The Helene Wurlitzer Foundation of New Mexico (HWF) is a private, 501(c)(3) non-profit, educational and charitable organization committed to supporting the arts.
Founded in 1954, the HWF manages one of the oldest artist residency programs in the USA. The Foundation’s mission is to “Support the artist and the creative process” and serves as a haven for visual artists, literary artists and music composers.
The Helene Wurlitzer Foundation is located on fifteen acres in the heart of Taos, New Mexico, a multicultural community renowned for its popularity with artists.
Meet Helene
Helene Wurlitzer has remained an enigma to many for over half a century, due in great part to the fact that she chose to remain anonymous, and that her many philanthropic works, which contributed to the betterment of humanity, be kept private.
So who was Helene Wurlitzer, and how did she end up in Taos, New Mexico? When did she establish the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation of New Mexico, and for what purpose? Who has benefited from her Foundation, and who continues to benefit?
We will answer these questions, and break the enigma surrounding the HWF, as we invite you to Meet Helene.
TCA Radio Hour
On November 23rd, 2020, Taos Center For The Arts, in collaboration with True Taos Radio (KNCE 93.5FM) aired an interview with the Foundation's executive director. Nic Knight's interview with TCA's Colette Labouff features the music of 2020 resident Ali Dineen.
Artist Residency Program
The Foundation offers three months of rent-free and utility-paid housing to people who specialize in the creative arts. Our eleven artist casitas, or guest houses, are fully furnished and provide residents with a peaceful setting in which to pursue their creative endeavors.
The Foundation accepts applications from painters, poets, sculptors, writers, playwrights, screenwriters, composers, photographers, and filmmakers of national and international origin.
Applications are reviewed by a selection committee consisting of professionals who specialize in the artistic discipline of the applicant. Numerous jurors serve on committees for each: visual arts, music composers, writers, poets, playwrights, and filmmakers. Jurors, who know nothing about the artist's demographics, score in five categories based purely on the merit of the applicant's creative work samples.
Artists in residence have no imposed expectations, quotas, or requirements during their stay on the HWF campus. The HWF’s residency program provides artists with the time and space to create, which in turn enriches the artistic community and culture locally and abroad.
Touching Artist Lives
For 70 years the HWF has committed to perpetuating Helene's legacy of supporting artists by providing charitable assistance to thousands of artists from all over the world. When artists come to Taos to create in one of our adobe casitas they bring creativity and artistic influence, perpetuating Taos' rich history as an art community. After their residency, they take a little piece of Taos back to where they're from.
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]
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.
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 ...
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.
John Anton
writer
For me, spending another summer in Taos in Mrs. Wurlitzer's company meant the reaffirmation in my faith in culture.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Eileen Tabios
writer
I am appreciative of and grateful for my time at The Helene Wurlitzer Foundation.
Susan Richards
painter
A wonderful experience in all categories. New friends, beautiful adventures and the start on a new path in my work.
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.
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...
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 !
Caitlin McGill
writer
My time in Taos was unparalleled--peaceful, productive, restful. Grateful for this community!
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.
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...
Clemonce Heard
poet
Where I met my soul poet. Enchanting to say the least.
Jeffrey Salloway
writer
What a privilege to join an elite group of artists, immersed in expression, sharing in fellowship!
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.
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...
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.
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...
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...
Lucy Bledsoe
writer
An amazing residency. Wonderful.
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
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...
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.]
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!
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.
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...
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.
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...
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
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.”
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...
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.
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.
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.
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 ...
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...
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 ...
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.
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.
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...
Yulia Pinkusevich
painter
The Wurlitzer was an important residency and moment in my life who's impact has lasted for over a decade.
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!
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.
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...
Harrison Candelaria Fletcher
writer
The Helene Wurlitzer Foundation residency was truly a gift. My time in Casita 8 was among the most rejuvenating and productive of my career. I completed two book-length lyric essay and prose poem manuscripts several years in the making and opened pathways to a third. The freedom to create at my own pace among alfalfa fields, cottonwoods, magpies and big-hearted Taoseños allowed me to relax into my writing and re...
Melisa Tien
playwright
More and more, I believe that people are the defining feature of experience—more so than place, infrastructure, or resources; perhaps in an abstract and deeper sense, people *are* the place, infrastructure, and resources. This has certainly borne out in my time with the artists here at Wurlitzer, some of whom I imagine I'll break bread with for many years to come. The beauty of the artistic cohort became evident...
Ferdinand Rosa
painter
A truly inspirational moment in my life! Thank you Helene Wurlitzer for your ongoing gift to the Arts in America.
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...
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...
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.
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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.
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.
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.
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.
Robert (Bob) Ray
painter
Painting must communicate!
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...
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...
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...
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...
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.
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.
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.
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....
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.
Howard Sherman
visual arts
Wonderful gift of space and time to focus on my work.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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]
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!
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!
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...
Leon Syfrit
photographer
The moment I arrived, I knew my time here would live within me far beyond my physical departure.
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.
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...
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 ...
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.
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...
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.
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.
(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...
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.
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.
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...
Xandra Clark
playwright
Since my time in Taos, the Foundation and its environs have remained seared in my mind and are continually a part of my reflections and work process. In fact, "Taos!” has become a way to remind myself to slow down when I get into the chaotic hustle of New York creative life. I have completed the script I was working on when there, and I've stayed in close touch with several fellow residents. The relationships fo...
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".
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.
Tim Houghton
poet
Wurlitzer is awesome. It's the only place where I want to work.
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.
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...
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.
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...
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.
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.
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!
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...
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.
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 ...
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...
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.
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.
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.
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...
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.
Jean-Marc Felzenszwalbe
painter
Taos light, talking with Henry Sauerwein will allways stay in my memory as an inspiring moment.
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.
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...
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.
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...
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 ...
Supporting Future Artists & Diversity
The HWF Academic Scholarship Program - In addition to residency grants, further enhancing its commitment to the arts, the HWF offers academic scholarships to graduating high school students who wish to enter college as art majors. Each year at least two emerging art students from the Taos community are selected to receive the scholarship.
The HWF campus consists of mostly open fields bordered by trees, dotted with eleven artist residency casitas. We are very fortunate to have these natural open spaces, which are still connected to a centuries-old network of acequias that serve to irrigate the Taos valley. Read more & support...
