Santa Fe, NM

April 10-11, 2016

Santa Fe was on my list of the few cities I really wanted to visit.  It is known for its arts and crafts, culture, all of which have been a strong Native American influence and, of course, its adobe architecture.  It is said to be the site of the oldest house in the US, built on the foundations of an ancient pueblo dwelling from the 1200s.   It was also the first designated UNESCO Creative City for craft and folk arts and design.  Santa Fe is the capital city with the highest elevation in the US at 71999' and has a smallish population of 69,000 people.  The city was conquered by the Spanish in 1610, and, as all Spanish cities was built around a central plaza or square.

 "Thirteen years before Plymouth Colony was settled by the Mayflower Pilgrims, Santa Fe, New Mexico, was established with a small cluster of European type dwellings. It would soon become the seat of power for the Spanish Empire north of the Rio Grande. Santa Fe is the oldest capital city in North America and the oldest European community west of the Mississippi."

Dave and I enjoyed walking in the compact downtown on a picture perfect weather day!  We had lunch at an outdoor cafe overlooking the river.
Numerous outdoors sculptures can be seen at various galleries and shops, mostly in bronze.

 Downtown Santa Fe has many shops to browse through or just look into from outside, selling everything from jewellery and art in the many thousands of dollars to goods inported from Mexico and Central America.  

 New Mexico is famous for its chili peppers and these are well represented in Santa Fe.  when ordering Mexican food, one is asked whether one would prefer red or green chili (peppers) or, if one cannot decide between the two, one simply asks for chili "Christmas" style (half-red and half-green).

During our afternoon downtown, Dave and I parted ways.  I began by touring the excellent Museum of Contemporary Native Arts.

I was especially impressed by the Lloyd Kiva New (1916-2002) exhibit, a very versatile artist who became known for his designs in textiles during the 1950s and 1960s.

 

Foe a good summary of this prolific artist's life, see the New York Times obituary: http://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/10/nyregion/lloyd-kiva-new-86-teacher-of-indian-artists.html 
There were also other collections and exhibits, one featuring the work of recent art college graduates, ranging from bold larger than life paintings to very political drawings like the one below about the impact of Big Oil on Native culture.

After the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts,  I moved on to the Georgia O'Keeffe museum.  https://www.okeeffemuseum.org/about-georgia-okeeffe/

"Georgia O’Keeffe  (1887-1986) one of the most significant and intriguing artists of the twentieth century, known internationally for her boldly innovative art. Her distinct flowers, dramatic cityscapes, glowing landscapes, and images of bones against the stark desert sky are iconic and original contributions to American Modernism."  
 

      

 

  This photo of Georgia O'Keefe was taken in 1968 at her beloved home, "Ghost Ranch", New Mexico.

During my wanderings, I enjoyed the sights and sounds of this small city. 

On my way to catch the last Sunday bus back to our RV park, I sipped a latte in the central plaza while watching some street musicians....

 

 ...while Kokopelli watched from a balcony on the square...
"also known as "the Hatchet Man", Kokopelli is a Hopi fertility deity usually depicted as a humpbacked flute player.  Kokopelli presides over both childbirth and agriculture. He is also a trickster god and represents the spirit of music."

 ...and the plaza clock reminded me to move along.....

Meanwhile, Dave spent most of his afternoon enjoying a free concert at the Museum of Art!