WE'RE GOING NON-PROFIT

Help Us Keep El Hueso Alive ❤️

Dear friends, neighbors, artists, and our Brownsville community,

El Hueso means so much to us. Over the years, it has become more than just a venue. It’s a place where music, art, and happiness have brought people together. It’s a stage where countless musicians played their first gig, a space where lifelong friendships were formed, and a place where some people even met the loves of their lives.

El Hueso has always been a labor of love. Together, we’ve worked hard and made countless sacrifices to keep its doors open because we believe in what this space represents: a home for creativity, connection, and the arts in our community.

At the heart of it all is our beloved matriarch, Laura, whose dedication and generosity have helped keep El Hueso alive through the years. She has given so much of her time, energy, and labor to support local artists and create a space where our community can thrive. Her commitment to the arts has been a gift to us all.

Unfortunately, the economic realities of recent years have made it increasingly difficult to sustain El Hueso as a traditional business. The amount of unpaid work required to keep the venue running is no longer sustainable for Laura and Adrian, and their household can no longer carry that responsibility alone.

With love and gratitude for everything they’ve given, Laura and Adrian are stepping back from managing El Hueso so they can return to making a living through live music in a way that is healthier and more sustainable for them.

Now, we have an opportunity to come together and imagine a new future for El Hueso.

A Community-Powered El Hueso

We hope to transition El Hueso into a nonprofit, community-supported arts and entertainment space. Rather than relying on a small number of people to carry the entire burden, we envision a collective effort where everyone who values this space can help sustain it.

Our goal is simple: to preserve El Hueso as a welcoming home for local music, art, and community gatherings for years to come.

To make this transition possible, we need to address some immediate financial challenges. We are currently three months behind on rent, totaling $6,000. Although we’ve managed to keep up with ongoing monthly rent payments, catching up on the outstanding balance has proven difficult. Without resolving this debt by November, we risk losing the space permanently.

We share this not to place a burden on any one person, but to be open about where things stand and invite our community to help us find a path forward.

What Will It Take?

Our estimated baseline operating expenses are $5,000 per month:

• $2,000 — Rent

• Approximately $1,000 — Utilities and internet

• $2,000 — One employee to serve as caretaker and curator

As part of this transition, we plan to simplify operations by returning to a BYOB and potluck model, eliminating commercial food and beverage service and allowing us to focus our resources on the space itself and the community it serves.

We believe there are many people in Brownsville who value having a dedicated place to gather, enjoy live music, experience local art, and simply spend time together.

To help make El Hueso sustainable, we’re inviting community members to join us with a $10 monthly membership. That’s less than many monthly entertainment subscriptions, and together, these small contributions can make a meaningful difference.

If you’re able to contribute more, we would be deeply grateful. If a monthly membership isn’t possible for you right now, one-time donations, volunteering, sharing this message, and helping spread the word are all valuable ways to support us.

Every contribution matters, and every person who cares about this space has something to offer.

Our Next Steps

We’ve already begun laying the groundwork for this new chapter:

• We have formed a nonprofit entity with the State of Texas.

• We have established a dedicated, independent bank account to help manage community contributions transparently.

Our intention is no longer to operate El Hueso for private profit. We want to build a sustainable, community-supported space where the arts can continue to flourish and where the responsibility of keeping it alive is shared.

A place like El Hueso belongs to the community that gives it life.

Once the nonprofit transition is further along, we will host an open community meeting at City Hall so everyone can ask questions, share ideas, discuss the vision, and help shape the future of El Hueso. Transparency and community participation will be central to this process.

El Hueso has given so much to so many of us. Now, we have a chance to give something back—not just to preserve a building, but to protect a little piece of Brownsville’s cultural heart.

Thank you to everyone who has

El Hueso de Fraile