Santa Fe, NM, Canyon Road, October 20
Artists paint and attendees peruse the galleries along Canyon Road during last year’s paint-out.
This story was featured in the October 2012 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Order the Southwest Art magazine October 2012 print edition here, or purchase the Southwest Art magazine October 2012 digital download here. Or subscribe to Southwest Art magazine and never miss a story!
On Saturday, October 20, more than 100 artists set up their easels and paint outside along Canyon Road in Santa Fe for the fifth annual Historic Canyon Road Paint-Out. This year’s event is put on by the Canyon Road Merchants Association, an all-volunteer association with the purpose of increasing interest, business, and opportunities for Canyon Road through group action and participation.
The paint-out began as an effort to celebrate and honor the century-old tradition of plein-air painting. “Canyon Road has a rich history of artists’ residences, studios, and galleries, where artists were known early on for painting on the street,” says Mark Greenberg, CRMA vice president and owner of Greenberg Fine Art. “We wanted to pay homage to that tradition, as well as make people aware that [Canyon Road is] one of the most creative streets in the world.”
Artists paint and attendees peruse the galleries along Canyon Road during last year’s paint-out.
A weekend of events surrounding the paint-out begins on Friday evening, October 19, with many Canyon Road galleries hosting opening receptions for their participating artists. “It is a wonderful time to stroll from gallery to gallery on a beautiful fall evening,” Greenberg says. The paint-out is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, and there is a historic home tour on Sunday.
Canyon Road is home to more than 80 fine art galleries, many of which have at least one artist participating in the paint-out. The artists paint outside the galleries from different sources and in a variety of genres and media. Some artists set up their easels and paint from photos, while others use live models—both human and animal. “Artists also paint the beautiful historic buildings and settings of Canyon Road,” Greenberg says.
It is up to each gallery to determine how to sell the works created by their artists. Many galleries hang the paintings, while others sell them straight off the easel, and some have “mini auctions” for the paintings. “Canyon Road galleries are feeling a resurgence of sales and are very encouraged about the coming year,” Greenberg says, adding that he’s happy to see that “the people who come from all over the world to purchase art are returning to Santa Fe.” —Lindsay Mitchell
contact information
www.visitcanyonroad.com
Featured in the October 2012 issue of Southwest Art magazine–click below to purchase:
Southwest Art magazine October 2012 digital download
Southwest Art magazine October 2012 print edition
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