by Barbara Harrelson

You can't argue with those desert mountains—and if you live among them enough—like the Indian does—you don't want to. They have something for us much more real than some imported art style.
Maynard Dixon (1875-1946)

Taos history has been filled with a stream of individualists and colorful characters—from villains to visionaries, outlaws to heiresses, movie stars to hippies. Some say that Taos is not a place—it’s a state of mind.

The arts are thriving in Taos today, building on centuries of talent and cultural traditions. Anchored by the monumental Taos Pueblo, the Village of Taos attracts thousands of visitors each year to experience its world-class art, colorful history, and great skiing—all set amidst breathtaking landscapes.

Taos is also a small village known for its laid-back style—and a town that is pushing its limits, many residents feel, as growth and development threaten as much as promise. Despite that, the so-called Taos state-of-mind seems to be intact and ready to deal with whatever comes, as the sun dawns on a new day.

Taos’s early days as a Spanish village outside of the Pueblo began about 1613 when the European colonists arrived to settle the valley, in the shadow of Taos Mountain. Indigenous settlements in Taos Valley date to 900 AD, with the Taos and Picurís Pueblos believed to have been inhabited by 1000 AD.

The magnificent earthen buildings of the Taos Pueblo, called Red Willow by its people in the early days, still house some 150 full-time residents and welcome visitors from around the world. Taos Pueblo, a World Heritage Site (UNESCO) and a National Historic Landmark, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited communities in North America.

Although indigenous arts and crafts had been produced here for centuries, Taos “officially” became an Art Colony in 1898. That year marks the arrival of two painters, Bert Phillips and Ernest Blumenschein, whose Taos sojourn was accidental but became permanent. Their story has become one of the Taos tales that residents love to share.

In May 1898, Blumenschein and Phillips left New York for a summer sketching trip in the American West that was to end in Mexico. That summer, as they entered New Mexico from Colorado, where they had been sketching and camping out for three months, they encountered heavy thunderstorms.

Their light wagon, loaded down with supplies and painting apparatus, slid into a deep rut and broke a rear wheel. After “a cold can of baked beans and a pickle,” Blumenschein later wrote, the two artists decided they needed to get the broken wheel to Taos to be fixed. Blumenschein was elected to make the arduous 20-mile journey alone on horseback.

“I started down the mountain on what resulted in the most impressive journey of my life…,” he wrote. “No artists had ever recorded the New Mexico I was now seeing. No writer had ever written down the smell of this air or the feel of that morning’s sky. I was receiving under rather painful circumstances [the wheel in tow and his horse grunting under the weight], the first great unforgettable inspiration of my life. My destiny was being decided as I squirmed and cursed while urging the bronco through those many miles of sagebrush…”

When he finally reached Taos, he had already set his heart on staying there. A blacksmith fixed the wheel and he returned the next day to Phillips, who, upon reaching Taos, found the town as enchanting as Blumenschein had.

Seventeen years after that wheel broke, Ernest L. Blumenschein, Bert G. Phillips and four other artists formed the now famous Taos Society of Artists. The group expanded to include Joseph H. Sharp, E.I. Couse, Oscar E. Berninghaus, Herbert Dunton, Walter Ufer, Victor Higgins, Catherine Critcher, and Kenneth Adams.

The Society succeeded in its aim of promoting their works and played a role in attracting other artists to Taos, which today retains its reputation as a center for the arts.

“It takes time to explore 1000 years of history,” says the Taos Chamber of Commerce brochure. “Tiwa, Spanish and English are spoken here. But the universal language is art.” Find out for yourself as you explore the place that has attracted artists, writers, hippies, actors—and just plain folks—over many years.

The seasons of Taos’s lively arts and culture scene are marked by the many Festivals, Celebrations and Events listed below. Contact the Taos Visitors Center for details, 800-816-1516 or visit online: www.TaosVacationGuide.com.

Taos Spring Arts Celebration occurs each year May 1-31. Throughout the month, galleries and museums present special exhibitions; the Annual Arts & Crafts Fair is held in Kit Carson Park.

Taos School of Music 46th Annual Chamber Music Festival, June 15-Aug. 3, 2008.

Toast of Taos, July 4-12, 2008, is a food and wine festival sponsored by Holy Cross Hospital as a fundraiser for the hospital; contact 575-751-5811.

Annual Taos Pueblo Pow-Wow, July 11-13, 2008, 575-758-1028.

Las Fiestas de Taos, July 18-20, 2008, festival preserving four centuries of traditions.

Music From Angel Fire, Aug. 15-Sep.1, 2008, world-class musicians perform in Angel Fire and at Taos Center for the Arts, 888-377-3300.

Taos Fall Arts Festival, Sep.1-Oct.31, 2008, two major art shows, a special exhibition, museum and gallery openings, arts & crafts fair, 800-732-8267.

9th Annual Taos Storytelling Festival, Oct. 24-25, 2008; 575-758-0081.

Yuletide in Taos, Nov.24 -Dec 31, 2008; Celebrate the Season in Taos, with Yuletide Caroling & Tree Lighting, Taos Plaza, on Dec. 5, 2008; Lighting of Ledoux Street on Dec. 6, 2008 (lining the historic street with farolitos, traditional “lanterns” made of paper bags filled with sand and candles), 575-758-3873. The Taos Jewish Center holds a Community Hanukkah Party (dates vary; call 575-758-8615).

Annual Yuletide Arts & Crafts Fair, Nov. 24-26, 2008, Taos Convention Center.

Christmas Eve at Taos Pueblo, Vespers and Bonfire Procession, 575-758-1028.*

Christmas Day at Taos Pueblo, Deer or Matachines Dance, 575-758-1028.*

Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve Torchlight Parade and Fireworks, Taos Ski Valley.

New Year’s Day at Taos Pueblo, Turtle Dance, 575-758-1028.*

Three Kings Day (Feast of the Epiphany), Jan. 6, 2009, dances and ceremonies, Taos Pueblo.*

*Times vary; call to confirm; observe rules about photographing dances; also note that Taos Pueblo closes each year in March and April (dates vary) for religious activities.