A Tin Tribute in Chilili
IN THE SMALL East Mountains community of Chilili, a folk art memorial holds sacred space. During the mid-20th century, local artist Horace McAfee created punched-tin tombstones for the San Juan…
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Tag: Art History
Relax and Recharge at Bishop’s Lodge
MY FOOTSTEPS BREAK the silence of Archbishop Lamy’s Chapel. Perched atop a small hill on the 317-acre property, the Territorial adobe has been carefully restored to its mid-1800s glory, complete with…
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See Harmony Hammond’s Art at SITE Santa Fe
THE MERE THOUGHT that ordinary materials—rags, metal grommets, bandages, straw, linoleum, and other utilitarian objects—could be used to make art elevates their mundanity. Galisteo-based artist…
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The Story Behind the $CRAP$ Shrine
THIS SUMMER, the high desert near Taos got a little quirkier with the appearance of the $CRAP$ Shrine. Inspired by roadside Greek chapels, artist Tony Stamolis constructed the small concrete-and-adobe…
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This Border Art Oasis Honors Mothers
DURING A CROSS-COUNTRY TRIP in 2014, sculptor Taras Mychalewych’s car broke down near Columbus, a village three miles north of the U.S.–Mexico border. The car was repaired in a few days. But instead…
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Tour Georgia O'Keeffe's New Mexico
“THERE, SEE THOSE FLOWERS,” calls Susan Cross from the front of the small bus. “Those are mariposa lilies. This is a special sight; they don’t bloom every year.” Cross, our guide on the Ghost Ranch…
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A Ranch on the Ruidoso
A LONE MAN ON HORSEBACK crosses a dry wash, approaching a bare-bones ranch with a couple of shade trees. Before him, a broad chiaroscuro mosaic of rolling golden foothills, distant purple mountains…
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The Story of Clayton's Dragon
THERE’S A DRAGON in Clayton. The seven-foot-long red metal beast slithers in and out of the exterior of a long-vacant building in the center of town. The four-piece dragon was designed, fabricated…
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The Story Behind the Magic Mural
ELLIS TANNER WANTED TO INSPIRE the generations of Navajo youth who have been coming into his Gallup store since it opened in 1967. “I wanted to put positive role models around my entire trading…
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Standing at the Crossroads
ONE WINTER DAY IN SANTA FE, I WALKED along Rodeo Road, camera in hand, seeking inspiration. I was also on the verge of tears. I was depressed—haunted by a future that seemed to be slipping from my…
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