Art in Taos, New Mexico

When visiting Taos, you are surrounded by culture, art & beauty. Today, Taos has over 70 art galleries & more than 15 museums. In a town of less than 7,000 people, that is an amazing amount of art. The collection I am highlighting here may surprise you.


The Taos area has grown to become a renowned international art market and artists’ community. It is estimated there are more artists, per capita, in the Taos area than in any other city in the world, including Paris, France.​

https://www.taosartmuseum.org/taos-society-of-artists.html

The Hidden Art of D.H. Lawrence

Writer D.H. Lawrence is best known for his books Sons & Lovers, The Rainbow, Women in Love and Lady Chatterly’s Lover. What many don’t know is that he had a lifelong interest in painting.


His paintings were exhibited at the Warren Gallery in London’s Mayfair in 1929. The exhibition was extremely controversial. After a complaint, the police seized thirteen of the twenty-five paintings on display.

Despite declarations of support from many writers, artists and Members of Parliament, Lawrence was able to recover his paintings only by agreeing never to exhibit them in England again.


The Hotel La Fonda de Taos has a group of nine of the banned paintings by author D.H. Lawrence. If you stop at the hotel’s front desk & pay $5.00, they will take you to their conference room where the art is kept behind a curtained wall. While viewing the collection, you will hear a pre-recorded tour describing how the art ended up in Taos.



A sign outside the hotel states:

“This is the only showing of the D.H. Lawrence controversial paintings since his exhibition was permanently banned by Scotland Yard when his show opened in the Warren Gallery in London in 1929.”


Visiting Santa Fe, New Mexico

Taos is an hour & a half from Santa Fe.  It is a city filled with art & culture.  I made the drive there several times to sightsee—and shop at Trader Joe’s!  I’m going to share some of the things that make Santa Fe such a unique place. 


Camel Rock


On the drive to Santa Fe, you can’t help but spot Camle Rock.  It is located on Highway 285 near Tesuque Pueblo.   Camel Rock is a natural landmark composed of pink sandstone and measures about 40 feet high and 100 feet long. It has appeared in several movies, including The Man From LaramieCowboy, & Bojack Horseman.


Ethyl the Whale

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San Francisco de Assisi Mission Church, Ranchos de Taos, NM

I’ve left Taos & am on my way to Denali; however, I will be sharing more posts from my time in Taos & New Mexico. I’m currently in Pocatello, Idaho & have about 2,000 miles to drive to Alaska. I’ve visited some amazing places & look forward to telling you about them.

Last month I visited the San Francisco de Assisi Mission Church.  They were holding a funeral mass & I wasn’t able to go inside that day.  However, that changed when I had friends visit.


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Sunsets in Taos, NM

One of the things I have enjoyed most in Taos are our sunsets.  The colors on the horizon are stunning & can change from minute to minute. 


I take a lot of guests to the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge.  It is one of the best places to view the sunsets on both the horizon & the mountains. 


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Adventures in My Daily Commute to Taos Ski Valley, NM

I love my job at The Blake in Taos Ski Valley.  Every day I leave home at 11:30 am so I can be on time & report for work at 1 pm.  It takes about 45-50 minutes to drive up the mountain.  Employee parking is a 10 minute walk from the hotel—if you get a good parking spot.  Busy days can be challenging & the walk can take a little, or a lot, longer. 


I filmed the video below yesterday highlighting our free parking shuttle service. You will be amazed at how beautiful day it was & I actually had a great parking spot!


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Snow, Snow & More Snow in New Mexico

When I told people that I was headed to New Mexico for the winter, everyone assumed it would be hot & desert like.  Boy, were they wrong!


I knew I was going to be working at a ski resort in the Southern Rockies with lots of cold weather & snow. We’ve gotten well over 100 inches this season & it is coming down today. We average 300 inches, so we are hoping to get some accumulation.

We have gotten several inches in the last hour this morning!
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Checking Out the Culinary Scene in Northern New Mexico

The landscape isn’t the only unique thing about New Mexico.  Northern New Mexican cuisine is a  blend of Hispanic & Pueblo recipes that feature three basic ingredients: chile, beans & corn.


New Mexico, The Chile Capital of the World

Red or green?

The answer to the popular question here is either red, green or Christmas. This refers to the chili sauce you prefer on your dinner. Red is associated with northern New Mexico & green is associated with southern New Mexico. Many prefer both red & green, which is referred to as Christmas.

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Working at The Blake in Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico

I finally arrived in Taos, New Mexico, settled into my new campground & was ready to begin work at The Blake for the winter. The Blake Taos is a one of a kind hotel with a variety of amenities.

An overview of Taos Ski Valley
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Crossing Colorado & Arriving in Taos

My drive to Taos continued through Denver, Colorado.  I crossed the Colorado state line & stopped for a few quick photos before proceeding south.

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On the Road to Taos, New Mexico

After picking up my camper from Kurt’s Repair in Billings, Cappy & I were getting our land legs back. Kurt winterized my camper when I dropped it off & dewinterized it when we got back. I’m thankful we did winterize because it snowed & was well below freezing while I was on vacation.

Driving across Wyoming
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