Taos, NM, a Matter of Perspective

A couple of weeks ago, I got to go to Taos, NM for an art teacher conference.  What a place to have a meeting for people who love, teach and live art!  It was a hard choice each day between going to the galleries and museums and the classes, although both were very helpful to me.  I needed to water my spirit and water it I did.  The workshops gave me the ideas I needed to see my new job in a way that helped me understand my teaching role.  Finally.  What a boost.  The trip eased out the wrinkles in my spirit and helped me come back home ready to make the changes I needed.

The Rio Grande River comes out of its gorge between the towns of Taos and Espanola. Cold and crisp, the mornings there in the fall are delightful.

Even though we lived in Santa Fe for a year, we never got around to exploring Taos much.  I was excited to see what was around the plaza because the one in Santa Fe is so rich to me.  The galleries there never fail to inspire and the plaza itself is exciting, with the air full of history and creative energy.  I was disappointed in the plaza in Taos- the feeling wasn't the same.  The shops were even more over-priced than Santa Fe's and I couldn't find any mystery in the air.

Great music just off of the plaza in Taos

I needed an attitude adjustment. Taos is a small town, and I should have known better than to compare it to a larger city.  I needed to see it for its own sake.  On my second day exploring I looked at it with a different perspective and found the charming place I had hoped to find.

The Rio Grande River Gorge, a place that is calling my name. Summer destination? Perhaps..  

Beginning with the Rio Grande River Gorge, my tour began in the early morning.  This is a place I need to come back to at some future time.  From the bridge above Taos to the canyon outlet below it, the scenery is magnificent.  Coming in the Fall, I got to see it at its best.  New Mexico shines in the autumn.  The cottonwood trees along the Rio are magnificent in the changing season.

A doorway off of the patio at the Millicent Rogers Museum

The Millicent Roger's Museum was very interesting, and particularly so if one is interested in Spanish Colonial History.  However, the place where I caught the magic was the Taos Art Museum.  I went hoping for paintings, but the whole community was concentrating on print making during my stay and prints were the main item on the menu.  What I did get was a house, remade by a world class artist, that was filled with creative light and and some of the finest New Mexico-flavored architecture I have ever seen.

Inside the Taos Art Museum, a fantastic example of New Mexican architecture 

Renovated by artist Nicolai Fechin, this place is something special.  Perfectly preserved and lovingly maintained, the artistic spirit that designed this home and carved the fantastic woodwork, including furnishings, is worth seeing simply for itself.  I came away inspired to live a life more centered on home and artistic endeavors.  I may have to earn a living right now, but work should never be the focus of one's life.  What a great reminder, and at the time I needed it most.

Hand carved by Fechin, the wood work in the museum is nearly perfect

I don't believe much in coincidence; this trip came along just in time.  I was hanging on by my fingernails by the end of October.  The conference made such a difference in my thinking, getting me back on top of life again and inspired to adjust my course.  Course adjustments are necessary now and then!

The living room in the Fechin house

Thanks for stopping by- Alice