With 250 galleries, more than a dozen museums and back-to-back world-class events throughout the year, Santa Fe is the crown jewel of art and culture in the Southwest. One of the leading art markets in the country, the City Different boasts four arts district brimming with galleries, boutiques, restaurants and artist studios. More than 80 such businesses line the easily walkable half-mile strip along Historic Canyon Road, also home to seasonal festivals throughout the year where artists create and mingle with collectors in the open air.
The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. Photo courtesy New Mexico True.
The area around Santa Fe’s historic Plaza is also home to quite a few galleries where you can find traditional painting and sculpture, as well as Native arts, art jewelry, pottery and photography. There are also several museums around the Plaza, including the New Mexico Museum of Art, the popular Georgia O’Keeffe Museum and the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts.
More than a hundred art galleries, jewelry stores, boutiques, artist studios, and gourmet restaurants line the half-mile Historic Canyon Road arts district. Courtesy Visit Canyon Road.
Finally, don’t forget to check out the hip Railyard Arts District, where most of the galleries lean contemporary and are housed in sleek, industrial-style warehouses. Plan your visit to the neighborhood to coincide with the famed Santa Fe Farmers’ Market, where you can shop produce, plants and so much more, all sourced from Northern New Mexico. Two other pockets of creative energy in an industrial setting can be found along Baca Street and in the Siler Rufina District.
An aerial view of Santa Fe Plaza and Cathedral Courthouse. Courtesy Tourism Santa Fe.
The number of cultural events throughout the year in Santa Fe are too numerous to do them justice here, but we would be remiss not to mention at least a few arts-related highlights. Santa Fe Art Week kicks off on July 10 with the 21st annual International Folk Art Market, followed by contemporary art fair Art Santa Fe, which opens the next day; with dozens of art experiences and events in galleries and studios citywide through Sunday, July 20. August brings the Santa Fe Indian Market and with it droves of artists, collectors, exhibitions and even out-of-town galleries for the city’s signature event. Now in its 103rd year, the 2025 Santa Fe Indian Market, recognized as one of the largest and most prestigious juried Native art show in the world, takes place August 16 and 17 in and around the Plaza.
The Railyard District is one of several hubs of creativity in the City Different, and host to the popular weekly Santa Fe Farmers' Market. Courtesy Tourism Santa Fe.
With endless art opportunities to explore and experience in Santa Fe, it’s important to remember that the vibrant concentration of creativity in the City Different radiates throughout the region, state and beyond. In the remainder of this special section, not only will we highlight top galleries, events, organizations and artists in Santa Fe, but we’ve put together some other sites to see, events to attend and adventures to enjoy in the surrounding region. We are sure that New Mexico, no matter what time of year you visit or where you go, will live up to its motto of “the Land of Enchantment.”
Events to Remember
A Santa Fe tradition, the Burning of Zozobra takes place the last weekend of August. Photograph by K.D. Leperi.
Burning of Zozobr
If Burning Man seems like too much of a commitment, why not check out Santa Fe’s historic end-of-summer celebration—the Burning of Zozobra—on August 29? Now in its 101st year, the cultural event is believed to cleanse the city and its people of anything negative that transpired over the past year. Attendees write down their sorrows and fears, hurts and habits, and stuff them into Zozobra, a mythic 50-foot-tall monster marionette that is then set on fire amid fireworks and revelry. Now presented by the Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe in Fort Marcy Park, William Howard “Will” Shuster, Jr. created Zozobra in 1924 for a private party for Los Cinco Pintores, a group of artists and writers who made their way to New Mexico in the 1920s. www.burnzozobra.com
Courtesy Dixon Studio Tour.
The Dixon Studio Tour
Held annually on the first weekend of November, the Dixon Studio Tour is a self-guided tour of the Embudo Valley’s many art studios, galleries and homegrown businesses. Tucked along a picturesque canyon 26 miles south of Taos, Dixon not only includes roughly 30 artists’ studios to visit, it’s also home to a charming local winery and a garlic farm that welcomes visitors. Throughout the festive event, you’ll find everything from painting, photography and jewelry to stoneware, wearable art, herbal bath and beauty products, handmade chocolates, local wines and roving musicians and performers. Now in its 44th year, the Dixon Studio Tour is the longest continuously running artist studio tour in all of New Mexico and definitely worth experiencing firsthand. www.dixonarts.org
The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta returns to the city October 4 through 12. Photo courtesy New Mexico True.
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
For more than three decades, visitors from all over the world have been flocking to New Mexico to experience the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, the largest ballooning event on earth, also billed as the most photographed event in the world, and the largest annual international event held in the United States. From October 4 through 12, the crisp, cerulean New Mexican skies become a rainbow of color as hundreds of balloons lift off from Albuquerque’s Balloon Fiesta Park. A crowd favorite are the early morning Mass Ascensions as the enormous balloons ascend gracefully skyward and, for the night owls, the magical “balloon glow” as they light up the night sky. Day or night, the event is a visual delight sure to invoke a sense of awe and wonder. www.balloonfiesta.com
For the Kiddos
Enjoy food, drink and entertanment aboard the Sky Railway. Photo courtesy Tourism Santa Fe.
Sky Railway
Whether you’re a history buff, music lover, railfan or someone who enjoys soaking up beautiful surroundings, traveling the historic rail between Santa Fe and Lamy, New Mexico, aboard Sky Railway has something for everyone, of any age. The roughly three-hour adventure begins with a complimentary glass of champagne, followed by live entertainment, great food and beverage options, and tremendous views of the desert landscape—and maybe even one of those legendary New Mexico sunsets. www.skyrailway.com
Ethyl the Whale, an enormous sculpture made out of recycled plastic, can be found on the campus of Santa Fe Community College.
Ethyl the Whale
Located behind Santa Fe Community College is Ethyl the Whale, an 82-foot, life-sized sculpture of a blue whale made out of hand-recycled plastic. It was created by San Francisco artists Yustina Salnikova and Joel Stockdill to bring awareness to the negative impact of plastics on the environment, and was named after its polyethylene body. Originally built for the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California, the Santa Fe-based art collective Meow Wolf acquired Ethyl in 2019 and installed it in the desert landscape. Take in the enormous work of art by day—by car or mountain bike—or enjoy it illuminated at night. www.sfcc.edu/ethyl-the-whale
Children and adults alike will be wowed by the Girard Wing of the Museum of International Folk Art. Photo courtesy the Museum of International Folk Art.
The Museum of International Folk Art, Girard Wing
The whimsical wonderland that is the Museum of International Folk Art (MOIFA) sits atop Santa Fe’s Museum Hill, across from the Museum of Indian Art and Culture, with fantastic views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The largest museum of its kind, its collections include more than 135,000 objects that celebrate our colorful global art community. The Girard Wing, which holds the vast majority of the museum’s holdings and its only permanent display, was designed and filled by indefatigable collector Alexander Girard with a dizzying array of folk art, toys, miniatures and textiles from around the world that will delight the inner child in all. www.moifa.org
Side Trip
Cerrillos is one of several quirky towns that dot the Turquoise Trail Scenic Byway between Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Courtesy New Mexico True.
Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway
Named for the rich turquoise deposits found throughout the area, this byway between Albuquerque and Santa Fe carves through other-worldly rock outcroppings, piñon and juniper-dotted hills, and a few delightfully quirky towns. Perfect for a one-way jaunt between the two cities, the 50-mile scenic byway takes only a bit longer to drive than the interstate most travelers take and is far more enjoyable! Pause atop Sandia Crest to take in the breathtaking view and be sure to make pitstops in the historic, colorful mining towns of Golden, Madrid and Cerrillos, for a taste of the local art, crafts, theater, music, museums and restaurants. www.turquoisetrail.org
Ra Paulette’s Hand-Carved Caves.
Ra Paulette’s Hand-Carved Caves
About an hour north of Sante Fe, near the hot springs haven of Ojo Caliente, are a series of ornate hand-carved caves by New Mexico artist Ra Paulette. For over three decades, Paulette has been painstakingly digging, chiseling, carving and sculpting sandstone into elaborate subterranean sanctuaries, as a kind of spiritual calling. Paulette gained recognition through the 2014 Oscar-nominated documentary Cavedigger. Today many of his caves are privately commissioned, but there is one you can (legally) visit. The “Windows of the Earth” cave is located on the grounds of Origin at Rancho de San Juan, a health and wellness resort just 20 miles from Georgia O’Keeffe’s home in Abiquiu. Guided tours for non-guests are available. www.originnewmexico.store
La Cieneguilla Petroglyphs near Santa Fe contains thousands of rock art examples dating from the 13th to 17th century. Courtesy Tourism Santa Fe.
La Cieneguilla Petroglyphs
Hundreds of petroglyphs, dating from pre-contact time and the Spanish colonial era, can be found along this mesa above the Santa Fe River. Most of the petroglyphs were placed there by Keresan-speaking puebloan people living in the area between the 13th and 17th centuries. The descendants of these people now live down the Santa Fe River along the Rio Grande at the Cochiti and Santo Domingo Pueblos. The area is known for the great number of hump-backed flute player images and a great variety of bird figures. The site is also of interest to those tracing the route of El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, as the ancient road passed along here as well. A short 1-mile loop trail managed by the Bureau of Land Management provides hikers a glimpse into the past as well as gorgeous views of the surrounding area. www.blm.gov/visit/la-cieneguilla-petroglyphs
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VISIT SANTA FE
Santa Fe Community Convention Center, 201 W. Marcy Street, Santa Fe, NM 87501
(800) 777-2489, www.visitsantafe.com
Santa Fe, New Mexico, one of the largest art markets in the United States, has been a hub for creativity since its founding in 1610. Nestled in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, its dramatic landscape, clean air and 320-plus days of sunshine have long attracted artists. Many travel to the City Different to showcase their work at the city’s annual art markets or they comfortably make Santa Fe their home. It’s no wonder Santa Fe was designated the first UNESCO Creative City in the world, this year celebrating its 20th anniversary with GENERATION/S: Tradition as Innovation events.
From top: A sculpture on display at the Contemporary Hispanic Market, created by one of more than 100 juried artists, invited to show their work. A visitor studies the paintings of a couple of Native American artists among the 1,000 who show their work at Santa Fe Indian Market. When the Pueblo Revivalist-style New Mexico Museum of Art opened in 1917, it was the first building in the state dedicated to art.
Local, regional and international artists are represented in Santa Fe’s 250-plus world-class galleries, 25 museums, scores of events and shows, and dozens of renowned art markets. Notable markets include the 21st International Folk Art Market (July 10 to 13), where 160 master artists from more than 50 countries showcase their work bazaar-style in the Railyard District. On the historic Plaza, don’t miss the 73rd Traditional Spanish and 39th Contemporary Hispanic markets (July 26 to 27), and SWAIA’s Santa Fe Indian Market (August 15 to 17), the world’s largest intertribal art market. While summer is a peak season for art, Santa Fe’s creative spirit thrives year-round.
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Blue Rain Gallery
544 S. Guadalupe Street
Santa Fe, NM 87501
(505) 954-9902 info@blueraingallery.com
www.blueraingallery.com
Established in 1993, Blue Rain Gallery has spent over 30 years fostering cultural appreciation, blending innovation with tradition and championing artistic diversity. With a strong focus on regional, Native American and fine studio glass art, the gallery represents a dynamic roster of over 50 living artists who work across a wide range of mediums including ceramics, paintings, bronze, glass and jewelry.
Top: Blue Rain Gallery, Aurora, blown and sculpted glass, 9 x 8½", by Kelly O'Dell. An exterior view of Blue Rain Gallery in Santa Fe. Bottom: Blue Rain Gallery, Sandia Transplant, oil on canvas, 24 x 36", by Eric Romero.
Beyond its role as a premier fine art gallery, Blue Rain extends its dedication to craftsmanship and creativity through the Blue Rain Print Shop, where fine art meets versatile design, offering high-quality prints and unique artistic expressions. Further enriching the art conversation, the Blue Rain Gallery Podcast—hosted by founder Leroy Garcia—provides an intimate exploration of the Santa Fe art world, offering insights into the creative process, artist inspirations and the evolving landscape of contemporary art. Through these endeavors, Blue Rain Gallery, which has a second location in Durango, Colorado, continues to push the boundaries of artistic excellence while honoring the cultural traditions that inspire its collections.
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Madina Croce
(505) 438-8866
diniart@cybermesa.com
www.madinacroce.com
Award-winning Santa Fe impressionist painter Madina Croce, who signs her paintings “DINI,” loves creating lush florals and still life paintings in her Santa Fe garden. Her landscape paintings, Willows and Water and Where the Songbirds Livewere painted in plein air just a hundred yards apart at one of her favorite spots in the foothills above Santa Fe. “I see so many beautiful paintings to make as I hike around these mountains,” she says. “It is always different; each painting tells a special story of a moment in time.”
Clockwise from left: Madina Croce, Brighten my Day, oil, 30 x 24"; Madina Croce, Willows and Water, oil, 14 x 11"; Madina Croce, Where the Songbirds Live, oil, 16 x 12"
Croce’s winter months are spent creating commissioned work for her collectors. “I love creating truly unique pieces for my collectors,” she says. “I am so grateful to be able to do what I love and to share what I see with the world.”
Croce shows her paintings March through December in Santa Fe’s vibrant artist’s outdoor show community, and welcomes studio visits by appointment. Find her show schedule on her website at www.madinacroce.com/events.
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Morphy Auctions & Old West Events
cheryl.goyda@morphyauctions.com
www.oldwestevents.com
Leading auction and art dealers Morphy Auctions and Brian Lebel’s Old West Events will present the 2025 Old West Show & Auction,which will offer art and antiques along with Native American material. This year’s sale will offer works by Harvey Johnson, Nick Eggenhofer, Nick Firfires, Will James, Frank Hoffman, Till Goodan, Harry Fisk, Wayne Baize and many other notable artists. There will also be a grouping of pulp art from the likes of Sam Cherry, Carl Hantman, Tom Lovell and more. Photography will include William Henry Jackson, Edward Weston and L.A. Huffman.
Top: Enthusiastic bidding at a previous Old West Show & Auction. Bottom: Morphy Auctions & Old West Events, Hands Up, oil on canvas, 26 x 18", by Harry T. Fisk (1887-1974). Estimate: $3/5,000. Morphy Auctions & Old West Events, Untitled, watercolor and mixed media, 12 x 13", by Frank Hoffman (1888-1958). Estimate: $3/4,000
The Old West Show & Auction takes place June 20 to 21. Santa Fe is the perfect community for the gathering of incredible exhibitors from all over the country. The galleries and shops are a fitting backdrop for the finest of Western artwork, cowboy collectibles, Native American artifacts, textiles and jewelry, all of which are available for purchase at the show, held at the Santa Fe Community Convention Center.
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Southwest Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA)
121 Sandoval Street, Santa Fe, NM 87501
(505) 983-5220, info@swaia.org
www.swaia.org
The Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA) has been a leader in promoting Native American art and culture for over a century. Best known for the Santa Fe Indian Market, the largest and oldest Native American art market, SWAIA brings together artists, collectors and art enthusiasts to celebrate Native craftsmanship.
Clockwise from left: SWAIA’s 2024 Santa Fe Indian Market. Photo Credit: Gabriella Marks / Santa Fe Indian Market 2024. SWAIA Native Fashion Week 2024. Image credit: Gilbert Terrazas via Indigenous Fashion Collective, Designer: Lesley Hampton | Model: Povi Rosa-Chavez. Native American regalia showcase at the 2023 Santa Fe Indian Market. Image credit: Kitty Leaken.
In addition to the Santa Fe Indian Market, which takes place August 16 and 17 this year, SWAIA offers a range of unique experiences, including SWAIA Native Fashion Week, a week-long celebration of Native American fashion designers happening this month beginning May 7, and the Winter Indian Market, a collector-focused event in late November. These experiences foster cultural exchange and highlight the diversity of Native American artistry.
SWAIA’s reach also extends digitally, providing year-round access to Native artists through the SWAIA Digital Market, social media and newsletters. This ensures that Native American art remains accessible to a global audience.
At its core, SWAIA is dedicated to honoring both traditional and contemporary Native American art, creating spaces for cultural connection, and promoting Native artists on a global scale.
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Manitou Galleries
123 W. Palace Avenue
Santa Fe, NM 87501
(505) 986-0440
www.manitougalleries.com
For over 15 years, Manitou Galleries has proudly showcased the evocative work of Alvin Gill-Tapia, a Santa Fe-based artist whose paintings embody a reverent celebration of New Mexico’s sacred architecture. His art brings a contemporary edge to the ancient adobe structures that have long defined the Southwestern landscape.
Manitou Galleries, Santa Maria Bell Tower, acrylic and gold leaf on panel, 12 x 12", by Alvin Gill-Tapia; Manitou Galleries, Enchanting Taos, gold and copper leaf with acrylic on Belgian linen, 48 x 60", by Alvin Gill-Tapia.
Gill-Tapia’s work is an homage to hallowed places—simplified abstractions of churches, mission buildings and community spaces that transcend their original purpose, becoming symbols of connection and endurance. His bold use of color and precise geometry bring a modern vibrancy to these historical forms, reflecting the intensity and spirit of New Mexico’s landscape while preserving the tranquil rhythm of Santa Fe life.
Grounding his art in a lineage of masterful training, Gill-Tapia’s career was shaped by his years under Belgian weaver Maud Henon and further refined through his studies at esteemed New York institutions. Yet, it was his return to New Mexico and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains that cradle his family’s history, which truly infused his work with its soulful essence.
Manitou Galleries, San Ildefonso Evening, copper and silver leaf with acrylic on canvas, 36 x 36", by Alvin Gill-Tapia.
At Manitou, Gill-Tapia’s art resonates profoundly with audiences seeking a connection to the enduring beauty and history of the Southwest. His ability to distill the essence of architectural elegance into contemporary, color-driven compositions ensures Manitou remains a home for timeless storytelling.
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Peggy McGivern
www.peggymcgivern.com
A wavy line connects all of Peggy McGivern’s work, from her 1980s watercolors to the three-dimensional pieces she made in the ’90s. By 2000, McGivern was established in well-known galleries across the Southwest. Always refining her craft, she makes vibrant, unexpected turns, visibly inhabiting simultaneously simple and complex shapes, figures and textures.
Top: Peggy McGivern, Red Schwinn, acrylic, 20x 20"; Peggy McGivern, School Uniforms, 16 x 16" Bottom: Peggy McGivern, Nightingales, oil, 24 x 36"
McGivern works in a color palette reminiscent of the 1940s. In rich-toned colors of burnt orange and rusty red, held together with shadows of warm plum and soft charcoal, she depicts the people and places she has encountered in her travels around the world. But she abstracts her narrative using mixed media of all kinds to create texture and depth.
McGivern begins with an idea that suggests a narrative or story. “From there the possibilities are endless,” she says. “The piece continually evolves along the way.” She first uses the blind contour method to draw out the idea, not looking at the canvas as she sketches. “Then I simplify the shapes and refine the composition, adding a layer of color which is often [contrary] to reality,” however, she adds, “there’s always a glimmer of truth in my work.”
McGivern is honored to be included in the group exhibition Go Figure: Figurative Women Painters, on view April 25 through August 22 in Santa Fe at the New Mexico State Capitol’s East Rotunda Gallery.
McGivern is represented by Giacobbe-Fritz Fine Art in Santa Fe; Jones Walker of Taos in Taos, New Mexico; Saks Galleries Cherry Creek in Denver, Colorado; and Wilde Meyer Gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona.
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Cynthia Inson
www.cynthiainsonart.com
“The best thing about being an artist is the journey of learning, analysis, decision making and discovery that I so enjoy as I create,” says Santa Fe artist Cynthia Inson. “All these things truly fuel and run my engine. Painting is much like writing to me. Instead of words, I am using paint, color, brushstroke, line, and form to develop the story and create an impression of mood, light, distance and three-dimensionality on a two-dimensional surface and space.”
Cynthia Inson, Cold Start, oil, 12 x12"; Cynthia Inson, Quiet is in the Air, oil, 12 x 24"
Inson’s goal as an artist is to captivate the viewer, to convince them to feel that sense of awe and joy that she felt seeing the sky that she painted or the mountains, roses, water or whatever her subject matter. She aims to stop viewers in their tracks and for them to respond and enjoy the impression the painting evokes.
“The added challenge,” she shares, “is also to create paintings that continue to draw the viewer in, to visually wander, to see parts or the whole of the painting differently over time. This worthy challenge also continues to fuel my growth as an artist.”
Inson is represented by Nedra Matteucci Galleries in Santa Fe.
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John Meister
(505) 235-3213
john@meistergraphics.com
www.johnmeisterart.com
Instagram: johnmeisterart
John Meister is known for featuring light and color in his paintings of the unique Southwestern natural world. His recent series places the subject in front of a colorful graphic backdrop “like a Vaudeville actor on stage,” he describes, bringing it forward for the viewer to consider and appreciate.
John Meister, Cholla Sensation, oil, 24 x 18"; John Meister, In the Mood, oil, 24 x 12"
“The term ‘magical realism’ had to be created for New Mexico,” says Meister. “Living here, I appreciate the aesthetic of life in all its forms, and I gravitate toward intimate views of nature and the structure of things. Life must do a little something extra to thrive here, and sometimes it displays great beauty in the process. I strive to capture that.”
Meister splits his art production between his studio and painting in open air, considering the New Mexico outdoors his perfect “classroom.” He is represented by Legacy Gallery, with locations in Scottsdale, Arizona, and Santa Fe, and Manitou Galleries in Santa Fe. —
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