Education & Public Programs

In conjunction with the Taos Public Library Teen Art Contest, the Harwood is offering drop-in studio time for teens. Join one of our Teaching Artists and make space to work on your creative projects with full access to our studio supplies. This year’s theme is “Where We Live.”

Pay What You Can (Suggested $5). No one will be turned away.

NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.

El proyecto NEA Big Read es una iniciativa del National Endowment for the Arts (el Fondo Nacional para las Artes de Estados Unidos) en cooperación con Arts Midwest.

In conjunction with the Taos Public Library Teen Art Contest, the Harwood is offering drop-in studio time for teens. Join one of our Teaching Artists and make space to work on your creative projects with full access to our studio supplies. This year’s theme is “Where We Live.”

Pay What You Can (Suggested $5). No one will be turned away.

NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.

El proyecto NEA Big Read es una iniciativa del National Endowment for the Arts (el Fondo Nacional para las Artes de Estados Unidos) en cooperación con Arts Midwest.

Join us from 4pm to 7pm the first Friday of every month for pay-what-you-wish extended hours at the museum. The April First Friday will celebrate the opening of Legacy in Line: The Art of Gene Kloss, a collaboration with the Couse-Sharp Historic Site. Enjoy refreshments and learn printmaking with Harwood Teaching Artists.

Known for her prints that feature high contrast, rising diagonal lines, and ethereal regions of light, Kloss’s works reflect the spirit of the Southwest with a rare combination of precision and emotion. Her prints often captured the dramatic landscapes and sacred ceremonies of Native American communities, conveying both the physical beauty and spiritual depth of New Mexico. Kloss constantly pushed the boundaries of her medium, striving for the exact effects she sought in each piece.

Image: Gene Kloss, Untitled, c. 1930, watercolor, 9 3/4 x 14 3/16 in. Gift of Ila McAfee Turner.  

Celebrate the opening of Charles Ross: Mansions of the Zodiac, which features work never exhibited before by this New Mexico-based artist. The works about sunlight, starlight, time, and planetary motion span critical moments in Ross’s nearly 60-year career as one of the preeminent land artists working today.

This FREE community event will feature music by Trey Donovan, site-specific dance by MovementLab and star gazing with Dr. Colin Nicholls from UNM-Taos.

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.

Charles Ross, Mansions of the Zodiac: Cancer, 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. 

You are invited to enjoy a day of artistic inspiration and culinary celebration with the pioneering land artist Charles Ross as part of the opening of Charles Ross: Mansions of the Zodiac. This Director’s Circle event kicks off with a gallery talk at the Harwood Museum of Art with Charles Ross, followed by a convivial luncheon to honor the artist The New York Times has called “…an artist of cosmic ambition.” Guests will be served a Spring Equinox-inspired luncheon with stellar desserts in an historic adobe home near the museum. Extremely limited tickets available.  

Purchase tickets here.

Director’s Circle Members: $160

General Admission: $200

Sponsor a Table! Artist Table: $5,000 | Director Table: $2,500 | Curator Table $1,500 

Join us from 4pm to 7pm the first Friday of every month for pay-what-you-wish extended hours at the museum. The April First Friday will celebrate the opening of Legacy in Line: The Art of Gene Kloss, a collaboration with the Couse-Sharp Historic Site. Enjoy refreshments and learn printmaking with Harwood Teaching Artists.

Known for her prints that feature high contrast, rising diagonal lines, and ethereal regions of light, Kloss’s works reflect the spirit of the Southwest with a rare combination of precision and emotion. Her prints often captured the dramatic landscapes and sacred ceremonies of Native American communities, conveying both the physical beauty and spiritual depth of New Mexico. Kloss constantly pushed the boundaries of her medium, striving for the exact effects she sought in each piece.

Image: Gene Kloss, Untitled, c. 1930, watercolor, 9 3/4 x 14 3/16 in. Gift of Ila McAfee Turner.  

Sit down with Nicholas Herrera and award winning journalist Carmella Padilla for an intimate conversation about Herrera’s life and career.

About Nicholas Herrera

Born and raised in El Rito, New Mexico, Nicholas Herrera is a folk artist whose family was among the earliest settlers in the region. Claiming Spanish, Native American, and Mexican ancestry, Herrera identifies as mestizo and descends from farmers and outlaws, landowners and soldiers, craftsmen and artists. He grew up around the Spanish traditions of Northern New Mexico and came of age with a fast-paced lifestyle that resulted in a serious car accident at the age of 26. After awakening in the hospital and recovering from a coma, Herrera felt called to become a saint maker.

Herrera’s work is held in the collections of the American Folk Art Museum, New York,  El Museo del Barrio, New York, the Autry Museum of the American West, Los Angeles, the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, N.M, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C.

About Carmella Padilla

Carmella Padilla is a journalist, author and editor who explores intersections in art, culture and history. She has published extensively in newspapers and magazines, including The Wall Street Journal, American Craft and El Palacio, and has written several books, including The Work of Art: Folk Artists in the 21st Century; El Rancho de las Golondrinas: Living History in New Mexico’s La Ciénega Valley; Low ‘n Slow: Lowriding in New Mexico; and The Chile Chronicles: Tales of a New Mexico Harvest. A native Santa Fean and multigenerational New Mexican, Padilla is a recipient of the New Mexico Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts and the Santa Fe Mayor’s Award for Excellence in Literary Arts. She is currently at work on a book highlighting the historic makers and movements in twentieth-century New Mexican furniture.   

Image Courtesy of Beth Wald

This program is supported in part by New Mexico Arts, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, and by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Join Artist Nicholas Herrera and Curator Nicole Dial-Kay for this special tour of his current exhibition Nicholas Herrera: El Rito Santero.

Nicholas Herrera: El Rito Santero is a glimpse into the life and works of master santero Nicholas Herrera. Herrera, born and raised in El Rito, New Mexico, is a folk artist whose family was among the earliest settlers in the region. Claiming Spanish, Native American, and Mexican ancestry, Herrera identifies as mestizo and descends from farmers and outlaws, landowners and soldiers, craftsmen and artists. He grew up around the Spanish traditions of Northern New Mexico and came of age with a fast-paced lifestyle that resulted in a serious car accident at the age of 26. After awakening in the hospital and recovering from a coma, Herrera felt called to become a saint maker.

As a modern santero, Herrera creates bultos, retablos, and large-scale mixed media works, many of which detail rich and often challenging chapters in his storied life. Through varied mediums, this exhibition surveys Herrera’s personal identity, family history, relationship to place, and political ideology. Still a “village artist,” Herrera continues to reside, regenerate, and create on the land of his family.

Harwood Museum of Art is proud to exhibit the first solo museum exhibition of Nicholas Herrera, which was recently profiled in the New York Times.

Image courtesy of Beth Wald.

This program is supported in part by New Mexico Arts, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs.

Join Artist Nicholas Herrera and Curator Nicole Dial-Kay for this special tour of his current exhibition Nicholas Herrera: El Rito Santero.

Nicholas Herrera: El Rito Santero is a glimpse into the life and works of master santero Nicholas Herrera. Herrera, born and raised in El Rito, New Mexico, is a folk artist whose family was among the earliest settlers in the region. Claiming Spanish, Native American, and Mexican ancestry, Herrera identifies as mestizo and descends from farmers and outlaws, landowners and soldiers, craftsmen and artists. He grew up around the Spanish traditions of Northern New Mexico and came of age with a fast-paced lifestyle that resulted in a serious car accident at the age of 26. After awakening in the hospital and recovering from a coma, Herrera felt called to become a saint maker.

As a modern santero, Herrera creates bultos, retablos, and large-scale mixed media works, many of which detail rich and often challenging chapters in his storied life. Through varied mediums, this exhibition surveys Herrera’s personal identity, family history, relationship to place, and political ideology. Still a “village artist,” Herrera continues to reside, regenerate, and create on the land of his family.

Harwood Museum of Art is proud to exhibit the first solo museum exhibition of Nicholas Herrera, which was recently profiled in the New York Times.

Image courtesy of Beth Wald.

This program is supported in part by New Mexico Arts, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs.

Explore the museum with a Harwood Teaching Artist and create art inspired by Luchita Hurtado. This is one of the last chances to see the exhibition “Luchita Hurtado: Earth & Sky Interjected.” 

This program is open to families or small groups with children and home school groups. Designed for ages 5-12 but all are welcome.

Advanced registration recommended. $5 suggested donation per child. Includes free museum admission. 

Please email education@harwoodmuseum.org for more information. Image courtesy of Harwood Museum of Art.

In conjunction with the Taos Public Library Teen Art Contest, the Harwood is offering drop-in studio time for teens. Join one of our Teaching Artists and make space to work on your creative projects with full access to our studio supplies. This year’s theme is “Where We Live.”

Pay What You Can (Suggested $5). No one will be turned away.

NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.

El proyecto NEA Big Read es una iniciativa del National Endowment for the Arts (el Fondo Nacional para las Artes de Estados Unidos) en cooperación con Arts Midwest.

Twirl is bringing SPECTACOLOR to the Harwood! Discover the art of Charles Ross: Mansions of the Zodiac, while exploring why and how we see colors and how to make and change them.

This program is open to families or small groups with children and home school groups. Designed for ages 5-12 but all are welcome.Advanced registration recommended. $5 suggested donation per child. Includes free museum admission. 

Please email education@harwoodmuseum.org for more information. Image courtesy of Harwood Museum of Art. NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.

Celebrate the opening of Charles Ross: Mansions of the Zodiac, which features work never exhibited before by this New Mexico-based artist. The works about sunlight, starlight, time, and planetary motion span critical moments in Ross’s nearly 60-year career as one of the preeminent land artists working today.

This FREE community event will feature music by Trey Donovan, site-specific dance by MovementLab and star gazing with Dr. Colin Nicholls from UNM-Taos.

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.

Charles Ross, Mansions of the Zodiac: Cancer, 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. 

Twirl is bringing SPECTACOLOR to the Harwood! Discover the art of Charles Ross: Mansions of the Zodiac, while exploring why and how we see colors and how to make and change them.

This program is open to families or small groups with children and home school groups. Designed for ages 5-12 but all are welcome.Advanced registration recommended. $5 suggested donation per child. Includes free museum admission. 

Please email education@harwoodmuseum.org for more information. Image courtesy of Harwood Museum of Art. NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.

In conjunction with the Taos Public Library Teen Art Contest, the Harwood is offering drop-in studio time for teens. Join one of our Teaching Artists and make space to work on your creative projects with full access to our studio supplies. This year’s theme is “Where We Live.”

Pay What You Can (Suggested $5). No one will be turned away.

NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.

El proyecto NEA Big Read es una iniciativa del National Endowment for the Arts (el Fondo Nacional para las Artes de Estados Unidos) en cooperación con Arts Midwest.

Join us from 4pm to 7pm the first Friday of every month for pay-what-you-wish extended hours at the museum. The April First Friday will celebrate the opening of Legacy in Line: The Art of Gene Kloss, a collaboration with the Couse-Sharp Historic Site. Enjoy refreshments and learn printmaking with Harwood Teaching Artists.

Known for her prints that feature high contrast, rising diagonal lines, and ethereal regions of light, Kloss’s works reflect the spirit of the Southwest with a rare combination of precision and emotion. Her prints often captured the dramatic landscapes and sacred ceremonies of Native American communities, conveying both the physical beauty and spiritual depth of New Mexico. Kloss constantly pushed the boundaries of her medium, striving for the exact effects she sought in each piece.

Image: Gene Kloss, Untitled, c. 1930, watercolor, 9 3/4 x 14 3/16 in. Gift of Ila McAfee Turner.