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Join us for a screening of The Thief Collector, a captivating crime documentary about the heist of one of the most valuable paintings of the 20th century, Willem de Kooning’s Woman-Ochre, which was brazenly cut from its frame in 1985 while hanging at the University of Arizona Museum of Art. Thirty-two years later, the painting was found hanging in the New Mexico home of an eccentric married couple with a keen eye for great works—but a very unconventional method of collecting them. This same couple was also responsible for stealing two paintings from Harwood Museum, which have just been returned by the FBI and will be unveiled to the public for the first time prior to the screening.

Trailer: https://youtu.be/1tT9oFa1k7A

This screening is free and open to the public. It is part of our First Friday programming. Join us at 5:00pm for panel featuring those involved in the story since the 1980s.

Join us from 4pm to 7pm the first Friday of every month for pay-what-you-wish extended hours at the museum!

Join us from 4pm to 7pm the first Friday of every month for pay-what-you-wish extended hours at the museum!

This months program will celebrate the homecoming of two Taos treasures by Taos Society of Artists Victor Higgins and Joseph Henry Sharp—Aspens and Oklahoma Cheyenne (also known as Indian Boy in Full Dress), stolen off Harwood Museum walls in 1985.

The stolen works will be revealed to the public on June 6 at 4:30 pm MST.

There will be a Q & A featuring Harwood Executive Director Juniper Leherissey, art heist reporter Lou Schachter, David van Auken, co-owner of Manzanita Ridge Furniture and Antiques, who helped break open this story with the discovery of the University of Arizona’s Art Museum’s missing Woman-Ocher by Willem de Kooning, and David Witt, who was Harwood Museum’s curator at the time of the 1985 Harwood art heist. The panel will be followed by a special screening of The Thief Collector, a captivating crime documentary about the couple that stole of one of the most valuable paintings of the 20th century, Willem de Kooning’s Woman-Ochre, as well the two paintings from Harwood Museum.

Program Schedule

4:30pm           Public Unveiling and Remarks

5:00pm          Q & A

5:30pm           Screening of The Thief Collector

We’re thrilled to invite you to Artist Market as part of the Ledoux Street Block Party! This vibrant market celebrates the incredible talent of local Taos and Northern New Mexico artists who partner with the Harwood Museum of Art Store. 

• Meet the artists behind the work 
• Learn about their creative process and inspiration 
• Purchase original art directly from the makers 
• Enjoy music, food, and community in celebration of creativity! 

 Featured Artists: 

• Laurie Balliett – “From the beaches of Cape Cod, where she began her painting career, to the mountains, canyons, and rivers of Taos, Laurie’s plein-air and studio oil paintings present her passion for wild places both east and west. Her intuitive sense of color harmony and skillful use of impasto allows her to capture the exhilarating immediacy of iconic environments.”
  
• Erica Collins – “Erica Collins is a printmaker and painter whose deep connection to the natural world is rooted in childhood walks with her mother and geological adventures with her father. Her work is shaped by her time in Hawai’i, where she studied Japanese woodcut techniques, and now reflects the vibrant contrasts of the New Mexico landscape.”
• Suann Davin – “Suann Davin is a mixed media artist and accomplished jeweler, potter, and painter. She has worked as an artist assistant to Kathleen Wall and Tony Abeyta. Her unique style offers an intimate insight into her worldview, often exploring themes of universal existence.
• Merle Derse – A dedicated potter who works primarily on the wheel to create functional, utilitarian pieces. Inspired by her time at Los Angeles Pierce College and later at UNM-Taos, Merle exhibited numerous shows and contributed to community projects like the Empty Bowls Project.
• Amber Bigbee– Also known as “faith,” Amber is an 18-year-old self-taught artist and costume prop maker best known for her 3D-printed dragons. Her journey began with a donated printer and a spark of curiosity, leading to a thriving creative business that brings joy and imagination to life.
• Kate Henke – “My work is a reflection of a diverse and experimental approach to art making. I utilize a range of mediums, from oil paint with cold wax to acrylic, ink or watercolor, and printmaking to create pieces that capture the essence of nature, whether through figurative, still life or landscape”. 
• Kimmy Henkel – “My passion for the outdoors and creative object making go hand in hand. I love working with rocks and metal. All the bronze and silver is recycled metal. All the rocks I work with I get directly from American mines and miners. Also, many of the stones are collected locally in our Taos area!”
• Samantha Platero (DINEH) – “Samantha Platero is the founder of DINEH Jewelry. She is a Navajo designer born in the U.S. and raised in Europe. Her family’s silversmithing legacy dates back to her great-grandfather Pablo Platero. Samantha collaborates with Navajo silversmiths to create jewelry that honors traditional craftsmanship while embracing a modern aesthetic.”
  
• Kyle and Bob Remiger (Magic Square Productions) – “We have been living in Taos, hiking, camping, rafting, skiing, horse-packing and exploring the mountains, deserts and canyons of the Southwest for over 45 years. Each of these varied landscapes offer their unique forms of beauty.” Their collaborative work, including the book Who Love These Mountains, is a visual tribute to the wilderness of the Southwest.  
• Melanie Ritter – An aging artist with a colorful past, Melanie lives simply in Northern New Mexico, where she has rediscovered her love for batik. Influenced by the Fauves and German Expressionists, her work is a celebration of color and the magic of the medium. A printmaking major at The School of Visual Arts and The Art Institute of Boston, she later studied with master printers in NJ and Denver. After years in fashion and family life, she returned to Batik in Taos, where she now exhibits her vibrant, expressive work.
• Rachael Saum – A full-time studio potter based in Taos, NM. Her handmade ceramics are inspired by nature, Scandinavian heritage, and the vibrant colors of New Mexico. She creates functional pieces meant to bring beauty and joy to everyday life.
• Jonathan Warm Day Coming (JWDC) – “Jonathan Warm Day Coming is a Taos Pueblo artist and author whose paintings reflect the traditions, stories, and daily life of his people. His work has been exhibited in museums across the country and is known for its narrative quality and vibrant depiction of Pueblo culture.”
• Izumi Yokoyama – “I create intricate line drawings and time-haunted installations. My art embraces the mystery of life and death within the context of nature, while containing transcendental motifs… These universal themes of life, death, and the beauty of existence make my art relatable and engaging to a broad audience.”
  

Image Credits: Andrew Yates

You are invited Saturday, June 21 from 11am-5pm for the third annual Ledoux Street Block Party. Come celebrate our incredible community with live performances, art making and demonstrations, local food vendors, an artist market, storytime, and creative activities for all ages. Featuring free museum admission all day for everyone!

This years musical lineup will feature The Neighbors, The Arellano Brothers, and Katy P. & the Business. They will be joined on the stage by local youth groups.  

The Museum’s Ledoux Street neighbors will open their doors to be a part of the festivities. These include Barra Vino, Omni Hum, Inger Jirby Gallery, Blumenschein Home and Museum, The Valley, Reneux Consignment, Buttercup Salon & Stuff, and Suchness. Our community partners Taos Public Library, Georgia O’Keefe Museum, Taos Pride, Youth Heartline, Taos Ski Valley, Taos Mainstreet, and Arroyo Seco Live will join us for this festive celebration hosting activities up and down the block.

Sanchez Tacos and Crepes & Coffee will provide delicious snacks in addition to sweet treats from Loteria Paleteria. This day offers something inspiring for everyone, whether you are visiting Taos for the day or have lived here for generations. 

SHOP WITH LOCAL ARTISTS. This year’s Artist Market will feature Laurie Balliet, Erica Collins, Suann Davin, Merle Derse, Amber Faith, Kate Henke, Kimmy Henkel, Samantha Platero (DINEH), Melanie Ritter, Kyle Reminger, Rachael Saum, JWDC Jonathan Warm-Day Coming, and Izumi Yokoyama. This vibrant event celebrates the diverse talent of local Taos and Northern New Mexican artists who partner with the Museum Store at Harwood. Connect directly with the makers and purchase pieces straight from the source in a meaningful way to support art. 

CELEBRATE THE OPENING of Same Place at the Same Time.  In tandem with the Ledoux Street Block Party, the museum will host the opening celebration of The Same Place at the Same Time, an exhibition featuring Taos-based wood-fired ceramics artists and highlighting local creative communities. The event includes artist talks and live demonstrations throughout the day by contributing artists Marta Brava, Rebecca Browning, Miki Carlini, Turiya Gross, Bina, and Bianca Loscocco. 

CONTRIBUTE YOUR VOICE TO THE NEW CENTER FOR CREATIVE LEARNING. Harwood is pleased to open the gates to the future Stephanie Mitchell Smith Center for Creative Learning as part of the Blok Party festivities. This generous donation of a neighboring historic property will expand the educational offerings of the museum for generations to come. Join New Mexico Main Street,  Anthropopulus Designs, and Harwood Education team members to envision the future of this multi-purpose space for arts education.  

Special thanks to our third annual Ledoux Street Block Party Sponsors: Richard B. Siegel Foundation, Taos Ski Valley, Taos News, Taos Community Foundation, Taos Ecosystem Landscaping and The Harwood Museum Alliance.  

Join us for a screening of The Thief Collector, a captivating crime documentary about the heist of one of the most valuable paintings of the 20th century, Willem de Kooning’s Woman-Ochre, which was brazenly cut from its frame in 1985 while hanging at the University of Arizona Museum of Art. Thirty-two years later, the painting was found hanging in the New Mexico home of an eccentric married couple with a keen eye for great works—but a very unconventional method of collecting them. This same couple was also responsible for stealing two paintings from Harwood Museum, which have just been returned by the FBI and will be unveiled to the public for the first time prior to the screening.

Trailer: https://youtu.be/1tT9oFa1k7A

This screening is free and open to the public. It is part of our First Friday programming. Join us at 5:00pm for panel featuring those involved in the story since the 1980s.

Join us from 4pm to 7pm the first Friday of every month for pay-what-you-wish extended hours at the museum!

Join us from 4pm to 7pm the first Friday of every month for pay-what-you-wish extended hours at the museum!

This months program will celebrate the homecoming of two Taos treasures by Taos Society of Artists Victor Higgins and Joseph Henry Sharp—Aspens and Oklahoma Cheyenne (also known as Indian Boy in Full Dress), stolen off Harwood Museum walls in 1985.

The stolen works will be revealed to the public on June 6 at 4:30 pm MST.

There will be a Q & A featuring Harwood Executive Director Juniper Leherissey, art heist reporter Lou Schachter, David van Auken, co-owner of Manzanita Ridge Furniture and Antiques, who helped break open this story with the discovery of the University of Arizona’s Art Museum’s missing Woman-Ocher by Willem de Kooning, and David Witt, who was Harwood Museum’s curator at the time of the 1985 Harwood art heist. The panel will be followed by a special screening of The Thief Collector, a captivating crime documentary about the couple that stole of one of the most valuable paintings of the 20th century, Willem de Kooning’s Woman-Ochre, as well the two paintings from Harwood Museum.

Program Schedule

4:30pm           Public Unveiling and Remarks

5:00pm          Q & A

5:30pm           Screening of The Thief Collector

We’re thrilled to invite you to Artist Market as part of the Ledoux Street Block Party! This vibrant market celebrates the incredible talent of local Taos and Northern New Mexico artists who partner with the Harwood Museum of Art Store. 

• Meet the artists behind the work 
• Learn about their creative process and inspiration 
• Purchase original art directly from the makers 
• Enjoy music, food, and community in celebration of creativity! 

 Featured Artists: 

• Laurie Balliett – “From the beaches of Cape Cod, where she began her painting career, to the mountains, canyons, and rivers of Taos, Laurie’s plein-air and studio oil paintings present her passion for wild places both east and west. Her intuitive sense of color harmony and skillful use of impasto allows her to capture the exhilarating immediacy of iconic environments.”
  
• Erica Collins – “Erica Collins is a printmaker and painter whose deep connection to the natural world is rooted in childhood walks with her mother and geological adventures with her father. Her work is shaped by her time in Hawai’i, where she studied Japanese woodcut techniques, and now reflects the vibrant contrasts of the New Mexico landscape.”
• Suann Davin – “Suann Davin is a mixed media artist and accomplished jeweler, potter, and painter. She has worked as an artist assistant to Kathleen Wall and Tony Abeyta. Her unique style offers an intimate insight into her worldview, often exploring themes of universal existence.
• Merle Derse – A dedicated potter who works primarily on the wheel to create functional, utilitarian pieces. Inspired by her time at Los Angeles Pierce College and later at UNM-Taos, Merle exhibited numerous shows and contributed to community projects like the Empty Bowls Project.
• Amber Bigbee– Also known as “faith,” Amber is an 18-year-old self-taught artist and costume prop maker best known for her 3D-printed dragons. Her journey began with a donated printer and a spark of curiosity, leading to a thriving creative business that brings joy and imagination to life.
• Kate Henke – “My work is a reflection of a diverse and experimental approach to art making. I utilize a range of mediums, from oil paint with cold wax to acrylic, ink or watercolor, and printmaking to create pieces that capture the essence of nature, whether through figurative, still life or landscape”. 
• Kimmy Henkel – “My passion for the outdoors and creative object making go hand in hand. I love working with rocks and metal. All the bronze and silver is recycled metal. All the rocks I work with I get directly from American mines and miners. Also, many of the stones are collected locally in our Taos area!”
• Samantha Platero (DINEH) – “Samantha Platero is the founder of DINEH Jewelry. She is a Navajo designer born in the U.S. and raised in Europe. Her family’s silversmithing legacy dates back to her great-grandfather Pablo Platero. Samantha collaborates with Navajo silversmiths to create jewelry that honors traditional craftsmanship while embracing a modern aesthetic.”
  
• Kyle and Bob Remiger (Magic Square Productions) – “We have been living in Taos, hiking, camping, rafting, skiing, horse-packing and exploring the mountains, deserts and canyons of the Southwest for over 45 years. Each of these varied landscapes offer their unique forms of beauty.” Their collaborative work, including the book Who Love These Mountains, is a visual tribute to the wilderness of the Southwest.  
• Melanie Ritter – An aging artist with a colorful past, Melanie lives simply in Northern New Mexico, where she has rediscovered her love for batik. Influenced by the Fauves and German Expressionists, her work is a celebration of color and the magic of the medium. A printmaking major at The School of Visual Arts and The Art Institute of Boston, she later studied with master printers in NJ and Denver. After years in fashion and family life, she returned to Batik in Taos, where she now exhibits her vibrant, expressive work.
• Rachael Saum – A full-time studio potter based in Taos, NM. Her handmade ceramics are inspired by nature, Scandinavian heritage, and the vibrant colors of New Mexico. She creates functional pieces meant to bring beauty and joy to everyday life.
• Jonathan Warm Day Coming (JWDC) – “Jonathan Warm Day Coming is a Taos Pueblo artist and author whose paintings reflect the traditions, stories, and daily life of his people. His work has been exhibited in museums across the country and is known for its narrative quality and vibrant depiction of Pueblo culture.”
• Izumi Yokoyama – “I create intricate line drawings and time-haunted installations. My art embraces the mystery of life and death within the context of nature, while containing transcendental motifs… These universal themes of life, death, and the beauty of existence make my art relatable and engaging to a broad audience.”
  

Image Credits: Andrew Yates

You are invited Saturday, June 21 from 11am-5pm for the third annual Ledoux Street Block Party. Come celebrate our incredible community with live performances, art making and demonstrations, local food vendors, an artist market, storytime, and creative activities for all ages. Featuring free museum admission all day for everyone!

This years musical lineup will feature The Neighbors, The Arellano Brothers, and Katy P. & the Business. They will be joined on the stage by local youth groups.  

The Museum’s Ledoux Street neighbors will open their doors to be a part of the festivities. These include Barra Vino, Omni Hum, Inger Jirby Gallery, Blumenschein Home and Museum, The Valley, Reneux Consignment, Buttercup Salon & Stuff, and Suchness. Our community partners Taos Public Library, Georgia O’Keefe Museum, Taos Pride, Youth Heartline, Taos Ski Valley, Taos Mainstreet, and Arroyo Seco Live will join us for this festive celebration hosting activities up and down the block.

Sanchez Tacos and Crepes & Coffee will provide delicious snacks in addition to sweet treats from Loteria Paleteria. This day offers something inspiring for everyone, whether you are visiting Taos for the day or have lived here for generations. 

SHOP WITH LOCAL ARTISTS. This year’s Artist Market will feature Laurie Balliet, Erica Collins, Suann Davin, Merle Derse, Amber Faith, Kate Henke, Kimmy Henkel, Samantha Platero (DINEH), Melanie Ritter, Kyle Reminger, Rachael Saum, JWDC Jonathan Warm-Day Coming, and Izumi Yokoyama. This vibrant event celebrates the diverse talent of local Taos and Northern New Mexican artists who partner with the Museum Store at Harwood. Connect directly with the makers and purchase pieces straight from the source in a meaningful way to support art. 

CELEBRATE THE OPENING of Same Place at the Same Time.  In tandem with the Ledoux Street Block Party, the museum will host the opening celebration of The Same Place at the Same Time, an exhibition featuring Taos-based wood-fired ceramics artists and highlighting local creative communities. The event includes artist talks and live demonstrations throughout the day by contributing artists Marta Brava, Rebecca Browning, Miki Carlini, Turiya Gross, Bina, and Bianca Loscocco. 

CONTRIBUTE YOUR VOICE TO THE NEW CENTER FOR CREATIVE LEARNING. Harwood is pleased to open the gates to the future Stephanie Mitchell Smith Center for Creative Learning as part of the Blok Party festivities. This generous donation of a neighboring historic property will expand the educational offerings of the museum for generations to come. Join New Mexico Main Street,  Anthropopulus Designs, and Harwood Education team members to envision the future of this multi-purpose space for arts education.  

Special thanks to our third annual Ledoux Street Block Party Sponsors: Richard B. Siegel Foundation, Taos Ski Valley, Taos News, Taos Community Foundation, Taos Ecosystem Landscaping and The Harwood Museum Alliance.  

Join poet Dan Beachy-Quick for an expansive two-day workshop inspired by the paintings of Charles Ross. Participants will grapple with what it means to make art of cosmic care and work towards making an art-piece (be it poem, mico-fiction, micro-essay, painting, pottery, etc.) that considers the larger mystery of the world.

Space is limited in this collaborative workshop that will take place in the Harwood galleries and studio. Basic materials provided. Ages 16+. 

Dates: August 9 + 10, 2025

Time: 9am-12pm. Harwood Studio open to participants after the workshop.

Charles Ross creates cosmic art—the stars are one of his primary cares, but not only the stars themselves. He works towards a complex understanding of cosmic pattern, and the hidden mutability in what seems, over the course of a single human life, unchanging and eternal, but is not. Drawing from the disciplines of fine art, philosophy, astronomy, and astrology, Ross is an artist who reminds us that consideration and constellation are cognate, and that to learn to think is also to draw a shape in the night sky that tells us the story of who it is we are. Using Charles Ross’s paintings as our most immediate inspiration and considering a number of fragmented texts from some of our most ancient philosophers in the Western tradition—Thales (credited with creating ancient astrology), Heraclitus, Anaximenes, and Empedocles—on our first we’ll discuss art and art-making, and work toward a generative sense of possibility for each one of us. The second day will create space for sharing and reflection with the goal of leaving with the inspiration we always seek but seldom find: an urge to make what art we make because the world needs it, and so do we. 

About Dan Beachy-Quick 

Dan Beachy-Quick is a poet, essayist, and translator, whose most recent book is How to Draw a Circle: On Reading and Writing (Michigan UP’s Poets on Poetry Series, 2024). His work has been long-listed for the National Book Award in Poetry, and supported by the Monfort, Lannan, and Guggenheim Foundations. He is Interim Chair of the English Department as Colorado State University, where he is a University Distinguished Teaching Scholar.

About Charles Ross 

Charles Ross (b. 1937, Philadelphia, PA) discovered his passion for making sculpture while studying mathematics at UC Berkeley, where he received his BA in Mathematics in 1960 and an MA in Art in 1962. Ross is a 2011 Guggenheim Fellow and recipient of the Andy Warhol Foundation Grant in 1999. He has also received grants from the NEA, the Thaw Charitable Trust, the McCune Charitable Foundation, The Frost Foundation, and many others for the construction of Star Axis. Ross has created 25 permanent solar spectrum artworks around the world including Solar Spectrum, at the Dwan Light Sanctuary, United World College, Montezuma, NM; Spectrum 14, Getty Center, Los Angeles, CA, 2024; Spectrum Chamber, Museum of Old and New Art (MONA), Hobart, Tasmania; Conversations with the Sun, Meiji University, Tokyo, Japan; and Spectrum 8, National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI), Washington DC. His artworks reside in the permanent collections of numerous institutions internationally, including the Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, France; the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC; the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY; and the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

Image Credit: Charles Ross, Mansions of the Zodiac, 1973-76/2012, acrylic paint and collage using bakelite powder xeroxes of Verenberg photographic star atlas images on canvas, 190 x 63.5 inches. Courtesy of the artist. © Charles Ross / Artist Rights Society (ARS), New York.

Join us for an in-gallery reading by our special guest, Poet and Scholar Dan Beachy-Quick.

About Dan Beachy-Quick

Dan Beachy-Quick is a poet, essayist, and translator, whose most recent book is How to Draw a Circle: On Reading and Writing (Michigan UP’s Poets on Poetry Series, 2024). His work has been long-listed for the National Book Award in Poetry, and supported by the Monfort, Lannan, and Guggenheim Foundations. He is Interim Chair of the English Department as Colorado State University, where he is a University Distinguished Teaching Scholar.

Image Credit: Dan Beachy-Quick in Marfa, by Kristy Beachy-Quick