Welcome to the spring enewsletter from Couse-Sharp Historic Site. We aim not to burden your in-box; on average we send an email once a quarter. We never lend, rent, or sell your contact information and never will. Our next print newsletter will be mailed in Fall 2026—please contact us if you aren’t on our snail-mail list and want to be. Enjoy! |
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Tickets and ballots on sale for La Luz de Taos! |
La Luz de Taos 2026 is on view in the Dean Porter Gallery and 1915 Sharp Studio on the downtown Taos campus of CSHS. This year's "gala show" features 71 works by leading contemporary artists in a variety of media—paintings, sculptures, glass, ledger art, pottery, mixed media, photography, textiles, beadwork, woodblock prints, santos, jewelry, and more. The artworks are for sale: See all of them at LaLuzdeTaos.org, and obtain gala tickets ($275 each) or absentee sale ballots ($50 per set). The spectacular in-person show is open to the public until June 4. This year, we are honored to have the exhibition/gala committee chaired by renowned collectors and philanthropists Steve and Kathy Elliott. The exhibition is dedicated to the memory of CSHS founders Virginia Couse Leavitt and Alan J. Olson. The gala weekend kicks off Friday, June 5, with site tours, art preview, and exhibition closing reception at the LRC and historic site. Saturday morning, June 6, will feature a panel discussion in The Gallery at Hotel Willa with participating artists and historians: What Is “Art of the West” in 2026? Shared History, Separate Mythology. The main event is the June 6 evening gala and art sale at El Monte Sagrado Resort. Attendees will chat, wine and dine, and enjoy music and dancing. The centerpiece is the draw sale to determine the lucky few who win the chance to purchase each of the works. Artworks will be sold at fixed price except for four secret-bid auction works (by Eric Bowman, Josh Elliott, David Kassan, and Nathanael Volckening). Those unable to make it to Taos can purchase a set of absentee ballot slips to participate remotely. |
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Many thanks to the generous sponsors of La Luz de Taos 2026 Title Sponsor: Jackson Hole Art Auction Platinum: Rich & Gabrielle Coffman, Heritage Hotels, Jones West Realty of Taos Gold: Bond Bergland & Caroline Rutledge, Claggett-Rey Gallery, Meyer Gallery, Western Art Collector Turquoise: Acosta Strong Gallery, Art of the West, Fine Art Connoisseur, John Moran Auctioneers, Johnson Storage & Moving, Southwest Art, Western Art & Architecture Patron: Fred & Jane Burns, Casa Benavides, Centinel Bank of Taos, Cincinnati Art Galleries, Ken & Lura Erickson, Ross & Lilly Harmon, Douglas & Susie Haugen, Hotel Willa, Mary Lattimore, Matteucci Galleries, McNab Ridge Winery, Medicine Man Gallery, Jeff & Gabrielle Norwood, Elizabeth Crittenden Palacios & Oscar Palacios, Parsons Fine Art, Polly Raye, Red Willow Hospice, Rich & Carol Rinehart, Southwest Art Appraisals, Tres Estrellas, Donna Mullen Weddle & Tim Weddle Artist: Art of the West, Judy and David Buck, Chamli Art Services, Coeur D’Alene Art Auction, Fine Art Connoisseur, Lenore and Bill Macdonald, Jane and Steve Marmon, Mongerson Gallery, Rich and Carol Rinehart, WinshipPhillips, Zaplin Lampert Gallery |
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We hope to see you at La Luz de Taos! |
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- Exhibition on view July 23–Oct 17
- Opening reception July 10, 5 p.m.
- Panel discussion July 11, 10 a.m.
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Walter Ufer, Thanksgiving Time, 1927, on loan from the Klauer Manufacturing Co. Collection |
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| In Pursuit of a National Identity |
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As the USA commemorates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, in our next exhibition Couse-Sharp Historic Site will explore the role of the Taos Society of Artists—and their models, fellow artists, and local communities—in shaping perceptions of what it means to be an “American” then and now. Image Makers for America: In Pursuit of a National Identity brings nearly 30 important works of the painters back to Taos for visitors to experience. Programming with artists and historians will invite attendees to consider their response to the momentous anniversary as well as explore the conflicts of identity, representation, and perception inherent in the cultural moment. Mark your calendars to join us for this fascinating and educational look at some of the finest works created in Taos in the early 20th century. |
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| Preservation project push underway |
Couse-Sharp Historic Site is a national treasure, but as we often say, that also means "about 10,000 square feet of crumbling adobe" to care for. We have been catching up on significant maintenance and repair lately and wanted to let you know some highlights: |
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- The 1915 Sharp Studio was remudded in late 2025 after the adobe facade partially collapsed
- The failing drystack stone retaining wall along Quesnel has been rebuilt and stabilized
- The Couse well house has been refloored and vented so that moisture from the disused well can evaporate, allowing the building to be used for much-needed storage
- Major repair and reconstruction is underway to address hidden leaks and resulting damage in the Couse house underneath the front bathroom and in the historic garden
- The Kibbey Couse family apartment bedroom on the west side of the house is being renovated to provide additional office space with new HVAC, electrical outlets, renewed adobe wall finishes, paint, and refinished floors
- Replacement is in progress for the humidification system for the research center
- Windowsills and trim throughout the historic site are undergoing repairs and painting
- The roofs of the Luna Chapel, 1915 Sharp Studio, and the Couse home, studio, and workshops are slated for recoating this summer
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| Because of the significant scheduled—and unscheduled!—maintenance and repairs, the chief fundraising push for this year’s gala is to underwrite preservation projects. If you would like to help with this improvement and repair fund, we and all who love this special place would be very appreciative. |
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Upcoming exhibitions for visitors to enjoy |
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The Nuevomexicano portion of our recent exhibition Weaving the New World: Hispanic Textiles and Their Influence on the Northern Frontier has been held over by popular demand and through the generosity of guest curator Mark Winter. The Luna Chapel show will remain on view into November. Through the Lens of Taos Day School 2026 will open October 21, with a fun closing celebration on Halloween. Through the Lens reverses the camera’s “gaze” to showcase the perspectives of students at the Taos Pueblo school who participated in a photography workshop this spring. All the prints will be available for sale with proceeds going to the young artists themselves. The workshop and exhibition are supported by Carol and Rich Rinehart and the Taos Pueblo Day School Arts Education Fund, an initiative of CSHS, Mark Maggiori, and Parsons Fine Art. An Artistic Lens into the Mechanical World of Kibbey Couse opens November 13 to showcase the work of Jennifer Neill. This artist in residence has extensively photographed the machine shop and “Rosie” (the mobile version), then uses a variety of techniques to process each photo to produce a unique artwork. All works will be for sale, and proceeds benefit the site’s programs. |
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| SKETCHBOOK: Notes in Brief
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- Our Board of Directors is honored to welcome two recent additions: David Scott and Don Zillioux, PhD. David lives in Pilar, NM, and is a retired wholesale nursery owner (Joss Growers, Inc., Georgetown, TX). Don, a psychologist who lives in Taos, is founder and chief scientist at Strategic Development Worldwide (organizational and leadership development).
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- CSHS brought on two new permanent staff members in the past several weeks: Cassy Shaffer, development associate, and Glory Penington, administration and finance coordinator. We are thrilled to have both of them aboard!
- In July, we will welcome our fourth one-year Colby College postgraduate museum fellow/curatorial assistant after we bid Hannah Rosenberg a fond farewell. Juliana Trillo is returning for a second summer as our University of Oklahoma fellow, and Annabelle Price will come on board this summer as our first intern from Vassar College.
- International Museums Day is May 18; the 2026 theme is Museums Uniting a Divided World.
- CSHS is recruiting a Museum Educator, preferably a local resident with an extensive network in the Taos community as well as a broad skill set. Please let us know if you can think of anyone who might fit the bill!
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Keep an eye on our Events page for details about special events throughout the year, such as: - July 10: Opening reception, 5 p.m., Image Makers for America: In Pursuit of a National Identity
- July 11: Panel discussion, 10 a.m., Taos Society of Artists:
In Pursuit of a National Identity - Aug 1: Historic Site Open House and artist demonstration
- Oct 10: Historic Site Open House, artist demonstration, and Heritage Garden Seed Giveaway
- Oct 31: Halloween-themed closing celebration and sale, Through the Lens of Taos Day School
- Nov 13: Opening reception, 5 p.m., An Artistic Lens
into the Mechanical World of Kibbey Couse
The Dean Porter Gallery in The Lunder Research Center has regular open hours to see seasonal exhibitions. Normal hours are Tuesday–Saturday 1–5 p.m.; exceptions are national holidays and when we are installing a new exhibition. Check couse-sharp.org when planning your visit for details on our scheduled open hours. There is no charge for admission, but donations are gratefully accepted. We offer tours of the historic site by appointment, which include the Couse home, Couse and Sharp studios, gardens, and machine shops, led by our amazing volunteer docents. Requests for the donation-based tours, which last about two hours, can be made at couse-sharp.org/tour. |
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Through its archives, collections, and programming, the Couse-Sharp Historic Site preserves and interprets Taos’ crossroads of cultures, promoting and facilitating research, education, and new perspectives on the Taos Society of Artists, early artists of Taos, and regional and Indigenous communities in relation to the greater story of the multicultural American West. | |
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