Taos

(Taos NM)
Went up the high road to Taos for some more gallery hopping. Another place with over 100 galleries; far too much to see it all. My last visit there was about 25 years ago.

Park with trees in Taos NM

Taos Plaza

The Plaza was disappointing and had only shops with tourists in mind. Little art was to be seen there. Just off the plaza I found a couple of co-ops with local artists.

Sculpture in the shade of trees

Total Arts Sculpture Garden

On Kit Carson Road I hit the jackpot finding several nice galleries with excellent fine art. Galleries of note were Total Arts, Parsons, and Mission Gallery. I really liked the landscape paintings in those galleries.

Gazebo and horno by adobe house

Kit Carson Courtyard

Stopped for lunch at the tiny Mexican run La Cueva Café. Had the Enchiladas Nueva Mexicana with salsa verde; then treated myself to Key Lime pie for desert. Both were mouth watering delicious.

Two of several restored murals

Murals in Old Courthouse

I strolled around some side streets enjoying the narrow walkways and old adobe buildings; occasionally peeking into the little boutiques and shops. Amazing how many called themselves galleries regardless of what they were selling.

Fountain and tree amid shops

Adobe Shops in Taos

Another nice find was Act 1 Gallery which featured up and coming artists. It had some very good artwork at reasonable prices. Also, the restored murals in the old courthouse were enjoyed. Other places like artist studios, historic sites, parks, and the native Taos Pueblo were skipped.

Flowers and walkway to adobe gallery

Act 1 Gallery

Museums, and famous studios like the Fechin, and the Blumenschein house and studio I had seen on my last visit. There were also the Harwood Museum of Art and the Millicent Rogers Museum which will have to wait for another time.

River and mountains on a cloudy day

Campsite by Rio Grande

Prior to visiting Taos, I camped next to the Rio Grande at Orilla Verde south of town. Now called Rio Grande Norte National Monument-Lower Gorge. A sweet spot overlooking the river with only one other camper there.

Camp: Orilla Verde – Arroyo Hondo CG
Scene: Museums, galleries, shops, historic buildings, river

8 Responses to Taos

  1. Dizzy-Dick October 30, 2014 at 6:41 pm #

    Nice pictures!! I would like to paint the third and last picture. Of course I couldn’t do it justice. Adobe buildings make great subjects for artists. I suppose you have already painted some of them.

    • Pleinguy October 30, 2014 at 6:50 pm #

      Yes, I’ve painted adobe houses and they do make nice subjects. I primarily stick to pure landscapes without evidence of man or animal.

  2. J. RICHARD SECOR October 30, 2014 at 9:31 pm #

    Did you go to the J D Challenger gallery I mentioned ?

    • Pleinguy October 30, 2014 at 9:41 pm #

      No. Didn’t see it listed on any of the guides. Maybe next time?

  3. Dragonfly October 31, 2014 at 2:51 pm #

    Taos, one of my favorite towns, and getting there from any direction is just magical.

    • Pleinguy October 31, 2014 at 3:17 pm #

      It’s kind of touristy, but next to the mountains so it has great scenery.

  4. Melinda November 2, 2014 at 3:43 am #

    Sad to hear that its more touristy. An art haven is what is expected. My Mom took different painting workshops in or around Taos back in the good years. For me, its all about the weavings… I still enjoy Taos for different reasons.

    • Pleinguy November 2, 2014 at 4:11 am #

      Still lots of art if you go looking for it. Not as many individual artist studios though. Many have moved to the smaller outlying towns.

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