ABOUT US
Come visit us!
Our studio tour history is as eclectic and diverse as the artists who participate! We are an all-volunteer, artist-managed studio tour in one of the most beautiful and historic parts of New Mexico.
Our chronology falls into three periods of time:
2021-2023
Early 21st century
600 A.D. to the present
2021-2023
The current tour, under the new name Turquoise Trail Studio Tour, began in 2021 as a partial response to the Covid shutdown in 2020-2021. The artists who had been isolating and creating were eager to re-connect with the community and also refresh the tour itself — with a new name and invitations to artists all along NM State Highway 14, also known as the Turquoise Trail. It runs about 65 miles along the east side of the Sandia Mountains from the southern edge of Santa Fe, NM all the way south to Cedar Crest, NM, near Albuquerque.
Early 21st century
Previous artist studio tours in the area took place over a 20-year span and operated under various names, reflecting the major towns along the trail: Madrid Studio Tour, Cerrillos Studio Tour, and the Madrid-Cerrillos Studio Tour. Some of the original artists include Barbara Harnack, Glen Neff, Michael Lancaster, Lori Swartz, Michael Wright, and Kenneth Wolverton. “We feel creativity vibrating in the dirt, the air, the birds, and the clouds!” It is the spirit and beauty of this place that has attracted artists for generations — the cerulean blue skies, red rock formations, and piñon and juniper dotting the landscape. This tour invites you to come see why artists such as Georgia O’Keefe, Allan Houser, and Jesus Morales were drawn here.
In 2005, locals who live and work along Highway 14 formed the Turquoise Trail Association, which applied for and received the National Scenic Byways designation:
“The Turquoise Trail encompasses 15,000 square miles and is located in the heart of central New Mexico. We link Albuquerque and Santa Fe and sit at our highest peak at 10,600 feet (Sandia Crest) overlooking Albuquerque and the Rio Grande Valley.”
600 A.D. to the present
The original era of our art community began with the Native Americans who have resided here for nearly two millennia. We honor the original San Marcos Pueblo artists whose jewelry and pottery are among the earliest artworks from the area. The turquoise stone plays a large role in the history of the area:
“Over seven centuries, Native American miners quarried out the entire north side of the hill, removing many thousands of tons of rock over a 20-acre area. The main portion of the central pit, which was carved from solid rock, measures 130 feet deep and more than 200 feet across.”
In the 1600s, the Spanish arrived in the area. Though they were responsible for the Pueblo Revolt and fought with the Indians, forcing many to leave their ancestral homelands, they too have artistic traditions that continue today. Today we embrace the multicultural heritage of our community.
For a brief time in the 1800s, turquoise was considered more valuable than gold. The turquoise mined in our area led to the iconic color choice of Tiffany & Co.
We invite you to drive the celebrated Turquoise Trail and engage with our modern-day artists during the last two weekends of September — arguably the best time of year to visit Northern New Mexico.