All kinds of art
Everything’s for sale except the view. The Webster Collection, housed in the second oldest building on the Plaza, has made a move in recent years to diversify its holdings and to open its doors as an event space.
Here, above the Plaza Cafe and with an expansive view of the Plaza, Christopher Webster has sold real estate, paintings, and prehistoric pottery since 1972.
But now, thanks to his son and namesake Christopher Webster III, the gallery includes jewelry, apparel, and textiles.
“One of the things we’re increasingly passionate about is being on the second floor and being on the Plaza; it’s such a fun place to visit,” says Webster III. “We’re sort of hidden even though we’re right in the middle of everything. Being able to invite people up and letting people experience this space has become something we’ve put a lot of energy into.”
The space — a multiroom suite that formerly housed Sotheby’s International Realty office in Santa Fe as well as offices for Blue Cross Blue Shield — now has a treasure on every wall. Beautiful ceramics and ancient pre-colombian sculptures house one niche of the studio.
There’s striking landscape photography by Alex Harris, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, lining one wall, and metalwork atomic art sculptures by Tony Price tucked away along the floor. Painters Maggie Hanley and Adam Feibelman, among others, have work at the gallery, and in another room, there’s apparel from numerous designers including Carla Fernandez and Nicholas Daley.
Webster III says the boutique aspect of the gallery was an outgrowth from the uncertain times during the pandemic when it was hard to schedule events and have people in the space.
The gallery lists appraisal, consignment, curation, and “procurement of rare items by request” among its services.
“I ended up spending a lot of time here mostly waiting for the mailman trying to figure out what we’d do next. But it allowed me to find some other opportunities,” says Webster III. “I started reaching out to people, Nicholas Daley being one and Carla Fernandez being another. We started dipping our toes in at blurring the lines between our gallery and art and design.”
The gallery has served as a green room for artists during the summer-long concert series on the Plaza and for numerous other events, and Webster says he recently had to let the innkeeper on the roof during Las Posadas.
The Webster Collection is still open mainly by appointment but is transitioning back to regular hours. Those interested in visiting can call 505954-9500 or check out the gallery’s website, webstercollection.com. — S.F.