Santa Fe, New Mexico for Art Enthusiasts
Santa Fe, New Mexico, is well-known as a thriving arts town. The local collections of both historic and contemporary Native American arts, the establishment of an artist colony in the 1920’s, and the many museums and local galleries of today all contribute to the draw for tourists and art collectors.
Santa Fe was a two-night stop on a Christmas 2024 Southwest road trip. We stayed at the centrally-located Inn of the Governors in the historic district. Over the three days we visited nearly all of the historic sites and art museums on our list, with time to also explore the many local shops, galleries, and restaurants. Visiting during the Christmas season gave the added benefit of festively-decorated attractions and cooler, but comfortable, temperatures.
Meow Wolf Santa Fe
Meow Wolf is a fully immersive art experience with multiple locations around the US. Meow Wolf Santa Fe’s House of Eternal Return, with over 100 artists contributing to the 20,000 square foot space, opened in 2016.
We learned on our first Meow Wolf Omega Mart experience in Las Vegas that it was ideal to book the last time slot and stay until closing, when crowds had thinned out. Even with more than three hours in The House or Eternal Return we found that we could have spent more time.
The story begins inside a realistic Victorian House. The Meow Wolf App can assist in telling the story and providing clues about the experiment that led to the family’s disappearance from the house. Every aspect of Meow Wolf is meant to be touched and explored. The interior of the home is filled with drawers full of clothing, stocked bookcases, newspapers, and other items left as they were at the time of the “disappearance.”
Hidden portals throughout the house take guests into an alternate universe or dimension. Each room within has unique art installations and many are enhanced by user interaction. With multiple visits I would have tried to link the art to the story line, but with just a few hours it was just enough time to enjoy the work of the artists without delving too much into the “why” of each intricate detail.
The Float Bar was just inside the entrance to the check-in and offered snacks and drinks. We were also able to take our drinks into the experience.
Art Museums in the Historic District
The Georgia O’Keefe Museum of Art, New Mexico History Museum, and the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts were all in a short walking distance within the historic district of Santa Fe. We used reciprocal memberships from our local museum for free admission (NARM, ROAM). Another good option for tourists was the Santa Fe Culture Pass, a 4-day pass that covered entry to many of the historic sites and art museums.
Georgia O’Keeffe Museum
The Georgia O’Keefe Museum of Art, solely devoted to the life history and art of one individual, was a unique experience for even a regular museum-goer. Her story was told through videos, artwork and materials (clothing, books, artistic tools, etc.) from her home.
New Mexico Museum of Art
The New Mexico Museum of Art, adjacent to the centrally-located Santa Fe Plaza, houses a collection of art from around the world with a focus on a connection to the American Southwest. There were multiple temporary exhibits during our visit, with select works from the permanent collection displayed through the various themes or individual artist’s collections. The Museum is worth a visit for just the building itself, with the website describing it as “Pueblo Revival architecture and the best representation of the synthesis of Native American and Spanish Colonial design styles.”
Museum Hill
The Museum Hill complex was just over two miles from Historic Santa Fe. In one afternoon we visited the Museum of International Folk Art, the Museum of Indian Arts and had lunch (with incredible views) at the Museum Hill Café.
Museum of International Folk Art
The Museum of International Folk Art houses a vast collection that represents the many forms of “Folk Art” and illustrates how the broadly-defined art form is used throughout the world to represent culture, religion, and entertainment. The permanent exhibition, Multiple Visions: A Common Bond, has over 10,000 objects ranging from home decorations to dolls and puppets. Temporary exhibitions highlighted more specific topics; during our visit we saw collections of wire art from South Africa iNgqikithi yokuPhica / Weaving Meanings: Telephone Wire Art from South Africa), paper arts from Mexico La Cartoneria Mexicana / The Mexican Art of Paper and Paste), and a collection of many different types of art to represent the humanity and experience of incarcerated people (Between the Lines: Prison Art & Advocacy)
Museum of Indian Arts & Culture
The Museum of Indian Arts & Culture housed both contemporary and historic arts of the American Indian Peoples of the Southwest. The Here Now and Always exhibit was an excellent introduction to the history of the arts and cultures pre-European expansion through the contemporary influence and innovation of Native artists today. The website lists the groups of indigenous peoples represented in the museum, including those from the Northern Pueblo, the Southern Pueblo, and the Navajo & Apache Communities. This page provides an excellent summary of the historic and current locations and languages as well as additional educational sites for each specific community.
Santa Fe Botanical Garden
The Santa Fe Botanic Garden, located adjacent to and sharing a parking lot for the art museums of Museum Hill, has a significant collection of sculptures within its Gardens. We visited during the evening for the annual La Luz de las Noches.
Note: daytime admission to Santa Fe Botanical Garden was included with a reciprocal AHS institution membership but, like many non-profits, a separate ticket was required for the evening event.
Read more blog posts about the US Southwest….
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