to share!
Campground Attractions
The Mysterious Maze
Projected Cost: $60,000
Keeping a low profile with the horizon, the scale of this monolithic structures true scale only manifests as the patron approaches its entrance. Occupying more than an acre of desert and constructed of plastered gabion walls standing over 8ft tall and 5ft thick, the maze harkens to Egyptian ruins. Dirt floors and plantlife make the structure feel ancient, almost lovecraftian, as you navigate its winding corridors. Passageways end in impasse or open up to reveal hidden courtyards. Staircases occasionally appear, allowing the lost wanderer to climb atop its walls and gather their bearings or even finish their journey from above. The entire structure occupies over an acre of the camp, its imposing walls offering both an escape from the elements in its sweeping shadows and an intriguing challenge. This art-installation seeks to remind us that there is beauty and satisfaction to be found within life’s often confusing and unpredictable limitations. Graffiti is encouraged.
The Pyramid of the Sun
Projected Cost: $80,000
This massive step-pyramid towers above the surrounding landscape. Constructed from stacked gabions and rubble infill, the whole structure is plastered in concrete and spectacularly painted in bright colors. Aligned with the summer and winter solstices, guests willing to make the climb up one of four 60ft staircases will have breathtaking views of the Rio Grande Basin to their East, Magdalena Mountains to their West, and the campground laid out before them. No human sacrifices please.
Clonehenge
Projected Cost: $25,000
These massive and intricately carved concrete pillars encircle a communal sunken sitting area where patrons can gather to relax and connect. The monolithic stones provide shade as well as visual pleasure while creating a destination for desert wanderers in an otherwise flat expanse. It recalls the mystery of ancient structures like stonehenge and the enormous effort that went into constructing these places for dubious reasons. Plus, it serves as an astronomical observatory for those without an internet connection.
The Dry Stepwell
This stepwell will be one of kind. Unlike most ancient stepwells which are rectangular, ours will be built in an inverse cone design. Thousands of stairs will wind along its interior towards the bottom where a small shaded gathering area will be constructed. The water table out here is over 750ft deep so despite literally being one of the deepest stepwells in the world at nearly 100ft, our well will remain dry year round except for the temporary water that collects during rainstorms. This art-installation reminds us of the scarcity and preciousness of water in the desert and the amazing lengths humans have expended throughout history to secure it. As climate change continues to ravage the planet, water scarcity will be a major political issue worldwide. As New Mexicans, this is part of our heritage. We hope that Happy Castle can show the world how to not just survive, but thrive self-sufficiently in one of the driest environments in the world.
Projected Cost: $150,000
The Sandworm
Projected Cost: $45,000
Seemingly popping in and out of the landscape across the entirety of the camp, this striped rebar and plaster snake provides a whimsical atmosphere to the camp as its weaving length forms arches, seating, and visual aesthetics. Inspired by the Sandworm from 1988’s Beetlejuice, this art-sculpture offers a striking contrast to the desert background while reminding us of our own mortality and what might lie beyond.
Gender Inclusive Restroom
Projected Cost: $75,000
This massive ring shaped building will serve as the main restroom facilities for our thousands of guests. Centrally located on fairgrounds, the exterior will feature 72 individual bathrooms, each designating a specific gender from demigender to existigender to male and female. Meant to serve as a thought-provoking commentary on the politicization of identity and our responsibility for inclusiveness, this art-installation also functions as a high-traffic restroom for our campground and events. Several passageways allow guests to enter the interior of the ring where they’ll find a few dozen outdoor showers and a beautiful central garden. For Phase One of construction we will be building a quarter segment of this overall structure.
The Frog Prince
Projected Cost: $20,000
This 25ft tall concrete plaster toad sits in the desert wearing a crown with its throat inflated. A small doorway invites guests to enter the toad’s vocal sac, perhaps taking refuge from the sun, and witness the magical colored lights cast by the embedded stained glass in the walls and ceiling.
The Giant Spider
Projected Cost: $20,000
This giant spindly spider stands tall above the desert floor in an almost Dali-esque pose. Constructed of welded scrap-metal, closer inspection reveals the many commonly junked items integrated into its being, encouraging guests to contemplate what we recycle and what we defer to landfills instead.
The UFO Crash Site
Projected Cost: $35,000
This immersive installation features a crashed UFO half-buried in the desert sand, its twisted metallic hull glowing faintly with an otherworldly light. Scattered around the site are alien artifacts and debris crafted from repurposed materials, inviting guests to explore the wreckage and uncover its secrets. Blending humor and mystery, the installation challenges viewers to question our fascination with the unknown, ponder our place in the universe as an intelligent, sentient species, and consider our role/responsibility in shaping a our future—on Earth or beyond.
