New Mexico Museum of Art | Vladem Contemporary
Within moments of entering the New Mexico Museum of Art, a division of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, visitors see and sense the dynamic connection between art and community. At every turn, historic and contemporary works by artists who love and have chosen to live in the Southwest tell stories of their time and experiences here.
Since its opening in 1917 in an iconic architectural landmark in downtown Santa Fe, the Museum of Art has demonstrated that the heart of a people is reflected in the art of place. The museum was launched with an open-door policy that invited New Mexico-based artists to exhibit their works. This progressive policy inspired a vibrant museum environment where the art of established and emerging artists shared space and conversation while engaging viewers in their distinctive cultural expressions. In showcasing a broad range of art and artists, from Native American to Hispanic to European, the museum made every piece and every person welcome.
Today, the idea that art is for everyone continues with the museum’s popular Alcoves exhibition series highlighting diverse artists from across the state. The museum’s core collection offers compelling content for a variety of exhibitions, with more than 20,000 works from the Southwest, particularly New Mexico, as well as works that relate to the region. From the early-twentieth-century masters of Santa Fe and Taos, to master artists of today, the collections include paintings, sculpture, fine art photography, contemporary art, digital media and much more.
Celebrating its centennial anniversary in 2017, the Museum of Art remains a beacon of community, inclusivity and cultural innovation. It will celebrate its anniversary with the opening of a second Santa Fe location, Vladem Contemporary, in the Santa Fe Railyard. There the museum will house and exhibit its ever-expanding contemporary art collection in a modern environment designed to engage new generations in the art of the Southwest.
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