It’s somewhat safe to say that Taos, New Mexico, is the art destination it is today largely because of word of mouth. Joseph Henry Sharp, Ernest L. Blumenschein, Bert Geer Phillips, Millicent Rogers, Mabel Dodge Luhan and many others were smitten by the region and they told their friends. And those friends told their friends. On and on until an art colony was born.
Ernest L. Blumenschein (1874-1960), Deserted Mining Camp, ca. 1940, oil on canvas, 271/16 x 33¼.” Gift of Helen Greene Blumenschein, Harwood Museum of Art of the University of New Mexico.
Burt and Lucy Harwood were likely recipients of some of that high praise for Taos, which is why they moved from France to Northern New Mexico in 1916. Burt Harwood would die in 1922, and by the following year, in 1923, Lucy Harwood would start the Harwood Foundation, which included members such as Victor Higgins and Phillips. Ever since then, the foundation and the Harwood Museum of Art have been bastions of culture in the Southwest.
“This is a great milestone for Harwood, which has been a cultural anchor in Taos,” says Juniper Leherissey, the museum’s executive director. “As the museum has evolved and changed, what endures is the strength in art and creativity that we hope to continue to inspire long into the future.”
Andrew Dasburg (1887-1979), Ledoux Street, Taos, New Mexico, (Harwood), ca. 1922, oil on paper board, 127/8 x 16¼.” The Vilcek Foundation Collection.
Beginning in June, the Harwood Museum of Art will celebrate a century of art and culture in Taos with a major exhibition, a publication and a full calendar of educational and community programs.
The kick-off for the centennial celebration begins June 2 and 3 at the museum, and that will be followed by the Harwood 100 Birthday Bash on June 16 at the Sagebrush Inn’s Chamisa Ballroom. Tickets for the party are now on sale. Then, from June 2023 to January 2024, the Harwood will present an exhibition that will fill all nine galleries in the museum. The exhibition will include 200 works of art from museum’s collection and 200 books from the former Harwood Public Library. The exhibition will feature artwork, but it will also focus on the “cultural history of the land where the museum now stands, and the many roles the property has served since it was purchased by Burt and Lucy Harwood,” the museum notes.
Victor Higgins (1884-1949), Winter Funeral, ca. 1931, oil on canvas, 51¼ x 64½”. Gift of the Artist, Harwood Museum of Art of the University of New Mexico.
Additionally, the museum will release an illustrated publication, Harwood Centennial: 100 Works for 100 Years, highlighting major works from the collection.
Undated historic photo of the front of the Harwood. Harwood Museum of Art of the University of New Mexico.
“Harwood Museum of Art has held an important role in different eras of international art history as the center and steward of art in Taos. For the museum’s centennial, the intricacy of that role will be unearthed via a full museum exhibition and accompanying publication,” says Nicole Dial-Kay, curator of exhibitions and collections.
For a complete listing of events, visit the museum’s website. —
Harwood Museum of Art Centennial Celebration
June 3, 2023-January 28, 2024
Harwood Museum of Art, 238 Ledoux Street, Taos, NM 87571
(575) 758-9826, www.harwoodmuseum.org
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