15 Best Sights in Santa Fe, New Mexico

This 5,000-square-foot art space in the ever-transforming Baca Street neighborhood presents itself as both museum and art gallery. It is owned by the duo behind Turner Carroll Gallery, who aim to present eclectic and significant artwork from around the world. Their global relationships facilitate and attract influential stars in the art world to exhibit, speak, and share with like-minded aficionados in Santa Fe.

In a striking, high-ceilinged space, EVOKE ranks among the more diverse contemporary galleries in town. It veers away from the standard Southwestern focus seen in many Santa Fe galleries and more toward modern pieces that evoke (wink, wink) conversation and personal reflection. Single artist and group exhibitions rotate through the schedule, featuring creatives from around the globe. Intriguing lectures on varied topics also draw crowds.

Founded in Baltimore in 1995, owner Dianna Lennon, an educator and advocate for Ukrainian art, opened this space in Santa Fe in 2003. Originally called the Art of Russia, she has since changed the name to spotlight generations of influential Ukrainian artists. A native of Kyiv herself, her focus is on contemporary artists and old masters from her home country.

This longtime Santa Fe art dealer is a leader in both contemporary and modern art, with a dramatic 14,000-square-foot neo-industrial building across from the farmers' market. You'll also find a dazzling collection of abstract sculptures, photography, and paintings by up-and-coming regional and international talents.

One of the Southwest's premier galleries, Matteucci Galleries exhibits works by California regionalists, members of the early Taos and Santa Fe schools, and masters of American impressionism and modernism. Spanish-colonial furniture, Indian antiquities, and a fantastic sculpture garden are other draws of this well-respected establishment. Visitors can also find jewelry, pottery, and books. The old adobe building that the gallery is in is a beautifully preserved example of Santa Fe–style architecture. Matteucci also owns Morning Star Gallery around the corner at  513 Canyon Road.

Set in a dramatic and expansive Victorian redbrick schoolhouse on Canyon Road, Ventana has been at the forefront of Santa Fe's constantly shifting contemporary art scene since the mid-1980s. The gallery represents notable local talents as well as rising artists; the sculpture offerings, as seen both indoors and throughout the lovely gardens, are particularly noteworthy. The gallery has expanded to an additional location at 403 Canyon Road.

A sophisticated gallery with a serene sculpture garden, Bellas Artes has a captivating collection of ceramics, paintings, photography, and sculptural work, and represents internationally renowned artists.

This industrial and airy space set in a renovated warehouse focuses primarily on monochromatic "radical" painting and sculpture. Many of the pieces here are large-scale, with "drama" as the guiding force. Exhibitions rotate every few months so check the website for current and upcoming showings.

While under construction, this 32,000-square-foot building was dubbed the "ninth northern pueblo," its scale supposedly rivaling that of the eight northern pueblos around Santa Fe. The Pueblo-style gallery is now a showcase for American and European art from the 19th century to the present. The sister contemporary showroom features more avant-garde pieces. The whole space feels like a museum, but all the works are for sale.

Stop inside this late-1890s adobe building to admire a truly diverse collection of paintings, drawings, and sculpture, much of it with a regional and traditional approach, and some of it downright whimsical. The owners also operate the excellent GF Contemporary, across the street, which focuses more on modern and abstract works.

This respected gallery near the Plaza carries mostly contemporary representational paintings and sculptures by world-renowned artists as well as impressive works by local and Native artists including Nocona Burgess and B. C. Nowlin. The gallery also features bronze statues and interesting photographs. In 2021, Manitou was sold to gallery owners from Arizona who now run this location and its sister gallery at 225 Canyon Road. Both Manitou showrooms are hard to miss thanks to the beautiful bronze sculptures outside.

One of the oldest and most prestigious galleries in the Southwest, Meyer's location at the bottom of Canyon Road makes it a good place to begin a stroll up the historic street. The work shown in this expansive gallery gives a good sense of the traditional Santa Fe art scene along with an eclectic selection of modern works focused on contemporary realism. They also offer an array of interesting resale art on consignment.

In this attractive storefront space a couple of blocks from the Plaza, you can admire works by the most celebrated black-and-white photographers of the 20th century. The focus is on humanist and photojournalist-style photography, and many classic images are available for purchase.

Distinct in that it focuses solely on Santa Fe artists who produce contemporary works, VIVO also offers some very interesting programming from its handsome two-level space on Canyon Road, including an annual show featuring paintings and poems together. Works often rotate throughout the space and are available for purchase.

The sleek design of this airy, two-story gallery with a skylighted atrium is a fitting venue for the cutting-edge photography, paintings, sculptures, and mixed-media works within. Next door, its sister venue Form & Concept is focused on crafts and design. The space sits on a parcel of Native land within the town which the gallery owners consciously acknowledge with respectful reverence.