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Blue-chip and cutting-edge contemporary art has transformed New Mexico into one of the nation’s most dynamic destinations for collectors and enthusiasts.
Georgia O’Keeffe, inspired by the state’s breathtaking natural beauty, emerged as an important and influential figure, and her name and reputation continue to draw artists to Santa Fe and nearby areas. The ever-changing exhibitions of Santa Fe’s Georgia O’Keeffe Museum showcase her work (See “Celebrating Georgia O’Keeffe”).
The Institute of American Indian Art Museum in Santa Fe, with more than 7,000 works, features a huge collection of contemporary Native American art, and exhibitions showcase top established and emerging Native American artists working in a variety of media.
Santa Fe and Taos offer a variety of galleries; the plazas of these historic communities are a perfect starting point for gallery walking tours. Branch out to the gallery districts along Kit Carson Road in Taos and Canyon Road in Santa Fe to experience everything from elegant art jewelry to conceptual installation art.
SITE Santa Fe has elevated the contemporary art scene that was born in the mid-1990s, and is praised for the quality of its eagerly anticipated biennial exhibition (the 2006 biennial runs from July 2006-Jan. 2007). It presents year-round shows of cutting-edge contemporary art by U.S. and international artists.
Downtown Albuquerque is home to the Harwood Art Center, a warren of dozens of artists’ studios as well as a street-level art gallery that shows works from the shocking to the sublime. The nearby National Hispanic Cultural Center’s art gallery is a leading venue for work by internationally known Latino and Hispanic artists.
In Southern New Mexico, the Roswell Museum and Art Center has a prestigious artist-in-residence program. Silver City also hosts several contemporary galleries in its Yankie Street arts district.
New Mexico’s timeless appeal serves as an inspiration to the creative spirit of artists, gallery owners and curators whose visions embrace contemporary art.
