Santa Fe: Arts and Culture

Santa Fe Opera House
Image from ArtsJournal Weblog

The Santa Fe Opera House is one of the most beautiful venues I've ever been to, and I remain on their mailing list - forever hopeful for a chance to return. So when I got a 50% discounted offer from the Santa Fe Opera for their new opera: "The Last Savage" back in February - the wheels for our Santa Fe trip were set in motion. What makes the opera experience so breathtaking is not only the world-renowned vocalists, but the scenery... the opera is outdoors - with the mountains and sunset as its backdrop. This was my third opera in Santa Fe, but definitely not my last.

Di and I at the Opera

In addition to attending the opera, Diana and I managed to pack a good amount of art and culture into our 4 day trip. We learned about Santa Fe's history at the Palace of the Governors (which is the oldest continuously occupied public building in the US), and wandered among famous American iconic paintings (such as Warhol's Jackie-O silkscreens, O'Keeffe's landscapes, and Rockwell's "Soda Jerk") at the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum.

Iconic New Mexican Painter:
Georgia O'Keeffe (google images)

In addition to formal museums, Diana and I also visited the art galleries on Canyon Road.

Artist Coffee Break?

Canyon Road is Santa Fe's art district - and features over 100 galleries and studios in converted adobe homes. It is one of the premier destinations in the world for art collectors - just behind New York and Paris. In one of the galleries Diana and I came upon, three elderly gentlemen, in "casual wear" were considering purchasing a 22k silver plate. We somehow felt like intruders in a very personal moment in these men's friendship. I would have loved to know the back story behind these three, smiling amigos, and how they came upon this particular art dealer on Canyon Road.