Art & Heritage

In Taos today, creativity is a tradition, a way of life. It's been that way for centuries. Since 1300 AD, Taos Pueblo residents have literally created art from the dirt found in this valley. Micaceous pottery is made of clay found in the Sangre de Cristo mountains that surround Taos and Picuris Pueblos. The Spanish brought their religious traditions to Taos valley and over the years these symbols and artistic techniques merged and melded with those of the Pueblo residents.

A pivotal moment in Taos art history happened on a sunny fall day in 1898. It happened with a broken wagon wheel. That wheel was on a horse-drawn carriage transporting two European-trained east coast artists to Mexico. Bert G. Phillips and Ernest L. Blumenschein stayed in the Taos area to have the wheel repaired, became enchanted with the light and the rich culture and stayed. Soon after, a migration of like artists began to move to Taos and soon the Taos Society of Artists was born.

Our original art colony included some of the world’s most famous painters, and today that remains true. Creativity continues to thrive here, in our architecture, the written word, the musical score, even the culinary arts. Some artists use traditional media such as paint, wood, stone, clay, and silver while others work in light and movement, digital bytes and electronic chords. Visit our art museums and the many galleries around town for a glimpse of the innovative energy alive in Taos. You may just experience the transformative effects of our creative freedom.