It’s officially spring, drawing our attention to the blooming of Santa Fe’s vast, high-elevation landscape. Artists and art lovers have long been inspired by it, so too our diverse cultural influences, our rich history, and our modern, yet outpost-like vibe. Not to mention The City Different’s Territorial and Spanish Pueblo Revival architecture that we call the Santa Fe Style, our 250+ art galleries, 20+ museums, and multiple immersive experiences, as well as our robust performing arts offerings.
Are you an art lover (or an artist)? Come enjoy some art in the world's best city for art lovers amid the gentle warmth of a Santa Fe spring.
Easter 2025
Sunday, April 20
Easter Sunday means egg hunts, time with family, chocolate bunnies, and a decadent brunch! You’ll see why on Easter Sunday as local restaurants concoct and prepare some of the most delicious dishes. So while planning that Easter weekend trip to Santa Fe, be sure to make your brunch plans now! For ideas, visit our dine page.
And should you have little ones who love a good hunt, Santa Fe has fun events to hop on over to, including the Santa Fe Botanical Garden's Easter Face Painting on Sunday, April 20. Beyond searching for eggs, kids and adults can enjoy the beautiful acreage.
Last Friday Railyard Art Walk
Friday, April 25, 5–7 pm
Enjoy a spring evening walking in the Railyard Arts District, where you’ll discover Santa Fe's leading contemporary art galleries, including Blue Rain Gallery, Charlotte Jackson Fine Art, Evoke Contemporary, form & concept, LewAllen Galleries, Tai Modern, and Zane Bennett Contemporary Art, along with the contemporary art museum SITE Santa Fe and the New Mexico Museum of Art's Vladem Contemporary, where you can see the exhibit Off-Center: New Mexico Art, 1970-2000 through May 18. When all of that art stirs your appetite, rest assured you are in the perfect neighborhood for a bite and a beer with new eateries on the scene.
Natural Beauty at the Santa Fe Botanical Garden
Daily, 9 am–5 pm
With April's arrival, the Santa Fe Botanical Garden comes alive and offers a variety of public programs that happen on the nearly 20 peaceful acres at Museum Hill, featuring native and appropriate non-native plants. Don’t miss a chance to walk the thoughtful paths through the three main gardens, Orchard Gardens, Ojos y Manos: Eyes and Hands, and the Piñon-Juniper Woodland. This wonderland is just a few minutes drive from the downtown historic Plaza.
Local Artisans at the Railyard
Every Saturday and Sunday at the Railyard
Take home some fine arts and crafts from one of Santa Fe’s local artisans. Saturdays, in its 16th season is the Santa Fe Artists Market, an outdoor juried show that presents some of Santa Fe’s best in pottery, jewelry, paintings, photography, sculpture, furniture, textiles and more! Sundays, check out the Railyard Artisan Market, held in the open-air Farmers’ Market Pavilion, where you can find original, local, creative work directly from the artists, a gift for a special occasion, and souvenirs and mementos. Across the tracks, check out El Museo Cultural de Santa Fe Mercado for Americana, international folk art, vintage Western memorabilia, tribal and global fine art, as well as Native American jewelry and art, vintage and antique American and Western furniture and collectibles, books, textiles, clothing, and works of local artists, weekends through May. Also on the Railyard, check out the weekend's Santa Fe Society of Artists, a juried group you'll find in white gallery tents at the area called Casitas Grove. For a glimpse of local art markets throughout the year, see our recent blog titled Shop Local Santa Fe Artists & Artisans.
Immersive Experiences
Local George R.R. Martin, Game of Thrones creator was a key contributor to the original Meow Wolf, a mind-bending art immersion experience that thrives in The City Different with new rooms added to the more than 70 in the House of Eternal Return. Fun for evening music performances, too, including The Moss on April 19.
For some visual and performance art in motion, also inspired by Martin, check out what's on tap on Sky Railway’s adventure trains, featuring series-related visuals from graffiti artist Joerael Numina. Choose your entertainment, including Sunset Serenade, Native American Dance, Serenta Flamenca, Margarita Rail, and roll along the 18 miles of track between the depots of Santa Fe and Lamy from the comfort a refurbished passenger car, as you feast your eyes on our exquisite high-elevation piñon and juniper landscape.
Walk Canyon Road
Yes, it’s just a half-mile long, and yet, there are more than 100 galleries to explore along this tree-lined, flower-forward street called Canyon Road. Take your time in and out of the charming historic adobe buildings that house some of the finest art in the world, be it contemporary, abstract, modern, expressionistic, figurative, photorealistic, digital, traditional, western or Native American. And poke around through to the back gardens, festooned in flora and sculpture. Reserve a bit more time than you think you’ll need—there are gourmet restaurants, jewelry stores, clothing boutiques, home furnishings shops, and artist studios to adore.
Treat Yourself to the Performing Arts
Be one of the many adoring fans of classical, orchestral, folk, and rock music at venues throughout Santa Fe, including historic Lensic Performing Arts Center, where you enjoy shows throughout April, presented by the Santa Fe Symphony & Chorus, Santa Fe Pro Musica, and the Lensic themselves!
Tour an Award-Winning Museum
Congratulations go out to this deeply deserving Santa Fe museum, listed in the USA TODAY 10BEST Readers' Choice 2024 poll on best museums in the United States: the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Art is recognized for its display of art practices representative of Native North America, at #9. The Stories We Carry is just one of their exhibits. If you have kids in tow, consider the Museum of International Folk Art, with the world's largest collection of folk art!
Oh, and don't miss your chance to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Nuevo Mexicano Heritage Arts Museum—their exhibition 100 Years of Collecting | 100 Years of Connecting tells the story of creating and caring for an extraordinary trove of nearly 4,000 objects representing the distinctive Hispano heritage of New Mexico. Curator Jana Gottshalk says, "This exhibition aims to give you a true behind-the-scenes look at our history." Other ways to celebrate include events designed to shed light on the Museum's long and illustrious history.
Make Your Own Art
Why not learn a thing or two about art from behind a camera lens, at the tip of a paintbrush, through building glass designs, seated at the clay wheel, or by creating abstract oil and cold wax paintings? There’s no shortage of marvelous local instructors, artists in their own right, who adore sharing their craft with you. While you are on the downtown Plaza, you can simultaneously imbibe locally made craft beer and spirits AND make some take-home art. Check out Tumbleroot Pottery Pub, where "cocktails meet clay" or Paseo Pottery, where you can learn the basic of hand building or wheel throwing. We even have our own makers' space at Make Santa Fe, where you can make, repair, invent, or create anything you can dream. Also check out the listings in Classes and Workshops. One of your memorable Santa Fe souvenirs could be a creation of your very own!
Hire an Art Guide
(Photo credit: Kitty Leaken)
Explore Santa Fe’s art scene with an expert facilitator! For instance, the guides with Santa Fe Art Tours are steeped in art history, but conduct tours with a discussion-based approach to encourage you to cultivate your own personal responses to the art. Choose from tours of our multiple museums, Canyon Road, the architecture of the Plaza; see artist studios, add chocolate or yoga to any experience, or fashion something custom. You’ll come away with some useful techniques for contemplating art and a new window into the mind of an artist.
Get a taste of The City Different! Order your Official Santa Fe Visitors Guide now or browse our deals and specials to help you plan your next trip to Santa Fe.
