University of Arizona lease proposal puts future of Arizona Folklore Preserve in question

For Tucson residents who have made the drive southeast to Ramsey Canyon, the proposed lease could determine whether a distinctive Arizona music tradition returns to the stage or disappears from its longtime home. The Arizona Folklore Preserve, located near Hereford in Cochise County, has paused performances while its board and the University of Arizona negotiate the future of the property. The venue normally presents about 44 shows each season, but this is the first time in two decades that no performances have been scheduled.

The University of Arizona has offered the nonprofit a five year lease at $300 per month. Under the proposal, the preserve would also pay utilities, insurance, repairs, third party services and deferred maintenance. The nonprofit would have to maintain at least $1 million in public liability insurance and $2 million in property coverage, with the university listed as an additional insured party. The agreement would allow the university to use the property for up to 30 days each year, as long as those dates did not interfere with performances.

The lease offer followed a plan to sell the Ramsey Canyon property, which has housed the preserve for roughly a quarter century. The university told the nonprofit in July 2025 that it intended to sell. The two sides agreed the following month to delay a possible sale until after the performance season ending in July 2026. That season never got underway, however, because preserve leaders could not assure performers that the venue would remain available. No shows have been announced for the 2026 to 2027 season.

The preserve’s board has until Oct. 19 to respond to the proposal. President Mike Rutherford has not rejected it, but he has warned that the costs could be difficult for a small nonprofit operated largely by volunteers. The preserve brought in about $3,000 last year, according to Rutherford. In an estimate reported elsewhere, rent, utilities and insurance could approach $10,000 annually before repairs. Even without rent, the preserve would still face many of those operating costs if it owned the building, but the proposed lease would add a fixed payment to an organization with limited income.

Rutherford said the nonprofit has never operated primarily to make money. Its goal has been to keep admission affordable while presenting live music, poetry and other art rooted in Western culture. He also questioned whether the university was fulfilling the understanding that shaped their partnership. A memorandum of understanding signed in 2002 contemplated that the university would eventually take over operations when the preserve’s volunteers could no longer manage the work, while continuing live music at the site.

The property and its history give the dispute importance beyond a standard landlord and tenant negotiation. Founder Dolan Ellis, Arizona’s official state balladeer, helped establish the preserve as a home for Arizona music, storytelling and folklore. Supporters say the venue’s setting, reputation, 20 year history and internationally traveled founder have helped create something that would be difficult to replace. The land and historic Loffelholz House were transferred through a university affiliated foundation because supporters believed the arrangement would protect a permanent home for Arizona music and folklore.

The university has said it must adjust its strategy and concentrate on core programs and services as it faces financial pressures. Its offer gives the preserve more time than an immediate sale would have provided. The nonprofit would have five years to restart performances, seek sponsors, pursue grants, build memberships and collect donations. If the university eventually sells, the proposed agreement would give the preserve a right of first refusal at a fair market price established by an independent appraisal. That provision would not guarantee ownership, but it could give the board time to raise money and prepare for a purchase.

The financial challenge remains substantial. Rutherford estimated that annual rent would total $3,600, before utilities and other expenses. He said arts grants are more competitive than they once were, making it risky to sign an agreement that depends on grant funding. The preserve could seek a season sponsor, with one business covering the monthly rent, or divide that amount among several companies. Individual donors could underwrite performances, utilities or particular weekends. The board could also create memberships, organize benefit concerts and seek foundation support.

Residents near Ramsey Canyon have their own reasons to watch the negotiations. A sale could bring an unknown buyer and a new use to the property, while a lease would preserve the existing venue for at least five more years. The canyon has previously seen disputes involving traffic and noise from weddings at the Ramsey Canyon Inn, and some neighbors are hoping the folklore preserve arrangement can keep a familiar use in place. At the same time, the nonprofit must determine whether it can shoulder the costs, meet insurance requirements and address repairs while rebuilding its audience and revenue.

For now, the immediate choice is between negotiating a workable lease and continuing to challenge the university’s approach. Rutherford says the board intends to fight to keep the preserve operating, while university officials have presented the lease as a path for performances to resume. The proposal is not yet a completed agreement. The board must first express its interest and negotiate the remaining terms, including who pays for structural repairs and deferred maintenance. Until that work is done, the future of a venue that has connected Tucson, Southern Arizona and the wider region to Arizona’s musical heritage remains unsettled.