Santa Fe museums
Santa Fe museums a treasure trove of art, history and culture
Visiting Santa Fe this winter and wondering what to do? Wonder no more. A host of museums are waiting with open arms for you. Each museum has exhibits exploring varied subjects that are sure to fascinate and make your experience memorable.
First, here are some exhibits at three museums located in Downtown Santa Fe, all within strolling distance to each other.
At the New Mexico History Museum, 113 Lincoln Ave., the exhibit “World War I Letters” opens Nov. 11. That date was chosen because it is the 100th anniversary of the signing of the armistice ending the First World War. Through letters, photographs and objects the exhibit examines the contributions of New Mexicans to the war effort. More than 500 New Mexicans gave their lives in the war. “World War I Letters” is a permanent exhibit.
Another exhibit at the History Museum is “The Land That Enchants Me So: Picturing Popular Songs of New Mexico.” It shows sheet music of songs about New Mexico from the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century. It’s the kind of exhibit that will make you smile. The exhibit is up now through April 15, 2019.
Across the street at the New Mexico Museum of Art, 107 W. Palace Ave., is an exhibit titled “Good Company: Five Artist Communities in New Mexico.” It looks at the work of artists who were members of the Taos Society of Artists, Los Cinco Pintores, the Transcendental Painting Group,
Rio Grande Painters and the Stieglitz Circle. It is up now through March 10, 2019.
And opening Dec. 15 at the Museum of Art is the exhibit “Carved & Cast: 20th Century New Mexican Sculpture.” It covers a range of styles, genres and media that the artists have employed and includes work by such respected sculptors as Patrocinio Barela, Una Hanbury, Eugenie Shonnard and Fritz Scholder. The
exhibit closes March 31, 2019.
Museum Hill
At the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, 217 Johnson St., an installation of still-life photographs by Jo Whaley (“Echoes”) is strategically placed among O’Keeffe’s paintings. The idea is to give viewers a new perspective on the legacy of Modernist compositions. The installation is open now through Feb. 24, 2019.
A few miles from Downtown is what is locally known as Museum Hill where a cluster of four museums await visitors.
At the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, 704 Camino Lejo, two exhibits just opened.
One of the exhibits is “LIT: The Work of Rose B. Simpson” (Santa Clara Pueblo). It features work including life-size clay and mixed-media sculptures, reflecting Simpson’s eclectic interests — in auto engine parts, Pueblo dance dress and armor-like wearable art. Simpson is the daughter of well-known sculptor Roxanne Swentzell and metal artist Patrick Simpson. The exhibit closes Oct. 6, 2019.
The other new exhibit at the Wheelwright is “Old Man Looking Backward,” a retrospective featuring works from the private collection of sculptor Bob Haozous (Apache). Among the pieces are mixed media on paper with images and written narrative, including memoir and commentary on indigenous identity. Haozous’ father was the famed sculptor Allan Hauser. The exhibit’s closing date has yet to be determined.
Past and future
At the Museum of International Folk Art, 706 Camino Lejo, there’s an exhibit opening Dec. 16 called “A Gathering of Voices.” It contains folk art from the Judith Espinar and Tom Dillenberg Collection, mainly objects in the ceramic traditions of Mexico, Spain, France, Hungary and Morocco. Espinar is a co-founder of the International Folk Art Market. The exhibit runs through Aug. 25, 2019.
The Museum of Spanish Colonial Art, 750 Camino Lejo, is presenting the exhibit “Gen Next: Future So Bright” through Nov. 25. It considers the future of New
Mexico traditional arts. Though they are rooted in tradition, the artists in the exhibit have introduced new materials and new perspectives in their work.
An ongoing exhibit at the Spanish Colonial Art Museum is “Selections from the Beltrán-Kropp Collection of Peruvian Colonial Art.” Among the objects in the exhibit are a reversepainted glass frame and painting of the Madonna and Child and several works of intricate silver filigree.
The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, 710 Camino Lejo, has the ongoing exhibit “What’s New in New: Selections from the Carol Warren Collection.” The exhibit highlights more than 200 works of art, including paintings, pottery, jewelry and textiles made by some of Santa Fe’s most prominent contemporary artists. Warren donated the collection to the museum.
Free city buses take passengers between Downtown Santa Fe locations and Museum Hill. Buses also pick up and drop off at the last Santa Fe stop of the Rail Runner. For information on bus schedules visit takethetrails.com or call 505-231-2573.