I've visited Santa Fe several times in the past but, somehow on those previous trips I missed out on what Canyon Road has to offer. I guess I've always stuck to the city center and the museums and galleries clustered there.
I corrected that omission on this latest trip and I've discovered a new mecca of art and culture that almost overwhelmed my senses. How could I have missed this half mile of creativity in the past?
There are over 100 galleries and shops on this short stretch of road so exploring them all would take days. The best I could do on a Friday afternoon was park the car, start walking and take in as much as possible before closing time.
I stumbled into the gallery of Barbara Meikle and was enjoying her colorful works of art when I paused in front of this painting. I turned to the artist and asked "was this painting in the Cowgirl Up show in Wickenburg Arizona?" She seemed surprised and said "Yes, it was.". That's when I told her that I had featured this painting in a blog post I did about that show in Wickenburg. What a coincidence that I would have picked her gallery to explore by pure chance.
In addition to gallery after gallery, the area also had a few shops where all kinds of southwestern clothing, housewares and other items could be found. This shelf of colorfully painted chickens attracted my attention.
But it was the art works that truly inspired me. I saw magnificent paintings and brilliant sculptures everywhere I walked. This one by Robin Laws called "Buddies" was particularly endearing.
I was also impressed by how beautifully the area was landscaped with colorful flowers mixed in with all the sculptures and artwork.
A few of the galleries were having special events to introduce new art collections so while strolling the galleries we were serenaded by talented musicians. It was certainly the perfect way for this first time visitor to experience this patch of imagination and creativity. Canyon Road will be high on my list of priorities on any future visits to Santa Fe.
6 comments:
That was an interesting street to explore, funny meeting the artist of the work you had seen elsewhere.
I always used to enjoy it when Randy would post something from along that street. I'd love to go there one day!
I love those sculptures!
The sculptures really stand out beautifully!
I believe I've read that the outed CIA spy Valerie Plame and her husband live in the Canyon Road area.
I've heard of Canyon Road Sharon, it looks amaaaaaazing! Looks like it needs a good couple of days to explore it fully.. Very cool to bump into previous blog post person 😀
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