Canyon Road is the heart of art in Santa Fe. This charming neighborhood has developed into global destinationteeming with diverse and captivating art collections. You'll find Contemporary, Native and Folk Art, sculptural works, textiles, ceramics, jewelry and fashion, to name but a few. Whatever your tastes, you are likely to be sated here. The vibe is mellow and inviting as people mill about, following the road where it takes them, resulting in an easy unfolding of the perfect kind of day.
Begin your expedition at the bottom of the canyon just off Paseo de Peralta. A whimsical sculpture of three dancing lambs will greet you on the left at Gallery 203B. Just across the street, a more recent addition, Arroyo focuses on a Western sensibility in a multitude of forms. Be sure to take your time as you walk amid the fragrant pines and spreads of colorful blooms, back-dropped against the canvas of the azure summer sky. You can feel the stress dropping away with each step, as you partake of the visual wonderment.
Ventana Fine Art serves up vibrant Contemporary fare, Chalk Farm Gallery takes us to the stratosphere and beyond with it's Visionary art, and don't miss the magical outdoor sculpture garden at Wiford Gallery.
You'll want to have your camera ready for the stunning sights that abound, including our legendary monsoon cloud formations that typically gather in the summer afternoons. It's easy to spend a whole day taking in the sights.
Canyon Road first developed as a farming community. A bucolic terrain settled by the Spanish, Santa Fe is the oldest capital city in the United States. The history of Santa Fe pulses in the architecture on Canyon Road, from the warm adobe walls ofTerritorial and Spanish homes, to the few surviving farmhouses that still exist.
Artists began to populate here in the 1880's, many were drawn to the area for relief from respiratory ailments which were soothed in the dry, high desert air. Eventually, artist colonies formed and flourished. Like Paris in the 30's and 40's, one's creativity blossomed in the fecund ground of Santa Fe's idyllic ambiance. Canyon Road even had a unique "residential arts and crafts" zoning classification.
