Travel

The Scene: Craft in Santa Fe

Local artists share the people and places that define Santa Fe, a city with a complex history that’s a nexus of rich cultural influences.

Introduction: RoseMary Diaz

Artist contributors: Keri Ataumbi, Elodie Holmes, Peter Ortega, Emily Trujillo, Suni Upshaw

Contributor photos: Gabriella Marks

Story production: Jennifer Vogel

November 6, 2025

Winter 2026

Destinations

Free To Read

Photo courtesy of IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts

Vibrant poles line the entrance to the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts.

Each edition of The Scene provides an in-depth look at craft in a single city. This special section goes beyond traditional travel articles, offering an in-depth look at a city’s craft scene through the voices and perspectives of its artists.

In the following pages you’ll find lists of artists and craft-related spaces in Santa Fe that are based on the recommendations of local contributors. This coverage is not comprehensive and we encourage you to continue exploring more of Santa Fe’s craft scene. —The Editors

In this Scene:

ARTIST CONTRIBUTORS:
Keri Ataumbi, Elodie Holmes, Peter Ortega, Emily Trujillo, Suni Upshaw

EXPLORING CRAFT IN ATLANTA: PLACES AND SPACES
Fairs, Festivals, Markets; Shops, Boutiques; Art Places, Neighborhoods; Schools, Studios; Galleries, Museum, Institutions

Introduction

by RoseMary Diaz

Nestled in the cedar- and juniper-covered foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in northern New Mexico, Santa Fe has for millennia been regarded as a special, even sacred, place. The Tewa Indians, the original keepers of this land, called it Oga Po’o Kweeng, or “shell-filled lake,” a reference to the terrain’s evolution over eons, from a prehistoric body of water to the high-desert mountains that now rise from its long-desiccated shores. It is a place at once weighted by the past and propelled forward by it; a place where the enduring creative traditions of long ago nourish the artistic spirit of now; where artists, whether native to the city or drawn by its charms, can embrace their creative visions and live their own unique self-guided art journey.

Santa Fe’s history as the oldest capital city in the United States stretches back to 1610, when conquistador Don Pedro de Peralta established it as the capital of the Spanish “Kingdom of New Mexico.” Named at the time La Villa Real de la Santa Fe de San Francisco de Asis (“The Royal Town of the Holy Faith of Saint Francis of Assisi”), it is also one of the oldest seats of religious government in the Americas.

Going back even further, before the region was occupied by Spanish colonialists, the town had already been a center of trade and commerce for the region’s Indigenous people for centuries. Here in what is now the city’s historic plaza, tribesmen of the area—which, in addition to the Tewa, included the Tiwa and Towa Indians—gathered to barter with those from as far away as South America and Canada for the raw materials needed in the traditional arts of the Southwest as we know them today: basketry, wood carving, pottery, and, later, with the arrival of the Spanish, silversmithing and weaving.

Over time, these art forms evolved from the production of practical, everyday objects into the fine art collectibles that now comprise much of its commercial art market. As this happened, Santa Fe became synonymous with many of these cultural arts. A burgeoning tourist market developed, supported by the arrival of the railroad and an influx of tourists from the East, which contributed to the city’s evolution into an international art and craft mecca.

Photo by Gabriella Marks

Eighth-generation weaver Emily Trujillo hangs a tapestry at Centinela Traditional Arts, her family’s gallery in Chimayo, New Mexico.

Also known as La Ciudad de Santa Fe (“The City of Holy Faith”) and “The City Different,” Santa Fe has consistently been ranked among the world’s top-tier art cities and holds the distinction of having the most galleries per capita of any US city. From its annual art markets—including the Traditional Spanish Market, the International Folk Art Market, and the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts’ (SWAIA) Santa Fe Indian Market, which marked its 103rd consecutive year in August—to its world-renowned Santa Fe Opera and Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, the city embraces a rich art legacy that spans not only many generations but a great many genres as well.

The vaunted Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA), cofounded in 1962 by Cherokee artist Lloyd Kiva New and Dr. George Boyce, was until recently chartered as a congressionally funded tribal college and has graduated more than 4,000 students, including some of the premier Indigenous artists practicing today. The importance of this college’s role in the contemporary Indian art movement cannot be overstated.

In 2005, Santa Fe was designated a UNESCO Creative City, a recognition centuries in the making by all quantifiable measures, considering the city’s countless contributions to art and craft through the ages.

Many notable creatives have made Santa Fe their home, including celebrated literati William S. Burroughs, George R. R. Martin, and N. Scott Momaday; filmmakers Levin Garbisch and Godfrey Reggio; and painters Tony Abeyta and Emmi Whitehorse, each drawn, perhaps, by the vibrant, ever-changing colors of the landscape, the way sunlight reflects off the edges of late-summer clouds as they pass over the mountains, or the warm embrace of piñon smoke on a cold winter evening.

This installment of The Scene showcases some of the best of the city and its surroundings, and collectively reflects the abundance and diversity of northern New Mexico’s art and craft traditions—from ceramics and wood carvings made in accordance with traditional materials and techniques to cutting-edge jewelry and glasswork and K-pop-inspired textiles and weavings.

Certainly, Santa Fe’s ever-evolving art story, bound by its creative inheritance, will continue to be told in chapters yet to come, wherein the past will always be prologue.

◆

RoseMary Diaz (Santa Clara Pueblo) is a freelance writer based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She studied literature and its respective arts at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA), Naropa University, and the University of California, Santa Cruz.

A view of Virgil Ortiz’s Sirens: Secret Passkeys & Portals installation

Photo by Atlas Media, courtesy of Meow Wolf

Virgil Ortiz’s Sirens: Secret Passkeys & Portals installation at Meow Wolf's House of Eternal Return in Santa Fe embodies a futuristic vision of the 1680 Pueblo Revolt.

Keri Ataumbi

Metalsmith, jewelry artist

ataumbi.com | @ataumbimetals

I grew up on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming. I moved to Santa Fe in 1990 because after attending the Rhode Island School of Design, I wanted to return to the West and my mother was living here. I was attracted to the area because of Santa Fe’s modest size, the mix of cultures here, and, of course, the art and craft scene.

Jewelry can create a dialogue between cultures and individuals. My work explores the value systems that different cultures place on materials, techniques, and objects. I combine materials and ideas considered valuable by Native standards with materials made precious by non-Native standards. In doing so, I present aesthetic and environmental questions. Specifically, what is more important, beautiful, and valuable: the intergenerational knowledge and clean environment required to harvest, process, and create using traditional Native knowledge, or the human and environmental resources required to obtain materials used in “fine jewelry”?

The diversity of the Santa Fe craft and arts community is very inspiring. There is so much history here, and there are so many people who are deeply and actively tied to their cultural roots. The extraordinary generational legacies and craftsmanship of the clay work by Pueblo artists are most obviously unique.

Although Santa Fe has grown immensely since I moved here, there is still a strong sense of community. I hear people say they are “self-taught” because they may not have gone to a formal institution to learn their craft. I never understand that, because although an artist may experiment and develop a technique or method, it’s not done in a void. We all learn from visiting, working with others, and gathering information from our communities.

Because of the robust community of jewelers in Santa Fe, I have found that if I am developing a piece and don’t know a certain technique or want another opinion on how to go about building something, help is just a phone call away.

LOCAL ARTISTS ATAUMBI ADMIRES:
Jewelry and metal artists Samuel LaFountain and Jerome Nakagawa; paper artists Animkeewa Aankwad White Eagle and Ian Kūali’i; woodworkers Randy Brokeshoulder, Ron Rodriguez Archuleta, Nicholas Herrera, Arthur López, and Dennis Esquivel; clay artists Autumn Borts-Medlock, Jason Garcia, and Tammy Garcia; fiber artists D.Y. Begay, Ken Williams Jr., Teri Greeves, and Penny Singer.

Photo by Gabriella Marks

Ataumbi with her dogs, Angus and Furgus.

Photo by Gabriella Marks

Ataumbi uses dentalium shells in her jewelry.
Photo by Gabriella Marks

Two repoussé pieces in Ataumbi's studio.
Photo by Gabriella Marks

An 18k gold and diamond cuff with a Kiowa beadwork designs.

Elodie Holmes

Glass artist

elodieholmes.com | @elodieholmes

After growing up in the Washington, DC, suburbs, I attended the California College of Arts and Crafts (now the California College of the Arts) to further my studies in ceramics and discover what hot glass was all about. As much as I loved working in clay, glass really spoke to me. I moved to Santa Fe in the summer of 1981, fresh out of college, to co-manage a glass shop on Canyon Road. I spent many years working out of other glass- and bronze-making facilities, but now I have my own building with a wonderful crew of people.

My work is made using a combination of glassmaking skills that include glassblowing, hot-sculpting, and flame work. Glass has special properties that are unlike those in any other material: Its three-dimensional light, and the way it moves when molten, helps me define my imagery. I explore pollinator themes, figurative narratives, and abstracted themes of time and movement. Lately, I am focused on our interdependence with the natural world, finding balance, and the vulnerability of all species.

Santa Fe is unique because of the area’s cultural diversity and the quality of art and craft created here. The city has a long history as an arts destination, originally known for Indigenous jewelry, clay, stonecarving, and weaving, along with traditional Spanish art forms like colcha embroidery and tinwork. Today, Santa Fe is home to emerging and established artists of all cultures and mediums, including a tight-knit community of glassblowers, which I am fortunate to be part of.

There are classes for absolutely everything here. My studio offers glass experience classes, as does my sister studio, Prairie Dog Glass—and so do Firefly Glass and Tesuque Glassworks. We are surrounded by schools and facilities to study art and artmaking, from the vaunted Institute of American Indian Arts to the well-equipped Santa Fe Community College art department

In Santa Fe you will find hundreds of studios and galleries, and over two dozen museums of excellent quality for inspiration. The city has really grown in the 40-plus years since I moved here, which has meant more artists, more galleries, and more music—in total, a vibrant art and craft scene.

LOCAL ARTISTS HOLMES ADMIRES:
Rose B. Simpson, a Tewa mixed-media artist and sculptor who works in ceramic, metal, fashion, painting, music, performance, and installation; multidisciplinary artist Erika Wanenmacher; Judy Tuwaletstiwa, a writer, teacher, and multidisciplinary artist working in glass and mixed media; ceramic artist Sheryl Zacharia; Lucy Lyon, who makes cast-glass sculptures; and Mary Olson, who works in clay.

Holmes in her garden with glass bee sculpture

Photo by Gabriella Marks

Holmes in her garden with To See Yourself in the Bee, 2022.

Photo by Gabriella Marks

Holmes heats a glass bird with a torch.
Photo courtesy of the artist

Blue Crackle Songbird, 2025, blown and hot-sculpted glass, 9.5 x 5 x 5 in.
Photo by Wendy McAhearn

Worker Bee Girls and Their Garden Tools, 2012, hot-sculpted, blown, and flame-worked glass on a maple lightbox.

Peter Ortega

Woodcarver

ortegafolkart.com

I was born in my parents’ home in Tesuque, a small village about six miles north of Santa Fe. I now live in a village just south of Santa Fe called La Cienega. Both are similar in history, culture, and tradition, and both are nestled among clutches of trees and natural beauty.

My inspiration comes from my father, Ben Ortega, a woodcarver who developed his own distinct style for making religious figures—santos and bultos—and cowboys and animals using native wood and roots twisted and formed by Mother Nature. He taught me how to look at each piece of wood or root to see what shape or creation it wants to be. My work is an adaptation of my father’s unique style, which stands out in the world of santos. My gallery includes my carvings of angels, saints, biblical scenes, animals, and cowboys. My favorite subject is Saint Francis of Assisi.

Historically, Santa Fe is a mixture of Native American, Spanish/Mexican, and Anglo-Saxon cultures. The art and craft scene reflects these cultures and combinations. My Hispanic ancestry in New Mexico dates back to the 1400s. Back then, people had to use resources like wood, tin, straw, earth, and natural dyes made from plants to make their religious articles. To this day, traditional Spanish colonial art is made from natural materials.

Santa Fe is a hub for all types of art. People from all over the world come to buy craft and artwork here. The variety in Santa Fe is endless, but my craft is mostly traditional Spanish and remains true to that heritage while allowing for creativity.

I enjoy teaching our community how to preserve our culture through art. I have held workshops for youth and adults at the Spanish Colonial Arts Society’s Nuevo Mexicano Heritage Arts Museum. I have sponsored my own children, nieces, nephews, and grandchildren in the annual Traditional Spanish Market and other art shows, and privately mentored students of all ages in my studio.

One of the most inspiring aspects of living in Santa Fe is seeing that young people are eager to learn and practice my craft and others.

LOCAL ARTISTS ORTEGA ADMIRES:
My relatives are among the local artists I admire. My three siblings, Joe Ortega, Mary Agnes LeRouge, and Louise Ortega-Alvarez are also woodcarvers and folk artists. Two of my nieces have taken up the mantle: Naomi Lowe specializes in making retablos and cultural paintings, while Andrea Lozano-Ortega is known for her carvings of birds and saints. I also admire my colleagues who show their art in the annual Traditional Spanish Market and would like to give a special shout-out to Randy Trujillo (Spanish colonial furniture and tinwork), Jerry Montoya (retablos, tinwork, and jewelry), Martha Varoz Ewing (traditional straw appliqué and tinwork), Juan Lopez (jewelry made with the art of filigree), and Arlene Cisneros Sena (a sought-after retablo artist). If you run across retablos, wood carvings, or colchas made by Monica Sosaya Halford, grab them. She is a renowned and beloved Santa Fe artist who is now retired.

Photo by Gabriella Marks

Peter Ortega with a piece of driftwood from a lake near his home.

Photo by Gabriella Marks

A nativity scene carved by Ortega.
Photo by Gabriella Marks

An in-progress aspen carving of St. Joseph and child, 24 x 5 in.
Photo by Gabriella Marks

Doves carved from cedar, aspen, cottonwood, and various roots.

Emily Trujillo

Weaver, textile artist

@emily_trujillo_weaver

I am from Chimayo, a town about a half hour north of Santa Fe known for its weaving traditions. My family’s legacy there stretches back hundreds of years, all the way to Diego Trujillo, who came from Mexico in the 1700s.

I grew up learning from my mom and dad, master weavers Lisa and Irvin Trujillo. But as a kid, I didn’t take to weaving. I felt an intense amount of pressure to be good at it simply because of my famous parents. Certain I had something unique to offer, I bristled at those expectations. While attending the University of New Mexico, I majored in psychology and ethnology. There I learned that cultures like mine were dying. So after graduation, when I was 25, I returned to Chimayo to intern with my parents and study weaving in earnest. It turned out I liked it a lot.

My work takes traditional rules and gently bends them into modern art. All of my weavings follow specific and important Rio Grande weaving styles, but it’s not obvious unless you know how to look. You can pick out many traditional elements in my work, but you’ll notice very modern elements as well. I incorporate my own experiences and ideas as someone who lives in the city—and is a fan of anime and K-pop—while also honoring my family roots.

Chimayo means a lot to me. There’s a spiritual connection to the land that I can’t explain with science. When I’m there, a part of my soul can breathe that can’t breathe anywhere else. I feel a connection to my ancestors, similar to how I feel when I’m weaving.

As for Santa Fe, there is great art and craft there, such as what comes out of the Institute of American Indian Arts. The area’s distinctive mix of Spanish, Native, Mexican, and other cultures has created a melting pot of both traditional and modern art forms. To experience this mix of histories and traditions, visit Museum Hill, where you’ll find some of my favorite institutions—the Nuevo Mexicano Heritage Arts Museum, the Museum of International Folk Art, and the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture.

LOCAL ARTISTS TRUJILLO ADMIRES:
Irvin Trujillo and Lisa Trujillo may be my parents, but they are artists who have earned their reputations. I also love Louie García, a Pueblo weaver keeping his unique weaving culture alive. Closer to Santa Fe are Bernadette Marquez, a silversmith who is both a wonderful person and an excellent artist, and her husband, Arthur López, who makes traditional and modern wood carvings and retablos. Elizabeth Buckley is an award-winning and highly acclaimed tapestry artist we are lucky to have. And weaver Annie MacHale is my peer, friend, and role model.

Photo by Gabriella Marks

Trujillo in her studio.

Photo by Gabriella Marks

Emily Trujillo pores over an 1800s weaving with her parents, Irvin and Lisa.
Photo by Gabriella Marks

A recent work titled Hurt Me Less.

Suni Upshaw

Ceramist

@yesterdaysflowers

My work explores the space between my Diné and Japanese identities as I search to link ancestral practices through clay and design.

The softness of Santa Fe inspires me, from the curves of the city’s adobe architecture and the warm palette of its landscapes to the distinct softness of its light. My work frequently draws upon these elements, aiming to capture the essence and beauty that define Santa Fe.

All year round, Santa Fe is bustling with markets, art shows, and activations. What truly stands out is the way local establishments collaborate with our local creatives. This strong sense of community, with art at its core, brings the city together and creates a unique and inspiring environment for everyone.

I have only lived in Santa Fe for five years, but since I’ve been here, I have seen positive shifts in the craft and art scene. I’ve noticed a recent influx of younger gallery and shop owners establishing new spaces in town. These new establishments appear to be moving away from the traditional “Santa Fe style” and embracing a more contemporary aesthetic.

4KINSHIP, a Diné-owned shop and community hub located in the Siler Rufina Art District, is well-known for its vibrant upcycled garments and wearable art, as well as hosting fashion shows, markets, and community activations. The owner, Amy Denet Deal, has been instrumental in reshaping the landscape for Indigenous creatives in Santa Fe and the greater Southwest region.

LOCAL ARTISTS UPSHAW ADMIRES:
Ceramists Ralph Scala and Jennie Johnsrud; Tina Nguyễn, textile artist, crocheter, and owner of the slow-fashion brand Lovage; glass artist Cyn Kirk; and goldsmith and designer Megan Rugani of Maiden Voyage Jewelry.

Photo by Gabriella Marks

Upshaw at Baca Street Pottery.

Photo by Gabriella Marks

A ceramic bud vase with shino glaze, 2025, 5 x 3.5 x 3.5 in.
Photo by Gabriella Marks

Two hand-built, wood-fired ceramic vessels from 2025, 8 x 5.5 x 5.5 in. (left) and 12 x 7.5 x 7.5 in. (right).
Photo by Gabriella Marks

Upshaw throwing on the wheel.

Exploring Craft in Santa Fe: Places and Spaces

If you’re traveling to Santa Fe or considering a visit, use this handy insiders’ guide to local craft hot spots to plan your itinerary. The fairs, galleries, boutiques, studios, schools, and museums listed here are held dear by Santa Fe contributing artists Keri Ataumbi, Elodie Holmes, Peter Ortega, Emily Trujillo, and Suni Upshaw. We’ve also included picks from the American Craft editorial staff and ACC’s board of trustees.

Photos courtesy of © International Folk Art Market

Makers hailing from nearly 60 countries sell their work at the International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe each July.
Photos courtesy of © International Folk Art Market
Photos courtesy of © International Folk Art Market

Fairs, Festivals, Markets

Contemporary Hispanic Market
Held each July near Santa Fe Plaza, organizers declare this to be the world’s largest contemporary Hispanic market. Founded in 1986 as a complement to the Traditional Spanish Market, it typically features more than 100 artists. Entrance is free.
contemporaryhispanicmarket.org

Free Indian Market
Launched in 2018, this annual art and craft show is inclusive by design. According to event cofounders Gregory and Angie Schaaf, Free Indian Market serves as a “safety net” for the community and “enhances preservation of the traditional arts, cultures, and languages.” Featuring hundreds of artists and makers, a benefit auction, a fashion show, and performances, the market takes place in Federal Park each August.
freeindianmarket.org

IndigenousWays
Founded in 2007 by Tash Terry and Elena Higgins, this organization aims to “uplift communities through music, the arts, and Indigenous Wisdom, fostering connection and resilience.” It hosts events throughout the year, including the IndigenousWays Festival, held in May, June, and August in the Railyard Arts District.
indigenousways.org

International Folk Art Market
This global market—held in Railyard Park each July—“envisions a world that values the dignity and humanity of the handmade, honors timeless cultural traditions, and supports the work of artisans serving as entrepreneurs and catalysts for positive social change.”
folkartmarket.org

Palace of the Governors
Built in 1610 by the Spanish for colonial administration, the Palace of the Governors today houses the New Mexico History Museum and the Palace Press center for book arts. It’s best known for its long portico where Indigenous artists sell hand-crafted jewelry, textiles, ceramics, and other works.
nmhistorymuseum.org

Pathways Indigenous Arts Festival
Held at the Buffalo Thunder Resort and Casino each August, this festival is presented by the Poeh Cultural Center and features hundreds of Indigenous artists, creative entrepreneurs, and performers, along with films and food trucks.
poehcenter.org/pathways/

Santa Fe Art Week
This 10-day, citywide festival includes studio tours, artist talks, gallery openings, and special events, and typically takes place in July.
santafe.org/artweek/

Santa Fe Indian Market
The largest juried Native art show in the world, the Santa Fe Indian Market takes place each August on the downtown Santa Fe Plaza and includes more than 1,000 Indigenous artists from over 200 tribes. Stewarded by the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts, it “celebrates fine art, cultural performances, fashion showcases, and exclusive gatherings in the heart of Santa Fe.”
swaia.org

Traditional Spanish Market
Held in Santa Fe Plaza each July, this century-old market honors Hispanic heritage with art, food, and music, and celebrates traditional craftsmanship—including embroidery, hide painting, weaving, furniture making, ironwork, and woodcarving.
traditionalspanishmarket.org

Shops, Boutiques

4KINSHIP
Founded in 2022 by clothing designer Amy Denet Deal, this boutique on Rufina Circle emphasizes local Indigenous talent.
4kinship.com

El Nicho
Opened in 1986 by Madeline Dunn, this shop offers a selection of local folk art, including the wood carvings of the Ortega family. Today El Nicho is run by Dunn’s niece, Debi Haraden.
elnichosantafe.com

O’Farrell Hat Company
This shop, located on San Francisco Street, declares that its handcrafted beaver felt hats are the finest money can buy. Specializing in custom cowboy hats for 46 years, O’Farrell brings together top-notch materials, meticulous craftsmanship, and the perfect fit.
ofarrellhatco.com

Peyote Bird Designs
Founded in 1974, this boutique offers fine artisan-crafted jewelry—including necklaces, cuffs, rings, and earrings—and celebrates “craftsmanship, heritage, and timeless design.”
peyotebird.com

Santa Fe Dry Goods
Counting itself as a “nexus of global fashion and high craft,” Santa Fe Dry Goods—with three stores next to each other on Old Santa Fe Trail—showcases designers who make clothing, accessories, jewelry, and home goods.
santafedrygoods.com

Sunwest on the Plaza
This boutique on Santa Fe Plaza features wood carvings by contributing artist Peter Ortega, along with loads of jewelry made of turquoise sourced by Sunwest Silver Co., the family company of shop owner Ernest Montoya.
sunwestontheplaza.com

Art Places, Neighborhoods

Canyon Road
This legendary half-mile stretch in Santa Fe’s historic district is home to more than 100 galleries, boutiques, and restaurants, many housed in small adobe buildings bearing colorful doorways and signage.
visitcanyonroad.com

Chimayo
Just a half hour north of Santa Fe, this village is known for its deep weaving traditions. Visit Trujillo’s Weaving Shop or the Trujillo family gallery, Centinela Traditional Arts, where contributing artist Emily Trujillo teaches classes. Other highlights include Ortega’s Weaving Shop, helmed by master weaver Robert Ortega, and El Santuario de Chimayó, a shrine and Catholic pilgrimage destination that features elaborate wood carvings.
chimayoweavers.com | ortegasweaving.com
nps.gov/places/el-santuario-de-chimayo.htm

Museum Hill
Two miles southeast of downtown Santa Fe, on a hill overlooking the city, this art and craft destination comprises four museums, a café, and a botanical garden.
museumhill.net | museumhillcafe.net | visitsfbg.org

Railyard Arts District
Beginning in 1880, this area southwest of downtown served as the point where the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway trains rolled into town. Today, the district has been revitalized and reinvented as an arts and culture district, hosting a farmers market, an art and craft market, various arts organizations, galleries, performance venues, shops, and the Latino cultural hub El Museo Cultural de Santa Fe. The Railyard includes the Baca District, an eclectic arts community cofounded in 2000 by contributing artist Elodie Holmes.
railyardsantafe.com | elmuseocultural.org
railyardsantafe.com/baca-railyard

Santa Fe Plaza
Arguably the heart of Santa Fe, this plaza was established in 1609 by the Spanish as a strategic defense location. It was the early terminus of the El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, a colonial trade route from Mexico City. In the 19th century, it was where the Santa Fe Trail, a road from Independence, Missouri, ended. Today, bordered by San Francisco Street, Old Santa Fe Trail, and the Palace of the Governors, this congenial gathering place, with its bandstand and fountain, serves as the venue for countless local arts events, including the Santa Fe Indian Market.
nps.gov/places/santa-fe-plaza.htm

Turquoise Trail
Drivers along the Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway, a 50-mile stretch of Highway 14 connecting Santa Fe to Albuquerque, will be treated to not only breathtaking desert vistas, but also former mining towns thriving with galleries, shops, and installations.
turquoisetrail.org

Photo courtesy of IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts

Entrance to the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts.

Schools, Studios

Boyd & Allister
Inside Jonathan Boyd’s studio, a former tortilla factory, the furniture maker builds elegant and stylish tables, credenzas, dressers, benches, and chairs using traditional joinery and wood gathered from small sawyers around the country.
boydandallister.com

Española Valley Fiber Arts Center
Located in Española, 25 miles from Santa Fe, this unique resource for “all things fiber” offers classes, apprenticeships, supplies, equipment, and books, emphasizing natural dyes and fibers.
evfac.org

Estambre Studios
Weavers Linda Running Bentley and Kipp Bentley—the proprietors of Estambre Studios, located just south of Santa Fe—make lush, durable wool rugs using a traditional rag-rug technique and offcut wool blanket selvedges from Pendleton Woolen Mills.
estambrestudios.com

Firefly Glass
This small-scale glass hot shop, owned by glass artist Amy Griffin, doubles as a community mental health resource center, offering group experimental workshops, glass therapeutics, and expressive art therapy sessions.
fireflyglass.carrd.co

Galisteo Studio Tour
The fall and winter months feature numerous community-driven studio tours in the rural communities surrounding Santa Fe, including the Dixon Studio Tour, the Eldorado Studio Tour, and the Galisteo Studio Tour.
dixonarts.org | eldoradoarts.org | galisteostudiotour.org

Green River Pottery
Offering private and weekly classes, studio space, and a gallery of stoneware pots, Green River Pottery is the passion project of ceramist Theo Helmstadter, who pursues “the useful form,” which is intimately related to “the pursuit of beauty itself.”
greenriverpottery.com

Institute of American Indian Arts
Santa Fe boasts the only fine arts college in the world dedicated to the study of contemporary Native American and Alaskan Native arts. Founded in 1962 by Lloyd Kiva New and George Boyce, the IAIA is a mighty force when it comes to advancing and preserving Indigenous art in New Mexico and beyond. The college—also home to a museum and a research center—offers degrees in art history, museum studies, creative writing, studio arts, and more.
iaia.edu

Living Threads Studio
This studio, gathering space, and workshop—founded by Teresa Robinson and Eric Mindling—presents handwoven natural fiber textiles, Oaxacan pottery, and fine art documentary photography.
livingthreads.org

MAKE Santa Fe
This 7,000-square-foot makerspace on All Trades Road offers workshops, a comprehensive array of tools and equipment, a woodworking shop, a blacksmithing forge, a ceramics studio, and more.
makesantafe.org

New Mexico School for the Arts
Located in the Railyard Arts District, this public, statewide high school serves young artists with programs in music, creative writing, dance, theater, and visual arts. With a 97 percent graduation rate, the school says it has “created an education that supports the whole student: as an artist, a scholar, and a citizen.”
nmschoolforthearts.org

Paseo Pottery
Offering drop-in and long-term classes, studio space, events, and a gallery of local pottery, this studio on Calle de Comercio is run by ceramist and photographer Angela Smith Kirkman, who donates all net proceeds from her First Friday Pottery Throw Downs to local charities.
paseopottery.com | angelasmithkirkman.com

Prairie Dog Glass
Dubbing itself “Santa Fe’s No. 1 place to create your own glass art,” Prairie Dog offers the opportunity to make functional works in glass in as few as 15 minutes. Founded by glass artist Elodie Holmes, who also contributed to this iteration of The Scene, this studio is the place to go if you’ve “ever wondered what it feels like to handle a ball of molten glass at the end of a metal stick.”
prairiedogglass.com

Santa Fe Art Institute
Offering a range of residencies and fellowships, this organization offers living space, studios, and a gallery, and aims to “foster and explore the interconnections of contemporary art and society, to enliven public discourse on art, and to support and nurture artists at all phases of their careers.”
sfai.org

Santa Fe Tin Works
The tinsmithing tradition in New Mexico dates back to the 1800s, when artisans punched and stamped discarded tin cans in order to make religious objects and household goods. Modern tinsmiths like local legend Fred Ray Lopez create elaborate functional and decorative works from this humble metal. Visitors to Lopez’s studio on Don Gaspar Avenue will be dazzled by his tin creations.
santafetinworks.com

Tesuque Glassworks
Located in Tesuque, just north of Santa Fe, this glass studio and gallery was founded in 1975 by artist Charlie Miner and offers daily glassblowing demonstrations.
tesuqueglass.com

TLC Stained Glass Studio
Founded by stained glass artist Theresa Cashman, this studio offers workshops, demonstrations, one-on-one studio time, a supply shop, and a gallery.
tlcstainedglass.com

Hand-cut, hand-hammered tin creation with roses reverse-painted on glass

Photo courtesy of Fred Ray Lopez

Inside Santa Fe Tin Works, visitors will find creations like Peach roses to fill the niche in your heart, 16 x 20 x 5 in., made with hand-cut, hand-hammered tin and reverse-painted glass by tinsmith Fred Ray Lopez.

Galleries

Andrea Fisher Fine Pottery
This gallery on San Francisco Street features Native American pottery, including the work of the widely celebrated San Ildefonso Pueblo ceramist Maria Montoya Martinez, who died in 1980.
andreafisherpottery.com

Bahti Indian Arts
Run by Mark Bahti and painter and printmaker Emmi Whitehorse, this gallery—with outlets in Tucson and Santa Fe—focuses on Native American pottery, baskets, textiles, paintings, carvings, and jewelry.
bahti.com

Blue Rain Gallery
Located in the Railyard Arts District, this gallery specializes in “contemporary Southwestern, Native American, Western Heritage, and Studio Glass art” and showcases emerging and established artists with exhibitions and events.
blueraingallery.com

Cielo Handcrafted
Offering a meticulously curated collection of New Mexican and Peruvian craft, this gallery on Canyon Road was created by woodworker Miguel Licona and silversmith and jewelry artist Gloria Olazabal.
cielohandcrafted.com

Form & Concept
With 10,000 square feet of exhibition space, Form & Concept hosts invitational and juried exhibitions “harnessing the power of the cross-pollination of ideas and approaches in contemporary creative practice.” In February 2026, the gallery will be absorbed by Zane Bennett Contemporary Art.
formandconcept.center

Hecho a Mano
In the early 1930s, this space at 129 West Palace Avenue housed Leonora Curtin’s Native Market. Today it’s home to Hecho a Mano, which showcases art occupying the intersection of “imagination, innovation, and tradition.” With a focus on printmaking and works on paper, the gallery represents an impressive roster of artists.
hechoamano.org

Keshi the Zuni Connection
Established in 1981 as a co-op promoting the arts and crafts of the Zuni Pueblo people, Keshi offers pottery, jewelry, and Zuni fetishes, which are animal carvings believed to carry special medicine.
keshi.com

Liquid Light Glass Studio and Gallery
This dynamic glass gallery on Baca Street began in 2000 as the private studio of glass artist Elodie Holmes. Today, Liquid Light exhibits works and hosts demonstrations by renowned local and international glass artists, puts on events, and offers classes to the public.
liquidlightglass.com

Meow Wolf
This gallery’s distinctive maximalist style is built on installations that are provocative, immersive, and often psychedelic. Launched in Santa Fe in 2008, Meow Wolf has since expanded to Las Vegas; Denver; Houston; and Grapevine, Texas. The Santa Fe original was dreamed up by a hyper-collaborative group of artists, graphic designers, writers, fabricators, musicians, and self-described “rat gang leaders” seeking to push the limits of what an art installation can be and do. Their first permanent exhibit, House of Eternal Return, opened in 2016 and is built around the concept of a family that’s gone missing after experimenting with interdimensional travel. The exhibit includes Art City, “a warren metropolis of interconnected rooms” built of 50 separate art projects, including one designed by Cochiti Pueblo ceramist Virgil Ortiz, whom American Craft profiled in Spring 2023: craftcouncil.org/articles/the-ceramist-and-the-superheroes/
meowwolf.com/visit/santa-fe

Patina Gallery
In 1999, metalsmith Allison Buchsbaum opened Patina Gallery, which exhibits exclusive contemporary jewelry and objects of fine art, and represents more than 75 artists.
patina-gallery.com

Seth Anderson Studio Gallery
Located inside the Palace Modern boutique hotel, not far from Santa Fe Plaza, this gallery offers a meticulously curated collection of ceramics, baskets, prints, and lighting.
palacemodern.com
sethandersonstudio.com/gallery

Zane Bennett Contemporary Art
Housed in the same building on Guadalupe Street as Form & Concept, Zane Bennett exhibits a “sister collection” emphasizing modern works on paper, paintings, and sculpture.
zanebennettgallery.com

Photo courtesy of Zane Bennett Contemporary Art

C Alex Clark’s Conveyance Vector 8, a hologram in hand-ground glass, at Form & Concept (soon to be absorbed by Zane Bennett Contemporary Art) in Santa Fe.
Photo courtesy of Zane Bennett Contemporary Art

Natalie Rae Good's stoneware Cup with Chains at Form & Concept (soon to be absorbed by Zane Bennett Contemporary Art).
Photo courtesy of Zane Bennett Contemporary Art

Jaque Fragua's neon piece Sold Out, at Form & Concept in Santa Fe (soon to be absorbed by Zane Bennett Contemporary Art).

Museums, Institutions

IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts
Located in the heart of downtown Santa Fe, this museum, part of the vaunted Institute of American Indian Arts, focuses on contemporary works—from 1962 to the present—by Indigenous artists. It stewards over 9,500 pieces in all media. Its recent installation Dreaming with AI, by Native artist Dr. Suzanne Kite, blended “light, experimental sound, minerals, hide, and motion to explore Lakȟóta knowledge systems, cosmology, and their connection to contemporary technologies.”
iaia.edu/mocna/

Indian Arts Research Center
Built around a remarkable collection of some 12,000 meticulously preserved pieces of Southwestern Native American art—including pottery, basketry, jewelry, clothing, and drums—the IARC encourages scholarship and collaboration between artists, researchers, scholars, and community members.
sarweb.org/iarc/

Museum of Indian Arts & Culture
This institution—located on Camino Lejo on Museum Hill—counts itself as a “premier repository of Native art and material culture and tells the stories of the people of the Southwest from pre-history through contemporary art.”
indianartsandculture.org

Museum of International Folk Art
Founded in 1953 by Chicago hardware heiress Florence Dibell Bartlett—who described the art of the craftsperson as “a bond between the peoples of the world”—MOIFA is one of just a few international folk art museums in the US. Its collection includes more than 160,000 artifacts from 100 countries.
internationalfolkart.org

New Mexico Museum of Art
Located in a Pueblo Revival style building near the Palace of the Governors, the New Mexico Museum of Art opened in 1917 with a mission to promote the state’s rich artistic culture. The powerhouse institution boasts a collection of more than 20,000 works, both historic and modern, as well as regular exhibitions.
nmartmuseum.org

Nuevo Mexicano Heritage Arts Museum
Formerly called the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art, and run by the Spanish Colonial Arts Society, this institution on Museum Hill offers “an unrivaled collection, library, and archive of regional artworks.” It features santos, textiles, tinwork, silverwork, goldwork, ironwork, straw appliqué, ceramics, furniture, and more. Nearly half of its collection is derived from Traditional Spanish Market artists from the 1920s to the present.
nmheritagearts.org

Poeh Museum
Founded in 1988 by a Pueblo of Pojoaque Tribal Council resolution, this important institution works to promote and preserve Native American Pueblo art and culture through curation, exhibition, and interaction. Its “rapidly growing collections include current, historical, and archaeological works.
poehcenter.org/museum

SITE SANTA FE
This contemporary arts institution, founded in 1995, places artists at the center of its mission and explores “extraordinary ideas through innovative exhibitions and programs.” Located in the Railyard Arts District, SITE offers local and international exhibitions, along with educational and public programming. As a non-collecting institution, it “remains flexible in order to respond to conversations of the moment.”
sitesantafe.org

Vladem Contemporary Museum
In 2014, the New Mexico Museum of Art opened a satellite location in the Railyard Arts District dedicated to contemporary New Mexican artists. The Vladem—named after major donors Robert and Ellen Vladem—boasts 9,969 square feet of exhibition space and 2,307 square feet of programmatic space, making way for classes and hands-on art experiences.
nmartmuseum.org/vladem-contemporary/

Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian
A collaborative effort between Boston heiress Mary Cabot Wheelwright and Diné ceremonial practitioner and weaver Hastiin Klah, this museum opened in 1937 to promote and record Diné ceremonial knowledge. Formerly known as the Museum of Navajo Ceremonial Art, the mission changed in the 1970s when it became one of the first museums in the country to repatriate sensitive materials. Today it emphasizes contemporary Diné and other Indigenous North American art.
wheelwright.org

This edition of The Scene was produced by Jennifer Vogel, contributing editor of American Craft.

Discover more craft destinations by visiting the Travel category in the Stories section of craftcouncil.org.

This article was made possible with support from the Windgate Foundation.

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The Scene: Craft in Santa Fe

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