New Mexico Museum of Art is closing their doors temporarily. This November, our museum turns 100 years old. This iconic structure is, in a sense, the flagship for modern Santa Fe. After all, 100 years ago our capital was neither an international art destination nor known for pueblo-revival architecture in the way it is today. This icon of Santa Fe, on its 100th birthday, deserves some attention.
In the weeks to come, restoration of this building will take place with the interest of approaching the simple elegance one would have experienced upon entering the museum in November 1917 (as in the image below from archives).
All gallery floors will be brought back to their lighter color, opening windows that have been boarded off in the past, updating our electrical systems, installing new lighting, thoroughly cleaning and restoring our classic ceilings and other woodwork, as well as renovating our lobby to improve the visitor’s experience. All this signifies the first major work done on the museum building in nearly 40 years.
Once the work is done, on Saturday, November 25, there will be the museum’s centennial celebration. New Mexicans of all ages will find fun family activities, new exhibitions, as well as our newly restored museum building to their liking.
The museum’s 100th-anniversary festivities will begin on Nov. 25, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., when the museum re-opens with a plaza-wide birthday party, held 100 years to the day after the museum first opened its doors to visitors.
Open to all who are downtown for the Thanksgiving-holiday weekend, events and activities in and around the museum will include historical reenactors as famous New Mexico artists, a photo booth, birthday cake, art-making activities for visitors of all ages, live music, small theatrical performances, curator conversations, the Wonders on Wheels mobile museum and much more.
The party is free, and everyone is invited.