Here in our beautiful city the “Art Walk” has become a very popular way for art lovers to take in Santa Fe’s many galleries. Santa Fe has over 250 galleries, many clustered in three unique areas, including Canyon Road, the Santa Fe Railyard and Downtown Santa Fe.

What I love about art walks is the wonderful opportunity to interact personally with the artists and gallery owners. They are often available to answer questions and chat. You’ll feel the general “art opening” vibe in the air. This is a great way to meet and strike up a conversation with artists, locals and visitors alike!

If you are an art enthusiast or collector, you will find in Santa Fe an unparalleled diversity of fine art ranging from traditional to contemporary, including painting, sculpture, mixed media, graphic art and textiles.

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A Road That Has Inspired Creativity For More Than A Century

Canyon Road is a special hub of art and has inspired creativity for over a century.  Walk this magical  mile against the backdrop of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and you’ll be treated to more than a hundred galleries.  An artist colony in its early history, Santa Fe still attracts painters and sculptors who work in studios along Canyon Road and invite the public to watch them at work.

The Canyon Road galleries have joined together to remain open until 7 p.m. the fourth Friday of the month. If you’re like me, you’ll be delighted that some galleries offer refreshments and/or entertainment to round out your art walk experience.

One must stop on your walk should be Ventana Fine Art which is housed in a 107 year old schoolhouse. You’ll marvel at the collections of contemporary art from artists all over the country. Enchanting oil canvases, watercolor masterpieces, statuesque ceramics and metallurgy fill their galleries.

Walk half way up Canyon Road and you’re at  Giacobbe Fritz Fine Art!  This gallery is housed in an rambling 1890 adobe complete with oak floors.  The eclectic artwork Giacobbe Fritz displays the common qualities of excellence, warmth and freshness in all of its artwork.

No Canyon Road art walk is complete without viewing some folk art. Walk past El Farol--a restaurant and bar famous for it's Alfred Morang murals on the walls--and look for Ed Larson’s iconic brightly painted wood fish over the entrance on your left.  Ed Larson has been painting, sculpting, and carving for decades and he is well known for his wind toys and story quilts.

You’ll find plein aire artists and sculpture on Canyon Road. You’ll find plein aire artists and sculpture on Canyon Road.

Downtown Art And Museums

On the first Friday of every month from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. you will want to soak up the vibrant energy of the Downtown Arts and Museum District walk!

The deep-rooted history and abounding culture of Santa Fe is preserved and celebrated in this charming walking district. Immerse yourself in Santa Fe’s rich heritage while strolling through a large array of prestigious galleries and museums. It’s easy to discover artwork from more than a thousand contemporary artists to masterworks from the 19th and 20th centuries to historical art treasures from around the world.

If you’re looking for a fresh collection of contemporary and traditional western art, you will want to visit Sorrell Sky Gallery located on Palace Avenue.

Right up the street you’ll find Lacuna Galleries, in the historic Felipe Delgado building. This gallery specializes in contemporary figurative realism and mixed media.

A family-owned and operated gallery located on Lincoln Avenue, Niman Fine Art specializes in representing the works of internationally known artist Dan Namingha, contemporary sculptor Arlo Namingha, and mixed media photography by Michael Namingha.

Once you have taken in a few galleries why not take in one of three museums in the downtown area? The Palace of the Governors, the New Mexico History Museum and the New Mexico Museum of Art are open and free from 5 to 8 p.m. Fridays, May through October and the first Friday of the month, November through April.

Pop Gallery
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That’s So R.A.D.

For an exciting world-class contemporary art experience, visit the Railyard Arts District (RAD) where ten galleries boast the best in international contemporary art. Art galleries surrounding the Santa Fe Railyard are housed in spacious warehouse-style buildings, all within easy walking distance. The Railyard art walk is held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. the last Friday of every month.

Artists who were part of important art historical movements and tendencies between the 1950s and 1980s are represented at the David Richard Gallery .

The LewAllen Gallery is a single flagship location where they represent internationally acclaimed contemporary artists working in a diverse range of media including painting, sculpture, works on paper and glass.

James Kelly Contemporary was established in 1997 in the renovated Sears warehouse. An inaugural art exhibit in 1998 focused on the work of four major artists who were then all living in the Santa Fe region: Agnes Martin, Bruce Nauman, Susan Rothenberg and Richard Tuttle. The gallery continues to exhibit established and emerging post-war artists from the United States and Europe.

Charlotte Jackson Fine Art carries some of the most unique Contemporary American and European Art in Santa Fe. Here you will find monochrome, concrete, light and space, modernism and color field painting to fill your comtemporary art soul.

One walk in this district and you’ll see why this has evolved to become a recognized center for contemporary arts in the United States!

 

With nearly 14,000 square feet of space, the LewAllen Galleries Railyard location is the largest and most modern facility in the Railyard.

With nearly 14,000 square feet of space, the LewAllen Galleries Railyard location is the largest and most modern facility in the Railyard.

Art is an integral part of the look, feel and fame of Santa Fe, that a trip here is just not complete without walking the gallery-lined streets of Downtown Santa Fe, Canyon Road, or the Railyard. Both savvy art collectors and curious casual gallery goers will find art that appeals to their aesthetic. Don’t forget your comfortable walking shoes and prepare yourself  to view some truly memorable, incredible  and captivating works of art!