To some it may seem inexplicable why Taos--a tiny town nestled in New Mexico’s high mountain desert--became the vortex for an American art movement of such national and international significance over the course of a century.  But to Davison Koenig, the Couse-Sharp Historic Site executive director and curator, it’s perfectly understandable.

There are dozens of art galleries in Taos, but women-owned galleries are still rare. Maye Torres and Georgia Gersh are two women who grew up in Taos art circles, one the daughter of a gallery owner and the other the daughter of a famous artist. Both are artists themselves, and both now have galleries that have become essential resources for the Taos arts community.

Larry Bell is a renowned contemporary American artist, best known for his glass cubes and large-scale sculpture. Born in Chicago in 1959 he mostly grew up in Los Angeles, where he studied at the Chouinard Art Institute (now part of CalArts), with the intention of becoming a Disney animator. It was at Chouinard where Bell was introduced to abstract art.

Izumi Yokoyama and Theresa Gray belong to the continuum of artists who have followed the call to come to the High Desert since Bert Phillips and Ernest Blumenschein’s wagon wheel broke, stranding the two young East Coast artists in Taos. That was a century ago, and the stream of artists that arrive in Taos and stay, remains steady.

Izumi Yokoyama and Theresa Gray belong to the continuum of artists who have followed the call to come to the High Desert since Bert Phillips and Ernest Blumenschein’s wagon wheel broke, stranding the two young East Coast artists in Taos. That was a century ago, and the stream of artists that arrive in Taos and stay, remains steady.

Your comprehensive guide to the gallery scene in Taos and surrounding area. In this year’s guide we go into the studio with renowned contemporary artist, Larry Bell. Best known for his glass cubes and large-scale sculptures, Bell has been an iconic figure in the Taos art world since the 1970s. Plus, we go behind the scenes with five museum directors to learn how they honor the legacy of Taos’ artistic traditions. Inside you’ll discover 60 unique galleries, maps and more.   Find your copy in this week’s edition!

Their whole process is to keep their work unique.

"My preferred subjects are the mountain valleys of New Mexico, their plant life and the adobe structures of those who live there.”

"I’ve always loved painting outdoors, but in Taos I learned to paint outside in a very energetic, efficient and fast way, so I could pack up and get to the school in time to pick up my two daughters.”

Judy Chicago believed there to be an absence of iconography that explored birthing in American and Western art. The work explores motherhood, the spiritual as well as emotional experience of giving birth and feminine politics.

The museum commemorates the lives and art of all three artists – Ernest L. Blumenschein, Mary Shepherd Greene Blumenschein and their daughter Helen Greene Blumenschein.

Available on racks throughout Taos, the Taos Gallery Guide makes exploring the vivid gallery scene all the more immersive.