1 Step into Ansel Adams’s early work.

In Santa Fe, the New Mexico Museum of Art’s sizeable collection of 20th-century works gets some love (and new digs) with three distinct galleries on the re-installed second floor, now dedicated to paintings, sculpture, and works on paper. On Saturday, the Pure Photography exhibit opens the paper gallery and features a series of Ansel Adams photographs made in the 1930s, including a few in New Mexico.

“Adams was in his late 20s when he started coming to New Mexico, and his experiences here were very formative,” says curator Kate Ware. “In this show we see him at the beginning of his career, as he was trying new things and finding his voice as an artist. The photographs in this show are smaller, quieter, and more intimate.” See the exhibit through May 22.

From left Anthony Romero's studies in stone are part of the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center's new exhibit "Advancing Traditions into Contemporary Form During Covid." Photographs courtesy of the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center.

2 Rock out with Native art.

Teamwork has been put to the test for many of us during the pandemic. Cliff Fragua (Jemez Pueblo) and Anthony C. Wright Romero (Ohkay Owingeh/Cochiti/Jemez pueblos) found a way. The stone sculptors are featured in a new exhibit, Advancing Traditions into Contemporary Form During Covid, which opens at Albuquerque’s Indian Pueblo Cultural Center Friday from 5 to 7 p.m.

The artists developed the pieces as mentor and apprentice via virtual meetings over the last year. Fragua’s work is exhibited around the country, including his sculpture of Pueblo Revolt leader Po’pay, which lives in the National Statuary Hall, in Washington, D.C. The duo was one of 11 pairs chosen to participate in the Native Arts & Cultures Foundation’s 2020 Mentor Artist Fellowship program. At 1 p.m. on March 12, the artists will talk about their creative process and the inspiration for their work in the Artists Circle Gallery. The exhibit runs through May 20.

SITE Santa Fe's new exhibit "Everything is Beautiful" was created by its Young Curators program. Photograph courtesy of SITE Santa Fe.

3 Find (re)purpose with young artists.

SITE Santa Fe celebrates the opening of Everything is Beautiful on Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. Created through its Young Curators program, the exhibit, through February 20, features works made with recycled, thrifted, and found materials. Ranging in age from 12 to 25, the artists were inspired to create art from the abundance of refuse in our world.

On Sunday, Capital High School student Maya Gollihugh and artist Isabel Rodriguez host a free, interactive art-making class. Participants will use recycled materials with the goal of building human connection as well as works of art.

Larry D. Blissett's "Calabera Con Flores" is among the works included in his new exhibit "What the Hell's Goin on Here." Photograph courtesy of Blue Rain Gallery.

4 Let art reign.

Texas native Larry D. Blissett premieres a new collection of bold Expressionist paintings at Santa Fe’s Blue Rain Gallery on Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. On view through February 12, What the Hell’s Goin on Here takes inspiration from the Southwest with a bright color palette and big brushstrokes in abstract depictions of animal skulls, demons, and landscapes.

5 Take a gentle walk.

The Pajarito Environmental Education Center gets your weekend off on the right path with a Gentle Walk beginning at 9 a.m. A casual stroll on trails near the Los Alamos Nature Center, the weekly walk aims to inspire peace and discovery rather than push walkers to attain steps or miles. Bring good hiking shoes, water, layers, and anything else you need to be comfortable outdoors. Send an email to publicity@peecnature.com to join the walking group and receive notification of last-minute changes.