Virginia Couse Leavitt and Ernie Leavitt

Virginia Couse Leavitt, Ernest Leavitt, and Alan Olson were co-founders of the Couse-Sharp Historic Site and The Couse Foundation. Ernie passed away in 2015, and Ginnie in late 2024. The couple spent many summers living in their van at the Site, working on preservation, curation, and research. In her last years, Ginnie, who was E. I. Couse's granddaughter and the recognized authority on his body of work, moved her home base from Tucson to Taos, and lived full time in her childhood home at the Site.

Ginnie was a visionary leader whose contributions to the preservation of Taos's rich artistic heritage have left an enduring legacy. Ginnie's and Ernie's tireless dedication to the arts and the history of the Taos community has shaped the cultural landscape for generations to come.

For more information on the remarkable Ginnie Leavitt, please see the Couse-Sharp Historic Site's news release, and the obituary prepared by her family. Ernie Leavitt was memorialized in this Taos News article.