Touching Artist Lives
When painter Agnes Martin turned up in Taos in the year 1947 she was living out of her car. The Helene Wurlitzer Foundation of New Mexico's very first charitable grant was awarded 70 years ago to Martin, launching her career and culminating in Martin achieving world renown as one of the most heralded and influential Abstract Expressionist artists of the 20th century. Since then, the HWF has provided fellowships to thousands of artists from all over the world.
loading HWF artists
Agnes Martin
Painter, 1954
Michio Takayama
Painter, 1968
Vernon Fimple
Visual Arts, 1977
N. Scott Momaday
Writer, 1987
Cyrus Cassells
Poet, 1984
John Hollenbeck
Contemporary, 2005
Cynthia Madansky
Painter, 2017
Carmen Machado
Writer, 2018
Ali Dineen
Songwriter, 2020
Agnes Martin
painter
I feel very much honored in being chosen to receive assistance from the Wurlitzer Foundation. Till now I had never sought nor received any real recognition for my work. I did not realize how encouraging it could be. Your kindness has been a positive moral uplift. Your action in this has become the most encouraging event for art in this country that I have ever witnessed. I hope to do worthily. Thank you for all your considerations. [1956]
John Balaban
poet
My Wurlitzer stay was tonic. I wrote a novel and a book of poetry while there, during one long winter and, again, during another fall. Strangely enough, despite the isolation and its freedom to concentrate, I made more lifelong friends in the town of Taos than anywhere else I've lived. And the dramatic land and people around Taos were life-affecting.
Maria Anderson
writer
My stay at the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation was incredible. The time and space given to us there was a great gift. Three months really gives you the time to delve deeply into projects, and I was able to begin a novel I've been thinking about for some time. I also revised short stories for my collection. Back at home in Bozeman, Montana, I'm still daydreaming of my desk in my casita, of long runs on the trails near ...
Robert Kostka
painter
[1975] The Foundation continues to be an important aspect of my work... I always seem to develop new ideas, new themes and approaches while I'm here. Perhaps just as important, I discard the old ones as well.
I am grateful to the Foundation for all it has contributed to my personal growth.
Nathan Kelly
classical
Wurlitzer in the winter was a magical place. Its quiet solitude gives an artist the space and inspiration needed to create, reflect, and dream. I can't wait to return.
Devreaux Baker
poet
I feel fortunate to be in residence at the Wurlitzer for many reasons. Not only does it afford me the time to work undisturbed but it also allows me the space in which to be continually inspired by the work of a diverse range of artists, musicians and writers who make up the town of Taos. What greater gift for an artist than to have the solitude to create in a landscape that continually inspires.
Fiona Sze-Lorrain
poet
I think of my time in Taos with such gratitude, fondness, and joy: the quiet and mountains and friendships . . . I am much grateful to the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation for bringing this special place and its kind soul(s) into my life. Merci beaucoup.
Caitlin McGill
writer
My time in Taos was unparalleled--peaceful, productive, restful. Grateful for this community!
Yulia Pinkusevich
painter
The Wurlitzer was an important residency and moment in my life who's impact has lasted for over a decade.
Hee Sook Kim
visual arts
The residency in the Wurlitzer Foundation has transformed my artistic path every time I was in.
The time was just inspiring and atmosphere was magical. I always enthusiastically recommend the residency to my fellow artists. The surrounding with Taos mountain is surreal.
Roger Aplon
writer
It's very subtle, quick and profound. I'm speaking of the magical transformation, both personally and artistically, that takes place when you arrive in Taos and enter your private casita. This phenomenon has been spoken about and written about by artists of all stripes who have had the pleasure and the honor of being invited to The Helene Wurlitzer Foundation\'s unique settlement. The individual experiences range...
Maggie Graber
poet
I've been fortunate to come to Taos for two residencies (winter/springs 2015, 2019) and each one was was so affirming and surprising in what it opened up in me and my work. After my second residency, I stayed in northern New Mexico for six more months, because I knew I wasn't going to be ready to leave at the end of the residency. Forever thankful to the Wurlitzer Foundation for believing in my work and providing ...
Tim Houghton
poet
Wurlitzer is awesome. It's the only place where I want to work.
Meredith Wilder
songwriter
The summer of 2017 was an invaluable experience, to be surrounded by the beauty of the desert and the energy of the other artists in residence. Once I set up my recording gear and sat down at the grand piano with the sole purpose of writing new music, creativity started filling every corner of the casita. There is something magical about Taos and Helene Wurlitzer's legacy and I would recommend this to every artist...
Paula Schmidt West
writer
I will be grateful all my life for the gift of time provided to me by the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation, and for the profound kindness of Nic Knight and my fellow artists in residence. This is a special place to grow.
Anna Badkhen
writer
I am grateful for the quiet thinking time the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation of New Mexico afforded me in spring of 2019. The semi-seclusion and the near-monastic infrastructure provided a marvelous excuse to focus on nothing but word for the almost three months of the residency. It gladdens me to imagine the artists who will create in this space in the future--perhaps at the very same desk overlooking the very same ...
Theo Chandler
contemporary
My stay at the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation was immensely transformative. With the time to write and reflect, I was able to come away from the residency with clearer goals for myself as an artist, as well as a more secure sense of my compositional abilities.
I have not seen another program that offers such extended residencies - 2.5 months - and this amount of time was critical for my growth, allowing me to get tot...
Charles Hamm
classical
In addition to the work I managed to get done this summer and the ideas I was exposed to, I feel enormously refreshed. I feel optimistic about the coming year and capable of getting even more done.
Michael Pearson
writer
Taos is a place filled with magic, and the Wurlitzer Foundation makes that magic real for artists of all kinds. From the first moment I entered the town, saw the fiery sky and the holy mountains, felt the history and the cultures, I knew I was home.
George Scott MacLeod
painter
I am grateful to have had the opportunity to attend the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation of New Mexico twice as young artist. The residencies gave me the focused time I needed to develop my skills and shape my ideas. I carry the incredible residency experiences, memories and colleagues with me. It was a life changing experience which I reflect on with great fondness. Thank you HWF and staff for making it all such a def...
Ling-lin Ku
sculptor
The moment I arrived in Taos I knew I was in love with this place. My time at HWF was like a sweet dream full of tree leaves, magic light, and crispy air. It was my honor to have this time and solitude to focus on my work and myself. I came back home refreshed with new inspirations and friendships.
Jean Francis
visual arts
In 2013 I was awarded a 3 month fellowship at the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation in Taos. This was a profound experience for me as an artist. Time to spend away from my life in Canada, pursue and concentrate on the work, experience another environment and it just allowed time.
The wonderful support and kindness from Michael Knight is a memory that stays with me. I am grateful for the time.
Virginia Barrett
poet
I feel very blessed to have twice been a Wurlitzer Foundation Fellow (1997, 2017). My first stay imprinted Taos, and the surrounding landscape, indelibly on my creative psyche. When I returned twenty years later, the feeling only deepened, and has led me into a series of poems focused on the area. I now intend to spend a good deal of my time here; Taos continues to inspire.
Robin Cole
visual arts
My time with the Wurlitzer Foundation was transformative in so many ways. There, during my uninterrupted working hours, I developed a new mixed media drawing technique that I still use and teach, and continued to explore oil painting--relatively new to me at that time, but now my primary medium. The peace and beauty of the landscape and the amazing intellectual and personal company of the other residents were a so...
Jack Ortiz
writer
At the HWF I felt a strong creative energy, on the grounds and in my lovely casita. There I was able to start from scratch a novel, the first long project I truly believe in. Shoutout to the staff who were so warm and welcoming.
Ayden Graham
songwriter
My time at the HWF was nothing short of transformational.
It was utter madness inside my head, wrapped within the peaceful eye of the storm, my cozy casita #3. I wrangled with my demons, flirted with the muse, tickled the ivories, cooked delicious meals, and stayed up way too late practicing violin arpeggios.
During my time I finessed my looper pedal board, recorded demos, catalogued unfinished songs, finished...
Jane Isakson
painter
From September through December 2018 I had the pleasure to participate in the Helene Wurlitzer Artist Residency. This was an amazing opportunity to think and experiment and find clarity of focus as I embark upon creating a new body of work. The landscape and community and fellow artist residents made for a supportive and simulating environment. I can only describe my time there as magical.
Judith Arcana
poet
My first stay was a kind of paradise -- and my second stay was another kind of paradise.
Whenever I think of those weeks and months, I am awash in gratitude.
Anne Sanow
writer
Arriving in Taos during the quiet stillness of winter set the tone for a contemplative, productive writing season for me. The Wurlitzer Foundation provided a lovely place to make progress on a long-term project and to become acquainted with the town, the mountains, and the history all around me. It's true that there is something magical in this place.
Carol Luc
painter
My six weeks in Taos at the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation were incredibly transformative. I "worked like a fiend" and enjoyed every moment, learning so much about the foundation, the city, the culture, the landscape and the region. I can close my eyes and feel it all over again. I met wonderful people, ate great food, planned a party. When I went home I had a new body of work. Thank you so much, HWF, for giving me t...
Pilar Hanson
visual arts
My time at the HWF residency was extraordinary and productive. There were periods of total immersion in my work alongside the enjoyable exchanges with the other residents.
Leandro Vesco
writer
One of the best moments of my life, I spent in the Casitas of the Foundation, writing, and then walking and talking with so many friends! Greetings to everyone from Buenos Aires, especially Michael Knight, whom I always remember.
Aaron Brown
painter
I would highly recommend the Wurlitzer Foundation residency to any artist. Helene Wurlitzer knew exactly what she was doing when she structured the program to provide maximum creative freedom, with minimal expectation. The time spent at my casita and with my fellow residents was pleasant, positive and productive. I'm very grateful for the experience.
Tom Cho
writer
Definitely among the top artist residencies that I have done. The setting is near-perfect: a town that is rich in arts and culture, with access to much natural beauty. Each artist lives in their own casita and has twelve weeks of uninterrupted time to devote to their process. Delving into the foundation's long and fruitful history of nurturing artists made me all the more humbled to be part of this residency progr...
Lauren Mantecon
visual arts
My time in residency was productive in a non-traditional way.
The atmosphere, support and space became a refuge after an extremely turbulent time in my life.
The Helene Wurlitzer Foundation became my entrance to New Mexico which has since become my home;
as seeds planted for the next chapter to my art making career.
I was able to not only reflect but make work in what I considered a sanctuary of " place".
Andrew Porter
writer
I absolutely loved my time at The Wurlitzer Foundation. I can't think of a more inspiring or supportive environment in the country.
Veronique Maria
filmmaker
From the moment I first heard about the Helene Wurlitzer Residency in Taos and made my application I found myself engaged in an extraordinary and unexpected life changing experience. It has had deep and profound effect on me, my attitude to life and my art practice.
I decided to use the three month period to explore 'who am I as a creative woman, when I don't have a project, genre, or any other structure to guid...
Leah Grams Johnson
songwriter
That summer in New Mexico, I grieved the distance between who I was, and I thought I’d be, at that point in my life. It was the most powerful and transformative three months I’ve ever experienced— guiding me back to the raw wilderness of my own intuition, as an artist and as a woman.
Susan Zimmerman
visual arts
“Living is a form of not being sure, not knowing what next or how. The moment you know how, you begin to die a little. The artist never entirely knows. We guess. We may be wrong, but we take leap after leap in the dark.” Agnes De Mille, dancer
Coming to Taos was the first of many leaps in the dark during my residency as I wandered down many a different road exploring my art. The beautiful light of Taos that ...
Michio Takayama
painter
Since we came to Taos in April of this year, we have been spending our most happy time in accumulating ideas for our work. During our stay in Taos I would like to make a new phase of my career. Now I am learning everything from the beautiful "Nature" in Taos. This beauty of Taos is probably impossible to capture in a short time...
I have been overwhelmed with the beauty and majesty of New Mexico.
Kathleen Edwards
visual arts
My time at the foundation has been an enormous and deeply appreciated gift. Quiet, undistracted focus in the studio allowed my work to grow like a pot-bound tree placed into the ground.
Susan Smereka
visual arts
Time, space, place and people - this convergence at HWF was life-altering. The freedom I experienced allowed my work to change in ways I didn't anticipate. Connections to other artists - now friends, has been an added bonus.
Shiuan Chang
contemporary
The stay at the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation was transcendental. Three months of solitude, where I had to face many aspects of fear I could avoid due to the velocity of life. I listen to the fear, and the fear makes me stronger. I'll always be grateful to the foundation.
John Repp
poet
Living and working for more than two months in Taos transformed my way of writing. I've secured seven other residencies, but none matched the Wurlitzer residency for peace, quiet, soulfulness, and authentic productivity.
Debra Kaye
music composition
I am ever-grateful for the opportunity to be at the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation. The respect and confirmation for my work early in my career, helped me honor myself as an artist. The gift of unfettered time in such a beautiful place and the sense of community with the other residents, fed my creativity. The experience continues to inspire my artistic life with a sense of openness to this day.
Robert (Bob) Ray
painter
Painting must communicate!
Steven Schneider
poet
My residency at the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation was truly transformative and inspirational. I was able to use my time in Casita Number 3 to finish the manuscript for my book The Magic of Mariachi. The executive director at that time, Michael Knight, was extremely helpful and supportive. Moreover, I came to know and love Taos, which has a very special place in my heart. Saludos and Kudos to the Wurlitzer Foundation!
Leon Syfrit
photographer
The moment I arrived, I knew my time here would live within me far beyond my physical departure.
William Malpede
filmscoring
My residency at the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation in Taos was one of the most profound and life-changing experiences of my life to date. I would encourage every artist to apply for the Residency. The solitude, and the gift of time to reflect, work, and soul search combined with the special energy of Taos provides a truly unique experience!
Cheryl Durden
writer
I enjoyed a 5-month writing residency at The Helene Wurlitzer Foundation in Taos, New Mexico - 1/97 through 6/97. This was, I believe, the first winter that the foundation's homes were open to residents.
I didn't understand it at the time, but my stay at HWF was the perfect transition stop; it became the crossroads of my life and key to making the decision to leave the corporate world and connect more fully with ...
Susan Lloyd
writer
Thank you for providing a space of tranquility and inspiration during my various sojourns there. It has always been a relief to arrive at one of the Wurlitzer casitas where I know I can concentrate on my writing and photography free of distractions--so rare and so necessary if one is to get serious about one's work.
Ferdinand Rosa
painter
A truly inspirational moment in my life! Thank you Helene Wurlitzer for your ongoing gift to the Arts in America.
Karen Kevorkian
poet
I love the solitude of the casitas. I came to love the town and the state and found much to think about. I return to Taos as often as I can.
Matthew Rigney
writer
The three months I spent at the Wurlitzer Foundation were essential to my development as a writer. The residency gave me abundant time and a space in which to work, and as any artist knows, these are precious beyond value. I also connected with a community of other artists and made an important friendship that still endures. The residency showed me what the life-as-writer feels like absent all the complicating fac...
Jean-Marc Felzenszwalbe
painter
Taos light, talking with Henry Sauerwein will allways stay in my memory as an inspiring moment.
Clemonce Heard
poet
Where I met my soul poet. Enchanting to say the least.
Jean Fineberg
contemporary
My time in Taos at the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation was magical. The mountains, the people, and the air itself were infused with the engaging history of Taos, which I felt that wherever I went. I loved our resident planned Friday night hangouts. I value the discussions of our artistic practices, especially those in other disciplines. I think we all felt closer to each other and to all our art forms. Nic Knight wa...
Mildred Tolbert
photographer
[2-16-1973] This period here at the foundation is a unique experience for me - that is, it is the first time in my adult life that I have not felt responsible for myself and/or others, and the fact that I received this grant has had great psychological impetus for me.
Arnito Fillion
music composition
This residency time at HWF was such a great experience. The campus provides such a perfect surrounding for creating in peace, with a very positive philosophy and deep concern about each artist well-being. Certainly one of the most productive time of my life !
Howard Sherman
visual arts
Wonderful gift of space and time to focus on my work.
Claudia Tremblay
painter
My residency at The Helene Wurlitzer Foundation was life changing! Uninterrupted time to create offers space for a magical and underestimated freedom. Thanks to a serene setting and gracious hosting, any artist can zero in on their true mission. I’m infinitely thankful for this opportunity and hope that the following artists have a similar experience.
Lane Abernathy
contemporary
My time at the Wurlitzer foundation was not only personally and artistically transformational, but the most creative period of my career. It's simply impossible to put into words the experience of living on the campus, surrounded by the sublime beauty of Taos and northern New Mexico. Following the footsteps of some of the world's greatest artists to Taos, with the support and generosity of everyone at the Wurlitze...
Susan Richards
painter
A wonderful experience in all categories. New friends, beautiful adventures and the start on a new path in my work.
Colleen Morton Busch
writer
My stay in HWF was a long time ago, just after I’d returned from living in Beijing. I needed a place to lay down the foundations of a manuscript about my experience in China. HWF gave me the gift of time and space, and the bonus of being surrounded by beauty and artistic fellowship. I set that manuscript aside to work on other projects, but recently, I rescued it from a drawer and knew exactly what I needed to d...
Natacha Sels
writer
These three months of legitimate leave were grandiose. I finally tasted the state of serendipity, this opening that allows to discover what we do not seek! The first residency allowed me to reconnect with my child's soul and to understand that the game is a royal road to creativity and trust. And during the second, I was able to work with concentration on a novel that will soon be published here in France.
Eileen Tabios
writer
I am appreciative of and grateful for my time at The Helene Wurlitzer Foundation.
Kathleen Heideman
poet
Remembering my terrific residency with the Wurlitzer Foundation, luminous sunset memories of Taos flood the mind — the arms-flung-wide light over Taos. I recall peace and clarity of thought, the sense that each studio-casita was a small hive in which wild-buzzing creative ideas were distilled into honey. Best of all, I arrived with storage boxes of handwritten drafts and left with manuscripts and clarity! It was...
Loraine Veeck
painter
With the beautiful surroundings of Taos New Mexico as inspiration, I found my stay as a resident in Casita #1 very productive. Nic Knight and the staff at Wurlitzer were very supportive of my needs, and my residency will stand out as a wonderful memory in the years to come.
Larry Calcagno
painter
...There were lots of people at the opening and both shows look good! - But I'm exhausted and am looking forward to just painting and some peace and quiet again. I shall busy myself preparing for an April show...
I am grateful for the opportunities in my work that the Foundation has made possible.
[from 1973 letter to H.A.S.]
Earl Stroh
painter
I feel deeply grateful for all that the Foundation has done for me over the years and am very sure that my development as an artist would no be nearly so advanced if it had not been for the many opportunities and great aid offered my by your help. [from a letter dated September 3rd, 1962]
Andrea Fuhrman
painter
The stars. The quiet. The black widow spiders by the window outside. The large tables, paint and collage material, while I listen to the Native American radio station. The newspaper that lists arts events, exhibitions, openings. The sky and enormous billowing clouds. The altitude, drinking water, and more water. The 50 year old adobe dust, and my sneezes! The great natural bread at the grocery store. Friendly inte...
Vineetha Mokkil
writer
The residency at the Wurlitzer is a gift I'll always treasure. The magic of Taos continues to influence my life and work. After having spent a very productive three months there, I'm convinced no other place or community on earth cherishes creative spirits with such kindness and generosity.
Mashuq Deen
playwright
The friends I made at Wurlitzer have lasted longer than from any other residency. And it's true what they say about the mountain, it does call you back.
Linda Lightsey Rice
writer
I have been so fortunate to be a resident artist at the Wurlitzer Foundation on several occasions, and these residencies have had a profound impact on my creative life. I completed portions of my second novel here in Taos, and many friendships formed at the Wurlitzer have influenced how I see my own work as well as the role of the artist in general. The near-pastoral setting of the artist casitas, the foundation's...
Anjana Appachana
writer
Being at Wurlitzer was like a long meditation. It allowed me to reach another level of consciousness and to live and work in this space for over three months. From here flowed my writing, and oh, how it flowed.
Alexander Lumans
writer
My time at the Wurlitzer Foundation proved to be absolutely necessary to my development as a writer. The residency guided me toward transformations in my current project as well as in my perspective on the creative process. I will be living on the fumes of my singular experience in Taos for a long time to come.”
C. Robert Jones
playwright
My three months in Taos at the Foundation were an incredible experience--giving me time to focus entirely on writing I LIKE IT HERE! which was published shortly thereafter. Casita # 8 was charming, a lovely little home. I'm especially grateful for the TLC of Michael and Tonie Knight who were sensational to all of us during our stay.
Jessamine Chan
writer
My three months at the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation were the happiest, most fulfilling, and most productive of my life. I’ve been home for seven months now, and every single day I think, with great longing, about Taos, my casita, my desk, the view from my window, the mountains, and the walk through town. I miss the sense of time expanding and I miss the light. You’ll see the most beautiful sunsets in Taos, and ...
Allie ('Blue') Armstrong
songwriter
My time at the Wurlitzer Foundation was paramount to the recording of my first album. Here I was able to unplug, rest, meditate, and find the energy that manifested into the completion of 5 compositions. The residency had an incredible warmth thanks to Nic Knight and his family, and to the beautiful residents whom I shared a term with. I'm so grateful to the Foundation for allowing me the space and time to create....
Lucy Bledsoe
writer
An amazing residency. Wonderful.
Jory Mickelson
poet
My time at the Wurlitzer foundation was transformational. The residency allowed me the time and space to take an accumulation of my writing and shape it into a manuscript. I am so grateful for my stay and the ability to step away from my regular life and enter deeply into the life of my writing.
Meeting and getting to know the other residents was wonderful. Also the opportunity to explore my surroundings--Norther...
Barbara Claus
visual arts
When I was invited to attend the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation residency, in 2008, it was a crucial period in my artistic path. I so needed time to reconnect with studio practice and it gave me a great opportunity to trust myself, experiment different things and find new confidence in my work. I also enjoyed very much the casita, the natural environment, cycling, going to the farmer’s market, visiting museums, art...
Lex Williford
writer
If it had not been for Wurlitzer, I may not have written all the flash fiction in my award-winning chapbook, Superman on the Roof, part of a novel in flash fiction, short fiction and novellas, which I'll be working on during my stay at Wurlitzer Summer of 2021. I’m grateful for the time and solitude Wurlitzer has allowed me to continue my work.
Nicole Schmölzer
painter
I keep thinking about my two Wurlitzer experiences and they are still very much alive. So many years later, the memories are not only still nourishing, but I feel deeply grateful to Helene for having had such a great vision and for still finding the right people who are able to continue her legacy in such a unique and understanding dedication to her will and to the creative people. A real gift.
Samyak Shertok
poet
I think of my time at the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation as a dream: enchantment, haunting, and reverie all in one. Driving alone through the Rio Grande National Forest in the dark, I had an uncanny encounter with an elk family, in which the papa or mama elk stared at me until all the baby elks were safely on the other side of the road. That set the tone of wondering and wandering for my entire residency. Besides the...
Lauren Davies
photographer
The Helene Wurlitzer Foundation provides an amazing residency experience with a combination of quiet artistic solitude mixed with the stimulation of an impressive interdisciplinary cohort of visual artists, writers, musicians and composers. Add in my adobe casita studio surrounded by open fields within historic Taos, New Mexico and this experience provided me with a truly magical and creative summer residency.
Dienke Nauta
visual arts
The work period at the Wurlitzer has had a huge impact on me and my work. It gave me back my work flow and it has brought me a more playful and organic approach. I can't live without creating. The fact that I was able to create without the pressure of an upcoming show or having to work my night job, gave me such a breather. Art is Spirit. I saw that in one of Helene Wurlitzer's rooms of the main house, where the D...
Andrea Scrima
writer
I don’t think I can overstate the vital importance of the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation residency program. My three months in Taos have had a profound effect on my writing process; they were miraculous and transformative. As writers, artists, and musicians, the majority of us are struggling to make a living and juggling a number of roles simultaneously, all the stuff of life that competes with the “actual” wor...
Eleanor Guilliatt
painter
I brought away from Taos a new and delicious sense of abject dedication which is largely due to John Anton and Mrs. Wurlitzer; and it is for this new dimension of understanding that I am writing to thank you. I brought chaos to Taos and took directed wildness away. This is what I needed, and it is what the Foundation environment and Taos gave me.
Ryan Matthews
writer
I was looking for a period of solitude, to escape the weight of the last two years and thoroughly examine my artistic practice. I needed to focus on the puzzles of the work all day, every day. At the Wurlitzer Foundation, free of responsibilities and distractions, but surrounded by the like minded - I had the space to finally pursue risks in my writing and embrace creative challenges.
Jeffrey Salloway
writer
What a privilege to join an elite group of artists, immersed in expression, sharing in fellowship!
Peggy Diggs
visual arts
Of the residencies I've had, the Wurlitzer was ideally designed. To have my own house, my own studio, and a group of equally independent colleagues made for a situation where I could work intensively in isolation, do things with others when the mood hit, and focus focus focus. Those choices were so important to me. The good length of time, 3 months, also enabled that period of settling in to happen and then a soli...
Kareem Tayyar
poet
Simply put, the summer I spent as a Wurlitzer Fellow was one of the very best experiences of my life. Taos is a magical place, and those three months filled me with a happiness I have carried with me ever since.
Cristina De Gennaro
visual arts
My time at the Wurlitzer Foundation was truly transformative. I am deeply grateful for being given the opportunity to have lived and worked in such a beautiful place with such creative people.
Rafaël Leloup
filmscoring
HWF is an amazing oasis where time stops and allows one to focus solely on their work for a few months. With so little distractions, such an amazing environment, gorgeous views, and clear air, I was able to finish many personal projects that were always set aside when in my regular workplace.
I wish a similar experience to all future residents.
Thanks to everyone at the Foundation!
Millee Tibbs
photographer
My time at the Wurlitzer Foundation has been one of my most productive residencies and rewarding artistic experiences. Northern New Mexico is an absolutely enchanting place that I hope to return to again and again.
Carolyn Gage
playwright
This residency gave me time... three months of time. I was not only able to move forward with new work, but I also had the luxury to finish up those dozens of projects that had been "hanging fire" for years. Invaluable!
Tanya Husain Palit
songwriter
My winter at the Wurlitzer Foundation was deeply transformational. Having time and space for creative reflection and learning about the indigenous history of this area has forever changed me and my perspective as a settler on this land. I am so grateful to the Foundation and to the Pueblo people, their ancestors and descendants.
Rita Ciresi
writer
It was a great privilege to spend two months in Taos as a fellow at the Wurlitzer Foundation. I finished a novel and generated the first draft of another while in residence. I am so grateful to the Foundation!
Lorna Ritz
painter
I had to get special permission from the Pueblo Chief; turns out he was watching me from day one, awed that I could stay so still for all those hours each day standing at my easel. I ended up giving him a drawing of Taos Mountain which is his religion, which then became mine the more I drew it. I had been pulling my easel and drawing board all throughout the landscape searching for composition, (on a bright hot p...
Gonzalo Rodríguez Gómez
painter
I will always be grateful to the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation. Thanks to this opportunity I was fortunate to work in a dream studio for two and a half months, as well as enjoy the culture of Taos and the company of excellent people and incredible artists.
Laura Bennett
photographer
My time at the Helene Wurlitzer residency enabled me to work in a wonderful environment. The casita provided such a lovely warmth, and I experienced the first snow as well. There were times I felt complete, at peace and totally focused on my work. I created handmade books, cyanotype prints and shot 15 rolls of color film and 12 rolls of black and white. I brought my 8x10 camera and my medium format Hasselblad, a...
John Anton
writer
For me, spending another summer in Taos in Mrs. Wurlitzer's company meant the reaffirmation in my faith in culture.
Nell Cohen
classical
During my residency at the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation, I came into a different pace of living and of creativity. Arriving from bustling New York City, I discovered Taos's unmistakeable ease. This place encouraged a spaciousness and clarity of thought in my composing process. Sitting on the porch of my cozy casita, enjoying the scent of petrichor and cottonwoods after one of Taos's summer afternoon rainstorms, I s...
Lourdes Bernard
painter
This residency had a profound impact on me and my work. The Wurlitzer Foundation's mission is a gift of time to artists and I will always be grateful for the space and support this fellowship generously offers. The setting is historic and the landscape is breathtaking. I was there during the winter and it helped me to fall in love with winter....the stillness and quiet coaxed new ways of making work and re-ignite...
Fred Smith
painter
I was honored and delighted to be awarded the Wurlitzer Residency. Having visited New Mexico over many years, by living and painting in Taos for three months, I was inspired and stimulated by the land, the people, the arts community, and the comradery of my fellow resident artists.
Louise Minks
painter
I really became embedded in the Taos area while I was at the Wurlitzer and especially so because my project was about the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. I relished my days of exploring the region,hours of research in the public library and becoming comfortable with a town full of cultural material so different from my Midwestern and New England experience. I became so attached to New Mexico that I determined to "find a ...
Kenneth Fuchs
classical
I had the most extraordinary experience as a fellow at HWF during the summer of 1988. I fell in love with the Land of Enchantment and have returned to New Mexico many times since. I am pleased to tell you that my fifth Naxos recording with the London Symphony Orchestra won the 2018 GRAMMY Award in the most coveted category, Best Classical Compendium
Frank Avella
playwright
In many respects, my residency at the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation saved my life. This is not hyperbole. I wasn't even certain I would be able to accept the residency. My mamma had fallen very ill. She died a few days before I was scheduled to leave. I was beyond devastated. The day after the memorial, my husband packed me up into my Jeep and insisted I take the trek to Taos. And what a trek. I drove into TWO typho...
Ellen Koment
painter
Now a working artist in Santa Fe for over twenty years, I thank Wurlitzer Foundation for introducing me to this most beautiful part of the world. My association with the foundation as well as the other artists has been life changing. I have been working primarily in Encaustic for the last twenty five years, and throughout this time the magnificent New Mexico landscape, as well as the Santa Fe art world have been i...
Rob Scheps
classical
The Wurlitzer Foundation is a hidden gem. The program is fantastic; Taos is amazing, and I composed a lot of good music there that I still perform. Michael Knight was a great residency director, and I learned a lot about New Mexico being there.
Robert C Ellis
painter
My Wurlitzer Foundation grant has given me the time and freedom to study myself and my painting. It has given me time for concentrated creativity, time to select the best from my experiences both past and present.
N. Scott Momaday
writer
This is to greet you warmly and to thank you sincerely for your generous assistance. I do indeed very much appreciate the accommodations you made available to me. Not only were they comfortable; they were exactly appropriate to my purpose, and I got a lot of work done.
To tell you the truth, I miss the rituals of getting out of my Taos bed and opening the curtains on that splendid view of snow falling in the tre...
David Cote
playwright
The three months I spent at the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation in fall 2022 was a period of gentle introspection and steady, satisfying work. I won’t lie; past residencies lasted only three or four weeks, and the extended period offered by Wurlitzer was both exciting and intimidating. I had been to New Mexico about fifteen years earlier as a tourist, and now felt challenged to melt into the place, at least temporar...
Tana Wojczuk
writer
This experience entirely changed my life. It was my first residency, I was leaving an abusive relationship and finally trying to write full time. I've since been writing and teaching writing and my first book comes out this July! Thank you.
Erik Jackson
playwright
My time at the Wurlitzer Foundation was absolutely transformational. The location is idyllic, the support is absolute, and inspiration is everywhere. I loved being able to set my own schedule and to socialize as much or as little as I desired. The wonderful casitas are close enough to the town when you need to run errands, stock up on groceries, get coffee or a bite—but they have the feeling of being off the bea...
(Laurie) Franciszka Voeltz
poet
When director Michael Knight told my fellow residents and I that our time at the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation was to be used in whatever way best serves work and our selves (whether that meant sleeping for three months or writing every day for ten hours a day or anywhere in between), I took it to heart. It was precisely that kind of non-pressure, generous support and trust that allowed me to push through some major...
Andrea Clearfield
classical
I have no words to express how wonderful and productive and connected this time has been. I was utterly inspired! Thank you for everything!
With much gratitude and appreciation.
Kathleen Kelly
poet
Serenity. Productivity. Generosity... Apt descriptors of the three months I lived and wrote as a poet-resident at Casita #10S. Pink-kissed mornings inspired aubades, the magpies’ constant chatter influenced the aural sensibility of my new work, and the ever-pervasive pinyon distilled an acute sense of olfactory responsibility in my verse... This time—seemingly enchanted and surreal yet nonetheless real--create...
Ron Strickland
writer
I remember my time at Wurlitzer with great fondness. New energy infused my work. Insights from that period continue to enliven my recent writing.
Raegan Payne
playwright
The time I spent at the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation was full of healing and progress. Taos is an easy place to fall in love with, and I left Taos with not only a place in which I can forever seek sanctuary, but also a group of lifelong friends. The residency is an invaluable experience and a gift to artists around the world.
Dorothy Englander
painter
What a magical and life-altering experience I had, from mid April-mid July 2008. My work is still influenced by those days. Fellowship with so many creative people has led to life-long friendships. Sending the foundation my deepest appreciation, Dorothy Englander
Shirley Tipping
visual arts
My time at the HWF allowed me to re-focus and re-channel my energies into my photographic and writing practices. Amidst the magic and beauty of New Mexico, surrounded by fellow artists, given the gift of time, and away from domestic distractions, I left feeling re-balanced.
Rachel Kaufman
poet
The Helene Wurlitzer residency was a time of blissful quiet, of solitude and meaningful companionship, of meadow writing and casita stories. I'm so grateful for this gift of stillness, enough stillness to finish a poetry manuscript and begin a new one. Thank you to Nic, Michael, Marcos, & Mitch for their care.
Alumni Association
Welcome Artists! Log in to get residency details, update your contact information, submit testimonials, and more.
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HWF Artists
2024
Megan Angolia
sculptor
Casita #5
Daphne Arthur
painter
Casita #6
Paige Beeber
painter
Casita #5
Assia Boundaoui
filmmaker
Casita #3
Hollis
Hammonds
visual arts
Hollis Hammonds
visual arts
Casita #5
SR Lejeune
sculptor
Casita #1
Blaine
O'Donnell
visual arts
Blaine O'Donnell
visual arts
Casita #6
Marcy Rosewater
painter
Casita #1
Ilona Szwarc
photographer
Casita #6
Claire Whitehurst
painter
Casita #1
2023
Kim Bello
visual arts
Casita #1
Aaron Brown
painter
Casita #5
Celeste Cooning
sculptor
Casita #6
Lauren
Davies
photographer
Lauren Davies
photographer
Casita #6
Tirtza Even
filmmaker
Casita #8
Janke Klompmaker
sculptor
Casita #1
Erin Oliver
sculptor
Casita #5
Io Palmer
sculptor
Casita #5
Janos Tedeschi
filmmaker
Casita #10N
Hope Tucker
filmmaker
Casita #9N
Annie Tull
visual arts
Casita #6
2022
Paige Beeber
painter
Casita #5
Petros
Chrisostomou
photographer
Petros Chrisostomou
photographer
Casita #1
Jil Crary-Ross
painter
Casita #5
Jaynie
Crimmins
visual arts
Jaynie Crimmins
visual arts
Casita #1
Tere Garcia
photographer
Casita #1
Eva Lipman
filmmaker
Casita #3
Alison
Pebworth
visual arts
Alison Pebworth
visual arts
Casita #6
Lizzy Powell
painter
Casita #6
Gonzalo
Rodríguez Gómez
painter
Gonzalo Rodríguez Gómez
painter
Casita #5
Jeff Schofield
sculptor
Casita #6
2021
Lani Asher
visual arts
Casita #5
Danila
Cervantes
filmmaker
Danila Cervantes
filmmaker
Casita #3
Cristina
De Gennaro
visual arts
Cristina De Gennaro
visual arts
Casita #5
Anja Marais
sculptor
Casita #6
Hyeseung
Marriage-Song
painter
Hyeseung Marriage-Song
painter
Casita #5
Susannah Mira
sculptor
Casita #1
Eeva Siivonen
filmmaker
Casita #4
Leon Syfrit
photographer
Casita #1
Claudia Tremblay
painter
Casita #6
Natalie Voelker
painter
Casita #1
2020
Laura
Bennett
photographer
Laura Bennett
photographer
Casita #1
Mattie Brown
filmmaker
Casita #8
Amy Casey
painter
Casita #6
Xavier Hamel
filmmaker
Casita #9N
Lola Huitt
visual arts
Casita #10N
Ling-lin Ku
sculptor
Casita #5
Corwin Levi
visual arts
Casita #5
Cynthia Madansky
painter
Casita #6
Cynthia Mason
sculptor
Casita #1
2019
Shawn Demarest
painter
Casita #5
Rebecca Harrell
painter
Casita #1
Sarah Jacobs
painter
Casita #5
Janke Klompmaker
sculptor
Casita #6
Nuttaphol Ma
filmmaker
Casita #8
John Melvin
sculptor
Casita #5
Susannah Mira
sculptor
Casita #6
Alexandra Smith
painter
Casita #1
Loraine Veeck
painter
Casita #1
Susan
Zimmerman
visual arts
Susan Zimmerman
visual arts
•
Casita #6
2018
Tom Birkner
painter
Casita #5
Aaron Brown
painter
Casita #5
Anna Cox
painter
Casita #6
David Fenster
filmmaker
Casita #2
Tom Holmes
visual arts
Casita #1
Jane Isakson
painter
Casita #5
Lordscience
Jones
painter
Lordscience Jones
painter
Casita #6
June Lee
sculptor
Casita #1
Karl Nussbaum
filmmaker
Casita #3
Debbie Rubin
painter
Casita #1
Hope Tucker
filmmaker
Casita #2
Meghan Wilbar
painter
Casita #6
2017
Sheila Barcik
visual arts
•
Casita #5
David Fenster
filmmaker
Casita #9S
Vernon Fimple
painter
Casita #6
Cynthia Madansky
painter
Casita #6
Terri
McNaughton
photographer
Terri McNaughton
photographer
Casita #1
Karen
Miranda-Rivadeneira
visual arts
Karen Miranda-Rivadeneira
visual arts
Casita #1
Chris Mooney
painter
Casita #1
Haley Nannig
painter
Casita #5
Gianna Paniagua
sculptor
Casita #5
Maaman Rezaee
filmmaker
Casita #10S
Solange
Roberdeau
photographer
Solange Roberdeau
photographer
Casita #6
2016
Allison Cekala
filmmaker
Casita #10N
Kathleen
Edwards
visual arts
Kathleen Edwards
visual arts
Casita #6
Emily Fraser
filmmaker
Casita #10S
Shea Hembrey
painter
Casita #5
Beth Kleene
painter
Casita #1
Neerja Kothari
painter
Casita #5
Corwin Levi
visual arts
Casita #5
Afton Love
painter
Casita #6
Jessica Maffia
painter
Casita #6
Anna Magruder
painter
Casita #1
Fred Smith
painter
Casita #1
E.M. Spairow
filmmaker
Casita #8
2015
Ariel Gout
visual arts
Casita #1
JoEllyn Loehr
painter
Casita #6
Anna Magruder
painter
Casita #1
Phil Putnam
painter
Casita #5
Susan Richards
painter
Casita #5
Solange
Roberdeau
photographer
Solange Roberdeau
photographer
Casita #5
Val Sivilli
painter
Casita #1
Millee Tibbs
photographer
Casita #6
Olga Ziemska
sculptor
Casita #6
2014
Lola Huitt
visual arts
Casita #10N
Manuel Lau
visual arts
Casita #1
Mara Lonner
visual arts
Casita #5
Veronique Maria
filmmaker
Casita #9S
Ross McLean
visual arts
Casita #6
Jacqueline
Norheim
visual arts
Jacqueline Norheim
visual arts
Casita #5
Joel Phillips
visual arts
Casita #5
Miranda
Putman
visual arts
Miranda Putman
visual arts
Casita #6
Sheryl Reily
visual arts
Casita #6
Karen Schiff
visual arts
Casita #8
Beth Shipley
visual arts
Casita #1
Robin Cole
visual arts
Casita #1
2013
Sheila Barcik
visual arts
•
Casita #1
Photo by Ching-Ming Cheung
Lourdes Bernard
painter
Casita #5
Jean Francis
visual arts
Casita #1
Naoko Ito
visual arts
Casita #6
Dottie Moore
visual arts
Casita #6
Allan Packer
visual arts
Casita #6
Mary Proenza
visual arts
Casita #1
Nicole Schmölzer
painter
Casita #5
Shirley
Tipping
visual arts
Shirley Tipping
visual arts
Casita #8
Ophra
Yerushalmi
filmmaker
Ophra Yerushalmi
filmmaker
Casita #9S
Sung Won Yun
visual arts
Casita #4
2012
David
Alexander
visual arts
David Alexander
visual arts
Casita #5
Elizabeth
Burger
visual arts
Elizabeth Burger
visual arts
Casita #6
Susan D'Amato
visual arts
Casita #1
Pam Daum
photographer
Casita #10N
Cristina
De Gennaro
visual arts
Cristina De Gennaro
visual arts
Casita #9S
Betsy Kuhn
visual arts
Casita #1
Lauren
Mantecon
visual arts
Lauren Mantecon
visual arts
Casita #6
Karen
Miranda-Rivadeneira
visual arts
Karen Miranda-Rivadeneira
visual arts
Casita #5
Liza Myers
visual arts
Casita #1
Howard
Sherman
visual arts
Howard Sherman
visual arts
Casita #5
Cathryn Smith
filmmaker
Casita #9N
Katherine
Sullivan
visual arts
Katherine Sullivan
visual arts
Casita #6
2011
Michael
Brodeur
visual arts
Michael Brodeur
visual arts
Casita #1
Peggy Diggs
visual arts
Casita #1
Vernon Fimple
painter
Casita #6
Brooks Girsch
visual arts
Casita #1
Pilar Hanson
visual arts
Casita #6
Janke Klompmaker
sculptor
Casita #5
Maka Maka
filmmaker
Casita #10S
Gabrielle
Mayer
visual arts
Gabrielle Mayer
visual arts
Casita #5
Barbara
Mehlman
visual arts
Barbara Mehlman
visual arts
Casita #5
Cindy Stillwell
filmmaker
Casita #9S
Hannah Stippl
visual arts
Casita #6
2010
Lani Asher
visual arts
Casita #1
Marie Baille
visual arts
Casita #9S
Cristina
De Gennaro
visual arts
Cristina De Gennaro
visual arts
Casita #6
Pamela Dodds
visual arts
Casita #6
Christy Georg
visual arts
Casita #1
Christine
Hiebert
visual arts
Christine Hiebert
visual arts
Casita #5
Lola Huitt
visual arts
Casita #4
Ethan Jackson
visual arts
Casita #9S
Hee Sook Kim
visual arts
Casita #5
Melissa
McCutcheon
visual arts
Melissa McCutcheon
visual arts
Casita #6
Carol Sloan
visual arts
Casita #5
Gabriella
Soraci
visual arts
Gabriella Soraci
visual arts
Casita #1
Teresa Tamura
visual arts
Casita #9S
2009
Kate Atkin
visual arts
Casita #5
Nancy Cohen
visual arts
Casita #4
Su Geringer
visual arts
Casita #6
Susan
Gladstone
visual arts
Susan Gladstone
visual arts
Casita #1
Sara Hanlon
visual arts
Casita #5
Jeanette Koumjian
painter
Casita #6
Rebecca
Layton
visual arts
Rebecca Layton
visual arts
Casita #1
John Lorence
visual arts
Casita #1
Gretchen Jane
Mentzer
visual arts
Gretchen Jane Mentzer
visual arts
Casita #10S
Dottie Moore
visual arts
Casita #1
Samuel Nigro
visual arts
Casita #6
Sara Petras
visual arts
Casita #5
Celia Reisman
visual arts
Casita #5
Hazel Walker
visual arts
Casita #6
2008
Elizabeth Blau
painter
Casita #5
Barbara Claus
visual arts
Casita #6
Robert M Ellis
painter
Casita #1
Dorothy Englander
painter
Casita #1
Allan Packer
visual arts
Casita #5
Yulia Pinkusevich
painter
Casita #5
Gloria
Ruenitz
photographer
Gloria Ruenitz
photographer
Casita #1
Nicole Schmölzer
painter
Casita #1
Susan Smereka
visual arts
Casita #5
Marq
Sutherland
photographer
Marq Sutherland
photographer
Casita #6
Shirley
Tipping
visual arts
Shirley Tipping
visual arts
Casita #9S
2007
Karen Aqua
filmmaker
Casita #1
Donna Caulton
painter
Casita #5
Marie-Hélène
Cauvin
painter
Marie-Hélène Cauvin
painter
Casita #1
Maxwell
Goodman
photographer
Maxwell Goodman
photographer
Casita #1
Sachiko Hamada
filmmaker
Casita #8
Pilar Hanson
visual arts
Casita #1
Dienke Nauta
visual arts
Casita #5
Alice Price
painter
Casita #6
Ferdinand Rosa
painter
Casita #5
Marsha Slomowitz
painter
Casita #6
Kerry Stevens
painter
Casita #5
Kim Thoman
painter
Casita #6
2006
Ilya Artamonov
painter
Casita #5
Suzanne
Benton
visual arts
Suzanne Benton
visual arts
Casita #1
Hannah Cole
painter
Casita #1
Kathleen
Edwards
visual arts
Kathleen Edwards
visual arts
Casita #6
Vernon Fimple
painter
Casita #1
Eleanor Goldstein
painter
Casita #5
Sonja
Hinrichsen
visual arts
Sonja Hinrichsen
visual arts
Casita #6
Whit Johnston
filmmaker
Casita #3
Carol Luc
painter
Casita #5
Mary Proenza
visual arts
Casita #5
Lorna Ritz
painter
Casita #6
Chris Rush
painter
Casita #1
Catherine
Young Bates
painter
Catherine Young Bates
painter
Casita #5
2005
Jojo Ans
photographer
Casita #8
Geoffrey Detrani
painter
Casita #6
Jake Gilson
painter
Casita #5
John Graham
painter
Casita #1
Suzanne
Kanatsiz
photographer
Suzanne Kanatsiz
photographer
Casita #5
Julia Masaoka
painter
Casita #1
Andres Monteagudo
painter
Casita #1
Dottie Moore
visual arts
Casita #6
Carol Sloane
painter
Casita #5
Colette Standish
painter
Casita #6
Catherine
Young Bates
painter
Catherine Young Bates
painter
Casita #5
2004
Teresa Cullen
painter
Casita #1
Candice Eisenfeld
painter
Casita #5
Susan Kendrot
painter
Casita #5
Brigitte
Kornetzky
filmmaker
Brigitte Kornetzky
filmmaker
Casita #1
Mark Lavatelli
painter
Casita #6
Elizabeth
Motlow
photographer
Elizabeth Motlow
photographer
Casita #6
Shirley Stark
sculptor
Casita #4
Bob Tyson
photographer
Casita #9N
Lisa Weiss
painter
Casita #5
Mary Ann
Wentworth
painter
Mary Ann Wentworth
painter
Casita #5
2003
Sharon
Allocotti
visual arts
Sharon Allocotti
visual arts
Casita #1
Jojo Ans
photographer
Casita #9S
Artilia Court
sculptor
Casita #5
Jeff Davis
painter
Casita #1
Taryn Day
painter
Casita #6
Vernon Fimple
painter
Casita #6
Lynne Friedman
painter
Casita #5
Danielle Hauss
painter
Casita #5
Hee Sook Kim
visual arts
Casita #6
Xaverio Javier
Munoz Bullejos
painter
Xaverio Javier Munoz Bullejos
painter
Casita #1
2002
Kelley Bush
painter
Casita #5
Caryn
Friedlander
photographer
Caryn Friedlander
photographer
Casita #1
Martha Hayden
painter
Casita #5
Brett Raphael
visual arts
Casita #9S
Marjory Reid
painter
Casita #5
Pablo Romano
filmmaker
Casita #10N
Marius Starkey
painter
Casita #5
Angela Wilcocks
painter
Casita #6
Angela Willcocks
painter
Casita #6
2001
Peter Colquhoun
painter
Casita #5
Rosalyn Driscoll
sculptor
Casita #5
George Scott
MacLeod
painter
George Scott MacLeod
painter
Casita #1
Greg Montreuil
painter
Casita #5
Glen
Rogers Perrotto
painter
Glen Rogers Perrotto
painter
Casita #1
2000
Joseph Almyda
painter
Casita #5
Cynthia Backs
painter
Casita #5
Susan
Balboni
photographer
Susan Balboni
photographer
Casita #6
Artilia Court
sculptor
Casita #6
Sandra
Dal Poggetto
painter
Sandra Dal Poggetto
painter
Casita #1
Carol Dolan
painter
Casita #1
Beth Easterly
visual arts
Casita #1
Danielle Hauss
painter
Casita #1
Isabella Jacob
painter
Casita #1
Jacek
Maczynski
photographer
Jacek Maczynski
photographer
Casita #6
Marjory Reid
painter
Casita #1
1999
Artilia Court
sculptor
Casita #6
Lisa Creed
painter
Casita #6
Andrea Fuhrman
painter
Casita #1
Isabella Jacob
painter
Casita #1
Terry Millikan
painter
Casita #1
Gisela Romero
painter
Casita #5
Mary Ann
Wentworth
painter
Mary Ann Wentworth
painter
Casita #8
1998
Willy Garver
painter
Casita #8
Louise Minks
painter
Casita #4
Carol Mode
painter
Casita #6
Carol Nolte
photographer
Casita #6
Mary Nomecos
painter
Casita #5
Susan Smereka
visual arts
Casita #1
Shirley Stark
sculptor
Casita #9S
Mary Ann
Wentworth
painter
Mary Ann Wentworth
painter
Casita #8
Krzysztofa
Zwierz-Ciok
painter
Krzysztofa Zwierz-Ciok
painter
Casita #5
1997
Jane Brite
visual arts
Casita #10N
Henspetter
Christy
painter
Henspetter Christy
painter
Casita #1
Karl Ciesluk
sculptor
Casita #6
June Edmonds
painter
Casita #1
John Martin
painter
Casita #1
Susan
Metzger
photographer
Susan Metzger
photographer
Casita #6
Louise Minks
painter
Casita #6
Carol Nolte
photographer
Casita #6
Jill Pope
painter
Casita #5
Barbara Schaefer
painter
Casita #5
Colette Standish
painter
Casita #5
Bob Tyson
photographer
Casita #10S
Mary Ann
Wentworth
painter
Mary Ann Wentworth
painter
Casita #1
Krzysztofa
Zwierz-Ciok
painter
Krzysztofa Zwierz-Ciok
painter
Casita #5
1996
Kenneth Baird
painter
Casita #6
Kira Corser
Casita #2
Artilia Court
sculptor
Casita #1
Willy Garver
painter
Casita #2
Eiko Kijima
painter
Casita #6
Denis Lowson
painter
Casita #5
George Scott
MacLeod
painter
George Scott MacLeod
painter
Casita #5
Carol Nolte
photographer
Commons House (#7)
Joanna
Priestley
filmmaker
Joanna Priestley
filmmaker
Casita #9N
Evelyn
Ruesseler
photographer
Evelyn Ruesseler
photographer
Casita #9S
Benjamin Sahl
painter
Casita #6
Laurinda
Stockwell
photographer
Laurinda Stockwell
photographer
Casita #6
Bob Tyson
photographer
Casita #10N
1995
Alice Andrews
painter
Casita #1
Kenneth Baird
painter
Casita #6
Artilia Court
sculptor
Casita #6
Christopher Davis
painter
Casita #6
Colette Standish
painter
Casita #5
1994
Alice Andrews
painter
Casita #1
Melvyn Ettrick
painter
Casita #8
David Harris
painter
Casita #10N
Sherri Hollaender
painter
Casita #6
William Kelley
filmmaker
Casita #9N
Ellen Koment
painter
•
Casita #3
Gigi Meyer
painter
Casita #5
James Miller
filmmaker
Casita #8
1993
Clark Baughan
painter
Casita #5
Nancy Brown
painter
Casita #5
Theresa
Connelly
filmmaker
Theresa Connelly
filmmaker
Casita #10N
Christopher Davis
painter
Casita #5
Melvyn Ettrick
painter
Casita #4
Sachiko Hamada
filmmaker
Casita #3
Ante Marinovic
painter
Guest House
Bob Paris
filmmaker
Casita #9N
Jim Rosen
painter
Casita #1
Shirley Stark
sculptor
Casita #6
May Stevens
painter
Casita #6
1992
Joyce Crain
painter
Casita #5
Melvyn Ettrick
painter
Casita #1
Jeanne
Ladewig-Goodman
painter
Jeanne Ladewig-Goodman
painter
Casita #6
1991
Michael Berman
painter
Casita #5
Melvyn Ettrick
painter
Casita #5
Sydney Hamburger
sculptor
HWF
Ellen Koment
painter
•
Casita #5
Mary
Maughelli
visual arts
Mary Maughelli
visual arts
Casita #1
Sabra Moore
painter
Casita #6
1990
Frances Buschke
painter
Casita #5
Ruffin
Cooper
photographer
Ruffin Cooper
photographer
Casita #2
Jeff Falick
painter
Casita #6
Jean-Marc
Felzenszwalbe
painter
Jean-Marc Felzenszwalbe
painter
Casita #3
Kathleen
Ferguson
sculptor
Kathleen Ferguson
sculptor
Casita #1
Sandra Lerner
painter
Casita #5
Felice Lesser
visual arts
Casita #9N
Jorg Rechenrich
painter
HWF
Linda
Whitaker
visual arts
Linda Whitaker
visual arts
Casita #1
1989
Nancy Brown
painter
Casita #5
Ruffin
Cooper
photographer
Ruffin Cooper
photographer
Casita #3
Kathleen
Ferguson
sculptor
Kathleen Ferguson
sculptor
Casita #1
Kyung-Lim Lee
painter
Casita #5
Sandra Lerner
painter
Casita #5
Felice Lesser
visual arts
Casita #9N
Sabra Moore
painter
Casita #6
1988
Christopher Davis
painter
Casita #1
Sydney Hamburger
sculptor
Casita #5
Peter Josyph
painter
Commons House (#7)
Roger Mignon
painter
Casita #1
Sabra Moore
painter
Casita #6
Sienna Sanderson
painter
Casita #5
1987
Michael Besh
painter
Casita #8
Jean-Marc
Felzenszwalbe
painter
Jean-Marc Felzenszwalbe
painter
Casita #6
Sienna Sanderson
painter
Casita #5
1986
Joseph Almyda
painter
Casita #5
Catherine Correa
painter
Casita #8
Nadine
DeLawernce-Maine
visual arts
Nadine DeLawernce-Maine
visual arts
Casita #5
Ellen Koment
painter
•
Casita #5
Mary
Maughelli
visual arts
Mary Maughelli
visual arts
HWF
Garry Mitchell
painter
HWF
Sabra Moore
painter
Casita #6
1985
Joseph Almyda
painter
Casita #5
Carlos Aquilino
painter
Casita #6
Catherine Correa
painter
Casita #8
Kathleen
Ferguson
sculptor
Kathleen Ferguson
sculptor
Casita #5
Gregory
Rohall
photographer
Gregory Rohall
photographer
Casita #1
John Rosis
painter
Casita #6
Liza
Von Rosenstiel
painter
Liza Von Rosenstiel
painter
Casita #5
Linda
Whitaker
visual arts
Linda Whitaker
visual arts
Casita #5
1984
Sydney Hamburger
sculptor
Casita #6
Judy Loeb
painter
Casita #1
Joanne Nuss
sculptor
Casita #6
Theresa Ramey
painter
Casita #5
Paul Ré
painter
Casita #5
Hester
Simpson
visual arts
Hester Simpson
visual arts
Casita #6
Rita Sutcliffe
sculptor
HWF
1983
Frances Buschke
painter
Casita #5
Catherine Correa
painter
Casita #6
Amy Kasai
visual arts
Casita #5
Mary
Maughelli
visual arts
Mary Maughelli
visual arts
Casita #5
Mary Nomecos
painter
Casita #1
Sienna Sanderson
painter
Casita #5
Hester
Simpson
visual arts
Hester Simpson
visual arts
Casita #2
Rita Sutcliffe
sculptor
HWF
1982
Zoe Apostolides
painter
Casita #6
Frances Buschke
painter
Casita #5
Catherine Correa
painter
Casita #6
David
Featherstone
photographer
David Featherstone
photographer
Commons House (#7)
Allan Greedy
visual arts
Casita #3
Gary Laatsch
sculptor
Guest House
Paul Ré
painter
Casita #5
Erica
Rutherford
visual arts
Erica Rutherford
visual arts
Casita #4
Hester
Simpson
visual arts
Hester Simpson
visual arts
Casita #1
Gregory Sundburg
painter
Casita #5
1981
Zoe Apostolides
painter
Casita #6
Ty Bowman
photographer
Casita #6
Allan Greedy
visual arts
Casita #3
Laverne Krause
painter
Casita #5
Erica
Rutherford
visual arts
Erica Rutherford
visual arts
Casita #4
Gregory Sundburg
painter
Casita #5
1980
Michael Besh
painter
Casita #1
Lorna Bieber
painter
Casita #1
Harriet Fristoe
painter
Casita #4
Allan Greedy
visual arts
Casita #9N
Charles Kibby
sculptor
HWF
Robert Kostka
painter
Casita #5
Kevin Mullins
painter
Casita #6
Elinor Roberts
Casita #5
Gerald Sherman
sculptor
HWF
1979
John Brown
painter
Casita #6
Frances Buschke
painter
Casita #5
Barbara Holland
painter
Casita #1
Robert Kostka
painter
Casita #5
Robert B
Miller
photographer
Robert B Miller
photographer
Guest House
Stuart Rich
painter
Guest House
Hester
Simpson
visual arts
Hester Simpson
visual arts
Casita #1
Stella Snead
photographer
Casita #9N
Rita Sutcliffe
sculptor
Casita #6
Claire
Trotter
photographer
Claire Trotter
photographer
Casita #3
1978
John Brown
painter
Casita #6
Frances Buschke
painter
Casita #6
Noël DeGaetano
painter
Guest House
Peggy Diggs
visual arts
Casita #8
Edward Epping
painter
Casita #2
Vernon Fimple
painter
Casita #5
Barbara Holland
painter
Casita #1
Robert Kostka
painter
Casita #5
Sandra Lerner
painter
Casita #6
Franklyn Liegel
painter
Casita #1
Judy Loeb
painter
Casita #1
Robert B
Miller
photographer
Robert B Miller
photographer
Commons House (#7)
Jim Rosen
painter
Guest House
Richard Titlebaum
painter
Casita #10N
Claire
Trotter
photographer
Claire Trotter
photographer
Casita #3
1977
Susan Angier
painter
Casita #6
John Brown
painter
Casita #6
Janet Cohen
painter
Casita #3
Noël DeGaetano
painter
Guest House
Peggy Diggs
visual arts
Casita #5
Vernon Fimple
painter
Casita #1
Judy Loeb
painter
Casita #5
Mary
Maughelli
visual arts
Mary Maughelli
visual arts
Casita #3
Dolores
Pacileo
photographer
Dolores Pacileo
photographer
Casita #6
Carol Ross
painter
Casita #1
Ann Shengold
painter
Commons House (#7)
Warren Tanner
painter
Casita #6
Richard Titlebaum
painter
Casita #10N
1976
John Brown
painter
Casita #5
Blanche Dombek
painter
Casita #5
Fay Evans
painter
Guest House
Charlotte
Hastings
painter
Charlotte Hastings
painter
Casita #6
Robert Kabak
painter
Casita #1
Robert Kostka
painter
Casita #5
Mary
Maughelli
visual arts
Mary Maughelli
visual arts
Casita #6
Ari Montford
painter
Guest House
Ann Moul
painter
Casita #3
Jim Rosen
painter
Casita #5
Carol Ross
painter
Casita #1
1975
Lynda Fay Braun
painter
Casita #3
Ann Crombie
painter
Casita #1
Conley Harris
painter
Casita #3
Robert Kostka
painter
Casita #4
Judy Loeb
painter
Casita #5
Dolores
Pacileo
photographer
Dolores Pacileo
photographer
Casita #5
Hyde Solomon
painter
Casita #5
Shirley Stark
sculptor
Guest House
1974
Russell Adams
painter
Casita #3
Lynda Fay Braun
painter
Casita #3
Larry Calcagno
painter
Casita #5
Ann Crombie
painter
Casita #1
Robert Kostka
painter
HWF
Gary Mauro
painter
Casita #5
Dolores
Pacileo
photographer
Dolores Pacileo
photographer
Casita #5
Hyde Solomon
painter
Casita #6
Shirley Stark
sculptor
Guest House
Hugh Williams
painter
Casita #6
1973
Russell Adams
painter
Casita #3
Larry Calcagno
painter
Casita #6
Robert Kabak
painter
Casita #4
Robert Kostka
painter
Casita #5
Clinton Loomis
painter
Casita #6
Gary Mauro
painter
Casita #5
Mike Selig
painter
Guest House
Martin Sherman
painter
Commons House (#7)
Hyde Solomon
painter
Casita #5
Mildred
Tolbert
photographer
Mildred Tolbert
photographer
Casita #3
1972
Larry Calcagno
painter
Casita #6
George Essayian
painter
Guest House
John Fincher
painter
Casita #5
Clinton Loomis
painter
Casita #6
Mike Selig
painter
Guest House
Mildred
Tolbert
photographer
Mildred Tolbert
photographer
Casita #3
1971
Carl Cannon
painter
Casita #4
George Essayian
painter
Casita #3
Joann Kindt
painter
Casita #3
Robert Kostka
painter
Casita #5
Muriel Laguna
painter
Casita #4
David Rodgers
sculptor
Casita #5
Shirley Stark
sculptor
Guest House
1970
Ralph
Christiansen
painter
Ralph Christiansen
painter
Guest House
Catherine Fels
painter
Casita #9N
Robert Kabak
painter
Casita #6
Donald Kelley
painter
Casita #4
Karen Palmer
visual arts
Casita #3
Opal Rector
sculptor
Casita #5
David Rodgers
sculptor
Casita #8
Shirley Stark
sculptor
Casita #6
1969
Robert Kabak
painter
Casita #3
Bernard
López
photographer
Bernard López
photographer
Casita #1
Marcia Oliver
painter
Casita #4
Opal Rector
sculptor
Casita #5
Mike Selig
painter
Guest House
1968
Claire Bush
painter
Casita #6
Ted Christensen
painter
Casita #1
Ralph
Christiansen
painter
Ralph Christiansen
painter
Casita #1
Frederick Hupp
painter
Casita #4
Kenneth Lithgow
painter
Casita #3
Bernard
López
photographer
Bernard López
photographer
Casita #1
Marcia Oliver
painter
Casita #4
Mike Selig
painter
Guest House
Michio Takayama
painter
Casita #5
1967
Morton Birkin
painter
Casita #9S
Ted Christensen
painter
Casita #1
Chrystal Corcos
painter
Casita #4
John Evans
visual arts
Casita #4
Hugh Gibson
painter
Casita #4
Frederick Kackley
painter
Casita #1
Enza Quargnali
painter
Commons House (#7)
Michio Takayama
painter
Casita #5
Ian Whitecross
painter
Casita #6
1966
Donald Buffington
painter
Casita #4
Chrystal Corcos
painter
Casita #4
Adeïne De La Noë
painter
HWF
Robert C Ellis
painter
Casita #4
Hugh Gibson
painter
Casita #4
Buff Haney
painter
Guest House
Frederick Kackley
painter
Casita #1
Enza Quargnali
painter
Commons House (#7)
Wesley Rusnell
painter
HWF
1965
Donald Buffington
painter
Casita #6
Max Dimond
photographer
Casita #8
Hugh Gibson
painter
Casita #4
Hans Kastler
sculptor
Casita #5
Patrick Morrison
sculptor
Casita #4
Storm Townsend
sculptor
Guest House
Larry Van Haren
painter
Casita #6
1964
Constance Current
painter
Casita #4
Helen Dunham
painter
Casita #1
Walter Sorge
painter
Casita #5
Storm Townsend
sculptor
Casita #10N
1963
Constance Current
painter
Casita #4
Helen Dunham
painter
Casita #1
Walter Sorge
painter
Casita #5
1962
Robert C Ellis
painter
Casita #3
Stanley Quist
painter
Casita #6
Earl Stroh
painter
Casita #5
John Wharton
painter
Casita #1
1961
Adeïne De La Noë
painter
HWF
Robert C Ellis
painter
Casita #10S
Dale Hays
sculptor
Casita #1
Kazik
Pazovski
photographer
Kazik Pazovski
photographer
HWF
Stanley Quist
painter
Casita #6
Bernard Segal
sculptor
Casita #4
Earl Stroh
painter
Casita #5
Elizabeth
Walker
visual arts
Elizabeth Walker
visual arts
Commons House (#7)
Henrietta Weigel
painter
Casita #3
John Wharton
painter
Casita #1
1960
William Acker
painter
Casita #4
Dale Hays
sculptor
Casita #1
Lenn Kanenson
painter
Casita #4
Stanley Quist
painter
Casita #6
Earl Stroh
painter
Casita #5
Elizabeth
Walker
visual arts
Elizabeth Walker
visual arts
Commons House (#7)
1959
Alice Acker-Kool
painter
Casita #8
Andres Cordova
Casita #5
Roland Detre
painter
Casita #1
Lenn Kanenson
painter
Casita #4
Stanley Quist
painter
Casita #6
Earl Stroh
painter
Casita #5
Adriana Van Gent
painter
Casita #2
1958
Morton Birkin
painter
Casita #8
Andres Cordova
Casita #5
Roland Detre
painter
Casita #1
Lenn Kanenson
painter
Casita #4
Stanley Quist
painter
Casita #5
1957
Dora Kaminsky
sculptor
Casita #4
Stanley Quist
painter
Casita #5
Oli Sihvonen
painter
Casita #1
1956
Emil Bisttram
painter
•
HWF
Eleanor Guilliatt
painter
Casita #2
William Heaton
sculptor
Casita #3
Dora Kaminsky
sculptor
Commons House (#7)
Michael Klein
painter
Casita #1
Stanley Quist
painter
HWF
Oli Sihvonen
painter
Casita #1
Earl Stroh
painter
Casita #5
Adriana Van Gent
painter
Casita #3
1955
Priscilla Cata
painter
Guest House
William Heaton
sculptor
Casita #3
Oden Hullenkremer
painter
Casita #4
Dora Kaminsky
sculptor
Casita #6
Michael Klein
painter
Casita #1
Photo by Mildred Tolbert ©ï¸Mildred Tolbert Family
Agnes Martin
painter
HWF
Sam Martinez
painter
HWF
Edward Montoya
painter
HWF
Stanley Quist
painter
HWF
Mike Reyna
visual arts
HWF
Kai-Sa (Percy)
Sandy
painter
Kai-Sa (Percy) Sandy
painter
HWF
Gene Schacklett
painter
Guest House
Clay Spohn
painter
HWF
George Sterns
visual arts
HWF
1954
Priscilla Cata
painter
Guest House
Photo by Mildred Tolbert ©ï¸Mildred Tolbert Family
Agnes Martin
painter
HWF
Stanley Quist
painter
HWF
Robert (Bob) Ray
painter
Casita #6
Gene Schacklett
painter
Guest House
Helene's Earlier Years in Taos
Helene Wurlitzer's legacy as a patron of artists began decades before she established the HWF. During these years Helene held close relationships with, and was influential in the careers of many successful artists. She began buying art from Taos artists in the early 1940's, often commissioning pieces from artists known as the Taos Modernists.
Eduardo Rael
Opera Singer
Patrociño Barela
Sculptor
Ansel Adams
Photographer
About
Ansel Easton Adams (February 20, 1902 – April 22, 1984) was an American landscape photographer and environmentalist. His black-and-white images of the American West, especially Yosemite National Park, have been widely reproduced on calendars, posters, books, and the internet.[1]
Adams and Fred Archer developed the Zone System as a way to determine proper exposure and adjust the contrast of the final print. The resulting clarity and depth characterized his photographs. He primarily used large-format cameras because the large film used with these cameras (primarily 5×4 and 8×10) contributed to the clarity of his prints.
Adams initiated the photography group known as Group f/64, along with fellow photographers Willard Van Dyke and Edward Weston.
Testimonial
Andrew Dasburg
Painter
About
Andrew Dasburg (1887, Paris France – 1979, Taos, New Mexico)
“It was, I think the immensity, the openness of everything that touched me very deeply.” – A. Dasburg [on why he loved Taos]
Andrew Dasburg spent his young childhood in Germany and came to the United States with his widowed mother at the age of five. He suffered from tuberculosis, and attended a school for students with disabilities where he was first exposed to arts and crafts. He went on to study art at the Art Students League in New York and at the New York School of Art. Dasburgvisited Paris where he became part of the modernist circle of artists in that city, and was deeply influenced by Cézanne and Cubism. In 1913, Dasburg showed his work at the “International Exhibition of Modern Art,” better known as the Armory Show in New York City. Later, Dasburg’s work was shown at Alfred Stieglitz’s 291 gallery.
By invitation from Mabel Dodge Luhan, Dasburg first came to Taos in 1918, and permanently settled here in 1930. As a teacher, he was held in high esteem by other Taos artists. In 1937, he became ill with Addison’s disease. Helene Wurlitzer was instrumental in paying for his medical expenses so that he could receive treatment. It was after regaining his health from this illness, that Dasburg switched from paints to pastels.
After his death, the New Mexico Museum of Art in Santa Fe held a large retrospective exhibition of Dasburg’s work which traveled to four other states. Dasburg’s works have been collected by the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New Mexico Museum of Artand the Denver Art Museum, among others.
Testimonial
Eduardo Rael
Opera Singer
About
Eduardo Rael (1915, Talpa, New Mexico - 2005, Taos, New Mexico)
Eduardo Rael led a full life as an opera and concert singer, national guardsman, a state legislator, a sculptor and a voice/piano teacher. He grew up in Talpa and went to school in Ranchos de Taos and Taos (New Mexico).
In his high school years he enrolled and finished at the Herrick Dramatic School in Denver, CO where he took acting classes. He then went to New York City and studied at the Julliard School of Music. Later he obtained a full scholarship to complete his music degree at the Cincinnati College of Music. As he embarked on his career as a professional opera singer, he sang in German, Italian, French, Spanish and English, and was categorized a high or lyric baritone. He sang with the Manhattan and Boston Grand Opera Companies, was the star baritone of the Charles Wagner Opera Company performing across the globe from the United States to Italy, Germany, Switzerland, France, and countries in South America.
After leaving the opera world Eduardo spent several years on the concert circuit. After more than 20 years of singing, performing and touring he settled back in Taos in the 1960's. He served in the New Mexico State Legislature and helped establish the Rio Grande State Park of the Wild Streams which stretches from Velarde to the Colorado state line. He also began sculpting in wood and stone and had his pieces exhibited in museums throughout New Mexico including the New Mexico Museum of National History & Science, the Rio Grande Nature Center and the Millicent Rogers Museum. During his time in Cincinnati he met Helene Wurlitzer and later accompanied her to Taos where she built a home, and helped her establish the Wurlitzer Foundation which to this day continues to support those who endeavor in all aspects of the creative arts.
Testimonial
Patrociño Barela
Sculptor
About
Patrociño Barela, also known as Patrocinio Barela or Patrocino Barela (1900–1964), was a self-taught wood carver. Because of the religious nature of his subjects he was called a santero, but he did secular work too. His work was shown at the Museum of Modern Art in New York with other artists of the Federal Art Project and he was feted as "a discovery." He was the first Mexican American artist to receive national recognition.
He found his calling as a carver of sacred objects in 1931. He repaired a figure of St Antonio and he later recounted that he knew that someone was going to make 20 dollars from his work and he was promised five. Although the five dollars never appeared, Barela realized that his work had value and he continued to make figures. He was taken on by the Works Progress Administration working with a horse and cart. His carvings were spotted and he was set to do those instead, eventually as part of the Public Works of Art Project. Because he was illiterate he was given a sheet filled with squares to which he would add a cross every day to record his work. This was in 1935 and eventually his work was exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art but he had no ambition to see the eight objects chosen as part of a Federal Arts Project exhibition there. He was lauded by the museum as "the most dramatic discovery" and he was called "discovery of the year" by Time magazine. Two other exhibitions of his work in 1939 further established Barela nationally, the San Francisco Golden Gate Exposition and the American Art Today show at the New York World's Fair.
He was discovered and was regarded almost immediately as a leading artist with his fluid sculptures carved from juniper wood. Barela's carvings found willing buyers but Barela was not a willing seller. He spent a great deal of time drinking and he would sell his work in small deals. He was driven to carve and he chose subjects from the Bible or imaginary subjects which usually had a spiritual nature.
Testimonial
Isaac Udell
Painter
About
Source: Impact, Volume 8, Number 24 • Albuquerque Journal Magazine - Tuesday, April 2, 1985 - By Tricia Hurst
For 45 years, Isaac Lawrence Udell was a small town physician with a big heart and a nearly hidden talent.
After a childhood in Michigan, Colorado, and Raton, N.M., where his parents ran a bakery, Udell arrived in Taos in 1924. He was 20 years old and a chiropractor by education. Because Northern New Mexico needed physicians and because Udell had briefly attended medical school in Colorado, the state permitted him to practice medicine.
And practice he did. People came from three surrounding states to see kindly and gentle Cod Udell. Often his patients checked into local motels and simply waited their turn.
Udell’s story, which has been told before, is a classic one: Patients paid him whatever they could (eggs, chickens, and even a horse once), and whenever they could (sometimes never).
Yet there is another, special side to Udell’s story that has seldom been told. A big, white-haired, teddy bear of a man, Udell possessed an avocation that nearly equaled in passion his need to care for people: Painting the stages of the Penitente ritual. ...
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Testimonial
Emil Bisttram
Painter
About
Emil Bisttram (1895–1976) was an American artist who lived in New York and Taos, New Mexico, and was known for his modernist work. Emil Bisttram was born in Hungary, near the Romanian border, in 1895. When he was 11 years old, he immigrated with his family to New York City, where they settled in the Lower East Side.[1] He was a talented artist, and after a few years began his schooling at the National Academy of Art and Design, then Cooper Union, Parsons, and The Art Student's League. He began teaching soon after completing school, first at the New York School of Fine and Applied Arts, and then at the Master Institute of the Roerich Museum.
Bisttram first visited Taos in the summer of 1930. He later fell in love with the scenery and moved there. In 1931 he won a Guggenheim Fellowship to study mural painting. The fellowship enabled Bisttram to travel to Mexico where he studied mural painting with the world famous muralist Diego Rivera. Numerous mural commissions were to follow throughout his career (the Department of Justice in Washington D.C., The Taos County Courthouse, New Mexico, and the Federal Courthouse in Roswell, New Mexico.) After returning to Taos in 1932, Bistrram started the Heptagon Gallery and the Taos School of Art.[2] In 1938, Bisttram founded the Transcendental Painting Group with Raymond Jonson and several other Santa Fe artists.
In 1952, Bisttram co-founded the Taos Art Association, and later in 1959 won the Grand Prize for painting at the New Mexico State Fair.
In 1970, Emil Bisttram served as a judge and monitor for a statewide arts grant competition for art to be placed in the newly constructed County Courthouse building, designed by architect Bill Menningbach of Taos. Ken Drew, a local sculptor, won the competition. Bisttram oversaw the project for the next two years, and in June 1972 Drew completed the installation. Then-Senator Joseph Montoya and other dignitaries from Santa Fe officiated at the dedication ceremonies. In 1975, his birthday, April 7, was declared "Emil Bisttram Day," a New Mexico state holiday.
Testimonial
Tom Benrimo
Painter
About
Thomas Benrimo (1887-1958)
Born in San Francisco in 1887, Thomas Benrimo began to draw at a young age, but the San Francisco earthquake and fire of 1906 destroyed his early drawings and notebooks and forced the family to move to New York.
Despite suffering from tuberculosis, Benrimo recovered and became a successful stage designer and commercial artist in New York. He painted seriously whenever he could, but only a few of the Cubist paintings of this early period survive. Benrimo taught at Pratt Institute and was one of the first in this country to introduce the teaching methods developed at the German Bauhaus School of design.
Benrimo moved to Taos, New Mexico, in 1939, and was able at last to paint full-time. His work evolved through periods of Cubism and Surrealism and pure abstraction, often showing influences of antiquity, traditional painting and architecture, yet the artist believed, as he had once observed, that "abstract art departs from reality and nature only to draw far-reaching conclusions about reality. A legitimate abstract work of art can be produced only on the basis of a profound knowledge of nature." Benrimo was influenced by the landscape of New Mexico but not chained or restricted by it.
As Benrimo gradually worked from the surreal to the more abstract, he explored a series of classic images based often on Greek tragic masks. In a Canfield Gallery exhibition catalogue, the New Mexico artist Earl Stroh writes: "The greater formal discipline of classic motifs, based on themes from the literature of Greece and Rome (he read and reread the Greek and Latin poets and dramatistsVirgil, Ovid, etc.) on an acute absorption of the visual ideas of Mediterranean art, helped him to free himself from the more literal rendering of his ideas and to achieve that lyric, almost romantic, exactness that gives his finest work its contained clarity. It is mostly this particular combination of the romantic and the classic modes of feeling that gives his art its unique quality. One of the principal things that really creative art contributes to our lives is some new vision of the marriage of what are, until that moment, considered as opposites. This union of contrasts, both formal and significant, occupied him greatly."
During his life, Benrimo's work was shown at the Art Institute of Chicago, Toledo Museum of Art, Carnegie Institute of Pittsburgh, San Francisco Palace of the Legion of Honor, Whitney Museum of American Art, Musée National d'Art Moderne in Paris, Guggenheim Museum in New York, San Francisco Museum of Art, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Benrimo paintings are in the permanent collections of the Cincinnati Museum of Art, Denver Art Museum, Fort Worth Museum of Modern of Art, and the Whitney Museum of Art. In New Mexico, Benrimo's work is in the Harwood Museum, Taos; Wurlitzer Foundation, Taos; University of New Mexico Museum of Art, Albuquerque; Roswell Museum and Art Center, and the Fine Arts Museum in Santa Fe.
Source:
Canfield Gallery,
Testimonial
Dorothy Brett
Painter
About
Dorothy Eugénie Brett (10 November 1883 - 27 August 1977) was a British painter, remembered as much for her social life as for her art. Born into an aristocratic British family, she lived a sheltered early life. During her student years at the Slade School of Art, she associated with Dora Carrington, Barbara Hiles and the Bloomsbury group. Among the people she met was novelist D. H. Lawrence, and it was at his invitation that she moved to Taos, New Mexico in 1924. She remained there for the rest of her life, becoming an American citizen in 1938.
Her work can be found in the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington D.C., in the Millicent Rogers Museum and the Harwood Museum of Art, both in Taos. Also at the New Mexico Museum of Art, Santa Fe, the Roswell Museum and Art Center, Roswell, New Mexico and in many private collections.
Testimonial
Ira Moskowitz
Painter
About
Moskowitz, Ira (Poland, 1912 - New York City, 2001)
Ira Moskowitz: Born in Poland, Ira Moskowitz came to New York at the age of sixteen. Within a year he received a scholarship to study at the Art Students' League under such well known instructors as John Sloan and Harry Wickey. Ira Moskowitz's first paintings, etchings and lithographs were exhibited in New York in the early 1930's. Throughout the 1940's Moskowitz lived in the American Southwest and became a prominent member of the Santa Fe Group of Artists. His original prints and paintings of Navajo life and customs gained for him a strong national reputation.
Ira Moskowitz returned to live in New York after 1949 and continued to produce remarkable works of art. Today his etchings, lithographs and paintings are included in many major collections in Europe, the United States and Israel. These include the Library of Congress, Washington DC, the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, the Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh, and the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris.
Religion and Jewish culture played a vital role in Ira Moskowitz's art. Isaac Bashevis Singer once said of Moskowitz; "Ira has recaptured the religious view of God and the world in his works." From 1967 through 1969 Moskowitz was a frequent visitor to Israel and had several solo exhibitions there at the Haifa Museum of Modern Art.
Ira's wife, Anna Barry (1907-2001), produced a number of portraits of Helene Wurlitzer in Taos in 1956, when Helene was 81 years old. (image on right)
Testimonial
[1948] In Taos, New Mexico, my work was handled by the Blue Door Gallery, run by Manny and Margaret Berg. The sold a set of fifty lithographs to an opera star who was being sponsored by Mrs. Howard Wurlitzer. Through him, Mrs. Wurlitzer saw my work and became interested, so that on our next visit to New York, we were invited by the singer to spend an evening with them. At dinner, there was an Art News on the coffee table, with reproduction of a Renoir visible, and an article about a collector who bought the Renior for a half-million dollars. Mrs. Wurlitzer said, "This collector must love art very much to pay such a high price for a painting." I replied, "Not necessarily. It is probably an investment. If he really loved art, he would buy contemorary work and encourage artists to produce."
Our conversation made an impression on Mrs. Wurlitzer. She asked me what my plans were. I said that my greatest desire was to return to New Mexico to pursue my work on the American Indians. She asked me to see her at her hotel the next day. There, she asked me what I would need to get along. I asked for a modest amount, two hundred dollars a month, and she became my patron and dear friend.
