For decades, artists and art lovers have visited Canyon Road, Santa Fe’s art gallery district. There is no place else that you can find the type and quality of art that Canyon Road galleries offer. It's the destination for international art collectors and every art collectors dream. Canyon Road offers the largest concentration of galleries found in the city. It's also one of the prettiest places in Santa Fe. Tourists flock to Canyon Road by the thousands and enjoy both the galleries and the several very unique dining stops. The traditional adobe structures, winding road and mountain backdrop afford many great picture taking opportunities.
Santa Fe is known for it's unique art galleries. In fact, it has more galleries than any other city it's size. The city and the surrounding areas have a high concentration of artists. For many years they have come to Santa Fe to capture the beauty of the natural landscape. One of the most popular southwestern artist of the 20th century, Georgia O'Keefe, made the Santa Fe area her home. Canyon Road really began as a residential neighborhood. All structures were built in accordance with the local Hispanic and Native American methods which was adobe and included courtyards. . Canyon Road is a long, narrow road that leads right up to the Sangre de Cristo Mountains which border the east of Santa Fe.The entire area was filled with artists and when Santa Fe grew to be a major tourist destination, Canyon Road grew right with it.
The growth of the Santa Fe art community really began as a result of the Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad's promotion of the southwest as a tourist destination. The railroad hired two artists to visit the southwest and put it's natural beauty on canvas. The Fred Harvey Company which was closely attached to the AT&SF managed the La Fonda Hotel which had been purchased by the railroad. Fred Harvey and the railroad also offered guided tourist cars that took visitors to the many historic sites and pueblos surrounding Santa Fe. As more and more visitors came to Santa Fe so did the artists and today it is one of the finest and largest art communities in the world.
The growth of the Santa Fe art community really began as a result of the Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad's promotion of the southwest as a tourist destination. The railroad hired two artists to visit the southwest and put it's natural beauty on canvas. The Fred Harvey Company which was closely attached to the AT&SF managed the La Fonda Hotel which had been purchased by the railroad. Fred Harvey and the railroad also offered guided tourist cars that took visitors to the many historic sites and pueblos surrounding Santa Fe. As more and more visitors came to Santa Fe so did the artists and today it is one of the finest and largest art communities in the world.
The Farolito Walk is an open house event held every Christmas Eve starting at dusk and is a popular draw for thousands of people. A farolito is also referred to as a "lumineria" which is a small paper bag with a candle inside. It's something you see quite a lot of in Santa Fe. The Christmas farolito walk also includes the beautiful sounds of Christmas carols. If you are visiting Santa Fe at that time of year, it's an event you don't want to miss. It's about the closest thing you'll attend that is everything Santa Fe. Plan your trip early because the road and some surrounding roads will be closed down to vehicular traffic sometime before dark.
Santa Fe galleries on Canyon Road display a wide range of art including Native American art, early 20th century art by members of New Mexico's famous art colonies, traditional representational art, and contemporary and abstract art. When you visit Santa Fe be sure to include the Canyon Road galleries on your New Mexico trip planner.
Canyon Road Information and Directions
