• E.I. Couse in his studio at work on San Juan Pottery, 1911. Couse first came to Taos in 1902, at the suggestion of Ernest Blumenschein.

    E.I. Couse in his studio at work on San Juan Pottery, 1911. Couse first came to Taos in 1902, at the suggestion of Ernest Blumenschein.

  • J.H. Sharp and his wife Louise with E. I. Couse’s grandchildren, Virginia and Irving.

    J.H. Sharp and his wife Louise with E. I. Couse’s grandchildren, Virginia and Irving.

  • E.I. Couse with his grandchildren, Virginia and Irving. Virginia Couse Leavitt became a guiding force of the Couse Foundation.

    E.I. Couse with his grandchildren, Virginia and Irving. Virginia Couse Leavitt became a guiding force of the Couse Foundation.

  • J.H. Sharp in his studio, 1946. Sharp was the first to come to Taos, in 1893, and eventually built this studio.

    J.H. Sharp in his studio, 1946. Sharp was the first to come to Taos, in 1893, and eventually built this studio.

  • Kibbey Whitman Couse, the only child of E.I. Couse and his wife Virginia, was a noted inventor.

    Kibbey Whitman Couse, the only child of E.I. Couse and his wife Virginia, was a noted inventor.

  • Kibbey Couse’s machine shop on the Couse–Sharp Historic Site.

    Kibbey Couse’s machine shop on the Couse–Sharp Historic Site.

  • Rendering, by David Henry of Henry Architects, of the Archive Research Facility to be built on the Couse–Sharp Historic Site.

    Rendering, by David Henry of Henry Architects, of the Archive Research Facility to be built on the Couse–Sharp Historic Site.

  • Virginia Couse Leavitt, E.I.’s granddaughter, and her husband, Ernest Leavitt. Visionary custodians of a unique legacy.

    Virginia Couse Leavitt, E.I.’s granddaughter, and her husband, Ernest Leavitt. Visionary custodians of a unique legacy.

Two visionary painters, whose art captured the Southwest. 

Explore the studios of E. I. Couse and J. H. Sharp, founding members of the Taos Society of Artists. These two painters helped create the cultural fabric of Taos as we know it today.
Wander through the Couse home and see how these pioneer painters lived. Stand at Couse’s easel, see the model’s stage and props. Nothing is under glass. All remains as it was 100 years ago.  Witness this unbroken chain of history as it is preserved into the future, with the restoration of Sharp’s studio and the building of a new archive.

Learn more about the artists on the Couse Portfolio and Sharp Portfolio pages.

Summer 2016 exhibition in the Luna chapel, Visionaries in Clay: Pueblo Pottery, Past and Present.

Visionaries in Clay features Native artists whose bold work helps to define our understandings of Native identity and cultural expression.  The exhibition draws from the impressive historic pottery collection of E.I. Couse and from the work of contemporary Native artists in northern New Mexico.  The pots are arranged in groups that create a visual conversation through time.


 

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Upcoming Events

The Couse Foundation's final Open House of the season, ongoing exhibit

The Couse Foundation's final Open House of the season, ongoing exhibit "Visionaries in Clay", live pottery demonstration, plus our annual seed & plant giveaway!

Saturday, October 1, 2016, 3:00 - 5:00 p.m.
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