Events

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 (Magik 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 – “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.  

Back by popular demand. Taos Jazz Bebop Society and Harwood Museum of Art bring you the John Rangel Sextet!

Known for his very original and swinging style at the piano, John Rangel brings a wide range of experience and intention to every composition and performance. Multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer and educator, Rangel is currently Music Chairman for the New Mexico School for the Arts which gives him a direct line to emerging jazz talent. One of his great passions is playing music with brilliant young musicians.

The John Rangel Sextet features exciting young players from the Santa Fe area, several of whom have been Rangel’s students. All have bright futures in jazz. Under Rangel’s leadership, they explore a tremendous range of jazz styles and creative arrangements from hard swinging bebop to beautiful ballads and soulful original compositions by band members. 

Ash Mattia, the youngest member of the band and a current student of Rangel’s, is a founding member of Zaphica, which won 2024 Best Arrangement of an Original Recording from the New Mexico Music Awards. Saxophonist Dominic Martinez studied with Rangel before graduating from California Institute of the Arts. Trumpeter Robby Beasley teaches at UNM and alongside Rangel at New Mexico School of the Arts, and has become the most in demand trumpet player in New Mexico. Bassist Cyrus Campbell, a Santa Fe native, excelled at the Berklee College of Music where he studied performance and composition, and is now one of the premier jazz bassists in New Mexico. Drummer Jonah Minkus, at 22, has already made a name for himself in the jazz and indie music scene around the Southwest and beyond.