We have moved on to Colorado now, but I feel compelled to share our last awesome day in Taos, with our friend Dorcas, who came along to visit both Santa Fe and Taos with us. The visits to both towns were awesome, and most of the sharing was done on Instagram and Facebook, but Thursday included sights around Taos and a volume of photos that begged for a blog post. 🙂

We started the day intending to visit La Hacienda de Los Martinez but unfortunately, their winter hours include closing on Wednesday and Thursday. Boo. Built in 1804, the Hacienda is one of the few northern New Mexico style, late Spanish Colonial period “Great Houses” remaining in the American Southwest. We were able to drive to the building, so I did take a couple of pictures…of course! The creek runs in front of the hacienda.

There are SO many choices for museums in Taos, but after reading the descriptions, we chose the Taos Art Museum at Fechin House.

The Taos Art Museum is housed in the original home and studio of Russian-born artist, Nicolai Fechin. It features many of his hand-carved furnishings and art, as well as works by more than 50 Taos artists – including paintings by all of the Taos Founders.

Front of the Fechin House

The rear sun porch, and museum entrance

Fechin bought seven acres of land in Taos in 1927, including a small studio, an outbuilding, and a two-story house. Using local labor, architectural sketches, and a rough cardboard model, Fechin rebuilt the house and increased its size by three times. The house contains Russian, Spanish, and Pueblo architectural styles. In addition to rebuilding the structure, Fechin built the exquisite woodwork and furniture in the house, without the benefit of power tools.

Unfortunately, the Fechin marriage ended in 1933, and Fechin and his daughter Eya left Taos, but his wife Alexandra continued to live on the property until 1976. Their daughter Eya was instrumental in preserving the property and the art and creating the museum, which opened in 1981.

I cannot say which is more spectacular, the art or the woodwork. I’ll let you decide.

Ornate door panel

Entry from dining to living room

Hanging Altar with family icons of the Eastern Orthodox religion

Photo cred Dorcas Sampson

E. Martin Hennings – The Cottonwoods

Various art & Fechin cabinet

Portrait of Fechin on his cabinet

Photo cred Dorcas Sampson

Incredible detail in the living room and staircase

Upstairs sleeping porch

Carved wood surrounding leaded glass

Artwork and intricately carved bench

Fechin’s hand carving tools

An odd closet in the wall

Joseph Fleck – Mounted Indian with pack horse

Elmer P. Turner – Arroyo Seco Adobe (probably my favorite painting)

Mountain view from the Fechin house courtyard

It was a lovely visit, with equally beautiful painted, sculpted, and hand carved artifacts. I realize now that I didn’t include any Fechin paintings, probably because the majority were portraits. But his woodworking art definitely speaks for his talent.

Taos, like Santa Fe, and many other towns in New Mexico, is filled with art of all kinds. Just a few things we observed around town.

Sculpture in front of a bank

Flowers growing from adobe in the Kit Carson home courtyard

And we ended our lovely day in Taos with a fine margarita in the Adobe Bar courtyard of the Historic Taos Inn…one of our favorite places! ❤