Historic Canyon Road. Courtesy Kamio Media Canyon Road History Project
Canyon Road is a magical street, brought to life over centuries by outlaw and visionary artists. Did you know Santa Fe used to be known as “The City of Ladies” before “The City Different”? Luminaries like Georgia O’Keeffe, Olive Rush, the notorious Claude of artist hang out “Claude’s Bar,” Judy Chicago, Dorothy Newkirk Stewart, Agnes Sims, E. Boyd, and Beulah Eisle Stevenson all lived and worked on Canyon Road. Canyon Road was constructed in the 1750s–nearly 200 years before New Mexico became part of the United States!
Canyon Road Summer Walk in 2025
Santa Fe has the highest concentration of galleries in the United States, with many of them located on Canyon Road. Our community of galleries, artists, and collectors who walk in is one of the reasons we love Canyon Road so much. As New Mexico Magazine writes, “How can an out-of-the-way town of fewer than 70,000 residents support so many galleries? The answer, of course, is that people from all over the country—and the world—come to Santa Fe for its phenomenal selection of fine art. Come see for yourself. Canyon Road is not just a cluster of shops at the center of Santa Fe’s artistic community. It is an ancient neighborhood of historic adobe houses, manicured courtyard gardens, and hidden alleys, all interspersed with some of the country’s finest art galleries. It is one of the country’s most celebrated art districts; an art experience like no other.”
Canyon Road Summer Walk also celebrates the soul of Canyon Road every summer by inviting people to experience the architecture, art, history characters, and uniquely artistically inclined individuals who operate businesses on this historic road. Come to the next walk on July 2, or if you’re in town come to the iconic Christmas Eve walk!
Tuner Carroll Gallery during the Christmas Eve walk on Canyon Road
Tonya Turner Carroll testifies to the extraordinary location that is Canyon Road and how it sets Santa Fe up as an art powerhouse with unique personality. Turner Carroll says, “I’ve worked on Canyon Road since I first stepped foot in Santa Fe, in 1991. It is a place filled with people who love its historic buildings, gardens, and all the memories that are held in its adobe walls. There are a lot of friendly ghosts here, members of families and friends who loved this place as much as we all do, and want to make sure we protect its magical nature as a sacred place for art.”
Modern day Canyon Road courtesy of Main Street Blog
From a family residence built in 1863 made of mud bricks and wooden floors, Turner Carroll Gallery has built international art history from our location on Canyon Road. We’ve continued Canyon Road’s tradition of strong women artists and by bringing boundary-pushing, international additions like Nadya Tolokonnikova, whose show opened June 28 at Turner Carroll, Swoon, Chinese artist Hung Liu, and Japanese artists Eri Imamura and Etsuko Ichikawa. These new powerhouses show alongside New Mexico luminaries like Angela Ellsworth, Judy Chicago, Rosemary Meza DesPlas, Marietta Patricia Lies, Florence Pierce, Agnes Martin, Jamie Brunson, Karen Yank, and Sharon Brush at Turner Carroll.. These women, like their foremothers who settled Canyon Road as one of the nation’s first and most supportive art communities, continue to shape the international art scene today in one of the nation’s strongest art markets–our beloved Santa Fe.
Author: Sophie Carroll