"A Sacred environment for creativity"
says Jan Mellor, owner of the taos gallery and the newly formed Taos Art Experiences.
Taos – “one of the chosen spots on earth” according to writer D. H. Lawrence. – has been a Mecca of creativity for centuries.
From painted images on rocks 6000 years ago to modern artists using state of the art techniques, Taos remains a Mecca of creativity and the arts.
What is it about Taos that nurtures the creative spirit? Is it the light that drew Georgia O’Keefe, the scenic beauty captured in Ansell Adams work, and that of so many landscape artists? (Many artists of today were attracted to Taos because of the scenes painted by Russian Artist Nicolai Fechin in the 1920s (www.taosartmuseum.org) and the colorful people and their traditions and ceremonies – providing perfect subjects.
Some will tell you that it started with the rock paintings 6000 years ago. Take a hike by the Rio Grande River among the petroglyphs.
Others will direct you to Taos Pueblo (World Heritage & UNESCO Site) inhabited by the Native Americans for over 1000 years and continuing to hold a life rich in tradition and ceremony today, (www.taospueblo.com).Many of the Taos Pueblo people work with clay, fiber, leather, wood and stone, creating beautiful sculpture, mica-flecked pottery, hand beaded moccasins and log drums. Their traditional and contemporary pieces can be seen in the local galleries, museums and on the pueblo.
Some will point to the rich Hispanic art and traditions carried on today by the santeras and santeros honoring over 400 years of living in Taos. The Spanish settlers decorated their churches and homes in celebration of their faith creating an art form unique to this area. Many of the Hispanic artists have developed contemporary work based on traditional techniques of painting on wood (retablos), tin-smithing and woodcarving (www.martinezhacienda.com).
And for some they will tell you that the art scene as we know it really began in 1898 when Ernest L. Blumenschein and Bert G. Phillips, two young painters who were on their way to Mexico from Denver when just north of Taos their wagon broke down and Blumenschein lost the coin toss and carried the wheel to Taos for repair. That was it, some say. That’s how it all got started – a wagon wheel, fate, two men eager for discovery and a quiet unspoiled little settlement that had already earned a place in American history.
In 1915 Blumenschein, Phillips and four other artists formed the Taos Society of Artists (www.taosartmuseum.org) and soon other creative intellectuals such as Mabel Dodge Luhan, (www.mabeldodgeluhan.com), DH. Lawrence and Georgia O’Keefe joined them in Taos, helping to create a world-wide reputation for Taos as a center of creativity for artists, patrons and inspiration seekers.
Others come to celebrate life, to honor and nurture their spirit. Whatever the reason, Taos continues to provide a sacred environment for creativity.
The combination and integration of these cultures led to the formation of a long illustrious connection to the sacred world of creativity and tradition which continues today.
Many of the studios and homes of the Taos Society of Artists are now historical sites and/or homes to some of today’s artists. The homes of citizens who left their mark on this community; Ernest Blumenschein, Padre Martinez, Elizabeth Harwood, Governor Bent, Kit Carson and Nicolai Fechin, are now museums on the Historic Landmark Register. Art patron and designer, Millicent Rogers’ family created the Millicent Rogers Museum containing the core of one of America’s foremost Southwestern arts and design collections. (www.taoshistoricmusems.org)
Honoring and continuing this tradition of nurturing creativity, and born out of a gathering of artists over dinner, Taos Art Experiences was formed.
Taos Art Experiences not only continues the legacy of 1000 years as a sacred place but also the legacy of the former Taos Institute of Art: recognizing and nurturing creativity with personal freedom and deep respect for the people and cultures of Taos.
Experience Taos and discover why
we say:
Taos is the Soul of the Southwest!
Taos is one of the chosen spots on earth!
Taos is the original Art Colony!