Taos art colony

Helmut Naumer, Sr. (1935–36), Taos Pueblo[1]
Taos Mountain, Trail Home. Cordelia Wilson, ca. 1915-1920s, Private collection
Edward S. Curtis, A Taos girl, three-quarter length portrait, seated, facing front, ca. 1905

The Taos art colony was an art colony founded in Taos, New Mexico, by artists attracted by the culture of the Taos Pueblo and northern New Mexico. The history of Hispanic craftsmanship in furniture, tin work, and other mediums also played a role in creating a multicultural tradition of art in the area.

The 1898 visit by Bert Geer Phillips and Ernest L. Blumenschein to Taos was an early step in the creation of the Taos art colony and the Taos Society of Artists. In addition to the society, Mabel Dodge Luhan was instrumental in promoting Taos to artists and writers within her circle.

In the early-20th century, modern artists infused the area with a new artistic energy, followed in the 1950s by abstract artists. Today Taos supports more than 80 galleries and three museums. There are a number of organizations that support and promote the work of artists on the Taos Pueblo and in the Taos area.

  1. ^ Flynn (1994), p. 36. Made when Naumer documented scenes in Bandelier National Monument and nearby pueblos.